363: Phil Hanley Doesn’t Like Having Things Thrown at Him | HoneyDew Podcast #363

Summary

---

The HoneyDew with Ryan Sickler

Episode 363: Phil Hanley Doesn’t Like Having Things Thrown at Him
Release Date: December 8, 2025
Guest: Phil Hanley
Main Theme: Laughing at life’s lowlights—Phil Hanley’s journey with dyslexia, OCD, and self-worth

---

Episode Overview

Ryan Sickler welcomes comedian Phil Hanley for a candid conversation about growing up and living with dyslexia, finding humor through adversity, and how his experiences with learning disabilities, OCD, and social struggles became fuel for resilience and creativity. The episode explores how setbacks and stigma in youth led Hanley toward unexpected growth, culminating in a career in comedy and the publication of his memoir, Spellbound.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins: Their First Connection and Stand-Up Beginnings

• Phil reminisces about cold-calling Ryan (06:15–07:59) years back for advice before his first U.S. TV appearance on Craig Ferguson, recounting:

  “You gave me great advice and it helped my set… you just told me the lay of the land.” (Phil, 07:13)

• Ryan recalls strict network rules: (08:03–09:32)

  “They told me I couldn’t say ‘Jesus’ even though I was using it as an exclamation. Couldn’t talk about death or dying. A lot of my sets were about that…” (Ryan, 08:05)

2. Growing Up with Dyslexia

• Early Struggles in School:

  • First indications in Grade 1; teacher quickly labeled him “slow” (12:52–13:42).
  • Constantly compared to peers and placed in special ed.
  • Mother advocated fiercely, saving his self-esteem.

• What Dyslexia Feels Like (10:51–12:44):

  “Any word I read is a word that I have memorized. If I’ve never seen it, it might as well be a Japanese symbol.” (Phil, 11:05)
  “They’d have me read text and I’d get zero. They’d read it to me and I’d get 100%. And I’d be like, ‘there, don’t make me read!’ They were still baffled!” (Phil, 15:26)

• Lasting Impact and Late Diagnosis:

  • Didn’t get proper support until final year of high school.
  • “It was hell all the way through…” (Phil, 17:25)

• The Special Ed Teacher Difference:

  “Mr. Armstrong…he was so cool. We’d sit and he’d help me. I got great grades after that. You motherfuckers tortured me all this time, and it was just because you didn’t try.” (Phil, 17:42)

3. Life Beyond School: Modeling, Comedy, and Coping

• Skipped college, tried modeling in Europe:

  “I was fine about my appearance until I started modeling and realized—oh shit, I’m really skinny…but there was a heroin chic thing. They wanted guys with long hair and skinny.” (Phil, 20:00)

• Never felt like he fit in; modeling made him self-conscious, comedy finally felt natural.

4. Dyslexia’s Everyday Challenges and Hacks

• Adult workarounds:

  • Extreme planning and double-checking logistics (e.g., writing addresses by hand and triple-checking before inputting into Uber) (21:20–22:28).
  • “It’s like a Navy SEAL operation. I have everything ready by the door…” (Phil, 21:46)

• Driving and Navigation:

  • Avoids driving due to difficulty reading street signs and depth perception issues.

  “I can [drive], but it’s pretty death-defying…” (Phil, 22:44)

  • GPS is a life changer: “It is an absolute game changer for people with dyslexia.” (Phil, 23:39)

5. Family, Genetics, and Social Support

• Mother & Father’s roles:

  • Mother: calm advocate, did homework with him, always by his side.
  • Father: aggressive defender, inspired his sense of self-worth (35:22–36:51).

• Genetic aspects:

  • Dyslexia runs in families, although Phil’s sister was unaffected; suspects his father had mild symptoms (23:53–24:44).

6. Social Skills and the Value of Humor

• Found social praise through wit rather than grades or athletic performance:

  “The two people that were celebrated [in my town] were smart-asses and people that were good at fighting. I was a smart-ass.” (Phil, 25:28)

  • Recess was his comedy stage.
  • Being funny at family dinners more valued than grades.

7. On Comedy Craft & Technology

• Messy, personalized writing process:

  • Writes out ideas, types them (misspelled), rewrites, brings lists on stage—very inefficient but necessary.

• Technology helps:

  • Ryan suggests using AI/chatbots for spelling help.
  • “I’m just using Google Maps, man. I’ve just got into Google Maps. I’m so many years from chat GPT.” (Phil, 26:41)

8. Writing the Memoir: Spellbound

• A Dyslexic Writing a Book:

  “Very slowly. It took me eight years.” (Phil, 27:34)
  “The whole book was so daunting…by the end, I realized if it wasn’t for dyslexia, all the things I cherish in my life are attached to that.” (Phil, 31:18)

9. Mental Health: OCD, ADHD, and Medication

• Co-morbidities:

  • ADHD frequently occurs with dyslexia. OCD too—Phil shares both.

• OCD Symptoms and Fears:

  • Checking locks, stoves, taps—sometimes to the point of daily life impairment (39:02–40:47).
  • “Why is everyone else not spending the afternoon checking the burners…” (Phil, 39:17)
  • Talks about rituals and how they faded over time, sometimes with the help of cognitive behavioral therapy and meditation (48:14–50:45).

• Medication Struggles:

  • SSRIs and other meds made him feel worse, led to periods of depression and moving back home as an adult (41:08–45:10).
  • Stand-up comedy and meditation helped stabilize him after discontinuing meds.

10. Adulthood, Acceptance, and Gratitude

• Now off all medication, managing conditions via routine and mindfulness.
• Sees dyslexia and earlier pain as key to who he is.

  “All the life experience that you think at the time…there’s no upside to this—miraculously, there is.” (Phil, 66:21)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On struggling in school:

  “First grade teacher just thought I was done…investigated it for about seven seconds and treated me terribly.” (Phil, 12:52)

• On schoolwork as a dyslexic:

  “They would have me read a page of text and then try to answer questions—zero. They’d read it to me—100%. There, we got it: don’t make me read!” (Phil, 15:26)

• On OCD rituals:

  “Why is everyone else not spending the afternoon checking the burners on the stove?” (Phil, 39:17)
  “It seems like the most important thing in the world…give it a minute, it’ll be fine." (Phil, 40:47)

• On comedy saving him:

  “Stand-up totally saved me…It was really dark to be depressed and to be misdiagnosed…But I was just dedicated to doing five shows a week in Vancouver.” (Phil, 45:04–45:37)

• On gratitude:

  “All the things that I cherish in my life are attached to the fact that I’m dyslexic.” (Phil, 31:18)

• On parental advice:

  “All you have to do is maintain their self-esteem—which is no easy task.” (Phil, 35:22)
  “If you maintain their self-esteem when they get out of school, they’ll excel because they’re not [broken].” (Phil, 36:05)

---

Important Timestamps

• First meaningful interaction between Phil & Ryan: 06:15–07:59
• What dyslexia is like for Phil: 10:51–12:44
• Late diagnosis and educational impact: 17:22–18:48
• Modeling days and “not fitting in”: 19:25–21:02
• Coping with dyslexia as an adult: 21:20–22:44
• OCD and rituals: 39:00–40:47
• Medication/mental health nadir: 41:08–45:10
• Stand-up as salvation: 45:04
• Dyslexia’s life-long impact: 31:29 & 62:14
• Advice to parents of dyslexic children: 63:55–65:27
• Advice to 16-year-old self: 66:16–67:35

---

Advice for Listeners

For Parents/Those Supporting Dyslexic Kids

• Maintain your kid’s self-esteem above all else. Academic struggles are not a reflection of intelligence or ability.
• Advocate fiercely: Be their champion through a system designed for others.
• Know it gets better: Once out of the school environment, those same kids “will excel at something.”

For Young Phil Hanley (and Others in Similar Shoes)

• “Hold tight—all this shit will pay off. All the life experience you think has no upside…there is.” Your hardships become your humor, your resilience, and the foundation for your future success.

---

Tone and Style Highlights

The conversation is honest, self-deprecating, and laced with comedic relief—as is fitting for a storytelling podcast about life’s hardships. Both Ryan and Phil openly share their own neuroses and struggles, creating a sense of camaraderie and understanding for listeners with similar backgrounds.

---

In Summary

This heartfelt episode is a laugh-so-you-don’t-cry meditation on learning differences, resilience, and the unpredictable ways pain seeds growth. Phil Hanley embodies the HoneyDew ethos: “these are the stories behind the storytellers.” Whether recounting dark days in special ed, panic at the stove, or the struggle of writing a memoir when reading itself is an obstacle, Phil’s wit and gratitude come through—and remind us it’s okay, and even necessary, to celebrate stumbling through the hard parts.

---

Socials:

• Phil Hanley: @philhanley
• Ryan Sickler: @ryansickler

---

Transcript

[Phil Hanley]

This holiday season, reach for the one butter that never disappoints Kerrygold. Made with milk from grass fed cows on Irish family farms, it's rich, creamy and perfect for baking. Whether browning butter for cookies or crafting the flakiest pie crust, Kerrygold's high butterfat content makes all the difference in flavor and texture. Holiday treats will taste extraordinary Think about.

[Rocket Money Advertiser]

The last time you had a cancel subscription. There's probably some waiting on hold, some guessing at your password, some mind numbing small talk, and maybe after all that, you still weren't able to cancel it. Good news, it doesn't have to be this way. Thanks to Rocket Money, Rocket Money tracks, manages and can cancel your subscriptions for you. When you connect your accounts, you'll see a complete picture of all your reoccurring subscriptions all in one place. Rocket Money organizes your subscriptions by due date and notifies you when something's coming up so you'll never be caught off guard when you get charged. If you see a subscription you want to cancel, Rocket Money simplifies the process. Instead of waiting on hold for an hour, you can cancel it right from the app. Rocket Money will even try to get you a refund for the money you spent on subscriptions you forgot about. Stop wasting your time trying to cancel subscriptions the hard way. Make your life easier and go to RocketMoney.com cancel. That's RocketMoney.com cancel or download the app from the Apple app or Google Play stores.

[Phil Hanley]

Whether you're gifting, decorating or treating yourself, Lowe's December deal drops are here to help you save more.

[Ryan Sickler]

All month long.

[Phil Hanley]

Get up to 50% off select holiday decor plus get up to 45% off select tools and accessories Shop new December deal drops every week this month and and get so much more out of your holidays Lowes we help you save. Selection varies by location while supplies last.

[Rocket Money Advertiser]

Think about the last time you had a cancel subscription. There's probably some waiting on hold, some guessing at your password, some mind numbing small talk, and maybe after all that, you still weren't able to cancel it. Good news, it doesn't have to be this way. Thanks to Rocket Money, Rocket Money tracks, manages, and can cancel your subscriptions for you. When you connect your accounts, you'll see a complete picture of all your reoccurring subscriptions all in one place. Rocket Money organizes your subscriptions by due date and notifies you when something's coming up so you'll never be caught off guard when you get charged. If you see a subscription you want to cancel. Rocket Money simplifies the process. Instead of waiting on hold for an hour, you can cancel it right from the app. Rocket Money will even try to get you a refund for the money you spent on subscriptions you forgot about. Stop wasting your time trying to cancel subscriptions the hard way. Make your life easier and go to rocketmoney.com cancel. That's rocketmoney.com cancel. Or download the app from the Apple app or Google Play stores.

[Phil Hanley]

What do you think makes the perfect snack? Hmm, it's gotta be when I'm really craving it and it's convenient. Could you be more specific?

[Ryan Sickler]

When it's cray venient.

[Phil Hanley]

Okay.

[Ryan Sickler]

Like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter available right down the street at amt.

[Phil Hanley]

Or a savory breakfast sandwich I can grab in just a second at a.m. pM. I'm seeing a pattern here.

[Ryan Sickler]

Well, yeah, we're talking about what I.

[Phil Hanley]

Crave, which is anything from AM pm. What more could you want? Stop by AM PM where the snacks and drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience AM PM Too much. Good stuff. Hey, this is Sarah. Look, I'm standing out front of a.m. p.m. Right now and well, you're sweet and all, but I found something more fulfilling.

[Rocket Money Advertiser]

Even kind of cheesy.

[Phil Hanley]

But I like it. Sure, you met some of my dietary needs, but they've just got it all. So farewell.

[Co-host or Guest]

Oatmeal.

[Phil Hanley]

So long, you strange soggy. Break up with bland breakfast and taste AM PM's bacon, egg and cheese biscuit made with K tree eggs, smoked bacon and melty cheese on a buttery biscuit. AM P M Too much Good stuff guys.

[Ryan Sickler]

I want to say thank you very much. We hit over a million views on Live and Alive. Thank you for supporting it. Thank you for watching it. If you haven't yet, go watch it. Share it with your friends. Comment like all that stuff. Live and Alive streaming now on my YouTube. Thank you guys so much for your support.

[Phil Hanley]

The Honeydew with Ryan Sickler.

[Ryan Sickler]

Welcome back to to the Honeydew, y'.

[Phil Hanley]

All.

[Ryan Sickler]

We're over here doing it in the Night Pan Studios. I'm Ryan Sickler. Ryan Sickler.com Ryan Sickler on all your social media starting this episode the way we start them all by saying thank you. Thank you for watching this show. Thank you for supporting this show. You guys have been here for years. I always say whether you're new here or whether you've been here, thank you for supporting anything I do. And if you gotta have More. You have to check out the Patreon. It's called the Honeydew with y', all. And it is this show with y'. All. And you all have the craziest stories on the Internet. All right, It's. I promise you, for five bucks, you're getting 200 and some episodes. Over 250 episodes are out. All right? And if you or someone you know has a story that has to be heard, then please submit it to honeydewpodcastmail.com. we would love to do your story. If you've sent it before, send it again, bump it up to the top. We get a lot of submissions. All right, that's. That's the biz. You guys know what we do here? We highlight low lights. I always say that these are the stories behind the storytellers. I'm very excited to have this guest on here. First time on the Honeydew. Ladies and gentlemen, Phil Hanley. Welcome to the Honeydew film.

[Phil Hanley]

Thanks, Ryan. I'm stoked to be here.

[Ryan Sickler]

Thank you for being here. Before we dive into your story, please promote everything and anything you'd like right there.

[Phil Hanley]

All right, thank you.

[Ryan Sickler]

Philhan.comphilhanley.com. what's your socials?

[Phil Hanley]

Phil Hanley? On everything.

[Ryan Sickler]

YouTube, I post no guy got you before. You got.

[Phil Hanley]

No. Oh, no, there was, and then I got it.

[Ryan Sickler]

All right.

[Phil Hanley]

Good, good, good.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah. And you have a book?

[Phil Hanley]

I do, yeah. Spellbound.

[Ryan Sickler]

Spellbound. So what is spellbound about?

[Phil Hanley]

It's.

[Ryan Sickler]

Well, wait, before I lead you into that, you had said before you recorded, there was something you wanted to bring up.

[Phil Hanley]

This, because this. Because this is the first time we've met in person, but years ago, this is. How long ago was I really?

[Ryan Sickler]

I thought we met in person before now. You remember it better than me, obviously.

[Phil Hanley]

So this is so long ago that there was a comedy club in Vancouver called the Comedy Mix. Did you play the Comedy Mix?

[Ryan Sickler]

No.

[Phil Hanley]

Great club. It's not there anymore. Seguro was there. This is so long ago that Segura was there talking about trying to get into the improv. That's how long. This is that long ago. And Segura was doing the weekend, and I was getting ready. I was doing guest spots on his weekend because I was getting ready to do my first TV set on Craig Ferguson.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay.

[Phil Hanley]

And Segura goes, my buddy Ryan just did Craig Ferguson. You should call him and just talk to him and see what his experience was like. So I just phoned you out of the blue, and you gave me great advice and it helped my set. It's so nerve wracking to do your first TV set in the States, especially if you're anywhere from Canada. But it's so big. You're like, you know what I mean? I had to get a visa. I'm like flying in to do this. Anyways, we talked and you were so gracious and gave me great advice. And I remember being on, you know, the stage, doing it and thinking of the. That you, you know, you just told me kind of the lay of the land. So that's how long it must have been 15 years ago.

[Ryan Sickler]

I. I don't even remember that. And I'm glad that I did that.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, it was really cool. God, yeah, it was really nice.

[Ryan Sickler]

I was. When you said that out there, I was like, was I a dick?

[Phil Hanley]

You're like, no. And then. So when you started doing the pot, I've wanted to do this one because certain podcasts you do, and you're like, oh, boy. But this one, I was like, oh, fuck, I just can't wait to sit down and chat with you. Because that meant, I mean, it's such a huge deal to do your first.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's awesome. Thank you for. Thank you for remembering that.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And telling me that Made my day. Yeah, I'm glad. Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

Because it was so cool and it was so long ago.

[Ryan Sickler]

This is what I do remember, you know, and we're not going to get into this week in baseball for comedy. But they're very specific. At least back then they were like, you have to write out every word. The hands, the thus. And I remember they told me that I couldn't say Jesus. Even though I wasn't talking about the person, I was using it as an exclamation. Either way, I wasn't allowed to say it.

[Phil Hanley]

Okay.

[Ryan Sickler]

I couldn't talk about death or dying. And I was like, a lot of my sets. And then I remember when I did it, they did the intro, but he wasn't there. That time we did back to back comedy. A guy went first and I went second.

[Phil Hanley]

Okay.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, that's how they shot him. And then, and then.

And it's funny because he promoted Cut man on I didn't have anything at that time. And I was like, tom, I'm giving him the Cut man dvd. They don't check shit.

[Phil Hanley]

You know?

[Ryan Sickler]

They don't check shit. He's like, do it. And he said, is my next guest. You can see his Cut Man. He put the DVD on the.

[Phil Hanley]

Like, that's hilarious.

[Ryan Sickler]

But then the writers strike hits. Oh, so they hold mine. I want to say I shot in September. September or November. And the strike lasted until, like, February. And they're like, we're probably not gonna air yours.

[Phil Hanley]

And I was like, oh, my God.

[Ryan Sickler]

And then they said that they liked it enough that they shot the intro anyway, and they're gonna. So it. It appeared months later, I was like, my first TV set ever is not even gonna make it. And then it made it.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, because it's such a big deal. Because back then, this is before people posting clips and online, like, this was your shot to get more clubwork, more anything.

[Ryan Sickler]

Anything.

[Phil Hanley]

These TV sets. And they. Yeah, because they. They had his desk, the old Craig Ferguson set, and then they kind of, like, wheeled that away, and that's where you did stand it. So the whole thing was, like, so discombobulating. But you would give me a heads up. He wasn't even. He left.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I didn't meet him either. He was gone.

[Phil Hanley]

He. He walked by me and said, don't fuck up. And then.

[Ryan Sickler]

So your book. Tell us about your book and why you wrote this book.

[Phil Hanley]

Well, it's a memoir about life and. But primarily the fact that I'm dyslexic. And that. Yeah, just. That's kind of been the through line throughout my whole life. And starts. My book starts quite dark. Because you're a kid. Kindergarten, you know what I mean? Did really well. And then first grade, you're just like, oh, my God. All of a sudden. Because, like a Dickinson play, the first, you know, grade. Because it's just black and white.

[Ryan Sickler]

You're just.

[Phil Hanley]

There's like. Yeah, you can't read. And they're not really interested in investigating it. You know, they're.

[Ryan Sickler]

So before we get into dyslexia, I. I believe it was. I'm wrong a lot. We've had a lot of guests. I want to say maybe Joel McHale was dyslexic.

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, is he?

[Ryan Sickler]

I want to say it was him off the look. Was it? Yeah. So what is dyslexia for you?

[Phil Hanley]

I can't identify a symbol with a sound.

[Ryan Sickler]

Give me an example of that. Symbol with a sound.

[Phil Hanley]

Well, so any word I read, Any word that I read, I.

[Ryan Sickler]

What's a symbol?

[Phil Hanley]

Like a letter.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay, so I.

[Phil Hanley]

Any word that I read is a word that I have memorized. So as I get older, my vocabulary gets better. But, like, say your last name. I've never seen that. I've never seen. Yeah, like last. A last name or a street name or a word. I've never seen before. It might as well be like. Like a Japanese symbol.

[Ryan Sickler]

So if I just wrote the letters S I, C K L, E R out my last name and you're looking at it on paper for the first.

[Phil Hanley]

Time, because I know the word sick. Sick. So I. I could probably ballpark it, but I would, like, cough the end part. I'd be like, sickler.

[Ryan Sickler]

Really?

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, because I wouldn't. I.

[Ryan Sickler]

Or did you ever open and have to bring comedians up or their names and credits? I'm not dyslexic and I. That up.

[Phil Hanley]

I did a. It was like that festival in Austin.

[Ryan Sickler]

And it was like south by Southwest or Moon Tower.

[Phil Hanley]

I did. I did a Caroline's. When I first moved to New York, and again, performing at Caroline's was such a big deal. And they're like, we want Comedy Central wanted me to emcee the diversity showcase. So. The diversity showcase. So it's not Todd Smith, it's names. And no disrespect, I couldn't read any. You know, the names were from all over the world, and it wasn't words that I memorized. It was the most hellish night because I wanted to show these people the respect they deserve. They got on this showcase and I'm just like, oh, my God. It was just sweating because you. Of course I'm not going to be able to say the names because names are a problem, especially last names. But, like, you know, the dudes from, like, Sri Lanka, like, I didn't know. I had really trouble, you know, doing a name that wasn't just like.

Hurley, you know, so. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

So when do you realize or who realizes, hey, Phil's got a problem?

[Phil Hanley]

Well, first grade. The. My first grade teacher just thought I was done. Like, they investigated it for about seven seconds, and there's like, this guy's an idiot. And they just treated me terribly. And we're like, he's slow and tried to fail me. My mom knew that I was smart and shouldn't be failed. So my mom, you know, just advocated for me every single year. But it breaks my heart because a lot of kids don't have that. You know what? A lot of kids, the parents are just like, just read, you know? But my mom, like, if someone has a kid who strugglely reading, but. And I'm like, are they. What are their social skills? Like, they're like, oh, they're amazing socially. They're really charming and they're funny and they. And they have circle reading. Then I can diagnose people with dyslexia. Like that because it's. You're to be dyslexic, you have to be average intelligence or above average intelligent. You just struggle with, you know, reading, basically.

[Ryan Sickler]

Reading Just a mouth breather. Drool.

[Phil Hanley]

Well, yeah. Like, you have all these different skills and, you know, you just like, excel in all these different areas. But just the regular. With the school system is not that.

[Ryan Sickler]

And so I guess too, it's gotta be difficult because what I've learned about dyslexia is like, some people have it with numbers.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. Discount.

[Ryan Sickler]

Do you?

[Phil Hanley]

No, I'm really. I was really good at different.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's the other thing. It's not like it's. He's got this thing, and here's how you fix it. It's like, well, he's got this thing and now we got to figure out what kind of thing he has and how to help with that.

[Phil Hanley]

But they weren't like, they would.

[Ryan Sickler]

Teachers weren't doing that.

[Phil Hanley]

No.

[Ryan Sickler]

And your mom is?

[Phil Hanley]

My mom. Yeah, my mom.

[Ryan Sickler]

Taking you places?

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, we go to tutors and I remember when I was a little kid, they put like all these needles in my head to like, on like a polygraph thing to try to figure out what was going down with my brain, you know?

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

And I'm just like, what? I'm like, how old are you at the time? Seven.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's terrifying.

[Phil Hanley]

Terrifying. Dude, it was like that. It was like. It was just. Dude, it was completely like second grade. Needles in your head to figure out, like in a horror movie. And my sweet mom is just like, oh, no, dear.

[Ryan Sickler]

This is.

[Phil Hanley]

You know, children get this done all the time. Yeah. So it. Yeah, it was. It was brutal all through school. But.

But then socially, I, you know, I was fine. I was. Well, socially. But yeah, they put me in special ed. They did all these things were. And I understood the stigma, especially a lot of the kids didn't really fully grasp what people thought of us, but I got it, you know? Yeah, it was tough.

[Ryan Sickler]

And so when do you start realizing that you're figuring it out? What happens? What's the final shift?

[Phil Hanley]

I never really did, like, I just. I just grip, like, just got through school. But, like, they would do things to me. They would, like, have me read a page of text and then try to answer questions, and I'd get zero. And then they would read it to me and I'd get 100% and I would be like, there, that we got it. Don't make me read. And they'd be like, not. We're still baffled you know, so when it's.

[Ryan Sickler]

When it's time for the kids in class to read aloud. Are you just shitting yourself?

[Phil Hanley]

God, Brian. I would sit. I would try to do the math because I'd be like. Say, like, I. They be the paragraphs, and I would count to.

[Ryan Sickler]

Oh, you go way ahead. You know.

[Phil Hanley]

I get to my paragraph. And sometimes you'd get there and it would just be this. And be like, thank God this is only going to be, like, probably 25 seconds of hell. But sometimes I would just land on the.

[Ryan Sickler]

And are you skimming it real quick to try to learn it?

[Phil Hanley]

I'm trying to.

[Ryan Sickler]

Before it gets to you.

[Phil Hanley]

I mean, I'm trying to teach myself to read in the moment, even though there's been a precedent that I can't learn how to read. You know what I mean? They've been trying for years. It would just be hell. Hell, yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

It makes me wonder now, here I'm thinking back to some of the kids in my class who would be like. And then he. But then they'd go outside and play and be fine. So now I'm wondering if they were just.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, like, there's like. But the thing that breaks my heart is, like, the statistics of people that are, like, incarcerated, that are dyslexic is just off the charts because it makes sense. Because you're told you're dumb. You're forced to read. Like, I have a joke about. Or I go like. The teacher would be like, like, sound it out. And I'd be like, yeah, I can't do that. It's like telling. It's like someone saying, hey, I have a peanut allergy. And they're like, oh, chew slowly. You know, you're like.

It just wasn't happening for me. And they were relentless. And, yeah, it was bad buzz.

[Ryan Sickler]

What grade does it sort of finally get figured out?

[Phil Hanley]

The last. My last year in high school.

[Ryan Sickler]

High school?

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. The last year.

[Ryan Sickler]

I thought you're gonna say fifth or sixth grade.

[Phil Hanley]

No, it was hell all the way through. I was great in math. They put me in all the, like. Like, remedial math classes because I couldn't read. Because they started going like, x represents. And I'm like, well, I can't fucking spell. Represent.

[Ryan Sickler]

I didn't think about letters. Math, too.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. I'm like, are you kidding me? So, yeah, like, my math was. The gym teacher was teaching me math. Like, that was how slow my math class was. Some moron teaching me. And then. Yes. So then the last. My last year in high school, I just fluke, just a chance luck. They had a program where I do a class of school and then I would go and had a one on one teacher, the special ed teacher, super cool dude, Mr. Armstrong. And he actually was con. Yeah, he was like kind of like a little like glasses and a sweater. Kind of like the Flanders from you look like. Yeah, but he was so cool. And so, and we would sit and he would help me with what I just learned. And I got great grades after that. So I was like, you motherfuckers tortured me all this time. And it was just because you, you know what I mean, didn't try. You're telling me to try. Meanwhile you're just like not trying yourself, you know? So, yeah, it was the last year of school and then, and then I just left school and never looked back.

[Ryan Sickler]

So you were like, fuck college, you're not even trying that.

[Phil Hanley]

I, yeah. Or did you know, I, I, I qualified to go to college and all my friends had gone to college, but my friends were older than me and I would go and party with them on weekends. So I felt like I had, I kind of got the good part of college.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah. And then did you take the SATs?

[Phil Hanley]

No, we didn't have those in Canada.

[Ryan Sickler]

Oh no?

[Phil Hanley]

No.

[Ryan Sickler]

But would you have an equivalent? Do you have an act sort of SAT type test so the schools can say this number and above will take these?

[Phil Hanley]

I don't know if they do now, but at the time it was just like your grades and the final year.

[Ryan Sickler]

Coming out of high school.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. And then.

[Ryan Sickler]

Which also could fudgeing suck because you could, you could be shit in school but test well. Yeah, opposite.

[Phil Hanley]

Absolutely. Yeah. So. And then, so all my friends went to, to college and I had one friend who, who was a model and was like, you should model. So I left and went to Europe and lived in Europe As a model. Yeah. You shouldn't look me in the eyes.

[Ryan Sickler]

And be sitting across my male model right now.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, but it was a weird, it.

[Ryan Sickler]

Was a ton of modeling you doing.

[Phil Hanley]

What's that?

[Ryan Sickler]

What kind of you doing underwear or.

[Phil Hanley]

What do you know, it was like a time there was like a heroin chic thing many, many years ago and I was skinny with long.

[Ryan Sickler]

You don't have to justify. You're a good looking man, bro. I'm just curious that you went from dyslexia to modeling to comedy.

[Phil Hanley]

Well, yeah. Well, yeah, because it was, it was weird though because it was like I was fine about my appearance until I started modeling and I realized I'm like, oh shit, I'm like really skinny. But yeah, there was like a heroin chic thing. They wanted guys with like long hair and skinny. So I did that for like four years and then started.

[Ryan Sickler]

What was that?

[Phil Hanley]

Like, it was cool. I was a little. I grew up like a deadhead. And the whole time thinking to myself, like, the my heroes would not be wearing dockers and getting their picture taken. Like, I thought it was kind of uncool and silly and was surrounded by people that took it very seriously. So I was a little bit. I never had friends that were models per se, but I had lots of friends that were like outside of the thing. So in a way it was. I didn't really fit in. I didn't fit in in school. And then I went to modeling and felt uncomfortable for different reasons. And then, you know, started comedy and felt quite comfortable.

[Ryan Sickler]

So what are your coping mechanisms with this disability as you're. How do you learn to learn? You know what I'm. Do you know what I'm asking? Like, what are the hacks you have to figure out going through? Life of a, let's say pulling into a drive thru or a menu on a, at a restaurant.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, well, these days, you know all those words.

[Ryan Sickler]

But what was it like when you.

[Phil Hanley]

Did just today for me to put in your address of the studio into.

Like the Uber is a huge deal. Like I'm. I take the email from my publicist, I write it down on a piece of paper, then I take that into the Uber thing. Then I screenshot the address to double check it twice. Like everything is a pain in the ass. Yeah, it's hard, man. But so. And it's like when I go to the airport, it's like my, my girlfriend cracks up that it's like it's like a Navy SEAL operation because I have everything by the door ready to go. Like, I wake up, put on my watch, put on my shoes and I'm like out the door.

[Ryan Sickler]

You know, I'm same way with it.

[Phil Hanley]

I gotta plan everything out. I gotta plan everything.

[Ryan Sickler]

I got a whole list in my phone that I keep and I just cross it off when I throw it in the bag. Yeah, I know what I need at this point now there's nothing I don't know I need on the road. And I haven't packed the bag or checked the bag when I do stand up. I just recently did one check the bag to go to Baltimore for. We took cameras and stuff, but I haven't checked a bag in years.

[Phil Hanley]

No.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, same years I Put it all. Even in the winter, I'm sitting on that.

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, yeah. We're gonna make it. Yeah, totally. I do the same thing. Yeah. So it's still like dyslexia affects organization. It affects, like, depth perception. Like, when you were saying going through a drive through, I was like, I haven't driven in so long.

[Ryan Sickler]

You don't drive.

[Phil Hanley]

I, like, I can, but it's pretty death defying at first. And then I kind of get why.

[Ryan Sickler]

Is it the street signs?

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, well, that you don't really help me is a gps.

[Ryan Sickler]

Because before talks to you.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, well, just you can see it on the road. But before gps, you'd be driving, and it's like you're reading. Like, it's. It's like. Like that sport where they're, like, skiing and then shooting and then, like, driving.

I'm like, driving, and there's a spelling bee and I'm, like, crossing the lane. Like, it was some of my maneuvers driving. And. And I do drive. I just haven't driven in years. But I'm gonna start driving.

[Ryan Sickler]

Are you? Why?

[Phil Hanley]

Because I want to get a cool car someday.

[Ryan Sickler]

All right.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

On the road.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. Just be. Yeah. And I want to drive around. Like, I live in New York, so, like, to go upstate or something like that. But. Yeah, I've never bought a car. I've never had a car. Never.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, okay.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. But the gps, it is a game changer. It is an absolute game.

[Ryan Sickler]

I hadn't thought about it like that for people. Oh, dyslexia.

[Phil Hanley]

It's crazy. It's nuts.

[Ryan Sickler]

Do you have siblings?

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, I have a sister. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And is she dyslexic?

[Phil Hanley]

No, she was like, it's a complete genetic thing. It is genetic. It is. But no one in my family is funny to say. Yeah, genetically.

Yeah. A little suspicious, actually. Actually. But my dad has some. He can read and stuff like that, but I think he has some dyslexic qualities. And then he's got, like, a crazy memory. Like, insane. Like, I could be like, dad, when did I first move to New York? And he'd be like. He'd know the exact date. He knows the dates of everything like that. And that's kind of a dyslexic. Some people, that's kind of a coping mechanism where you. You develop things, you know, like, I have a good memory when I'm on stage. I can remember people. I was like, how did you remember that dude's name? You know, if I'm, like, riffing with the crowd, I. And I think that's a dyslexic thing where you just, like, you try to make up for your, you know, shortcomings in different ways.

[Ryan Sickler]

All right.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

So then did you play sports? Were sports ever a problem?

[Phil Hanley]

No. Yeah, I wasn't. Yeah, that. That was the thing.

[Ryan Sickler]

In school you say depth perception, so I'm wondering, can you. Basketball, baseball, hitting a ball?

[Phil Hanley]

No. No, I don't like people throwing at me.

Baseball. Even if they're on your team? Yeah, I don't care for that. I don't trust anyone. No, I was. No, I. That was another thing. That was why I was so destined, I feel like, to do comedy was because I. Anything that you could measure, like grades, scoreboard, anything that could be measured, I did not do well at, but I could. You know, recess would come and I felt so.

Oppressed in school, and the recess would come and I'd be like beboping and scat. Like, you know what I mean? It would be like a set, basically. And. Yeah, so. And then the same with, like, hanging out. My friends. I'm from, like a small town in Canada, and it was like the two people that were celebrated were smart asses and then people that were good at fighting. So I was a smart ass and. And my friends were really supportive and really recognized, you know, if I was funny or whatever. Same with my family. Like, it was more important for me to be funny at the dinner table than my grades. For sure. Like Friday nights. Bring it.

[Ryan Sickler]

So what's your. Just when you figure out you like comedy? I know we all have a process. What's yours? Do you write things down or do you keep it up here?

[Phil Hanley]

I should, because I know a lot of comics just keep it in their head. I know I have like this weird. And it's the most disorganized system, but I like, write out ideas, then I type them into my computer, like, misspell the shit out of them and then. And then we'll write them down again and then bring like a list on stage to memorize shit.

[Ryan Sickler]

Are you using chat now to your advantage?

[Phil Hanley]

Dude, I'm just using Google Maps, man. I've just got into Google Maps. I'm so many years from chat GPT.

[Ryan Sickler]

I mean, it's just right there. And you talk to it.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, some. Maybe someone could show it to me.

[Ryan Sickler]

I. Chatbots. How do you spell this?

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, really?

[Ryan Sickler]

Being. Yeah, yeah, don't show you.

[Phil Hanley]

I'm so, so easy. Really, it's.

[Ryan Sickler]

It's not. It sounds so. It's literally like having a Built in Siri or Alexa.

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, really?

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, but. But way smarter. Oh, really?

[Co-host or Guest]

Okay.

[Ryan Sickler]

Alexa. Shit. It's like, I don't have the answer for that. I'm like, chet, yeah, I never.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, I haven't even tried it, but I hear. I mean, it's quite.

[Ryan Sickler]

I might change your life.

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, really? Yeah, I just Google. I'll try to Google the spelling word, but then sometimes I can't decipher if. If it, you know, Google is not that helpful.

[Ryan Sickler]

So how does a dyslexic man write a book?

[Phil Hanley]

Dude. Very slowly. It took me eight years.

[Ryan Sickler]

Did it?

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. I worked on the proposal for, like, four, and I just locked down the proposal because the whole book was so daunting. So I got the proposal almost like a mission statement. And I referred to that throughout the writing process. But, yeah, it took me a long time. I can write, and I, like, learned to write as I did it. Like, I remember when I started the first chapter, took me four and a half months. And my editor was like, this is. You're going to be writing this. Like, you probably won't finish before you die. Like, you know. And then by the end of the book, I could do it in about two and a half weeks, I could do a chapter. So I just. I just kept going kind of. And it was. So, for me, what happened was an agent, like a literary agent approached me, was like, do you want to write a book? Which I thought, you know, it sounded like a prank. And I was like, I read a book about dyslexia, and it blew my mind because I thought I was the only one that had experienced that stuff. Like, I couldn't. I, Like, I couldn't. I was like, because you're the only person in the class. You know what I mean? You might be the only person in the school that it was. Had my level of dyslexia. And you don't really talk about it, you know, so, yeah, it would freak me out. So when I read that, I was like, okay, I got to write this because I want other people to. To see that it's, you know, normal and different things, you know, throughout my life. Like, you know, like, doing, like. I started partying a lot when I was, like, young, and I always thought I was, like, kind of like I felt a little dirty about it or whatever. And I talked to my therapist. Like, you were going through hell every day.

[Ryan Sickler]

You needed an outlet.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. Cocktail. You know, what about the asset? They're like, well, you needed to, you know, too, but, yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Could you foging read in another dimension? Are you dyslexic in another, or are you dyslexic in your dreams?

[Phil Hanley]

I don't know. That's a great question. I don't. I mean, I certainly am not navigating a roadmap in my dreams.

[Ryan Sickler]

You never have a thing where you're actually reading flawlessly and fluently?

[Phil Hanley]

No.

[Ryan Sickler]

Maybe.

[Phil Hanley]

Maybe I will tonight. That's interesting, though.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah. Because I ask people who speak different languages if they dream in that language.

[Phil Hanley]

Well, apparently when you learn a lang, that's when you really cross to the other side of knowing a language is when you start dreaming in the other language.

[Ryan Sickler]

So when you. I mean, this is quite a daunting task for a.

[Phil Hanley]

God.

[Ryan Sickler]

What am I. What's the word I'm looking for, dyslexic person to write a book? I feel like that's like a blind dude trying to take a drive cross country.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

You know what I mean? Like, I just feel like such an undertaking.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, it was. It was. It was wild. It's funny. I kind of miss it. Yeah, I just worked on it. Like, my friends, you know, comics in New York, stuff like that. We're just like, oh, my God, you're still on the book because. Eight years, dude. It took so long. Yeah, yeah. Chapter three. Yeah, it was. Yeah, it was. It was. It was wild. But it really gave me such appreciation for. I mean, the book starts dark, but by the end, I realized it's like, if it wasn't for dyslexia. All the things that I cherish in my life are attached to the fact that I'm dyslexic, the fact that I, you know, live in New York City, the fact that I get to be here today and chat with you, the fact that, you know, I'm getting good tickets to the Dead this weekend, the fact that, you know, I do comedy. The fact that, like, everything that I cherish, you know, all my relationships, my friendships and everything, it's because if I wasn't dyslexic, I would have just kind of stayed, got a job and went to college, got a job and stayed in Canada. And because I'm dyslexic, I got to do all this shit, live in Europe, do all this stuff. So through the book, it really made me really grateful for what I thought for most of my life was a curse.

[Ryan Sickler]

Is it something that you think will.

[Phil Hanley]

Get better as the more I read or if I'm in a groove where I'm reading a lot? I do memorize more words. But no, it'll be, it'll be me. Forever. You have it for, you know, forever. You kind of develop. I mean, I'm still developing coping devices. This.

[Ryan Sickler]

Give me, give me one. Well, you just said chat.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. Gbt.

That. Maybe that'll be like a new coping device.

[Ryan Sickler]

When life gets busy, meal prep usually falls off the list. And even when we do it, it's the same boring chicken and rice on repeat. That's why I reach for Tempo. Balanced, fresh meals that are actually good for you. They taste great and they're ready in minutes. There's no skipping meals, there's no sad takeout, no endless prep. Tempo delivers fresh, chef crafted, dietitian approved meals right to your door. Each meal is perfectly portioned for lunch or dinner and ready in just two minutes. With 20 new recipes every week. Made from nutrient rich ingredients, Tempo keeps things exciting and helps you stay consistent with healthy habits. I have some red pepper chicken and a roasted cauliflower. A lotte bowl on the way and I can't wait to try it out. All their meals have been great. Tempo is convenient, but also flexible enough to fit the way you want to eat. For a limited time, Tempo is offering my listeners 60% off your first box. Go to Tempo Meals.comHoneydew that's Tempo Meals.comhoneydew for 60% off your first box Tempo Meals.comH Honeydew rules and restrictions may apply. This episode is sponsored by Better Help. The holidays are a time of tradition. Some people have many in their family and some have none. Or they're just beginning their own. And now is the time to reflect on what they mean to to you or to rewrite those traditions and make your own. Incorporating therapy into your new or existing traditions can help ensure you take time for yourself during what can be a very joyful but sometimes hectic and lonely time of the year. If you've ever considered giving therapy a try, why not try betterhelp now and close out the year with clarity instead of chaos? With over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is one of the world's largest online therapy platforms, having served over 5 million people globally. And it works with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for a live session based on over 1.7 million client reviews. This December. Start a new tradition by taking care of you. Our listeners get 10% [e-mail] Honeydew that's better. H E L P.com Honeydew so here's my holiday pattern. Like I really want to get you a nice gift and put a lot of thought into it. And then I just. Then I don't know what to do and I get you a gift card. All right, well, this year I skipped that and instead I got Aura Frame. Sometimes the hardest people to shop for are those who mean the most to you. You want something meaningful, sentimental, and that's exactly what our frame gives you. It's simple. You just download the Aura app and you connect to WI Fi. And then you can upload unlimited photos and videos. And as long as your Aura Frame is connected to WI Fi, you can keep adding your favorite photos and videos from anywhere at any time. Every frame comes packaged in a premium gift box with no price tag. And you can even preload it with the personalized message before it arrives. If you're gifting it to somebody else, you can't wrap togetherness, but you can frame it for a limited time. Save on the perfect gift by visiting auraframes.com to get $35 off Aura's best selling Carver mat frames named number one by wire cutter by using promo code Honeydew at checkout. That's a U RA frames.com promo code Honeydew. This deal is exclusive to listeners and frames sell out fast. So order yours now to get it in time for the holidays. Support the show by mentioning us at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. Now let's get back to the deal. What about your dad? Was he supportive of this?

[Phil Hanley]

My, I, I got so lucky. First off, when, if a kid, if someone's child has dyslexia, I'm like, all you have to do is maintain their self esteem. Which is no easy task.

[Ryan Sickler]

I was going to say for kid without dyslexia, it's hard to maintain self esteem.

[Phil Hanley]

But you with the kid, it's so important for a kid because you go through school, you're nine and it's like you have the grid of someone that's been through two divorces. Like you've been through shit. You know what I mean? You have grit. So if you can maintain their self esteem when they get out of school, they will excel at whatever they do because they've, they're not. That's why I was so equipped, because it's so, you know, when you start comedy, it's brutal, it's tough. But I had tenacity and determination because I, you know, learned to spell Wednesday when I was 17. So you know, it. I always say just maintain the self esteem. But my dad, I had the perfect combination of. My mom would advocate and my mom's really mellow and would go in and just get it done and get me from the second grade to the third grade. And then my dad would be like, those sons of bitches. You're smarter than them. They're, you know, my tax dollars. They got to treat you this way or whatever. So my dad was, you know, aggressively supportive and my mom was really quiet and, you know, would help me.

[Ryan Sickler]

Copish.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, but they were both good cops to me. But my dad was bad cop to, you know, society who was, you know, mistreating me. And my mom was, you know, really just calm and would help me with my homework every night type thing.

[Ryan Sickler]

Do you have kids?

[Phil Hanley]

No, but I'd like to.

[Ryan Sickler]

Are you worried about passing on dyslexia? I. I mean, I ask a two part question.

[Phil Hanley]

Sure.

[Ryan Sickler]

Are you worried about passing it on?

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And are you worried about passing on a different kind that you don't fucking have or know about and you can't help them the way you could help yourself?

[Phil Hanley]

Well, that's a great question. One I think likely that my. Because I'm so dyslexic that I think that, you know, I think there's like a 50. 50% chance.

[Ryan Sickler]

Is it that much?

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

And yeah, I used to have this old joke where I go, there's a 50 chance that my kids would be dyslexic. And that's just so much them to deal with, you know, being dyslexic and being raised by a single mom.

Just an old one, but. But anyway, so. Yeah, well, that's the thing. I mean it. Depending how spiritual you are, I could have a child with a different challenge and I feel like I would be equipped to. I mean, I certainly would have the compassion to, to do it. So maybe, maybe that would be the case because they would.

[Ryan Sickler]

What if they're number dyslexic? Then you have to learn that.

[Phil Hanley]

Dyscalcula? Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Is that what it's called?

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, I could, I could handle that for sure.

[Ryan Sickler]

So is dyslexia. What other kinds are there?

[Phil Hanley]

Actually there's. You just words and numbers.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's it. Words.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, as far as I know.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

But there's also. There's like everyone that's like dyslexic also has adhd. Like there's a huge crossover and I didn't realize it and I had to do a talk for kids with adhd and I was like, why are they. They got me because I'd done those talks for kids with dyslexia. So they. And I was like, I don't even know any about this. I watched a YouTube video. Within 30 seconds, I'm like, oh, I have ADHD. And I told my mom that. She goes, well, dear, your dyslexia was so bad, we never wanted to bring up the adhd.

[Ryan Sickler]

And I'm like, oh, so she knew.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. And then there's no science behind. But I. There's a big cross section between ADHD and ocd, and I have ocd, and I think there's a cross section, like, crossover between dyslexia and OCD to what's your ocd?

[Ryan Sickler]

What do you do? What are your rituals?

[Phil Hanley]

I've got them pretty much under control. I talk a lot about it in the book. Like, it got pretty dark and grim at one point. Well, it got real bad at one point because I didn't know so much of these problems. If you identify them, you get, like, Once you. Because you think you're crazy with ocd, you're like, why is everyone else not spending the afternoon checking the burners on the stove? Like, why? How do people have, like, lives outside of the kitchen? Checking the taps. Did I fucking bump the burner switch on the oven when I was checking the tap? Like, you know, like, checking locks, all that stuff, and I didn't know what it was.

[Ryan Sickler]

How many times you check in locks at night?

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, I mean, now I don't. Now I check it once, dude.

[Ryan Sickler]

I still check it at least three or four times at night. And I walk over and I say to myself, you've locked it. You don't need to come back. Check this thing again. No one's coming in. No one's going out. And I will still go over and do it.

[Phil Hanley]

I. I kind of got it under control, but it was so bad at one point. At one point, I was living in the Chelsea Hotel, and I'm like, I am going to either flood or burn down this landmark. And I was going crazy checking stoves and. And. And stuff, but I didn't know what it was. And it just. The pendulum swings with, like, depression. The pendulum swings with ocd. And it just hit me, and it was really bad. But, you know, after I was diagnosed and I kind of worked on it and stuff like that, I kind of got it down. If it's, like, a stressful situation, my OCD will get like. If I'm, like, rushing to the airport or something, I'll like, did I lock the door? Or whatever. But I've learned that. And the thing with ocd, it Seems like the most important thing in the world, that. The door. But if you give it, like, a minute, you're like, it'll be. It's fine.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

You know, but in that moment, it seems so crucial.

[Ryan Sickler]

Take us through some of the darker times in your book.

[Phil Hanley]

Well, I mean, the whole schooling process was really dark. And then I got out and I started.

Yeah. Then. Then the pendulum swung with ocd, and it got really dark again because I didn't know what was going on. And then they prescribed. What did they prescribe? Like, they started prescribing, like, Paxil and Wellbutrin and all this stuff, and it wasn't Wellbutrin.

[Ryan Sickler]

The one that was a problem is that one is. They were suicidal. They're probably all.

[Phil Hanley]

They were all a problem for me. And it just didn't sit right. And then you're on it, and they make you stand up for six weeks. And again, those medications work really well for some people. It just didn't agree with me.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

And so then I was, like, depressed ocd. And then they're throwing this stuff in it that just made me more depressed and more. So I had to move back home.

[Ryan Sickler]

And none of it's helping you read better or.

[Phil Hanley]

No.

[Ryan Sickler]

Solve the problem.

[Phil Hanley]

Not helping anything. It's just adding, like, worse thoughts, you know?

[Ryan Sickler]

And you're how old at this point? You moved back home?

[Phil Hanley]

I would have been in. In my. I would have been in my 20s, like, say, like, late 20s. And I. You know, when I lived in. So I lived in England to be a model, and I felt I had a girlfriend, and she had a little girl, and I adored the little girl, and I felt like I'd kind of become a man. And then I. Then OCD hit, and then I had to move back home, and I'm, like, living with. You know, my parents are retired.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's why you move back, because the ocd.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, it got really bad. I moved. Moved. I had moved to the States, and.

Yeah. And then my OCD hit me really bad. And.

[Ryan Sickler]

And.

[Phil Hanley]

And I had such a great setup in the States. My friend lived in the Chelsea Hotel in New York, and I was there, and I was taking improv classes, and everything was great. And then just, bam. I got hit with ocd, and I didn't know what the hell it was. I really thought I was going crazy. And then I moved back home, and they started giving me all these, like, prescription drugs and all that stuff, and it just didn't agree with me. And then the. The final. What happened Was. I was going to a therapist, and he was supposed to be this top guy. And he would sit. He looks so disinterested. And I was like, this motherfucker, you know, he was supposed to be the top guy. And he had. He were in his office, and I'm up and off and on and starting medication and taking off, and it's just. Everything's making me feel worse. And I'm sitting with my mom, and he goes, we've, you know, done all these tests of that. We think you're bipolar. And I. It just hit me. These fucking guys know about as much about mental health as the teachers knew about teaching me reading. Like, it was just this eureka moment. And even my mom. So I'm like, my mom's grabbing my leg because I was like. She could tell I was, like, about to go off on this dude. And then I remember we left the. The. The session, and my mom's like. I was like. And I don't swear in front of my mom, but I was like, fucking bipolar. And my mom's like, that doesn't seem right to me, dear. And at that point, it was right when I was starting stand up. And I was like, fuck it. I'm getting off all the medication because these people don't. There's. I don't have. I certainly don't have high highs, and I really don't have low lows. Like, I'm pretty even keel, dude. I'm not bipolar. I just don't have that. And I got off everything, and it was right when I was starting comedy and I was coming off this medication, and you feel really like I', narcotics, the hallucinogenics, stuff like that. You really want to trip. Come off Wellbutrin and. Yeah, all those.

[Ryan Sickler]

Like, you're going off all of that.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. So I would be walking to open mics in Vancouver and being like, I can feel my feet on the ground and my. But I can't feel my leg. Like, it's just weird. But stand up totally saved me because I just. I was just dedicated to doing five shows a week in Vancouver, and. And that was a hard task. That meant doing music open mics. That meant doing, you know, anywhere where there was, like, a microphone and stuff like that. Yeah. And it totally saved me, but it was really dark to be depressed and to be mis. Diagnosed or missed, like, given those prescription.

[Ryan Sickler]

Understood. Miss everything.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, but those. Those drugs. And again, they totally work for people. I'm not, like, denouncing.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, I know. You mean for your dyslexia.

[Phil Hanley]

Yes, but just for my brain. It just didn't agree. So, I mean, now I just. And I also found meditation at that time and that helped me to now.

[Ryan Sickler]

So there's no. Learn a new language for you?

[Phil Hanley]

No.

[Ryan Sickler]

But you still would go to Europe and things like that. Did you ever branch out when you were over in England to go to Spain, anything like that? Or you. Does that give you anxiety to be in a country where you're like, I can't even figure out what the.

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, dude. Yeah. Like, I. So when I modeled, I would be in Milan, Paris, and I was based in London, and you're generally based in Milan or Paris. But I like, if I look at a street sign in Italy, I can't tell which is the street and which is, excuse me, the piazza or that. They start throw. They start getting real creative with the word street, you know what I mean? So I couldn't even tell what was going down. So much to my dismay, I kind of had to like, you know, find a reader, model and just hang out with them. Oh, yeah, yeah, I would, I would. People would help me get to like, because for. When you model, you go. You'd go to like maybe 10 appointments or 12 appointments in a day.

[Ryan Sickler]

Damn.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. You'd go to. To get shows. You'd go to a designer. You go to John Paul Gauche, you show him your book. If you're lucky, he'll tell you to like, take off your shirt or like try on a blazer walk, and then passes your book back and says, you know, what do they say? Grassy? And then you go to the next thing. But yeah, you're running around town. Yeah, it was. It was tough. It was tough for me to get around town. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

With dyslexia.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

In another country.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. Yeah. But I would love to. I would love to learn a language.

[Ryan Sickler]

I mean, how long you think it would take you to learn?

[Phil Hanley]

Well, the book took eight years, so. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

What about listening, though? How are you with just listening when you do these, like, babble or something like that?

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah. I've never done it, but. Do you speak another language? Okay.

[Ryan Sickler]

No, I just said that in Spanish.

I know words in Spanish. Like, I could listen and I could real ear hustle and be like, I think he said something about a dog and outside, you know, that's where I'm at.

[Phil Hanley]

All right.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

So maybe I could get to that point. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

So tell me more about some lowlights here with dyslexia.

[Phil Hanley]

I mean, school was the real. I mean, school was the real.

Low light. But.

Now it's so funny how you can re. As you. As you distance yourself from, you know, traumatic things, how they become. You can really appreciate them. Like, again, I'm so grateful that I was dyslexic. As much as a nightmare as it was at the time.

Yeah. Now I'm. Now I'm, like, grateful for kind of all that stuff. OCD is a really. Kind of a weird one to be grateful for because it does Just causes so much anxiety. Do you have ocd?

[Ryan Sickler]

I used to have it. I definitely have it. I used to have it to a point where. Especially when all this trauma was going on in my life and I look back on it now, but I would. I would count steps when I walked. I would run up and down my grandmother's steps, and I would count. I'd do it by twos. I try to do it by threes. She had a remote control and all the numbers were 3, 6, 9. They were laid out. I just would rub my finger over it all day long and just count by threes to. I mean, till I got tired of it. I got so good at counting by threes.

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, really?

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah. And then I would do. And then another thing I used to do, too. So you would say. We'd just be talking. You'd say, I don't know, anywhere you say dyslexic. I would then take whatever word it was that stood out in that sentence for me, and I would say it would be dyslexic. And quietly, I would count the syllables on my finger. I go, dyslexic, dyslexic, dyslexic, dyslexic, dyslexic. And if you did. Until it landed on my thumb.

[Phil Hanley]

No way. Really? And what did you have something in your head? If you didn't do that, what would happen?

[Ryan Sickler]

No, I was going to ask you. Did anything. Did you have anything like, where mom will die if I don't? I never had any impending doom. It was just something I felt like I needed, a task I needed to complete. And even if I didn't, it didn't bother my day. Like, I'd come down the stairs like, oh, I didn't count them going up that time. It wasn't to a point where, okay, it would ruin my day or I'd have to run back up them, because I didn't. It wasn't that, but it was constant repeated patterns of different little things. And I don't know where it came from, why, but it's gone now. I don't do it anymore.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, well, that's something that. And if people who are listening that are have ocd, from my experience, it does. It burns out.

[Ryan Sickler]

Is that right?

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Like I've seen basketball players that'll be on the court after practice. They have to shoot 10, not just make them 10 swish in a row. Okay, Gotta swish. And then they say, well, it actually ended up making me a better player. And I can get that.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

But I never had it like that where it had to be that specific.

[Phil Hanley]

Well, sometimes it's. I can't believe I forgot that word. What's the word where like you can't have a black cat walk in front of you or you can't walk under a superstition? Some, I think some people have superstitions and then some people have ocd. And maybe, maybe there can be some overlap, but I, I don't, I didn't really have pending. I guess the pending doom was the amount of anxiety I felt if I didn't go back and check to see if I locked the door and stuff like that. But I did cognitive behavioral therapy and that really helped. And I meditate a lot and that really helped.

[Ryan Sickler]

How, how's that help?

[Phil Hanley]

I think it, it calms you.

[Ryan Sickler]

It.

[Phil Hanley]

You, you learn that you have some control over your mind. But that, that, okay, that was a dark. Say that was a dark time at the peak of my ocd.

[Ryan Sickler]

How are you blocking that out to meditate?

[Phil Hanley]

Well, before I even knew that I was. Before I knew it was ocd, I just knew that all of a sudden I was feeling kind of crazy. My girlfriend at the time, who's such a cool woman, she had been. I was doing tm. I had done TM for years. And then I had this episode where like, oh, she hit my life and she had gone to this Vipassana meditation retreat.

[Ryan Sickler]

What is that?

[Phil Hanley]

Well, it's a, it's.

[Ryan Sickler]

How do you say it?

[Phil Hanley]

Vipassana never is the train if you said how to spell it. But yeah, but TM is transcendental.

[Ryan Sickler]

Transcendental meditation, which I've heard Seinfeld talk quite a bit about. Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

And it's great. And you do it 20 minutes in the morning, morning, 20 minutes at night and you have a mantra. So you're saying something. So it's, it's maybe a little. Well, I don't want to tell people how it is, but yeah, so that, that. So you just repeat a mantra for 20 minutes. Vipassana is a sensation based meditation and to learn it, you need to go. And this is the peak of my ocd. I didn't know what it was. I just thought, suddenly I'm a lunatic. You go vipassa. Meditation is a 10 day silent retreat and.

You sit for. I forget that you start at like five in the morning till nine and you have a little break. You're basically meditating all day. It's like 12 hours a day or something like that. Silently. And you're just focusing on your breath. And I was already, my mind was just going. It was, it was bad timing, but I was so desperate I thought it would cure my OCD and it didn't. It's very, it's. I've done. I do vipassana now, but at the time it was just to be biased to be in a room full of people not being able to talk, having these thoughts. They're just out of control. And then in the meditation situation, there was nothing to distract me. It was just there thoughts. It was, yeah, that was intense. That was a pretty dark time.

[Ryan Sickler]

And none of this ever drove you to alcohol or drugs or anything like that?

[Phil Hanley]

No, like, I mean I done. I actually recently stopped drinking, but I had, I partied in high school and then by the time I finished high school, I didn't really. I mean I certainly part took in things certain evenings. But no, I never, you know, I certainly in high school got, you know, blackout drunk or whatever. But then after that, you know, I'd have a couple of drinks. But no, it never really. I never got relief. And what it did do, if I was hungover, everything was a million times worse. OCD was worse. I felt depressed. I was like tripped out.

[Ryan Sickler]

And speaking of tripped out, you never, no clarity ever came to you on an acid trip?

[Phil Hanley]

I never had a bad trip and I think clarity.

Did. It never solved any. I didn't have. I mean when I took hallucinogenics, I was in high school and stuff and it wasn't. I didn't have these problems and I was just depressed probably because school was so grueling. But I didn't have, I didn't. Everything was really minor then and then. Now I feel like I've kind of done all that stuff, you know.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's what I want to ask you. At what age are you like, all right, I know what I have, I know what this is. I've got a grasp on it. I can move forward now armed with this knowledge and function as a normal person. At least what you feel in society.

[Phil Hanley]

I don't Know if I ever. I mean it. Definitely. When I finished the book, I felt some closure. But I still, it's still something that I manage. Like I, I if. Say if I got like really party tonight or I'm going to see the Dead this weekend.

[Ryan Sickler]

How's that gonna be this weekend?

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, it'd be great. It'd be great. But if I, if I like really partied hard, then Monday, I would be a wreck. But if I like, if I like meditate, sleep, eat properly and I, I can cope with anything, I feel like, I feel like I cope with things so much better, you know, but it never, it's still. I feel I'm just learning how to deal with all that stuff, you know.

[Ryan Sickler]

Are you on any medication now?

[Co-host or Guest]

No.

[Ryan Sickler]

No. No.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

How long have you been med free then? Well, I.

[Phil Hanley]

There was only like many, many years. There was just like a stage. There was probably like a year and a half where they kept giving me different combination. And once I came off that, I never took medication again. But I'm like, I don't even have, I don't have any resentment for dyslexia. I don't. I've like the. I feel like OCD's kind of passed. There might be like a few little things, but I recognize, I'm like, oh, you have anxiety about this and that's why you check the stove twice, you know, but it's nothing like it was. But so it's so important to identify the thing. And then again, if people have ocd, it seems in the moment it's like, I'm never gonna get over this. But it does pass. And you can, you know, cognitive behavioral therapy, you know, does help or you know, people do exposure therapy. I never did that. But that's supposed to really help. Like if you're scared of heights, someone will take you and you like slowly, you know, get close to the edge or whatever.

[Ryan Sickler]

That happened to me. My daughter almost got hit by a car and I became unhinged and I got terrified of heights and flying from. That's our home job from that incident.

[Co-host or Guest]

Whoa.

[Ryan Sickler]

And I always say it was like this anxiety had been laying in a hammock inside me for decades. And then this happened. It was like, we're up, let's go. And man, terror.

[Phil Hanley]

I mean, any how long ago was.

[Ryan Sickler]

About 20, probably about 20, 20, 20, 21 somewhere in there. And I had to.

Fortune of Dr. Drew being at YMH and I was telling him about. And he told me about EMDR therapy, which I've preached About on this. I still have people hit me up non stop about it. And that worked for me. I live on the top floor of my building now and I sleep on my flights. And I mean, no meds. I've never taken meds on a flight or anything. I just was like, nah, we're gonna beat this. And. But that therapy did it. Oh, you understand where that fear, that false fear came from. And control, et cetera, et cetera. But it. That exposure therapy. No, hell no. That would not have worked better. But like, no, we ain't even going near the edge. We don't need to go near.

[Phil Hanley]

But it's so amazing. So the first thing you tried. Worked.

[Ryan Sickler]

That therapy worked.

[Phil Hanley]

Because that's like, sometimes it's different than talk therapy.

[Ryan Sickler]

And that's what he said. Talk therapy is great, but you're just talking.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And you're figuring things out and you're working things through and you're understanding more. And then you can go out in the world with that knowledge. And that's great. This was very different. This was buzzers and alternate hands and it's. God, I always forget. It's like, I forget I'm gonna. I can't remember what it stands for, but it's something I can't remember. People are gonna get mad at me. But it's emdr.

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, that's. But you're so lucky that the first one worked, because so often you have to try.

[Ryan Sickler]

Like, I'm lucky that it worked. It took me about three, four months, I think. I went to therapy and I was done. Oh, and that's what they told you? There's an end to this.

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, that's great.

[Ryan Sickler]

Take you years. It could take you months. Some people are even quicker than that.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, just.

[Ryan Sickler]

You didn't know what had happened. Now you got it. And it took me a few months and then I started. Good to go, bro.

[Phil Hanley]

Wow.

[Ryan Sickler]

6:00Am Flight. Pop that eye mask on. I tell the lady, don't even worry about me.

[Phil Hanley]

Oh, cool. Yeah, I'm the same man. It's funny, I had an incident. My mom was in the hospital, had a surgery, was getting out of the surgery, and I heard the doctor say to her, oh, you're all fine. You're okay to go. And I fainted in the hospital.

My sister and my dad caught me before I like, hit my head or whatever. And then my mom had a major surgery, was home and they kept me. I was still.

Fainting. Yeah, I was there. I was there.

[Ryan Sickler]

Just put him in his mother's bed.

[Phil Hanley]

But since that incident, I was never squeamish. Now I'm. Since that incident, I'm a little squeamish. Like, if someone was like. Like, if you, like, like, really cut your finger or something like that, it would, like, affect me. I never had that till that incident. So it's kind of similar to that.

[Ryan Sickler]

It's interesting you say that. So I can't remember what it's called. It's like vaso.

Vagal or something like that. We've had guests on the Patreon, and my stepson has it, and his mom has it, and my daughter just the other day. So they get squeamish around blood or any medical procedures or whatever, and they. And my daughter's mother, like, you give her a needle, she's got to sit in a chair. She's the one that'll slide out, whatever. I remember when she was pregnant with my daughter, had to do blood work and stuff, and she was so weak, they wheeled her out in a wheelchair. And I'm taking pictures, laughing at her because it was just a couple needles. And I'm like, you look like you just went through hell. Like, yeah, you look like you're ridiculous. And then her son starts passing out, but not until, like, his 20s. Okay, he passes out. My daughter the other day, I have to take her for an ultrasound. She. She's fine through the ultrasound. We get outside, she's like, I don't feel good. I feel like I'm gonna throw up. Like, what's going on? She's like, I don't know. And her mom's there, and I said, will you just take her to the ladies restroom? She's like, yep. So they go in. I'm waiting outside, and they're in there a while, and I'm like, is everything okay? And I think she's throwing up, whatever. And she's like, no, she had it. She got sweaty and flush and felt like she was gonna pass out just from thinking about. I'm like, jesus, Whoa. So it's got to be hereditary.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's gotta come. Those three have it. I'm not like that at all. I sit and watch it, whatever.

[Phil Hanley]

I'm fine with stuff to me. But if you. Since that moment, if, like, someone like my nephew. I'm really close with my nephew, and he skate. He skate. He's, like, amazing skateboarder. And, like, I don't, like. Like, seeing him bail or something like that. It's like, a little like. Or hearing about him injuring himself or something like that. It, like, freaks Me out since that incident.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

But I'm not. I'm, like, fine with myself or whatever. But it's. It's similar to that, where something can just, like, bring up some weird thing.

[Ryan Sickler]

Let me ask you this. As dyslexia, have you been able to use it to your advantage in any way? Is there any time it's. It's helped you?

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, I mean, I think. Yeah, I mean, it helps me all the time. Like, it helps me.

I mean, it's who I am. You know what I mean? And I think it helps me with comedy. It certainly helps me with understanding people that are going through shit. I've gotten a lot of material from it, which is, you know, what we need. So, yeah, I think it. I think it helps me in a lot of ways. And I think because I struggle with. With words and stuff like that. I think. And this is just natural for any dyslexic. Dyslexics, we struggle with writing and reading, but then we excel in other areas that, you know. Like, a lot of dyslexics are great artists. Great people do stuff with their hands. And. And for me, I think, yeah, it's helped me with comedy, and it helps me with just. Just the way my brain works is. Yeah, I'm, like, grateful that I have it now.

[Ryan Sickler]

You ever think about who you would be if you didn't?

Yeah, like, how much different of a person you'd be?

[Phil Hanley]

It would be wild because I would have stayed. Again, I'm from a small town in Canada called Oshawa. I. Maybe I would have moved to Toronto. Some of my friends. Friends moved to Toronto. But, I mean, it's just dyslexia has just given me this, a life that I'm so grateful to live, you know, doing comedy and just doing fun stuff.

[Ryan Sickler]

And right now you're not on meds for it or anything?

[Phil Hanley]

No, I mean, there's. I don't know if there are meds for dyslexia, but. No, I don't. I don't take your ocd. No, I take vitamins.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's it.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, but. But again, medication's good for people. It just didn't work for me. God, it was. It made everything so much worse. But I just think that's the case.

[Ryan Sickler]

No doubt. You know, you can even look at things. Excuse me, like alcohol. Some people just turn into monsters when they have it. Like, some.

[Phil Hanley]

That's such a great example. That's such a great period example.

[Ryan Sickler]

Like, I also have friends who drink beer all day. Fine. The minute it's liquor or whiskey or whatever. Aggressive, violent. Like we're like, God damn it. Joe's gonna fight tonight. Now.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

With us. Not with anybody else. He's gonna come after.

[Phil Hanley]

I have friends like that. They'll fight. Yeah. Friends will just find the biggest. Like we were growing up. We just find the biggest person in the bar and that would be. And you're just like, oh, it's gonna be such a nightmare.

[Ryan Sickler]

You're gone home.

[Rocket Money Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

I want to wrap this up with not only. I've never asked this before. I want to know advice you'd give to 16 year old Phil Hanley, but before we do.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Advice you'd give to a parent or anyone who's dealing with dyslexia. Because as you said, there's so many. There are different kinds.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And you know, just figuring it out first and then what it is is a thing. What would you say to someone?

[Phil Hanley]

My big advice to people. And I'm glad you asked me that because this is something that I love to say because I feel like I just say like, just maintain your kid's self esteem and which. And I know I've mentioned that like nine times in this podcast, but it's so important and, and know. And they'll have trouble. You'll have trouble convincing your kid of this, but they will excel at something. Soon as they're out of school. The school. It's just not designed for us. Simply not designed for us. The same way that a snickers the.

[Ryan Sickler]

First 18 years of your life is.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Being just like feeling like you're a loser or, or dumb or.

[Phil Hanley]

It's not only feeling that. You're told that. Yeah. Like a failing report card is not subtle. There's no like, you know what I mean?

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

And it's, it's maintaining, maintaining a kid's self esteem and knowing. I mean, what dyslexia gives you. If you've made a list of the qualities you want your kids to have. Resilience, tenacity, like it does. If you maintain their self esteem. Dyslexia gives you all those things. Like, and that's the most important thing. And then. But people with ocd, I just say like, it does pass. And there's ways like that therapy. You had that problem. Some people would have just accepted this is a huge problem. I'm not going to be able to go here, I'm not going to be able to go there.

[Ryan Sickler]

And I'm just going to live like fly. Scared to death to fly. Yeah.

[Phil Hanley]

Or I'm going to drink or I'm going to drink six beers before I got on a flight. No offense to Burt, but I.

I.

[Ryan Sickler]

But, but I also know people that take colon and just knock themselves, themselves out. Yeah, I don't take, I don't even take Advil.

[Phil Hanley]

No, well, I, I, yeah, I, I, I'll take, I'll take an Advil for sure. But I.

Yeah, I just think that you were proactive. And so often people like, well, I did this therapy and it didn't work. It's like, the next one will work or the one after. Just, I think being proactive really helps. And I know when you're suffering from mental illness, it's like hard to get motivated to do that stuff. But there are, there are ways and you just, if you can prove it a little bit, then you know, things are more manageable.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's great. Now, advice you'd give to 16 year old Phil Hanley, I would say, and.

[Phil Hanley]

This is just something that I'm learning now is I would, I would say to, to me at 16, just like, hold tight and all this shit, it will pay off. All the life experience that you think at the time where you're like, there's no upside to this. There is. Miraculously, there is. And I would just say hold tight and take it all in. Because I mean, my whole act and my book, like my whole life is all those experiences and everything. So much of my humor comes from growing up in a town where I thought all this place is shed and there's, you know, it's all this stuff, but it's like, no, it's a great place. It was filled with great people. Some of my favorite people to this day I've ever met.

Yeah, really just being positive and having faith that, you know, you do get, you get mighty from those experiences. Talk to someone who hasn't gone through shit. First off, it's a boring ass conversation. Secondly, they're thrown because of the smallest thing in the world. But if you've been through stuff like that pays off. It's, it's.

You really have to be grateful for that stuff.

[Ryan Sickler]

I love it. Thank you, man. Thank you for doing this. Thank you for coming on and sharing all this.

[Phil Hanley]

Dude, thank you so much for having me. This is a podcast. I don't love doing podcasts, to be honest. And this is one that was on the list. I was like, I can't wait to sit down with Ryan. Because your introduction to me was so, you were so cool and so gracious all those years ago.

[Ryan Sickler]

Thank you for doing it, dude.

[Phil Hanley]

Thanks, brother.

[Ryan Sickler]

And how did you do on the set, by the way? Did you crush?

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, I did well. I did well. It was a good set.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yours aired. Yours aired right away. Didn't hold it for months. Like.

[Phil Hanley]

Yeah, that's a bad sign when they do that. Yeah, it aired and then. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was good. It was great.

[Ryan Sickler]

Thank you, brother. Phil Hanley on all social media.

[Phil Hanley]

Yep. Phil Hanley on Instagram and YouTube and everything.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah. All right, brother. Thank you as always, Ryan Sickler on all your social media. We'll talk you all next week.

[Rocket Money Advertiser]

Think about the last time you had a cancel subscription. There's probably some waiting on hold, some guessing at your password, some mind numbing small talk, and maybe after all that, you still weren't able to cancel it. Good news, it doesn't have to be this way. Thanks to Rocket Money, Rocket Money tracks, manages, and can cancel your subscriptions for you. When you connect your accounts, you'll see a complete picture of all your reoccurring subscriptions all in one place. Rocket Money organizes your subscriptions by due date. It notifies you when something's coming up, so you'll never be caught off guard when you get charged. If you see a subscription you want to cancel, Rocket Money simplifies the process. Instead of waiting on hold for an hour, you can cancel it right from the app. Rocket Money will even try to get you a refund for the money you spent on subscriptions you forgot about. Stop wasting your time trying to cancel subscriptions the hard way. Make your life easier and go to rocketmoney.com cancel. That's rocketmoney.com cancel. Or download the app. From the Apple app or Google Play.

[Phil Hanley]

Stores, you're tuned into Auto Intelligence live from Autotrader, where data, tools and your preferences sync to make your car shopping smooth. They're searching inventory. Oh, yeah. They find what you need, they're gonna find it. You can make a budget for your.

[Rocket Money Advertiser]

Wallet to help you succeed. Pricing's precise and true.

[Phil Hanley]

So true. It's smarter car shopping. Oh, just for you. Oh, it's just for you. Find your next [e-mail] powered by auto Intelligence.

[Ryan Sickler]

I'm here on a job site with Tim, who owns his own electrical contracting business. Three employees and two work trucks. Tim traded up to Geico Commercial Auto Insurance. We're positively here where he needs us most.

[Phil Hanley]

They sure are.

[Ryan Sickler]

With step by step help on all his insurance needs. All for shockingly low rates.

[Phil Hanley]

Shocking. Shockingly low, huh?

[Ryan Sickler]

Just a little bit of electrician humor. Do you get it? I got it. You know, it feels like we have a real connection. All right, I'll stop.

[Phil Hanley]

Get a commercial auto insurance quote [e-mail] and see how much you could save. Get more with Geico.

[Rocket Money Advertiser]

Okay. It's kind of embarrassing how bad I am at budgeting.

[Co-host or Guest]

Let me see your charges.

[Rocket Money Advertiser]

Fine.

[Co-host or Guest]

You spent over $600 on takeout last month.

[Rocket Money Advertiser]

I can't cook. You know this.

[Co-host or Guest]

Yes, I have had your disgusting food, but you're literally paying for a meal subscription on top of that.

[Rocket Money Advertiser]

Whoa, wait, wait, wait. That's. That can't be right.

[Co-host or Guest]

Look, just get Rocket Money. It shows you all of your expenses in one place and even tracks your subscriptions. And if there's a subscription you don't want, which for you, there are a lot you don't need, you can just cancel right in the app with a few taps.

[Rocket Money Advertiser]

So you mean I don't have to call anyone to cancel? Nope.

[Co-host or Guest]

No hold times or anything. And they'll even try to get you a refund on some of the months of wasted money, which is a lot of money for you.

[Rocket Money Advertiser]

Okay. Okay.

[Co-host or Guest]

And if you thought I was done, I'm not. The app can also help you make a budget that works for your income. Anytime you get close to your spending limits, it alerts you so you know exactly where your money is going at all times.

[Rocket Money Advertiser]

Alright, I'm in. What do I have to do?

[Co-host or Guest]

Go to RocketMoney.com cancel or download the app from the Apple or Google Play stores. Think about the last time you had to cancel a subscription. There was probably some waiting on hold, some guessing at your password, some mind numbing small talk, and maybe after all that, you still weren't able to cancel it. Good news, it doesn't have to be this way. Thanks to Rocket Money, Rocket Money tracks, manages, and can cancel your subscriptions for you. When you connect your account, you'll see a complete picture of all of your recurring subscriptions all in one place. Rocket Money organizes your subscriptions by due date and notifies you when something is coming up. So you'll never be caught off guard when you get charged if you see a subscription you want to cancel. Rocket Money simplifies the process. Instead of waiting on hold for an hour, you can cancel it right from the app. Rocket Money will even try to get you a refund for the money you spent on subscriptions you forgot about. Stop wasting time trying to cancel subscriptions the hard way. Make your life easier and go to rocketmoney.com cancel that's rocketmoney.com cancel or download the app from the Apple app or Google Play stores.

[Rocket Money Advertiser]

Think about the last time you had a cancel subscription. There's probably some waiting on hold, some guessing at your password, some mind numbing small talk, and maybe after all that, you still weren't able to cancel it. Good news. It doesn't have to be this way. Thanks to Rocket Money, Rocket Money tracks, manages, and can cancel your subscriptions for you. When you connect your accounts, you'll see a complete picture of all your reoccurring subscriptions all in one place. Rocket Money organizes your subscriptions by due date and notifies you when something's coming up, so you'll never be caught off guard when you get charged. If you see a subscription you want to cancel, Rocket Money simplifies the process. Instead of waiting on hold for an hour, you can cancel it right from the app. Rocket Money will even try to get you a refund for the money you spent on subscriptions you forgot about. Stop wasting your time trying to cancel subscriptions the hard way. Make your life easier and go to rocketmoney.com cancel that's rocketmoney.com cancel or download the app from the Apple app or Google Play stores.