Work in Progress: Heather McMahan

Summary

Podcast Summary: Work in Progress with Sophia Bush – Episode: Heather McMahon

Release Date: May 29, 2025
Host: Sophia Bush
Guest: Heather McMahon
Publisher: iHeartPodcasts

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Introduction

In this heartfelt and humorous episode of Work in Progress with Sophia Bush, Sophia engages in a deep and candid conversation with comedian Heather McMahon. The discussion delves into Heather's journey in comedy, her personal struggles, the impact of her father's passing, and how she balances her professional and personal life. Through frank exchanges, Heather shares insights on grief, resilience, and the importance of mental well-being.

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Early Life and Aspirations

Heather begins by reflecting on her childhood ambitions, revealing a determined young girl who knew she wanted to be an entertainer.

• Heather (05:09): "I was a very determined kid. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I was going to be in theater. I was going to be in comedy."

She recounts finding a fourth-grade book titled Growing Up, where she illustrated herself winning a Grammy, showcasing her early dreams of stardom and entrepreneurship in the entertainment industry.

• Heather (06:07): "When I grow up, I want to be a star and have many opportunities to accomplish this dream."

Despite her clear childhood goals, Heather admits that entering college brought unexpected challenges and pressures.

• Heather (07:16): "I knew I was a very driven kid. But I think that became a harder thing later in life because when I got to college, I was so envious of my friends who were undeclared, who didn't know what they wanted to do."

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Influences and Inspirations

Heather shares her admiration for iconic female comedians who paved the way for her career.

• Heather (08:21): "I was a huge Lucille Ball fan because I'm very big into physical comedy."

A significant moment in her career was meeting Joan Rivers, whose encouragement motivated her to pursue television in Los Angeles.

• Heather (09:43): "Joan Rivers... she told me to move to LA. And I took her advice. She's like, 'you're gonna make it,' and I believe her."

Heather fondly remembers her interactions with Joan Rivers and the lasting impact Rivers had on her professional trajectory.

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Personal Loss and Grief

A pivotal moment in Heather's life was the passing of her father due to pancreatic cancer when she was nearing 30 years old. This loss profoundly affected her perspective and comedic material.

• Heather (14:21): "It's been very bittersweet to have the success that I've had because my dad hasn't been here to see it."

She discusses how grief has deepened her capacity for both joy and sorrow, enriching her comedy by blending humor with personal tragedy.

• Heather (16:18): "My comedy was richer because I had comedy and tragedy. It made life richer in a weird way."

Heather emphasizes the enduring presence of her father in her life, believing that he continues to support her from behind the scenes.

• Heather (14:58): "But I have to just know that, like, no, he's always with me. There's always a backstage, probably my dad."

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Balancing Career and Personal Life

Heather highlights the unwavering support of her husband, Jeff, who has been her champion throughout her comedic journey. Their relationship is built on mutual respect, emotional intelligence, and unwavering support.

• Heather (30:30): "My husband allows me to wholly be myself. He is like, go. Be as ridiculous on stage as you want. Just be you."

She shares anecdotes illustrating Jeff's steadfast support, such as standing by her during challenging times and encouraging her to pursue her dreams without hesitation.

• Heather (37:28): "Nine months later, everything took off. And he told me that two years later, he never told you this, but I want you to know I told them to, like, fuck off. He's like, 'No, that's my girl. She's gonna be fine.'"

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Mental Health and Self-Care

Heather opens up about her struggles with grief and the importance of mental health, advocating for self-care and setting boundaries to maintain well-being.

• Heather (25:23): "Life is too short and too long to be miserable."

She discusses how consuming excessive negative media can be detrimental and stresses the need to protect one's mental space.

• Heather (67:31): "Everybody's gotta take care of their mental health."

Heather also touches on the evolving nature of grief, explaining how time can both numb and intensify the experience in different ways.

• Heather (24:45): "It gets so much harder with time... It sits heavier on my chest."

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Crafting Comedy and Connecting with Audiences

Heather elaborates on her process of developing comedy material, emphasizing the importance of real-time feedback and audience connection.

• Heather (45:11): "Standup is immediate. I get up on stage, I want to know in 10 seconds whether they like it or they don't."

She shares how her specials, like Son I Never Had and Breadwinner, serve as mediums to explore personal and relatable themes, blending humor with poignant narratives.

• Heather (46:01): "The whole idea was going to be about my relationship with my dad as a kid... I wanted women to walk away and feel like, oh, shit, we're feeling this too."

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Vision Boards and Manifestation

Heather discusses her passion for vision boards, a practice she adopted in 2018, which has played a significant role in achieving her personal and professional goals.

• Heather (56:47): "I have a visual reminder. I look up at the wall, and I'm like, oh, yeah, no, you know what? I need to get back to that, because that's something that I put down as a goal for myself."

She explains how these boards serve as a conversation with her inner self, helping her stay aligned with her aspirations.

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Future Endeavors and Projects

Looking ahead, Heather expresses her desire to diversify her career by potentially hosting an award show, with a particular interest in the Emmys.

• Heather (53:27): "I think doing the Emmys would be insane. Really insane."

She also hints at collaborative projects and underscores her commitment to creating content that resonates with and empowers her audience.

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Conclusion

Heather McMahon's episode on Work in Progress offers an intimate glimpse into the life of a comedian who has navigated personal loss, professional challenges, and the quest for self-fulfillment. Through her humor and vulnerability, Heather illustrates the delicate balance between maintaining one's mental health and pursuing artistic passions. Her story serves as an inspiration for listeners to embrace their journeys, cherish their relationships, and prioritize their well-being.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Heather (05:09): "I was a very determined kid. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I was going to be in theater. I was going to be in comedy."
• Heather (06:07): "When I grow up, I want to be a star and have many opportunities to accomplish this dream."
• Heather (08:21): "I was a huge Lucille Ball fan because I'm very big into physical comedy."
• Heather (14:21): "It's been very bittersweet to have the success that I've had because my dad hasn't been here to see it."
• Heather (25:23): "Life is too short and too long to be miserable."
• Heather (30:30): "My husband allows me to wholly be myself. He is like, go. Be as ridiculous on stage as you want. Just be you."
• Heather (45:11): "Standup is immediate. I get up on stage, I want to know in 10 seconds whether they like it or they don't."
• Heather (56:47): "I have a visual reminder. I look up at the wall, and I'm like, oh, yeah, no, you know what? I need to get back to that, because that's something that I put down as a goal for myself."
• Heather (53:27): "I think doing the Emmys would be insane. Really insane."

---

Final Thoughts

This episode is a testament to Heather McMahon's resilience and her ability to transform personal pain into relatable and impactful comedy. Sophia Bush facilitates a conversation that not only entertains but also encourages listeners to reflect on their own lives and the continuous journey of being a work in progress alongside being a masterpiece.

Transcript

[Sophia]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Sophia]

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[Laura Kim]

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[Heather McMahon]

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[Sophia]

Hi, everyone, it's Sophia. Welcome to Work in Progress. Welcome, Whip Smarties. For an episode I am so excited about, we are joined by one of my favorite comedians today. Heather McMahon is on the podcast here to talk about her latest comedy tour, her incredible podcast, and how she manages to literally do it all. You can stream her comedy special Breadwinner now on Hulu, in which she very humorously and hilariously explores the pressures of being her family's financial support, the perils of being a golf widow, wedding planning on an overblown budget in law dynamics and more. And you can get a dose of her every week on her podcast. Absolutely not. She says absolutely not to legitimately everything. She's making a safe space for us all to tell all and bitch about all the rest. There are no topics off limits on her show. She breaks down everyday struggles of doing the most and the least at the same damn time. It is so funny. It definitely brings me joy in a crazy, crazy year. So let's dive in and hear from Heather. Okay. Before we jump into this insanity that we live in, I gotta rewind with you because I like to know who people were as kids, and this is why I know you. I mean, I met you as a. I'm probably a bumbling fan. Like, when we met, I was like.

[Unknown]

Oh, I got a hi.

[Sophia]

But we. We all know you from your work and your jokes and your personality and the tours and the specials and the things. If we went back to before your life was this. And. And if you got to hang out with yourself at, like, 8 or 9 years old, would you see the. This version of you in her? Or. Or was it totally unpredictable?

[Unknown]

No, I would be able to look myself in the eyes and be like, well, you did exactly what you said you were gonna do. I was a very determined kid. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I was going to be in theater. I was going to be in comedy. Actually. It's so interesting. I found a book. My mom and I were cleaning out some closets at our house. Literally found a book last week. It was called Growing Up. And it was a book that, like, everybody in our class in fourth grade wrote a little thing of, like, what they want to be when they get older. Mine. I shit you not. I'll pull it up. Mine.

[Sophia]

Did you take a picture?

[Unknown]

Yes, I have a picture of the whole thing. Mine was me on stage getting a Grammy because I thought I was gonna be a singer. I did a lot of musical theater as a kid. Lost the voice a while ago.

[Sophia]

Close, though.

[Unknown]

And so I'm on stage. It's a little drawing of me getting my Grammy. Hold on, don't mind me as I'm scrolling for it. Okay, so let me just show you this. So this is me. I don't know if you can see this at the Grammys. Right?

[Sophia]

Horrible.

[Unknown]

My whole thing, it says, when I grow up, I want to be a star and have many opportunities to accomplish this dream. I'd love to have my own record label and my own production company as well. I go on to basically say, if you can believe it and dream it, you can do it. And then I say, I'd love to have a show like Rosie o' Donnell's. She's just such a great person with a lot of talent. And I literally, like, go on to say, I, this is what I want to do. I knew I was going to be an entertainer from a little kid, and my mom and I found this and we were cracking up. I'm like, I was writing this shit down in the fourth grade. I knew what I wanted to do. But I think that became a harder thing later in. In life because when I got to college, I was so envious of my friends who were, like, undeclared, who didn't know what they wanted to do, because that felt more freeing to me. I was like, oh, you're still trying to figure out exactly what you want to do. I know what I want to do, but it still seems so far away.

[Sophia]

So when, by the time you got to college, was it a feeling of pressure you were putting on yourself, or was it that you were on the precipice of, you know, quote unquote, adulthood and still didn't know how you were going to get your foot in the door.

[Unknown]

A mixture of both, I think, when you are. Because I, since I was a little kid, I always said, I'm going to be on stage, I'm going to be doing something in the arts. So I think to go into college and know exactly what I wanted to do. Like, I went to the University of Mississippi. A lot of my girlfriends wanted to stay locally or, you know, they. I was like, oh, no. Once I get out of here, I'm moving to New York. I'm doing standup, I'm doing the thing. So for me, it was like, I. While I enjoyed my college experience so much, I Was ready to, like, get to the next thing. And then I got out and I was like, now this is where the fun starts. But it was also terrifying because I knew how long, you know, I knew it was going to take a while to get the ball rolling. So I was always envious of the folks who were like, I don't know what I want to do. I was like, wow. To have that freedom, to be able to figure it out. I actually felt that that was more freeing than knowing exactly what I wanted to do. Because I was like, the pressure is on and the clock is ticking. It's. We got to go. And now looking back, I would be like, that's insane. I would tell people, you can reinvent yourself a billion times through your life. Right, of course. But, yeah, no, I knew I was a very driven kid.

[Sophia]

I'm obsessed.

[Unknown]

Somehow it turned out.

[Sophia]

I need an actual copy of that photo. I want to make sure. Okay, so obviously, Rosie o' Donnell is one answer to this question, but who else from the comedy world inspired you when you were growing up?

[Unknown]

I was a huge Lucille Ball fan because I'm very big into physical comedy. So watching her, that was like. I mean, she was the idol, but for the reason I got to stand up was Joan Rivers. Joan was just saying things back in the day that women did not have. You know, I don't wanna say the balls to say didn't have, you know, the tits to say. Like, she just knew what she was doing. And when I was starting out in standup in New York, I would follow her all the time and go see her shows. And I got to meet her outside of a show one night, and I was like, Ms. Rivers, I just want you to know I'm such a fan. You're the reason why I got into comedy. And she was like, I have a good feeling about you. You're gonna make it. Years later, I moved to la. I'm sitting at a bar one night at Dom's, you know, the sister restaurant to Little Dom's, but it was in Beverly Hills, work closed. And I'm sitting in there at the bar and I hear her walk in. I was like, I know that voice. So I go over to her table and I'm like, hey, Ms. Rivers, I just want you to know I took your advice. I moved to la. Cause she told me to move to la. She's like, you have a very commercial look. You need to be doing television. You need to move. So I love people went to la. And I said, I took your advice, like thank you. Here I am doing the thing. She's like, I'm telling you, I have a really good feeling about you. You're gonna make it. And I swear to God, I got in my car, I called my dad. I was sitting in the valet at this restaurant and I was like, joan gave me your blessing. She died like nine months later.

[Sophia]

No.

[Unknown]

Uh huh. Uh huh.

[Sophia]

Wow.

[Unknown]

And I got to meet her daughter Melissa about a year ago. And I told Melissa, I was like, you don't understand. Like, your mom meant everything to me and was such a guiding light in the standup world, me. So I'm just so grateful to her.

[Sophia]

That is so special. I mean, an icon.

[Ryan Seacrest]

True.

[Unknown]

Alleged. Who, who did you follow growing up? Because, I mean, you've been doing this forever, though.

[Sophia]

I mean, kind of. I, I, you know, I wanted to be a doctor. I thought I was going to be a heart surgeon. That was my plan. And then I had an arts requirement because I went to this great, I mean, amazing school in Pasadena. And I was like, I don't want to do this. You know, they gave us these two years of arts requirements and every semester you had to do something different. And I thought I was going to game the system by putting off the theater requirement until the same semester I was supposed to play volleyball. And they were like, you did this to yourself. Like you are at school to learn how to be a functioning adult. And you chose to delay this. And if you'd done it last semester, you could have done a play and done a sport, but now you're going to have to miss your sport to do this. And I was like, what? Such a lesson about, you know, personal accountability really early. And then I did this play and I was like, wait, I. I love this. It's not all, by the way. No shade. I love musical theater, but I'm also just like, not a musical theater kid.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sophia]

I was like, wait. Theater isn't the Sound of Music. You can, like, you can do these really topical, intense, or comedic things where you don't have to sing on stage.

[Unknown]

What? Yeah.

[Sophia]

And it changed my whole life. I was like, well, but my favorite subject has always been English. And this is basically just a book that's alive.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sophia]

And so it really shifted the whole thing for me. And then when I told my parents that I wasn't going to go to medical school, I wanted to go get a BFA in theater. You can imagine how well that went over.

[Unknown]

I'm sure assholes were clenched. It's like that moment when they're like, mom, dad, I'm a thespian, and the parents are, like, just gravely disappointed.

[Sophia]

Yeah, well, and my dad, ironically enough, you know, for his whole career, was a really wonderful photographer, which is also why I think I ride so hard for the crew, because I'm like, I come from a crew family. Even though my dad's like, crew job was deeply cool. And one of the people he photographed for the longest run over his 40 plus years career was John Rivers.

[Unknown]

Wow. Yeah, he must have, like, they were tight.

[Sophia]

Yeah. Like, John, you know, she'd have something to do in New York and be like, absolutely not. You got to fly Charles Bush out here from la. I'm not shooting with anybody here. She. She hit a point where she was like, nobody knows how to light me. Bring my guy. And like, it would. They had a very sweet friendship.

[Unknown]

Wait, if he still has any prints, I'm gonna ask them because I. I.

[Sophia]

Already wrote down a note.

[Unknown]

I'm like, oh, I read, I'm redoing a office in my, my house right now, and that's what I need. And I was scouring getty images. I was like, I need a blown up print. Like an iconic photo of Joan in this.

[Sophia]

Yes.

[Unknown]

My office. Wow. What a cool gig.

[Sophia]

So cool. So, so cool. And. And yeah, I. I remember years later, when I was working on tv, my parents finally were like, it's so crazy that you're doing this. When you first told us you were going to go to theater school, I was like, I know you freaked out. And they go. My dad was like, no, you don't understand. Like, the level of meltdown was so intense. He goes, and your mom looked at me and this is your fault. You turned your fucking hobby into your career. And now she thinks she can do it too.

[Unknown]

Oh, my dad used to have the same argument with my mom. He's like, you always wanted to be Barbra Streisand and it didn't work out, so now you pushed it on Heather. And my dad would write letters to my sorority house at Ole Miss, like, the top 10 reasons why he thinks I should pivot and go into the Air Force. And it was like, number one. Number two, you come from a long line of aviators. Number three, like, you'd look great in the uniform. And I realized, like, I'm not a parent, but I realize now, as you know, I watch my parents, I'm like, oh, parents just parented out of fear. Like, they were just constantly trying to be like, you know, we just want to make sure that you don't fuck it up because we at some point probably fucked our shit up. So I. I was always like, dad, don't worry about me. Don't worry. I am going to figure it out.

[Sophia]

I'm going to.

[Unknown]

And it's been very bittersweet to have the success that I've had because my dad hasn't been here to see it. I lost him, my dad, to cancer about 10 years ago, and everything started to click after. Did pass. And I had wonderful relationship with my dad, even though he was always like, please get in real estate. Like, don't, don't go into the show. So it's been like, it's tough. I'd have all these iconic moments, like, on tour, like playing Radio City, and I'm like, damn it. I wish the one person who's here to see it isn't here. But I have to just know that, like, no, he's always with me. There's always a backstage, probably my dad.

[Sophia]

Gosh. Yeah, that's. I can just feel that bittersweet thing because it is the. It's the best. And, oh, how cool it would be for him to be able to see it.

[Unknown]

Yeah. I imagine if my dad was alive, he would be running security, he'd be selling merch. Like, he would be doing all of the things, eating it up, taking photos with ladies outside the theater.

[Sophia]

Your dad running the merch table is like, oh, that feels right to me in my bones. I want.

[Unknown]

I feel right in my bones, too.

[Sophia]

Right in, like in the next univers over. I believe that it's happening, yeah. Oh, my goodness. Well, is that part of why you feel. Because I've heard you talk about how you feel like a late bloomer in your career because things really blew up, you know, after you turned 30. Do you think that. That the. That that sort of time feels particular for you too, because of that loss? Because I think when you go through something like, you know, losing a parent who you're so close to or, you know, someone who is your person, it's like there is a before and an after. It's such a marker of time. And because he hasn't been here to see some of this stuff, do you think that influences that feeling?

[Unknown]

Oh, yeah. I mean, my 20s were the years where I was in New York and la, hustling, grinding, doing the thing, one woman shows, doing improv, doing standup, all that. And then, you know, I lost my dad like, two years before I was 30. And then I get into my 30s and then. Listen, my point of view and my perspective just totally changed. My comedy was richer because I had comedy and tragedy. I'd gone through something so horrifically tragic to then just have a different point of view and perspective. It just made life richer in a weird way. And I say now, I had felt the worst feeling you can ever feel. So now when things are good, they feel even bigger and better. I don't know. It's a pendulum of joy and sadness. Swings so wildly one way or the other. And so I feel like I appreciate shit a lot more.

[Sophia]

Yes.

[Unknown]

You know, I always say, like other people who've been through something traumatic like that, like losing a loved one far too young, we always find each other. We just all have a different perspective. And some days it can be a little frustrating being around other folks who haven't experienced that. And that's not to their fault. Like, good for everybody who still has their, their core family around. But there are moments where I'm like, oh, just if you've been through it, you get it. You know, it's a different communication with other people, I think.

[Sophia]

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[Laura Kim]

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[Sophia]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Sophia]

I have not lost my parents, for which I'm very grateful. But I, me and my whole community lost someone that was so important to us.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sophia]

I mean, it just, it rocked us all so intensely. And I think the thing, the biggest shift that it did for me, and I wonder if you feel this. I always used to repeat that cliche and like, cliches are so fucking annoying, but they're cliches because they're so true. Right? Like, that's why everyone says them. Everyone always is like, ah, life's too short. Life's too short to not try the thing. Life's too short to not be in love. And. And when I went through that sort of grief, what I realized is life is too short. But life is also way too fucking long. Because when you, when you have to live without someone, I think you understand how blessed you are to be alive, but also how, how long life is going to be.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sophia]

If you're lucky. And.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sophia]

And it really, there was something about it that rather than kind of rolling my eyes anytime somebody was, you know, going through their personal version of life is too short. Like, it almost gave me a freedom back because there have been times since then that I have looked around and gone. Life may be too short, but it's. I'm still on this earth and it is way too long to be this unhappy because if I die tomorrow, I wouldn't want to be stuck in this shitty job with this person who hits women or stuck in this shitty relationship, you know, where I'm walking on eggshells in my own house. Like, I don't, I can't explain it. It gave me this tenacity to, like, try my hardest and get to the end of the road. But if that road was a dead end, I'm turning around because I'm reclaiming my time.

[Unknown]

I fully hear this And I think especially as women, we. And our age group, too, we have to get so focused on doing the one thing and checking all these things off a list. And I have so many girlfriends who are in their early 40s, late 30s right now who are pivoting in a wild direction. And I'm like, do it. Who gives a shit? Okay, you got the degree in X, Y, Z. You're miserable. Life is too long. Go.

[Sophia]

Yes.

[Unknown]

I'm so. I'm like, you know, I talk about being a late bloomer in my career, but I'm like, fine. If tomorrow I had to do real estate, I would do real estate. And I would, like, figure it out, you know, or whatever it is. Life is too short and too long to be miserable.

[Sophia]

Yes.

[Unknown]

And one thing with grief, too. And you'll notice this, people say, oh, you know, it gets easier with time. I actually think it gets so much harder with time. Because now I sit back in my grief, and I'm like, oh, now I haven't heard my Dad's voice in 10 years. I think the further you get away from it, yeah, you're a little bit more numb to it. But then you're like, oh, God, that just grips me in a different way. It's like it sits heavier on my chest. Cause I realize how far away I am from those memories and experiences with my dad. I had a woman one day, she meant well, but she DM me, and I put something up for my dad's birthday. And she was like, I wish you would put, like, you know, more photos up of your dad. And I just responded to her. I said, hey, girl, I don't have any more photos of my dad. Like, these are all the memories I have. Those memories are done. Like, I only have so many photos. And then I've shown you them all, and then they're done. And she was like, oh, shit. I didn't even think about that. I'm like, yes. Like, Like. Like those memories. We're not making new memories, sweetheart. What do you want us on spring break? That hasn't happened in nine years, you know?

[Sophia]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

So also, too, dealing with that, have to just know that people will say the most ignorant shit. A lot of folks reach out to me. They're like, hey, I just lost a loved one. You know, what do I. How do I navigate it? And I say, give yourself grace. Give other people grace. Cause they're gonna say stupid shit to you. Cause they were just ignorant. They haven't been through it. But if anybody says at any point at the Funeral, years down the road or whatever, they're in a better place or everything happens for a reason. Tell them to go themselves and, like, and this is done. And then you never speak to that person again. Yeah, like, you have to. I can't. I can't deal with this shit.

[Sophia]

No, we just. No, thank you. Some things are just a tragedy. And that's okay.

[Unknown]

Yeah. And that's okay. That's okay. Well.

[Sophia]

And you said something about how, you know, you feel like grief has sort of expanded your capacity for joy. And it. I will never forget in my. In my 20s, it was a book I read in college. This, like, I mean, ancient. I think for 1400s, 1500s era is considered ancient. Right, Poet.

[Unknown]

Yeah, for sure.

[Sophia]

Khalil Gibran, who wrote, like, this amazing kind of meditation on life. And I'm going to paraphrase because I don't have 14th century poetry memorized, but he. He essentially says in this one chapter of the book that your capacity for joy is as large as you are carved out by sorrow. And like you said, the pendulum. And it's like, it is. It's. It's so emotional. But it's also kind of science. Right. Every action has an equal and opposing reaction. And there's something kind of profound to me about that where you're like, oh, it's like the. The most raw thing I feel in my heart. And like, what is a heart? What is a soul? And then on this other side, there's this science to it, and they meet somehow. And yes, I'm. Perhaps I'm more capable of holding more things because of this. And I don't know. It's like that, to me, is. Is the silver lining. That's what I think people are trying to get at when they say dumb. Everything happens for a reason. And you're like, that's not the thing to say. The other the thing to say maybe, is just, I'm so sorry for this tragedy. And also, I'm so glad you got to laugh with that person for as many years as you did.

[Unknown]

Amen. That's a great way to put it. I also feel that, you know, I. I'm lucky. I had 27amazing years with an amazing dad. So many of my girlfriends still have, you know, troubled or strained relationships with their fathers.

[Sophia]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And I don't try and push it on them. Like, you have to fix that because they're, you know, everybody's going through their own. But I do. I have to be glass half full and say, I had 27 great years. With the greatest man ever. So, like, I feel richly blessed in that sense. And I am a wildly, naturally joyful person. And even when I went through this, I'm like, what can I do? I can either let this cripple me and destroy me, and I can be mad at the world and I never get through this, or I can pivot and turn this anger and sadness and somehow bring it back to joy and then live my life. That's what my dad would want. That's what I think everybody's loved ones would want.

[Sophia]

Yeah, I can't.

[Unknown]

He's like. He would be like, get your ass up. Go do something. Go make someone laugh. Like, well, that was for yourself.

[Sophia]

Exactly right. And him. Him loving your comedy, I'm sure, was also such a reminder. Like, he. He would be upset if you had given that up in your sadness. And I think it's so special. And, like, even the way you talk about him, I wonder if, you know, this great relationship you got to have with your dad. Like, do you feel like that influenced the way you fell for your husband? Do you feel like you guys have such a solid relationship? Cause you had a solid relationship modeled for you?

[Unknown]

Oh, yes. And my dad was such a. He loved. He loved. Loved being a girl dad. And he instilled a sense of confidence, I think, in my sister. And I. I mean, I joked I was an overly confident kid because my dad was like, you can do anything. You're a McMahon. You can do anything. Anything. He would always say that. And when I met my husband, it was one. Like, they kind of look alike, so I'm sure there's some sort of poison thing there. But, yes, my. My husband is. Reminds me so much of my dad in a great way. And when my husband and my dad met, which I feel very grateful that they had a beautiful relationship before my dad passed, but I just remember being like, they were like two peas in a pod. And my husband and I were living in New York at the time, and he would come down, and my dad would, like, steal him. He's like, well, Jeff and I are gonna go do guy stuff all day. Like, they were best buds, and so them have a mut for each other. Was also just, like, I knew I found the right one. And when my dad got sick, he died very quickly. From the day of diagnosis to the day of death, it was one week. So he was very. And unfortunately, he passed a pancreatic cancer. But we flew him to MD Anderson in Houston to get, like, you know, the best care. And I feel Very grateful to them that they did everything they could but flew down and immediately asked my dad for his hand and for my hand in marriage. It was very sweet. So, like, you know, I feel blessed that they had that moment together, you.

[Sophia]

Know, that's so special.

[Unknown]

He is my father. Down to, like, if they both didn't have a lumberjack breakfast, like, full bacon egg, then, like, the day could not start, you know? Oh, my God, the drama. So.

[Sophia]

My God.

[Unknown]

Yeah. But my husband's great, too, because he allows me to wholly be myself. He is like, go. Go be as ridiculous on stage as you want. Just be you. He's never once told me to, like, like, tone it down, you know, volume a little lower. He's like, keep going. And that's why I know I married the right person.

[Sophia]

That's amazing. And you know what? It really does take a person who has a healthy relationship to their own ego to not say, hey, maybe don't share this. Yeah, maybe don't tell the world about this part of our relationship or. Or. Or make this joke that amps up this fight we had or whatever. It's like, he has to be very emotionally healthy to be like, oh, yeah, go make fun of me and everyone.

[Unknown]

You know, I'll tell you what, as I've gotten older, too, I could give a shit where you got a college degree, what you do for a living. Emotional intelligence to me is the biggest turn on everything. It makes me horny. I'm like, you can sit down, have an adult conversation. We can, like, you know, it doesn't even have to be dramatic, but we can talk about our feelings, and, like, we can agree to disagree, but be adults about this. I'm like, let's do it. I mean. And, you know, there are aspects in comedy there. There are things where I'm like, hey, are you cool if I talk about this? Or whatever, and we have a conversation about it. But he really is just so secure in himself. He's like, yeah, somebody's gonna relate to it. It's gonna make someone laugh. It'll make someone think, surely someone's going through the same situation. So very open and supportive of me going out there and, you know, sometimes ripping him a new asshole for the sake of, you know, what's funny. Sophia, when I was on a press tour for my last special that came out, and the special was called Breadwinner, and there was a whole, like, arc.

[Sophia]

I was just gonna ask you about this.

[Unknown]

Yes, the whole arc about it, about how I make more money than him. And, man, every Single interview, they were like, how does Jeff feel about this? How does your husband feel about you talking about this? And I'm like, every male comedian since the dawn of time has been doing this. And you don't ask how their wives feel about this shit, how their kids feel about. About them making fun of them on stage. Why is it all of a sudden, like, you know, you're. You're peppering me about it. So I finally was just like, jeff, fine. He's playing golf right now. You know, he doesn't give a shit.

[Sophia]

Yeah. You're like. You're like, jeff. Jeff is this generation's kept woman. And he likes it.

[Unknown]

Yeah, exactly.

[Sophia]

Because he still gets to benefit from being a man.

[Unknown]

Yes, exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 100 something I think is so cool.

[Sophia]

About you guys is that. That you met before your career totally blew up. You know, the specials and the tours and the things. What is that like for you? You know, I guess I ask this. I'll be really vulnerable and say, why? Because I've once or twice or a handful of times in my life been like, oh, this person who has said the right things is drawn to the wrong things. I've sort of had the bamboozle moment. And, you know, we live, we learn. It's what therapy's for. But I find it really, at this stage in my life, being able to look back in that, you know, 2020 hindsight vision, yada, yada. I'm like, damn. I. I had no idea what I was in for when the show I started at 21 blew up, you know, and. And we were removed, which, you know, gave us our own set of, like, high school, round two ridiculousness. But I've never, like, I've never in my whole adult life. I've not since high school or, I guess, college. Gone on a quote, unquote, anonymous date.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sophia]

And so, like, I don't know, I. I love Yalls relationship, and I can feel how good it is. And I wonder, what's it like for you to have had him before this? What's it like for him to navigate the changes? And how do you do that together? How do you sit down and say, all right, we're gonna talk it out and we're gonna be great. Cause we love each other and sometimes we'll disagree. How does this whole thing work when you've been on this rollercoaster ride together?

[Unknown]

I feel very grateful that I did meet Jeff when I did, which was, you know, we were 23 years old or in the early days, living in New York, because he was always my champion. And even when, you know, it's interesting, we started dating. I'm living in New York for like a year and a half. And then I told him. I sat him down one day and I said, hey, I gotta move to la. Cause Joan Rivers told me to move to la. He's like, crying in his Italian restaurant on the Upper east side. He's like, I knew this was gonna happen, but at no point. Like, we. We never broke up. He was like, go full forward. Go ahead, my child. Like, he said, I don't ever want to get in the way of your dreams and for you to resent me down the line. So even though we were long distance for a long time, we just kept supporting each other. I kept supporting him, business. And again, we did not know when lightning was gonna strike. But I never once questioned his support on what I wanted to do. And I'll tell you what, there were moments. A couple of his friends sat him down, and we're like, hey, how long are you gonna support Heather? Kind of chasing this comedy dream. Like, it's. It hasn't worked out yet. Like, really? Like, are you. When are you gonna have the honest conversation with her that maybe she needs to pivot? And sure enough, like, nine months later, everything took off.

[Sophia]

Wow.

[Unknown]

And he told me that two years later, and he was like, I never told you this, but I want you to know I told them to, like, fuck off. He's like, no, that's my girl. She's gonna be fine.

[Sophia]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

I feel grateful that Jeff, really. We were always each other's championship. And I used to make a joke when I would be doing comedy shows in a basement somewhere in, like, Queens, you know, there was, like, four people in the audience. My husband would be there in a suit from his, like, corporate gig, and he'd be on the front row, and everybody thought he was my manager. And then they were like, wow, your manager is so dialed in on your career. I'm like, no, I blow that guy.

[Heather McMahon]

Don't worry.

[Unknown]

It is. You know, it's been interesting now because when through comedy, as especially, I share so much of my relationship and listen a lot of jokes, but there are moments where people will say certain things to him, or I know he didn't sign up for his life to be under a microscope, but there's so much bullshit out there that there are days where he's like, oh, don't go on Reddit. This is the dumbest shit I've ever heard. Or, don't. Oh, my God, don't read that dm. And you're like, guys, this is comedy. Everybody piped down. You know, there are moments where we just have to both have to drown out the noise. But, yeah, he's my buddy. We. We're ride or die together.

[Sophia]

And I just.

[Unknown]

God forbid he were to get hit by a bus tomorrow. I'm done. Like, I'm good. Yeah, I'm good. I'll get it.

[Sophia]

Totally.

[Unknown]

More French bulldogs. Live on a commune with my girlfriends and all their kids. And I'm good. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sophia]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Sophia]

Girl, I get it. And I'm. I'm thank you even for saying it. Because sometimes when you're in this crazy, zany world, I think you can forget that other people are dealing with the craziest, zaniest parts of it. And yeah, there are just days that I'm like, oh, I can't go on the Internet today. Like, this is kooky. A friend sent me something recently and was like, this is so dumb. You know? And it's like from some gossip site, blah, blah. And I was like, first of all, why are you looking? And second of all, I'm gonna say this with all the love I can muster. Why the would you send this to me? Because I'm like, I don't want to see it. I can go about my day and not see this dumb shit. And the funniest part was to me that like there was all this speculation, honestly, just about a dumb inside joke a friend made to me. Because sometimes if you don't laugh about something, you know at the time, you'll cry. And I, I so badly wanted to clap back at this person and be like, tell me you don't have a sense of humor without saying I don't have a single cell in my body capable of humor. And then I was like, what's the fucking point? I'm not even gonna bother engaging. But it's like. It is so weird when you're just out living your life and people make a story out of everything that's actually. It's. It's their story, it's not yours. It has nothing to do with you.

[Unknown]

On Reddit is wild. And you're like, wait, what? I mean, like, people. I'm on their hands. I'm like, guys, I'm exhausted. I'm exhausted. I don't know how y' all came up with these theories that I've been wearing a blue sweater for three days in a row and therefore, like, I. Terrible disease. I'm like, what is happening?

[Sophia]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

I was getting bullied for a minute. Somebody was like, your eyelash extensions are horrible. And then finally one day I was like, oh, God, they are. They are.

[Sophia]

You're like, you know what?

[Unknown]

You know what? You're right.

[Sophia]

You could have said it a little differently, but you did me a solid. Redditors noted. Thank you. Yeah, yeah.

[Unknown]

But for the most part, because I do comedy, people are like, you're my buddy. And that's what's fun is. Yeah. Being able to talk about things that I know gals are having private conversations with. With their girlfriends, and then being able to explain it on stage. And to have that moment where people in the audience like, oh, fuck, that's what. That's what we've been feeling.

[Sophia]

That's exactly it.

[Unknown]

Community feels really good. And that's when, you know, you're in the pocket where I'm like, you. You have thought exactly what I'm feeling and saying right now. And I like people to leave my show being like, oh, shit. Never. Never thought of it like that. Or. Or that was right on the money. That feels very good.

[Sophia]

Okay, so about that, because I think from the outside, you know, I watch a special or I come to a show and it's all. I mean, it's tight. You've got a tight 60 or a tight 90.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sophia]

But building to that and. And knowing when you leave a show having a hunch based on audience reaction, what they're going to walk out thinking about. How. How do you do. To me, it feels like a great big math problem, essentially, like doing a special. How do you do the math and figure out. I want to talk about this. I want to hit this topic, but I want to do it in a way that'll make Them think, maybe not make them mad. Like, what. What's the recipe for you? This, this far in?

[Unknown]

It's trial and error, too. I mean, when you're warming up a tour, I go out and like, some people like to work, run five minutes and run 10 minutes and 15, and then they build to the hour. I also see a bath. I like to go out on the road with what I'm gonna guess is probably 90 minutes. And then I scale back from there. I'll start a tour and, you know, be running all this in clubs, but I like to run the full hour and then I'll go and separate those little bits and then run it like that. Which is not. It's insane. But I think because I'm an old theater kid, I only know how to work in, like, full. Yeah, you do the play, I do the play.

[Sophia]

I go, oh, my God, it feels scary.

[Unknown]

But then I scale back. But, you know, running stuff in clubs is the best because I'm just out there and I'm. I'm like, all right, that did not work. And you just say it out loud. Nope. Yep, that worked. And then I scale back from there. But, like, for my first special, it was called Son I Never Had. So I knew that the whole idea was going to be about my relationship with my dad as a kid, explaining who I was. This was the first special for people to, like, understand who I was. Out the gate, if you were going on Netflix and you're clicking on it, you're like, who is this person? And I wanted to explain my relationship with my dad, the humor behind how he passed. And that was kind of like my first little tee up for folks. And then the last special breadwinner was all about this. Like, okay, now I've made it this over the top Italian wedding that I had this 30 day honeymoon, how Jane had gotten to my head, all these things that happened. And I wanted women to walk away and feel like, oh, shit, we're feeling this too. And then the next hour that I'm working on, I'm talking a lot more about politics, which I had never touched on before. And I'm just talking about that, like, you know, that feeling as a Southern woman. We're all sitting in this weird world and trying to justify things in our brain and have hard conversations with our girlfriends. And while also going out there and trying to make sure our extensions aren't falling out and our tits are to our. That's where we're at, you know?

[Sophia]

You know what? We. We can do it all.

[Unknown]

We can do it all.

[Sophia]

We can do it all, honey. That particularly, I think, when you have something to say about politics, it's like, people suddenly think you're no fun. Fun.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sophia]

They think it's your whole personality. And I'm like, y' all, I'm wild. I'm so fun. But I will absolutely, you know, take Mitch McConnell to task over his trash policy. And I really do believe. I think, especially when you are an entertainer, a performer, it's because you love people.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sophia]

You love people and their stories. You love being able to represent people. You love being able to gather people. You love being able to help feel seen. And so when people are like, why are all you actors so fucking political? I'm like, because we have to be. Because our whole job is to love people and tell their stories. How can I look at what's happening to people in the world and be silent 100%?

[Unknown]

And also, like, my job as a comedian is to take the things that are going on in the world, observe them, and. And either help us work through it. It. Giggle about it, or go, what the fuck? That is my entire job as a. Yes.

[Sophia]

Yes.

[Unknown]

And, you know, I've been doing this new bit about how, like, a lot of MAGA moms couldn't believe that I didn't vote for Trump because on paper, I look like the typical MAGA mom. Blonde hair extensions, you know, from the south, went to the University of Mississippi, and they had felt betrayed. And I was like, whoa, what. What. What has happened here that. That I was not clearly speaking up. Up enough for y' all to. To think that I was voting for Trump. But the reception's great because, I mean, you got got again as a pendulum swings. You got to make fun of both sides.

[Sophia]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Say that. There are moments where I'm like, God, because I live in Georgia, am I going to have to cage fight Marjorie Taylor Greene? I may have to at some point for Jerry.

[Sophia]

Might have to. We might have to. She. You know, she was being insane the other day, and I posted something about it, and. And somebody goes, well, if you have this kind of heat for her, where's your heat for Jasmine Crockett? And I said, honey, Jasmine's just matching their vine volume 100. And she went, yeah. And I was like, we're.

[Unknown]

I'm.

[Sophia]

I'm. I. In the year 2025, am done going high. I did it for a long time. I grew up in the young Michelle Obama school of politics. That was my jam. And you know what? Now I'm like, you Want to go low? Meet me in the gutter. I come from a long line of Italians in New Jersey. Yeah, meet me in the gutter. Let's go.

[Unknown]

I feel the exact same way. And that's, you know, my job in comedy. I'm like, I'm. I'm talking about the things that, again, all these girlies are talking about other country clubs or they're talking, you know, at the PTA meeting or whatever. I know I'm going to make you sit and have a. And think about it in a different way. Because we have to. Like, why are we not as women having these conversations?

[Sophia]

No, we have to. Oh, this is why we really need to do our show.

[Unknown]

We need to do our show.

[Sophia]

We have to do a show.

[Unknown]

We've got to. Let's do it. We'll get.

[Sophia]

Okay. For the friends at home. Sometimes I forget that people listen to this and I'm like, oh, good. We're just having like a glass ofWine on Zoom. We don't have wine currently listeners, but I wish we did. It's a little too early, but, you know, next time I am talking about how it was, I think two years ago at the big Elton John AIDS foundation fundraiser that coincides with the Oscars. We'd had a couple of tequilas and decided we were going to do a TV show show together. And we gotta figure out what it is.

[Unknown]

We will figure out what it is.

[Sophia]

We have no idea what the show is, but we were like, oh, we want to go to work together every day. This would be fun.

[Unknown]

And my favorite thing is figuring out that creative. And I think because I write stand up, I love the pitch, like you're old school actress where you go in and probably crush an audition. I am so bad at auditioning, but I'm like, let me do the sales of it. Let me go in and razzle dazzle the network and then just show up on set. But don't make me audition.

[Sophia]

Auditions are so weird because your whole job as an actor is to make a space and a relationship feel like yours. And then you do an audition like this in front of a sheet with no human and someone who the whole time they're reading with you. God bless the casting director, but like, they're reading on the paper and you're like, but the whole way I do my job is to connect with someone and we have, have a beat and we have a little eye moment and then we both giggle and. And none of that can happen in an audition.

[Unknown]

No. And I had this theory that I I swear by that. All of my self tapes that I. And I'm always reading with, like, my husband or my mom in my basement. I'm like, these never got to the casting director. They never got to the producers. They are sitting in a vault somewhere. And at my funeral, it will be like. Like a cruel practical joke. They would play these auditions.

[Sophia]

That's your episode of Punk'd.

[Unknown]

That is my episode of Punk'd. And I'll be like, that sweet, sweet girl. She thought she was that sweet girl.

[Sophia]

From Mississippi, that sweet southern belle.

[Unknown]

She thought she was auditioning, but really we were just pulling one big prank on her. And I'm like, why am I not. Oh, my God, jobs.

[Sophia]

You're like, what the is going on here? I love that. Okay, I have this question for you because we don't know what our show is going to be, but I do think about things I want to watch you do, which is, you know, fun for me as a fan and a friend.

[Unknown]

I love this.

[Sophia]

What award show would you want to host if you could? Because I think you need to host an award show.

[Unknown]

Well, I am a TV nerd, so I would love to do the Emmys.

[Sophia]

Oh, okay.

[Unknown]

Yeah. I mean, Nikki did an incredible job at the Globe.

[Sophia]

She was so good.

[Unknown]

Conan was phenomenal at the Oscars. He's coming back. But I think the Emmys would be really, really fun. Oh, and Chelsea crushes. What does she do? The sack. Yes. Critic choice, critics choice.

[Sophia]

Yes.

[Unknown]

I think doing the Emmys would be insane. Really insane.

[Sophia]

Okay.

[Unknown]

I've been, you know, doing some of the red carpet stuff a la Joan Rivers, but I'm really only getting my footing there because it's. It's. That is actually out of performing 90 minutes of memorized standup thing, you know, doing sales pitches, whatever. The podcasting. Doing the red carpet is the hardest gig I have ever had.

[Sophia]

It is so scary to me thinking about that.

[Unknown]

You have a producer in your ear. You're doing quick changes live on air. You have cards. The. Their publicists are saying, don't ask them about this or ask them about this or make sure you hit this note. And you have 30 seconds to talk to Ariana Grande, who's just, like, floating through the air because she's such an angel, and you're like, what is happening? Yeah, A gnarly gig. People don't realize how hard doing live hosting is.

[Sophia]

I. Yeah, I don't know how you do it. I'm. I'm endlessly impressed. This is kind of my world. I like to Cozy and have a deep talk and giggle and, you know, get into stuff. The quickness of a carpet interview, like, it stresses me out, having to answer the questions. If I had to ask them and do this in short form, I. I actually think I'd have a panic attack.

[Unknown]

I get. And I've only done a, you know, award season for, like, two years now, and every time we rap, and it's like. And the. You know, the Emmys are live on NBC, and I hear that, and they're like.

[Sophia]

And you collapse.

[Unknown]

I literally hit the deck. And half the time, I'm wearing a pair of Birkenstocks because I'm taller than every guy in Hollywood. So I have to, like, Amazon amazing. Like, you know, they're all standing on an apple box, and I'm, like, down on the ground, and I'm just like, somebody get me a glass of white wine again. That was the wildest three hours. And, yeah, it's. It's an adrenaline rush. It is really wild.

[Sophia]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

I'm trying to find my footing there with being more funny and being myself. But you're also like, okay, I've got to hit. I gotta hit the notes, you know?

[Sophia]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

So it's a tough one.

[Sophia]

Oh, my God, I'm blessed. I let. Let's manifest the Emmys. I think you need to do another drum drawing.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sophia]

You know, like a then and now.

[Unknown]

Now I will say so in my office. And you can't see all them. I have all my vision boards up.

[Sophia]

Is that what those are?

[Unknown]

Yeah. So back here is like a vision board, and I have them all around on the other sides of my office. It is really wild. I started vision boarding back in 2018, and I did it one day. I was hungover. It was New Year's Day. I saw somebody do it on Instagram. My husband was watching football. I was like, I'm gonna take a gummy, and I'm gonna make some vision. Vision boards, because I'm visual, and I like to scrapbook and doodle. You know, A couple years later, everything started to pop off. So now I made a yearly thing where I make these vision boards. And it's not. You know, all I do is I basically have this conversation with myself. What do I want? What do I want the future to look like? What am I asking of myself? What am I asking the universe to. To connect for me? And it is wild. Like, the things that have come true by making these vision boards.

[Sophia]

Wait. I love that. Can I come over and make one with you?

[Unknown]

Yes, absolutely.

[Sophia]

I'm so into this.

[Unknown]

I'm doing a comedy cruise here in two weeks where I'm taking a bunch of fans on an origin cruise ship, and we're doing a vision board party. I'm like, what I'm telling you, if you write it down will come true.

[Sophia]

No. My friend sky says this all the time. We did a show together a couple of years ago, and I was planning something on Pinterest, and the thing I planned looked exactly like the Pinterest board, but better. And she was like, do you not understand when you're helping a friend design a house on Pinterest or you're doing these mood boards that you make for characters, you're vision boarding. She was like, look at how powerful you are at manifesting. You actually have to start applying that to you and what you want, not just to what you're helping create out in the world. And I was like, oh, my God. And I'm. I'm so inspired by her. And I'm also, like, a little scared, so I want to try.

[Unknown]

No, do it. There's nothing to be scared about. I mean, you. To me, it's a conversation with your inner self saying, what do I expect from myself in this life? It's not just about putting fancy cars and big houses. And, you know, I went up here and do this, but, man, damn it, I. I've had things check off the vision board down to, like, throw pillows on a couch where I'm like, oh, shit, I have those chairs. I have that lamp. Like, what is this?

[Sophia]

That is so funny.

[Unknown]

But I really. It's also too. I think, because when I was a little kid, you know, back to the book that I wrote in the fourth grade or the story that I was saying, I always saw a vision of what exactly I wanted things to look like and what I wanted to do. And so it's always been that quiet, kind of quiet voice inside of myself that's like, no, you know what path you want to be on. You know what you want, you know what you're expecting of your life.

[Sophia]

I love that.

[Unknown]

And I have a visual reminder. I look up at the wall, and I'm like, oh, yeah, no, you know what? I need to get back to that, because that's something that I put down as a goal for myself.

[Sophia]

Yes. That's really. That feels powerful.

[Unknown]

It is powerful, you know?

[Sophia]

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[Laura Kim]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Heather McMahon]

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[Sophia]

It's interesting, too, to think about that drawing you showed me at the top of the hour. You know, you standing on a stage in front of an audience, it's. It's what you do. I mean, you're. You're on tour right now. You're on your Bamboozled tour.

[Unknown]

On the Bamboozled tour. Yep.

[Sophia]

By the way, that's probably why I said that word earlier. It's like, in my subconscious, what. What is this tour about for our friends at home? And then I just really want to know what your favorite part of touring.

[Unknown]

Is this tour is about. Oh, God. What is it about? It's about everything.

[Sophia]

Oh, there's a lot in there. I'm like, we got a hair flip.

[Unknown]

She's thinking it's about how, 1. I'm constantly bamboozling myself. As women, we have a lot of outside noise that we end up getting Bamboozled about. The dream is a bamboozlement. The expectations on us are a bamboozlement. And I just find a really ridiculous way of connecting how we have also done this to ourselves. And my favorite part of touring, honestly, standup is so fun because, you know, in this business, we develop, which we aren't gonna develop our show, but we develop.

[Sophia]

Yes, we are.

[Unknown]

We. You have to wait for so many yeses and you hear so many nos. Standup is immediate. I get up on stage, I want to know in 10 seconds whether they like it or they don't. And it takes that check of let's go. And when you get that energy from a live audience, there is nothing better. Like I always said, I want to do multicams because I. It's. You know, I'm a theater kid. I want that live audience. I want that immediate reaction. It feels so good.

[Sophia]

Yeah. Oh, I would love that.

[Unknown]

And being with my friends is great. I've got a great crew around me, and we just have fun and, like, to say that I've. I've seen Americ, I've toured in Australia. Like, to. To go to places, touch people's hands and be like, you know, thank you for being here. There's just the human connection is incredible. It really.

[Sophia]

I love that. I love that. And then what was the impetus behind the podcast? Because. Absolutely not. Yeah, it is comedy, in a way, but it's also a place, I think, where you get to be your whole self, not just your performer self. What led you to starting that? And why in the world did you start a podcast while you're also on a tour? Do you just love to torture yourself?

[Unknown]

I really do. Listen. My entire team is like, shall we put too much on our plate? And again, I bamboozle myself. The podcast I started years ago because I wanted to have this, like, call to action where people could call in and then I would give them, like, horrific, unsolicited life advice. I listened to some other podcasts where they're actually, like, trying to fix people's problems. I'm like, no, if you call in, I. I'm going to give you a sarcastic response.

[Sophia]

Oh, my God, love.

[Unknown]

And then it's also. I mean, my therapist would say, like, again, you're oversharing too much on your podcast. But it is just a. It's almost like a brain dump for me. Every week I hear what other people are going through. I brain dump what I'm going through. And it's just such a part of my week where I'm giggling to myself. I'm, like, hour straight at just the insanity of humanity, us just trying to get through each day. And it brings me so much joy. But am I doing a lot? Yes. Yes, I am doing a lot. I am doing a lot right now. Yeah. Yeah.

[Sophia]

I. I want to. I want to come and give bad advice on your podcast. That feels so fun.

[Unknown]

Love to have you. I. Please come on the podcast. We would love.

[Sophia]

Oh, my God.

[Unknown]

Incredible.

[Sophia]

I love that. Years ago, I did Anna Faris podcast, and we got a really sweet question from someone, and, yeah, we were trying to, like, give great advice, but I also think purposefully giving ridiculous advice feels fun.

[Unknown]

Yeah, I. I mean, listen, sometimes there are lighthearted moments or, like, tender moments. And I've cried so many times on this podcast by myself, where I listen back and I'm like, oh, my God, what did I have a beautiful breakdown last? But, you know, it's all about human connection and the fact people even trust me with their stories. It's funny, though. I do tell the Girlies all the time. I'm like, hey, hey, y' all, if you have done something illegal, do not call into the podcast when you're drunk and then let us know, because I will delete it. But quit telling me where the bodies are buried, you know?

[Sophia]

Yeah, yeah. You gotta protect yourselves a little bit, ladies.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sophia]

Okay. Well, you are so known, I mean, not just on the show, everywhere. For your. For your hot takes. What. What's your hottest take this week?

[Unknown]

Ooh, what is.

[Sophia]

What do think you got?

[Unknown]

What is my hottest take? Well, listen, my hottest take this week is the world's on fire, and we are just trying to keep our head above water. So every day, my hottest take is protect your mental well being. Because if you consume shit all day long, it will make you nuts. And we still have to live each day to the fullest because again, like you said earlier, life is short, but it's also very long. So the best you can with the people around you and take care of the people that you love. We're not gonna fix everything tomorrow. But I've had moments where I will consume so much and it will make me spiral and it will go crazy and I'll watch something backstage and then I'm like, okay, now I gotta go back on stage and make everybody feel positive and giggle. And I had to take moments where I'm like, I gotta tune it out for a minute, you know?

[Sophia]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Everybody's gotta take care of their mental health.

[Sophia]

Yeah. I'm learning to do the same. And I feel like I've also finally hit a point where I'm like, I. I'm. Guys, admittedly, I'm not an expert at everything. No one is. I am no longer willing to feel pressured into having a take. If I'm like, that's not my job. It's just not my job. I'm going to do the best I can. And there will be mental health breaks and there will be days when I don't do this. And even for me, something I've tried to do consciously lately is I do the, you know, the signal, boosting the news, sharing the. Do you know about this? Call your senators about that. This bill is up is really important. I'm sharing all that stuff more like a. A broadcaster. I'm sharing it in my stories every day so it's timely, but I'm really trying to keep what I put up on a grid. Happy.

[Unknown]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Sophia]

Because I feel like we need it. And for me, beginning to separate and balance my. My life. Sharing is going to be My life and the news shit. I'm going to share like the news, it's on and if you miss, miss it.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sophia]

Go find it somewhere else.

[Unknown]

Yeah. And that's how I feel too as a comic. Like I have to, we, we have to talk about these uncomfortable conversations and I want you to leave laughing. And also like it makes you think. You know, it's even in comedy it's topical and you have to keep moving and things are changing rapidly every day. But there are moments where I'm just like, all right, we're gonna say it, we're gonna giggle, we're gonna pull it apart, we're gonna figure it out and then we're gonna put it to bed and we have to walk away and just it put, be like we're going to make it, we're going to be okay.

[Sophia]

Exactly.

[Unknown]

We're all going to go nuts.

[Sophia]

Yeah, well, and I, I think balance in general, like that's something I'm really working on. I'm really working on understanding that I have an irrational sense of time. I really think I can get way more done in a day than is humanly possible.

[Unknown]

Same.

[Sophia]

So I, I, I'm working on, on bringing down my, my bamboozling of myself that I'm trying to bring down the volume on the daily to do list so that I can actually be better at the things I'm doing.

[Unknown]

I love that one of the things on my vision board was like it says less stressed, restful. And what does it say? Oh, replenished. Because I realized love a replenish. You love a replenish. I would burn myself out so bad and say yes to everything. And then one, yeah, shitty friend. I'm a shitty wife. I'm in a bad mood when I come home and I was like, what are we doing here? If I don't actually start physically taking care of myself saying and yeah, some people may call me a grandma some days because I can't go out and do all the things I used to do. But I'm like, I would never take care of myself. So then when we spend my love language is quality time. I want to be in a good mood and be there for you and not be just a burnt out bitch all the time.

[Sophia]

Yeah, I don't want to sit at dinner feeling like a shell of a human.

[Unknown]

Yes, 100%.

[Sophia]

Is that, do you think that recalibration. Would you, would you say that right now that's your work in progress or.

[Unknown]

Is it something 100% my work in progress and you know, I feel we are all obviously in this rat race of this industry and things are changing. And you know, I said, or you, you mentioned earlier, like, oh, I was a late bloomer. Well, I'm still, I turned 38 this year and there's things I have to get done before I can have a family and I can do all this, these things. So it's finding these moments where it's like it's all going to happen. Take a deep breath. But again, I can't be the star or show up to the gig. If I am a shell of a human, I can't do it. So I've really had to take moments and have hard conversations with myself where it's like, hey, you got to be selfish for a minute. Whether people get upset with you or not, you need to be selfish and take care of yourself or there will be nothing to do. Like, we will have no career.

[Sophia]

There'll be nothing left.

[Unknown]

Yeah, 100%.

[Sophia]

Yeah. I love that. I think, I think to your point, women, the world wants to bamboozle us and we do it to ourselves. And I think anytime we can sit down and really just say, this is what I need, it's a big deal, 100%.

[Unknown]

And the pressure that we put on ourselves, the pressure that the outside world puts on on us, whether you're a stay at home mom, whether you're a fortune 500 girly, we are supposed to do it all. I mean, I have a whole 20 minute bit about our cortisol. Like it's, it's like everyone's cortisol's through the fucking roof and nobody knows what cortisol is. And then on top of that, you go to the doctor and they can't figure out your hormones. I'm like, how are we all this stressed, sweaty, exhausted while also having insomnia and none of us can figure it out.

[Sophia]

That's the bottle of wine conversation we're having next. Well, I love it. Where can people get tickets to your remaining tour dates?

[Unknown]

You can get tickets at heather on tour.com and I'm serious. We gotta, we have to get together, do a lady I know and figure out.

[Sophia]

We gotta do it. I'm gonna text you, text me, beat me, tweet. All right.

[Unknown]

You know where to find me.

[Sophia]

I know where to find.

[Unknown]

I love you.

[Sophia]

Thank you so much.

[Unknown]

I love you, adore you. Truly.

[Sophia]

Same. Yeah. You make me so happy and I just really, I cherish that I get to know you.

[Unknown]

My God, that's the kindest thing ever.

[Sophia]

It's true. And you make me laugh.

[Unknown]

Bless you out here doing the most.

[Sophia]

I'll tell you what you're you're doing the Lord's honey. Thank you for today.

[Unknown]

Oh my God. Thank you.

[Sophia]

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[Laura Kim]

The world differently where others see empty lots. You see blueprints where others sit in lecture halls. Future leaders choose Ferris State University to build something real. Ready to dig in and learn through action, Ferris State gives you the tools, the team and training to unleash your potential with paths to high demand careers and in state tuition for non residents. At Ferris State, students don't just study, they build. They lead. They succeed. Visit ferris. Edu Ferris State University we build Champions. Traveling is one of life's greatest joys. Honestly, can anything be more exhilarating? Well, actually, yeah. With Chase Sapphire Reserve, it's your gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. First, you'll earn three times points for travel and dining and the card gets you into the Sapphire Lounge by the club at select airports nationwide and access to one of a kind experiences. Whether you're booking a once in a lifetime trip or your next weekend escape, Discover more with Chase sapphire [e-mail] Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply.

[Heather McMahon]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. Now through June 24th, score hot summer savings and earn four times the points. Look for in store tags on items like General Mills cereal, Chobani Greek yogurt, Pillsbury Crescent rolls, cinnamon rolls and biscuits, Haagen Dazs ice cream, Lindor chocolate truffles, Tillamook ice cream and probiotic sodas. Then clip the offer in the app for automatic event long savings. Shop in store or online for easy drive up and go pick up or delivery subject to availability restrictions apply. Visit Albertsons or Safeway.com for more details.

[Sophia]

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