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The Need to Fail with Don Fanelli — Comedy
The Need to Fail with Don Fanelli

What do all of your favorite comedians, actors, writers, and artists have in common? At some point, they’ve all completely failed. Comedian Don Fanelli sits down with folks at the top of their game to talk about the times their dreams felt more elusive than ever. These hilarious, heartbreaking, and incredibly relatable stories remind us that failure is not only necessary when pursuing a dream, but ultimately the inspiration that keeps us moving uncompromisingly forward. Produced by the Forever Dog Podcast Network.

Copyright: © Forever Dog Podcast Network. All rights reserved.

Latest Episodes:

The Final Fail: Chris Gethard Aug 25, 2020

In our series finale, we check back in with Chris Gethard (Beautiful/Anonymous, Space Force) who recently came close to committing himself for the first time in almost a decade. We talk about being on the downslope of success, where he fucked up along the way, the surprising success of his podcast, and what he thinks supersedes the failure/success conversation.

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THE NEED TO FAIL IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST

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Seven Years Later: Lauren Lapkus Aug 18, 2020

In our final episodes of The Need to Fail, I will be checking back in with my original guests from seven years ago. Next up: Lauren Lapkus (The Wrong Missy, Big Bang Theory) who talks about not booking 90% of the roles she goes out for, how her true humor came through in The Wrong Missy and how she thought she would suck in the audition, getting written off of Orange is the New Black, her current vision board usage, and the myth that things fall into place after getting to a certain point in your career.

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Seven Years Later: Abbi Jacobson Aug 11, 2020

In our final episodes of The Need to Fail, I will be checking back in with my original guests from seven years ago. Next up: Abbi Jacobson (Broad City, Disenchantment) who talks about ending Broad City and the pressures of adapting an iconic movie to the small screen. We also chat about how success hasn't stopped the doubts from creeping in, the missteps with Broad City and how audience feedback helped grow the show, the difficulties writing her book, and what happens with goals when you reach them.

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Seven Years Later: Josh Patten Aug 04, 2020

In our final six episodes of The Need to Fail, I will be checking back in with my original guests from seven years ago. Next up: Josh Patten (SNL) who talks about how things have changed over his eight seasons at SNL. We talk about craft related setbacks & trying to get better at his job, how it took time and experience to look past his analytical approach, not getting any jokes on an episode where his mother came to watch, and balancing the buckets of life.

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Seven Years Later: Josh Ruben Jul 28, 2020

In our final six episodes of The Need to Fail, I will be checking back in with my original guests from seven years ago. Next up: Josh Ruben (Scare Me, Werewolves Within) who talks about his frustrating journey auditioning for SNL, the star-studded pilot he was cast in that didn't get picked up, his reflections on Sundance, and how his necessity with adapting and being in survival mode in the past is helping him cope with the pandemic today.

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Seven Years Later: Benjamin Apple Jul 21, 2020

In our final six episodes of The Need to Fail, I will be checking back in with my original guests from seven years ago. First up: Benjamin Apple (The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, The Onion) who talks about how a year after our original conversation, he was let go from Jimmy Fallon. We talk about how the sketch that got him hired on the show did not fare well on national TV, the shame associated with publicly failing, being thankful for the obstacles that made him grow and how he is finally ready to tell his story about growing up in a super religious family.

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Episode 150: Edgar Momplaisir Jul 14, 2020

Edgar Momplaisir (Culture Kings, What Just Happened) gets candid, opening up about his personal demons, regrets, and rock bottom moments. We talk about not fully processing his best friends death, his frustrating audition process for the Daily Show, and not getting onto Maude Night at UCB while writing for a sketch show series. We also chat about funny funerals, religion, suicide and how humans will do pretty much anything to avoid pain.

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Episode 149: Anna Salinas Jul 07, 2020

Anna Salinas (badcomixbyanna, Sugar & Toys) went from a kindergarten art teacher to an assistant in the Reality TV department of a big agency working with someone who no one wanted to work with. We talk about the origins of her comic, badcomixbyanna, and how she communicated her anxiety and depression for many years but never really confronted it until recently. We also chat about how The Artist Way was a game changer pushing her creativity, helping her to find her voice, and getting her past getting cut from Harold Night at UCB.

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Episode 148: Joey Greer Jun 30, 2020

Joey Greer (Good Night, Alchemy This) got screwed up taking on the business side of Hollywood. We chat about how he applied his degree in theology to his creative pursuits, being sick and tired of feeling like he needed the industry's help to create something, and how he spent 16 hour nights trying to craft his comedy album.

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Episode 147: James T. Robilotta Jun 23, 2020

James T. Robilotta (Leading Imperfectly, TEDx) is now a life coach and public speaker, but it took a lot of ups and downs to get there. We talk about how writing his book was the most polarizing thing he has done in his life, why the brain always feels stupid for letting the heart steer, chewing on his own words about authenticity and vulnerability as his marriage was crumbling, starting the first hip hop improv team in NY - North Coast, and how his whole life he was taught to be kind to other people, but it took 32 years to be kind to himself.

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Episode 146: Ellen Haun Jun 16, 2020

Ellen Haun (How to Get Away with Murder, Cinderella & The Glass Ceiling) was never cast in a show in all four years at USC. An accidentally dropped headshot ruined her final chance. We also chat about how she moved to NY after two agencies were interested and wound up not getting signed by either, how her riffed monologue wound up in the How to Get Away with Murder pilot, and the importance of garbage drafts.

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Episode 145: Michael Cruz Kayne Jun 09, 2020

Michael Cruz Kayne (Late Night with Seth Meyers, High Maintenance) booked an off-broadway Stomp-like show called Hoopz, produced by Disney, and it was quickly cancelled after Michael Eisner saw it. We chat about testing for SNL, searching for validation in the UCB system, and dealing with the loss of his son.

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Episode 144: Charlie Todd Jun 02, 2020

Charlie Todd (Improv Everywhere, Pixar IRL) tried for years to get Improv Everywhere on TV with lots of ups and downs along the way. We talk about how he wound up in handcuffs after an Improv Everywhere prank gone awry, seeing a network steal and produce one of his show ideas a year after he pitched it, being told by an agent how his show was a used car that he could not sell, and how this pandemic has been a gut check moment for a company that thrives on live human interaction.

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Episode 143: Robyn Schneider May 26, 2020

Robyn Schneider (The Beginning of Everything, You Don't Live Here) sold her first book at 18. It was the best and worst day of her life. Straddling a life between writing and medical school, Robyn overcomes trauma, book flops, book cancellations, theft, and a slew of other setbacks on the road to becoming a best selling author. Robyn talks about how she got through it all, shares some writing tips and tricks, and reveals the latest leap of faith she took during the pandemic.

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Episode 142: Jordan Klepper (Part 2) May 19, 2020

In Part 2 of our conversation, Jordan Klepper (The Daily Show, Klepper) talks about filling in as host of The Daily Show when Trevor Noah was sick, the joys of getting your own TV show and the gut-punch of it being taken away, and the life changing experience of being arrested. Jordan also takes us behind the scenes of life as a Daily Show correspondent, what he learned about mindset from The School of Life, and talks about the time his boat capsized in the gator-filled bayou while covering a story.

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Episode 141: Jordan Klepper (Part 1) May 12, 2020

In Part 1 of our conversation, Jordan Klepper (The Daily Show, The Opposition) talks about his decade of ups and downs in Chicago, what led him to NY, and auditioning for The Daily Show. We chat about how frustrations led to Jordan creating his own popular sketch show in Chicago, how after a failed audition, he wound up eating at the Universal CityWalk Food Court overlooking the red carpet of a Fast & Furious premier, and why getting the Daily Show was the best and worst day of his life.

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Episode 140: Julie Buxbaum May 05, 2020

Julie Buxbaum's (Tell Me Three Things, Admission) worked on her third novel for over two years, after giving birth to her first child, and made the painful decision to shelve it because it was capable but not exciting. We talk about her transition from attending Harvard Law School to becoming an author, her continuing self doubts, her routines that make writing less precious, and the importance of recognizing the difference between procrastination and frustration.

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Episode 139: Sam Pancake Apr 28, 2020

Sam Pancake (A Million Little Things, Arrested Development) got the dream call that he was getting his own TV show - but the deal was so bad he had to walk away, which actually opened up unforeseen acting opportunities. We talk about battling his addictions, his rock bottom moments, and his road to rehab and recovery, as well as what he learned about auditioning while working in commercial casting.

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Episode 138: Amy Spalding Apr 21, 2020

Amy Spalding (We Used to Be Friends, The Summer of Jordi Perez) secured a literary agent, but it took another three years to get her first book published. We talk about the benefits of having a day job she excels at, burning her childhood novels in a family bonfire, the dangers of only participating in things you are good at, and why boredom is important for creativity and how the modern world is robbing us of it.

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Episode 137: Mark McConville Apr 14, 2020

Mark McConville (SuperEgo, Talking Tom & Friends) went to college to study music and was denied after his audition freshmen year. We talk about the formation of SuperEgo, the value of intention, landing a job at Disney after working 16 hour days at Starbucks and a retail store, and the importance of creating your own work.

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Episode 136: Paige Weldon Apr 07, 2020

Paige Weldon (Heathers, The Late Late Show with James Corden) had a humor website she co-created hacked and destroyed. Five years of writing and artwork from herself and her friends went down the drain overnight. We chat about how messing up in her Heathers audition probably helped book her the role, the difficulty of working meditation into her routine, being sick and having two days notice for her Late Night stand-up debut, and how agreeing to perform at a Laffy Taffy joke contest helped her get booked for James Corden.

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Episode 135: Hal Lublin Mar 31, 2020

Hal Lublin (The Thrilling Adventure Hour, The Venture Bros.) flew himself out to NY to audition for Boom Amsterdam, positive he was going to get hired. He did not. We talk about how he wanted to quit the industry after his mother passed away and what brought him back, how he heard the possible worse thing you can hear from a casting director when he auditioned for Disney, and he shares some very helpful advice for people looking to break into the world of Voice Over.

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Episode 134: Aaron Abrams Mar 24, 2020

Aaron Abrams (Lovebirds, Blindspot) had a panic attack in an audition after he thought the casting director had mistaken him for someone else. We chat about the role he didn't think he was going to book because he accidentally ate tacks in front of the casting directors, booking his first series regular role after being told he no shot at getting the part, and the two big things he learned from becoming a reader for auditions.

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Episode 133: Atsuko Okatsuka Mar 17, 2020

Atsuko Okatsuka (Room 104, Let's Go, Atsuko!) was new to stand up and flown down to audition for America's Got Talent. She was X-ed by Howard Stern during her set and booed by the audience. We chat about how being an immigrant influenced her early comedic style, why she works her standup routine out on a tree first, and how getting organized over the last couple of years has inspired her now more than ever.

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THE NEED TO FAIL IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST

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Episode 132: Todd Masterson Mar 10, 2020

Todd Masterson (Gay Fat Friend, Fashion Police) got his dream job working for Joan Rivers and then it was all taken away. We talk about the origins of his GayFatFriend instagram account, almost getting to work at Family Guy, and how watching restoration and makeup tutorial videos helps him get over setbacks.

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Episode 131: Dan Lippert & Ryan Rosenberg (Part 1 of our You're The Man Now Dog Podcast crossover) Mar 03, 2020

In our first crossover episode, Don joins the boys of You're the Man Dog Podcast, Dan Lippert and Ryan Rosenberg to chat about personal setbacks and reflexions on their sketch/improv team Big Grande. We talk about how Ryan dealt with his three friends/teammates getting onto the same Harold team without him, how Dan was cut from his college acting program, and how Big Grande wrote a pilot that they sold but weren't proud of. The second half of our conversation can be found on You're the Man Now Dog's Patreon page.

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Episode 130: Bill Posley Feb 25, 2020

After Bill Posley's (The Day I Became Black, Survivor) family filed for bankruptcy and his house was foreclosed on, he didn't have money for college. So he joined the Army after high school and graduated from basic training... on 9/11. He talks about how the army prepared him for failure, how he was escorted out of Sunset Gower Studios because he thought Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas had stollen a TV show idea of his, and getting lured into a sham production company which ended with him driving on the Scientology Celebrity Center lawn after Tom Cruise and John Travolta refused to see his boss.

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Episode 129: Daniel Shar Feb 18, 2020

Daniel Shar (Scraps, The Onion) published an article called "You Miss 87% You Do Take if You Are Me in 2019" in which he documents over a thousand attempts at making money and furthering his career last year and breaks down all of the results. We talk about weighing his findings and his big takeaways, how he wrote three movies in 90 days, an embarrassing moment while directing his first film, and his failed attempts at being a background actor ina porno.

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Episode 128: Morgan Evans Feb 11, 2020

Morgan Evans (Netflix, Disney+) had the worst year of his life when he moved to LA, after the movie he wrote was optioned. We chat about the struggles of drought years and money management, the frustration with not being able to transfer from the digital world to linear television, and how he learned a ton about directing from watching Adam McKay and Judd Apatow DVD bonus features.

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Episode 127: Achilles Stamatelaky Feb 04, 2020

Achilles Stamatelaky (Broad City, UCB) is in his head. He's been getting to the final round interviews for a ton of writing jobs and not landing any. We chat about why he thinks this is, his UCB journey, writing hacks, the struggles with having to be your own assistant, and how after overhearing a conversation between two veteran improvisors was the moment he knew he should focus on writing.

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Episode 126: Celeste Ballard Jan 28, 2020

Celeste Ballard (Wrecked, Sweet/Vicious) had a couple of dark creative periods in the last year which made her pass at an initial invitation to be on the show. Now she opens up about failed pitches and pilots, a personal setback that she used to jolt her career forward, the value in being Lorne Michaels' assistant, the importance of stating what you want, and shares a step by step process on how she pitches a show.

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Episode 125: Lance Rubin Jan 21, 2020

YA author, Lance Rubin (Crying Laughing, Denton Little's Deathdate) was dropped by his acting agent and manager on the same day... which led him towards a career he did not plan for. We talk about the internal and external struggles that made the business side of acting difficult, how being on the other side of casting helped him realize why he sucked at auditioning, and the tools he uses to stay focused to write while raising two kids.

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Episode 124: Brett Davis Jan 14, 2020

Brett Davis (The Podcast for Laundry, The National Lampoon Radio Hour) takes us through many performance failures over his career, one which lead to a full on fist fight between his writing partner and some drunk audience members. We chat about the only episode of The Special he decided not to air, why he decided to end his public access show, feeling like a home-schooled comic and not going the traditional route, and the amount of pressure he puts on himself before every show.

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Episode 123: Larry Owens Jan 07, 2020

Larry Owens (A Strange Loop, High Maintenance) got rejected from his top three acting school choices and as a playwright from Yale. We talk about the daily setbacks during his Steppenwolf training, how you must fail during a monologue in order to perform it correctly, and why he turned down the chance to star in television show to perform as the lead in an Off-Broadway musical.

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Episode 122: Jocelyn DeBoer & Dawn Luebbe (Part 2) Dec 17, 2019

In Part 2 of our conversation with Jocelyn DeBoer & Dawn Luebbe (Greener Grass, Adam Ruins Everything) we cover all things film festivals. We chat about getting rejected from Sundance four times before getting in, the ceremonious turned unceremonious conference call when they learned their pilot was a no go, and how they tackled filming 17 locations in 19 days for their Greener Grass feature.

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Episode 121: Jocelyn DeBoer & Dawn Luebbe (Part 1) Dec 10, 2019

Jocelyn DeBoer & Dawn Luebbe (Greener Grass, Buzz) were going through a dry spell in Los Angeles, so they walked on a treadmill next to each other at the gym, simultaneously watching Twin Peaks. In Part 1 of our conversation we talk about how Jocelyn helped create her own team and indie show after not getting onto a UCB Harold Team which eventually worked out to her advantage and how Dawn had one foot out the comedy door and was going to move to San Francisco before getting an opportune phone call from two of her future teammates. We chat about what it was like to start over in Los Angeles after crushing it in New York, what motivated them to create their Greener Grass short and why they eventually decided to start directing their own projects.

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Episode 120: Paul Welsh Dec 03, 2019

Paul Welsh (Brooklyn99, Crazy-Ex Girlfriend) was flown out back out to NY after he moved to LA and crushed his Daily Show audition - and didn't get it. We chat about why it took him multiple attempts to get onto a UCB Harold Team, how he dealt with a failed pilot he co-wrote, and how a short film he made, whose script got him his agent, got into zero festivals.

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The One Year Project: Dan Black (Parts 1 & 2) Nov 26, 2019

In our final One Year Project, guest Dan Black (Comedians of Wrestling Podcast, Adam Ruins Everything) feels like he goes backwards in his career some years. Like when he had to go back to work as a temp CPA and participate in a company wide intro to improv workshop after having improvised for years. The first part, recorded in 2018, Dan talks about how the barriers of working a corporate CPA job for many years turned him off to the business side of showbiz, how he manages his expectations, and how it felt watching Jimmy Fallon leave during the opening of his one man show. Part 2 (1:31:47) covers the unexpected opportunity that popped up, that put his 2019 goals on hold.

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The One Year Project: Langan Kingsley (Parts 1 & 2) Nov 19, 2019

Langan Kingsley was one job away from having to temp again. In Part 1, recorded in 2018, Langan had written on two shows and filmed an Adam Sandler movie, but was looking into the abyss of 2019 with nothing on the horizon. We chat about how her failures are related to fear, the cosmic promise she made if she ran into Amy Poehler, and how things usually happen for her when she loses all hope. Part 2 (47:43) covers her journey through 2019, where the job she thought she interviewed well for she didn't get and the job she didn't interview well for, she got.

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The One Year Project: James III (Parts 1 & 2) Nov 12, 2019

Our second installment of the One Year Project follows James III's (Astronomy Club, All That) into the unknown of 2019. Part 1 was recorded in December of 2018, where James was coming off of a good year but had nothing on the horizon. We talk about his imposter syndrome, the fear of getting into comedy, the genesis of the Black Men Can't Jump in Hollywood podcast, and the difficulty of balancing individual goals with group goals. Part 2 (58:30) picks up in 2019 where things were slow for a bit but rapidly picked up all at once. We talk about pitching, selling, writing, and acting in Astronomy Club's new Netflix series, being rejected from a writing job he was perfect for, and why he thinks he should go to therapy.

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The One Year Project: Brandon Gardner (Parts 1 & 2) Nov 05, 2019

Brandon Gardner is in the trenches as he a journeys through fatherhood, conflicting script notes, and the search for representation. In the first of our One Year Projects (inspired by Gardner himself), Part 1 was recorded in the fall of 2018 and covers Brandon's quick ascension through the ranks of UCB NY, the anticipation of becoming a father, and the struggles with trying to get representation over the years. Part 2 (1:29:40) recorded one year later, follows up on his movie script, state of representation, and what it is like trying to juggle the daily responsibilities of fatherhood with an uncertain career.

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Episode 115: Lauren Ashley Smith Oct 29, 2019

Lauren Ashley Smith (Black Lady Sketch Show, The Rundown) failed to get into a top MFA acting program two years in a row. But she never would have started writing if she did. We talk about how her day job as a producer helped prepare her to be a head writer, why it is a pleasure and privilege to fail, and the last minute packet change she made that got her hired at The Rundown (without having an agent or manager).

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Episode 114: Jack Dolgen Oct 22, 2019

Jack Dolgen (Emmy winning writer/songwriter for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) was striving for something that was externally motivated instead of internally driven. So when there wasn't immediate interest from record executives in his first solo album, he quit music altogether. He chats about how his need to be great crippled him into multiple failures, the serendipitous moment that got him back into music, and the creative environment, philosophies, and songwriting process for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

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Episode 113: Megan Koester Oct 15, 2019

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Episode 112: Nate Fernald Oct 08, 2019

Nate Fernald (The Late Late Show, The Pete Holmes Show) developed a name for himself in Chicago but ate shit for years after moving to New York. We talk about his praised SNL packet that led to nothing, deflating meetings with managers, his creative nighttime routine, and what it was like to spend years designing book covers for romance novels.

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Episode 111: Geoff Garlock Oct 01, 2019

Geoff Garlock (Orchid, Panthers, UCB) talks about the ups and downs of his multiple bands, from touring nightmares to record label drops. We talk about his journey into comedy, how therapy and Capes Coaching challenged his punk way of doing things, and how his songwriting and sketch writing methods have changed over the years.

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Episode 110: Marcy Jarreau Sep 24, 2019

Marcy Jarreau (Brooklyn 99, A Funny Feeling Podcast) spent over a decade improvising but just couldn't gain any traction professionally and was ready to quit. We talk about how she dealt with being cut from house teams, flying in from her grandfather's funeral for a callback, and how she finally managed her personal demons.

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Episode 109: Charles Rogers Sep 17, 2019

Charles Rogers (Search Party, Fort Tilden) had a short film that was for sure going to get into a ton of festivals... until it didn't. We chat about how Season 2 of Search Party was the hardest creative experience of his life, the source of the characters he writes, and of course we talk about a Lisa Kudrow manifestation fail.

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Episode 108: Jason Mantzoukas Sep 10, 2019

Jason Mantzoukas (Big Mouth, John Wick 3) talks about all the gut-wrenching ups and downs of an NBC show he created that was never released and the silver lining postscript. We chat about what it was like to get positive performance feedback from peers and audiences but not from the industry, the point in his career where he decided to stop acting and auditioning, the importance of being allowed to perform in a bad show for a year, and how grateful he was to the casting director who told him he would not work for a long time.

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Episode 107: Scott Aukerman Sep 03, 2019

Scott Aukerman (Comedy Bang Bang, Between Two Ferns) felt like the golden boy of comedy in his early years but quickly got a showbiz education. We chat about how it took him over three years to get hired on Mr. Show, how producing his live show Comedy Death Ray helped sustain years of countless TV shows and movies he had written never being picked up, and how he was so broke at one point that his car was repossessed twice, he was on the brink of foreclosure and he was being denied an overall script deal because he was so behind on union dues.

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Episode 106: Noah Segan Aug 27, 2019

Noah Segan (Looper, Knives Out) regrets being a little too picky early on in his acting career. He chat about the pilot he didn't book, the first time he made up reasons why he shouldn't get a job, how finding the desperation in his characters can make them the most dangerous, and how he looks at every major setback as an opportunity to come back.

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Episode 105: Just the Ads Aug 20, 2019

Don's on vacation so he is playing all 99 of his fake ads back to back. Enjoy this journey of stupidity and slowly improving mic quality.

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Episode 104: Casey Wilson Aug 13, 2019

Casey Wilson (Happy Endings, Black Monday) was forced to respond to an article saying she was fired from SNL for being overweight. This was four days after she was mailed her personal items from the show: a box of broken bottles and family pictures. We chat about how her anger issues were used as a motivator in her career, how an early manager firing went horribly wrong, and the insane story of her last minute Happy Endings audition.

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Episode 103: Anthony Atamanuik Aug 06, 2019

Anthony Atamanuik (The President Show, What We Do in the Shadows) had some dark days in Los Angeles. He was doing coke at The Jim Henson Company, had a failed threesome in a car with two sex workers, and was readily watching Judge Judy with a Latin King while they counted bags of meth. And when he got sober, he felt like a failure moving out to New York. He talks about the hard lesson he learned from working on 30 Rock, having to find empathy for Trump in order to play him so accurately, and how he delayed taking class at UCB because he only had $2500 in cash stuffed in a freezer.

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Episode 102: Cipha Sounds Jul 30, 2019

Cipha Sounds (Chappelle's Show, 25th Hour), the self proclaimed Forest Gump of Hip-Hop, denied his gut and turned down touring with people like Rhianna and Jay-Z in order to be loyal to his radio show. We talk about the fear of leaving Hot 97, his home for 17 years and how he over-prepares when DJing which gives him the freedom to improvise. We also chat about his social anxiety and how finding improv and therapy completely changed his life.

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Episode 101: Anna Drezen Jul 23, 2019

Anna Drezen (SNL, Reductress) talks about battling an alcohol addiction and her nightmare job as a concierge. We also chat about how she wrote her SNL packet a week after sobriety, being okay with a B+, and her constant fear that she picked the wrong career. Don talks about a recent turnaround in the intro.

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Episode 100: Bobby Moynihan (Live at The Lyric Hyperion) Jul 16, 2019

Special guest Bobby Moynihan (SNL, DuckTales) takes us through his early years at UCB, his strategy the second time he auditioned for SNL, some of his failed characters, and how he was both grateful and scared after he left the show, when his sitcom got cancelled.

The 100th episode of The Need to Fail Podcast was recorded Live at the Lyric Hyperion on June 14th, 2019.

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Episode 99: Richie Moriarty Jul 09, 2019

Richie Moriarty (What We Do in the Shadows, Search Party) was going through a major personal low while experiencing his first professional high. We chat about his divorce, his Just for Laughs experience, and a particularly awkward interview with famous casting director Allison Jones.

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Episode 98: The Shipley Brothers Jul 02, 2019

Justin & Jordan Shipley (Wrecked, Deadbeat) sold the first thing they ever wrote together. Then they had to figure out how to make a whole season of it. Writers rooms, sets, budgets, locations, time frames - the brothers admit they were out of their element at first. We talk about everything they learned from that first season, the mistakes they made and how they pushed through them, how they write together, and the importance of soft focus.

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Episode 97: Jesse David Fox Jun 25, 2019

Jesse David Fox (Vulture, New York Mag) admits that he was not a good writer for years. We talk about the ins and outs of his podcast, his biggest writing regret, and how his desire to be heard outweighed his desire to be good at first.

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Episode 96: Alex Fernie Jun 18, 2019

Alex Fernie (Children's Hospital, Do You Wanna See a Dead Body) had six different pilots in eight years fall through. We chat about his blind spots as a director, the frustration of seeing projects he's directed sit in purgatory, and how listening to loud music when he works is the only way that he can get out of his head. Of course we nerd out over some improv at the end.

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Episode 95: Mitra Jouhari Jun 11, 2019

Mitra Jouhari (Big Mouth, High Maintenance) felt herself tanking her producer's session mid-audition for a big pilot. We chat about how her bad days are filled with a sense of desperation, the genesis of Three Busy Debras, and how putting on a staged reading of some previously passed on material helped to prove that she could write solo.

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Episode 94: James Adomian Jun 04, 2019

James Adomian (Trump vs. Bernie, BoJack Horseman) tells his biggest bomb story - opening for Joan Rivers. We chat about how he approaches his impressions, why he likes mistakes and not over-polishing anything, and how he would have never have tried standup if things had worked out for him earlier in his career.

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Episode 93: Jonathan Braylock May 28, 2019

Jonathan Braylock (Black Men Can't Jump pod, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) takes us through a series of setbacks - from thinking he booked a pilot to realizing his sketch duo was over when his partner booked a tv show to getting lines cut from a movie after inviting a bunch of his friends to go see it. We chat about how giving himself space and reevaluating where he is at every year helps keep him focused and on track.

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Episode 92: Blair Socci May 21, 2019

Blair Socci (Ladylike, Just for Laughs) lived nine lives before trying to pursue comedy as a career. We talk about seeing her costars' careers skyrocket after her show was cancelled, the endless jobs she's had to keep her afloat, and how some rough relationships led her to Al-Anon which completely changed her life.

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Episode 91: Michael Hartney May 14, 2019

Michael Hartney (School of Rock, Throwing Shade, Current AD of UCB) talks about crushing it at Just for Laughs but failing to be seen for SNL. We chat about oscillating between self-confidence and delusion after being dropped by an agent, the amazing journey to School of Rock and some subsequent performance oopsies, and how he develops a character.

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Episode 90: Brandon Scott Jones May 07, 2019

Brandon Scott Jones (Isn't It Romantic, The Good Place) had a pilot he wrote and shot passed on by a network. We chat about how his competitiveness as an adult is waning due to a childhood of intense athletics, the plethora of odd jobs he's had over the years (from Chuck-E-Cheese to AI at Microsoft), and the serendipitous moment that pushed him to sign up for classes at UCB.

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Episode 89: Eva Anderson Apr 30, 2019

Eva Anderson (You're the Worst, Briarpatch) had three projects fall through last year. We talk about how not having an agent when everyone else on her sketch team did put her in her head, the productiveness of getting to her writer's room early and meditating, and we take a deep dive into her creative rituals and how she uses Capes Coaching methods to break down her goals.

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Episode 88: Joanna Bradley Apr 23, 2019

Joanna Bradley (SNL, The Break with Michele Wolf)took a really long time to process the feeling of not being asked back to SNL. We chat about the pros and cons of not having a brand, feeling emotionally unsafe in the entertainment industry, her deep fear of the suburbs and why writing is like watching yourself throw up.

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Episode 87: Jackie Johnson Apr 16, 2019

Jackie Johnson (Natch Beaut, Fresh Off the Boat) regales us with hilarious stories from her time as a background actress. From staring into the camera to squirting grease on her cocktail dress to accidentally tripping down a flight of stairs in a packed arena to uproarious laughter. We also chat about the crossroads she faced as an actress and comedian, the bleakness of commercial auditioning, and the many jobs and rejections that led to her creating her Natch Beaut podcast.

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Episode 86: Joel Kim Booster Apr 09, 2019

Joel Kim Booster (The Other Two, Shrill) performs on gay cruises and doesn't give a shit what you think about it. We chat about the difficulty of being an earnest person in this industry, how he started doing standup because he was a failing as an actor, and how he dealt with working on the pilot he sold for over two years only for it to get passed on.

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Episode 85: Sean Clements Apr 02, 2019

Sean Clements (Hollywood Handbook, Workaholics) opens up about his battle with addiction, some of his rock bottom moments, how he got sober, and how he found his purpose. We also chat about not working for a year and having a huge swing and miss interview for a writing job, trying to sell the thing you think is really goodvs. trying to sell the thing you think will sell, and how Minnie Driver gave him some encouraging words after his UCB 101 class show.

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Episode 84: Zach Cherry Mar 26, 2019

Zach Cherry (Crashing, You) was dropped off at the wrong gate and walked for an hour through a studio lot, sweating profusely, to get to his callback. He booked it. We talk about the oddness of seeing your competition at a network test, why he enjoys having a bad audition every so often, and how over-preparing for an audition makes it difficult to adjust to feedback in the room.

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Episode 83: Eugene Cordero Mar 19, 2019

Eugene Cordero (Tacoma FD, The Good Place) talks about the important advice he got after he did not book MadTV. He also chats about pushing past that disheartening feeling about not being represented more on screen, feeling broken about the coldness he felt in the audition room, and the sobering realities of getting recognized for a show he longed to be a part of. Also my sleep deprived, borderline incoherent intro and birth story of my daughter!

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Episode 82: Emily Heller Mar 12, 2019

Emily Heller (Barry, Ice Thickeners) talks about the difficulties of selling her stand up special. We chat about hosting a "comedy shabbat" for friends to develop new material, how she deals with feeling the lack of control in her life, and how it's important to update the old ideas that once consumed you.

Check out Emily's new special Ice Thickeners!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5n0hOM0Bm8

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Episode 81: Sudi Green Mar 05, 2019

Sudi Green (SNL, Golden Globes) talks about what she's learned in her first couple of years writing for SNL. We talk about how her definition of success has changed, the difficulties of giving yourself a whole day to write, and the importance of staying in the giggle zone to help push through the lows and churn out creative work.

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Episode 80: Brian Huskey Feb 26, 2019

Brian Huskey (Mr. Neighbor's House, Veep) takes an introspective look at his personal and professional battles and shares the lessons he's learned along the way. We chat about his awkward interview for The Office, how the definition of success and failure is contingent on what his priorities are, and the time he was let go from a national commercial campaign and was left a with a new house, a new baby, and the writer's strike.

Check out Brian in Mr. Neighbor's House on Adult Swim:

http://www.adultswim.com/videos/mr-neighbors-house/mr-neighbors-house-2

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Episode 79: Emma Willman Feb 19, 2019

Emma Willmann (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Secret Keepers Club) was stuck in a leaky airport hotel and had an awful ten hours where multiple projects fell through. But those setbacks opened the door to multiple successes. We chat about how her rocky childhood helps her to scale back and deal with her current problems, performing after someone kills it on stage or in a room, and what drove her to the edge and made her Google "yurts in Thailand."

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Episode 78: Keiko Agena Feb 12, 2019

Keiko Agena (Better Call Saul, Gilmore Girls) talks about what led her to write her book, No Mistakes, which embraces and encourages failure. We chat about how she keeps her anxiety under control, what she would change about her Gilmore Girls experience, and the unfortunate time she couldn't remember her lines on set.

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Episode 77: Jessica Harper Feb 05, 2019

Jessica Harper (Suspiria, It's Garry Shandling's Show) experienced her first taste of failure while taking summer classes at a high school known for its theater department. We also chat about bombing off-broadway with Richard Gere, how professional unpredictability inspired her to write many children's books and albums, and her writing strategy while balancing work and motherhood.

LISTEN TO JESSICA HARPER'S PODCAST WINNETKA:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/winnetka-a-memoir

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Episode 76: Jon Glaser Jan 29, 2019

Jon Glaser (Jon Glaser Loves Gear, Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter) talks about how not getting SNL helped put his career on track. We also chat about what helped him deal with writers room adversities, the jealousy of hearing Mr. Show film next door while on a not particularly fulfilling job, what he learned from his daughter's recital and the important advice he shared with his son.

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Episode 75: Julie Klausner Jan 22, 2019

Julie Klausner (Difficult People, How Was Your Week) chose to pursue a solo project instead of joining a soon-to-be-popular TV show writing staff and things don't quite pan out. She also chats about dealing with the cancellation of Difficult People, the importance of finding your tribe, and how being in a writers room is an incredibly social job for the least socially comfortable people.

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Episode 74: Lennon Parham Jan 15, 2019

Lennon Parham (Playing House, Veep) talks about how she rocked her SNL showcase, bringing her one step closer to her dream, but was never asked to officially audition. We chat about using visualizations to help with pre-performance jitters, getting in trouble on a Batman tie-in commercial set, running a writers room as a new mom, and how things started to pick up when she finally allowed herself to say the things she wanted out loud.

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Episode 73: Tami Sagher Jan 08, 2019

In our Season 5 premiere, guest Tami Sagher talks about depression, shame, and the fear of doing this podcast. We chat about her extensive experience with The Artist's Way and the group she checks in with weekly, the time she got "Housed" by Hugh Laurie, and how she believes that success and failure is not based on one decision, but the million little decisions we make on a daily basis. Tami also opens up about her experience showrunning Season 1 of Broad City and how she dealt with not being asked back.

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THE BEST OF FOREVER DOG 2018 Dec 25, 2018

Thank you for listening to Forever Dog podcasts this year and please enjoy this year-in-review clips show! Listen to find a new favorite podcast to subscribe to in 2019 or just a killer back catalog to binge during your holiday travels. And please follow Forever Dog @ForeverDogTeam on Twitter and Instagram for the latest network news and updates.

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Episode 72: Arthur Meyer Dec 18, 2018

Our Season 4 finale ends with a resonating yet jovial bang from guest Arthur Meyer (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, High Maintenance). Arthur takes us through the myriad setbacks throughout his career; everything from not being able to get onto sketch teams in high school and college to his failed SNL screentest. He chats about his time working a side-gig as a nude model, the swiftness in which he received an email back from the knowledge-dropping Brian Stack, and how he dealt with it when his good friend and comedy partner was hired over him at Jimmy Fallon.

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Episode 71: Kate Spencer Dec 11, 2018

Kate Spencer (Forever35 Podcast, The Dead Moms Club) takes us through many years of setbacks. She chats about her early doubts on the UCB Stage, trying to cope with the death of her mother, and what happened when she gave up on selling her book after numerous rejections.

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Episode 70: Eliot Glazer Dec 04, 2018

Eliot Glazer (Broad City, New Girl) chats about the difficulties being a multi-hyphenate (actor/writer/producer) in this current comedic climate. He also talks about the mini-breakdown he had while editing his book, his love of 2010's Howard Stern, and how he had to go back and get an anonymous job when a TV show he sold fell through.

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Episode 69: Rayland Baxter Nov 27, 2018

Singer/Songwriter Rayland Baxter (Wide Awake, Imaginary Man) tells us the story of how getting arrested in college and losing his scholarship led him, in his darkest of hours, to discover his life's passion. We chat about how he changed his expectations when they weren't being met, how his confrontationinspired the song "Hey Larocco" off his new album,and how simple it can be to find joy in living.

The song "Hey Larocco" played in this episode and was given permission for use by ATO Records.

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Episode 68: Craig Rowin Nov 20, 2018

Craig Rowin (Search Party, Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later) opens up for the first time publicly about an extremely scary, three day long manic episode that landed him in a hospital for a week. We talk about the perfect storm of events that led to it, how he got through it, and what he learned from it.

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Episode 67: Josh Sharp Nov 13, 2018

Josh Sharp (The Opposition, 2 Broke Girls) and Don were both recently part of cancelled television shows. They try to break down how they feel and what they've learned from the process. Josh talks about how he sees his failures as more like icing on a cake, how he takes comfort in nihilism, and how no one cares about you unless you are Childish Gambino.

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Episode 66: Alice Wetterlund Nov 06, 2018

Alice Wetterlund (People of Earth, Silicon Valley) went years without booking anything while battling personal demons, and even when she started to book, didn't feel like anyone was in her corner. We chat about how a cat shelter saved her life, how becoming a buddhist gave her a complete perspective shift, and why she believes it is necessary to have bad movies made.

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Episode 65: Gary Richardson Oct 29, 2018

Gary Richardson (SNL, High Maintenance) tested three times and was put on hold twice before getting hired as a writer for Saturday Night Live. He talks about how the inability to work on other gigs while on hold sparked him to make his own short film, which eventually got him his first professional writing job. We also chat about his decision to leave Chicago, what he does when he is burned out, and how he does not believe in right or wrong choices.

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Episode 64: Joe Mande Oct 23, 2018

Joe Mande (The Good Place, Parks & Rec) spent many years flailing around doing open mics in NY, directionless, and getting heckled by other comedians. We chat about his first hour-long set and how he immediately offended a bunch of Canadians, how being on the other side of camera taught him how much of this industry is out of your control, dealing with Imodium, maxi pads, and a sweater change before filming his Comedy Central half-hour, and how he went ahead and shot his special anyway when Netflix wasn't willing to give him an hour.

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Episode 63: Wayne Federman Oct 16, 2018

Wayne Federman (The History of Standup, The Zen Diaries of Gary Shandling) talks about why after decades of being a standup comedian and actor, he feels like he still hasn't made it. We chat about what he learned from Jerry Seinfeld and Gary Shandling, his inner drive and resilience, and getting fired from Mad About You after acing the audition for another role.

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Episode 62: Will Hines Oct 09, 2018

Will Hines (Wrecked, How to Be the Greatest Improviser on Earth) reveals his failed sketch show that he wrote about New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg. He dishes out advice on his writing routine that led him to bang out 4 pilots in one year, talks about his unexpected acting career, and gives us a behind the scenes look at the development process for his acclaimed sketch show, Small Men.

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Episode 61: Kevin Avery Oct 02, 2018

Kevin Avery (The Jim Jefferies Show, Last Week Tonight) shares multiple stories of professional rejections and "why am I doing this" moments. He dishes out advice to anyone thinking of moving to Los Angeles and talks about how a rejected piece of writing inspired him to develop short film which ultimately landed him his first agent. We also talk about the pressures of being a head writer and how Hollywood can be summed up by the movie Avatar.

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Episode 60: Kevin McDonald Sep 25, 2018

Kevin McDonald (Kids in the Hall, Arrested Development) was devastated when he was kicked out of his college acting program. But this led him to The Second City in Toronto, where he started taking classes and met his future collaborators. We talk about the ups and downs of the Kids in the Hall's journey to television, how he overcame the jealously of his friend's success, and what was on that little piece of paper he kept with him for over 13 years.

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Episode 59: Megan Neuringer Sep 18, 2018

Megan Neuringer (Portlandia, Kroll Show) was not able to show up for her career the way she wanted to these last couple of years as she dealt with personal losses. She talks about why a lot of her anxieties went away when she switched from improv to standup, how a half committed, wind susceptible vision board still eerily manifested some goals, and what she did the moment her therapist said that she was allowed to walk away from her career.

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Episode 58: Frank Garcia-Hejl Sep 11, 2018

Frank Garcia-Hejl (First Impressions, Difficult People) worked tirelessly for many years, overcoming personal demons and honing his skills only to fall just short of achieving his one dream of performing on Saturday Night Live. In this vulnerable interview, Frank peels back the curtain and helps demystify the SNL audition process, from his first showcases to meeting with Lorne, providing valuable advice to would-be auditioners.

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Episode 57: Matt Besser Sep 04, 2018

Matt Besser (improv4humans, Upright Citizens Brigade) goes through various setbacks at different stages of his career and tries to explore the definition failure within the UCB system. We chat about failing on your own terms, envy vs. inspiration, and why to not compare your improvised television show to Curb Your Enthusiasm when pitching.

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Episode 56: Aaron Jackson Aug 28, 2018

Aaron Jackson (The Opposition, Broad City) talks about not being able to land representation for many years, even while he was performing on a hit show. We chat about his novel mishaps, how a particularly brief open call drove him from musical theater, and the often embarrassing and humiliating world of commercial auditioning.

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Episode 55: Rob Huebel Aug 21, 2018

Rob Huebel (Transparent, Do You Want to See a Dead Body) takes us through his many ups and downs in the acting and developing world. He talks about locking himself in a hotel room for five days to rewrite scripts and the necessity for creating your own little mafia. He also dishes out some auditioning and pitching advice and chats about how he deals with the uncertainty of many future projects.

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Episode 54: Hallie Cantor Aug 14, 2018

Hallie Cantor (Arrested Development, Lady Dynamite) discusses the realities writing on popular TV shows and still experiencing long droughts of employment. She talks about her awkward Emmy's experience, getting a job at a candy store to bide her time, and the importance of asking for deadlines.

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Episode 53: Natasha Rothwell Aug 07, 2018

Natasha Rothwell (Insecure; Love, Simon) faces some serious imposter syndrome the more successful she gets. She discusses the key take aways auditioning and writing for SNL, the importance of protecting your solitude, and how it is vital for those that feel marginalized and underrepresented to adopt a mindset of abundance.

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Episode 52: Gil Ozeri Jul 31, 2018

It took Gil Ozeri (Big Mouth, Brooklyn 99) six times to get on a UCB house team, before he wound up being on three of the best. Gil talks about how he was motivated to Snapchat after a lot of his projects failed to get made, how sometimes to fix the cause you need to clean the symptoms, and he also flips the script and asks Don some vital questions about failure.

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Episode 51: Kristen Bartlett Jul 24, 2018

Kristen Bartlett (Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, SNL) lost her husband's father and then her father within a 4 month period while pursuing her dream of working in comedy. After multiple rejections from UCB sketch teams, she decided to form her own team, and eventually turn her grief into a celebrated sketch show, The Dead Dad's Club. We also dive deep into her time writing at SNL and how she dealt with going from a successful first season to being a mid-season casualty.

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Episode 50: Jessica St. Clair Jul 17, 2018

Special live episode from the UCB Franklin Theatre with Jessica St. Clair (Playing House, Veep)! Jessica shares hilarious and heartbreaking stories about being fired from two of her first pilots and also as an extra in a soap opera for a poorly timed fart. She takes us on a journey through her writing and acting process for BFF and Playing House, and how she dealt with the aftermath of show cancellations and eventually, cancer. She talks about how motherhood saved her life, how she has Julia Louis-Dreyfus to thank for her pregnancy, and how cancer has given her a perspective shift.

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Episode 49: Dan Gregor Jul 10, 2018

Dan Gregor (How I Met Your Mother, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) worked as a development assistant at HBO for two years and shares what he learned and failed at when trying to develop his own shows. We also talk about his first failed pilot (which led to an injury), the differences between writing for television and for movies, and the inevitable ups and downs in a writers room.

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Episode 48: Betsy Sodaro Jun 26, 2018

Betsy Sodaro (Disjointed, Another Period) had particularly bad audition - she was hungover and anxious in the waiting room and things only got worse from there. We dive into her audition process, talk about an uncomfortable encounter with some mean girls, and discuss the effects of growing up Catholic as it relates to our fears, self-doubts, and performances.

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Episode 47: Johnathan Fernandez Jun 19, 2018

Johnathan Fernandez (Lethal Weapon, Girls) had the unfortunate experience of being replaced on a show... and not being told about it. We chat about how that show caused a shoe-in roll to fall through, the mindset he keeps to push through stagnation and setbacks, and the insane last minute audition process that got the role of Scorsese on Lethal Weapon.

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Episode 46: Adam Lustick Jun 12, 2018

Adam Lustick (Corporate, Adam Ruins Everything) learned early, by a very sobering acting teacher, that he would most likely fail in this industry. But he returns to this philosophy often to quickly shake off his setbacks. We talk about the early days of his sketch team, Harvard Sailing Team, his insecurities and eventual firing from the show Punk'd, and he shares many jewels of wisdom on acting, auditioning, and being creative.

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Episode 45: George Kareman Jun 05, 2018

George Kareman (Search Party, Silicon Valley) takes us on a spiritual journey of self-improvement and discipline, leading us to rename today's podcast, The Spiritual Bros. George talks about his failed UCB Harold audition, possibly inheriting self-sabotage from his late father, and guides us through his ten day silent retreat experience. Get ready for parables, serendipitous motorcycle accidents, and cold showers.

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Episode 44: Jen Bartels May 29, 2018

Jen Bartels (American Woman, Friends of the People) gets cut from her Harold Team at UCB and has a series of career ups and downs, until she finds herself running out of money and being confronted about changing careers from her mother. We nerd out about acting, talk about the negative effects of self-talk, and are taken on an insane rollercoaster ride through the multiple auditions for American Woman.

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Episode 43: Veronica Osorio May 22, 2018

Veronica Osorio (Hail, Caesar!, Treks and the City), after performing for hundreds of people a night for over four years in Venezuela, struggles to overcome the relentless biases she experiences when immigrating to America. We talk about how having a "winners mentality" helped push her through the dark times, her experience volunteering with the real Patch Adams, and how being recast in TV show led her on a spiritual journey which serendipitously prepared her for her most recent role.

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Episode 42: Carl Tart May 15, 2018

Carl Tart (MadTV, White Women) opens up about multiple setbacks. We talk candidly about the difficulties performing in Amsterdam with Boom Chicago and the chaos that is Just For Laughs auditions. We also chat about the differences between the NY/LA indie scenes and theater philosophies, the ups and downs working in a writers room, and the realities of being a minority in the comedy scene.

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Episode 41: Maggie Carey May 08, 2018

Maggie Carey (Silicon Valley, Last Man on Earth) gets candid about what it is like being a working mother of three in Hollywood. She opens up about the fears she had of being judged and possibly not having a job to come back to while being a new mom and the powerful tools she used to push through the doubts and hardships. We talk about the advantages of having a sports background, how setting a timer helps maximize her limited availability to work on personal projects, and she kindly dishes out advice to auditioning actors from a director's point of view.

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Episode 40: Neil Casey May 01, 2018

Neil Casey (Ghostbusters, Silicon Valley) was homeless for almost 5 months in 2012 and wrote half of his SNL packet living at the Greenpoint YMCA. We chat about how getting rid of a lot of baggage freed him up and helped him focus on what he really wanted. He also takes us through his SNL screen test and work experience and gives tips on preparing for big auditions.

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Episode 39: Lauren Adams Apr 24, 2018

Lauren Adams (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Deadbeat) was waking up at 5:30am, waiting in line for hours at hopeless equity calls, and after three particularly disturbing weekends as a server she decided to step away from the business. We talk about losing out on a shoo-in role in Sacramento, catching a last minute flight from her vacation in Costa Rica to get to her same day screen test for Kimmy Schmidt, and how one can manufacture a screw it attitude.

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Episode 38: David Reichelt Apr 17, 2018

At 33 years old, after a lifetime of career trial and errors, David Reichelt (Color Switch) starts to develop games, and over a two year period, creates forty... which all failed. Overcoming depression, major debt, and myriad jobs, David's 41st game, Color Switch, garnered over 200million downloads and set worldwide records. We chat about the important tools David used to keep moving forward, how his time as a medic in Iraq helped shape his perspective and resilience, and how using specific techniques in the book Thinkertoys gave him a creative edge.

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Episode 37: Sasheer Zamata Apr 10, 2018

After not passing an improv class, Sasheer Zamata (SNL, I Feel Pretty) is motivated to create her own group, which gets a run at the theater a couple of months later. We chat about a standup meltdown, the fear of not having enough money to continue pursuing her goals, and the importance of self care.

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Episode 36: Dru Johnston Apr 03, 2018

Dru Johnston (The Chris Gethard Show, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) was living off a daily supply of coffee, pizza and beer his first three months of living in New York, as he slowly drained his savings and put all of his effort into winning a short play competition. He lost. We chat about how his anger over early rejections eventually led to a creatively satisfying year long project and we go into depth about the setbacks with our old sketch show, Sketches From an Italian Restaurant: A Billy Joel Sketch Show.

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Episode 35: Adam Conover Mar 27, 2018

Adam Conover (Adam Ruins Everything, BoJack Horseman) talks about his most humiliating time on stage and the practical ways he moved past it. We also chat about how he develops his standup, how he has moved past quantifying his performances and how he pushed through his insecurities in his early sketch group, Olde English.

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Episode 34: Jamie Lee Mar 20, 2018

Jamie Lee (Crashing, GirlCode) shares a story about two stand up sets that got her in her head and caused her to reevaluate things. We chat about having a calendar as a companion, the most important tip she's gotten from her acting coach, the importance of self care and what it means to find your expanders.

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Episode 33: Dr. Samuel West Mar 13, 2018

Dr. Samuel West (The Museum of Failure) talks about the failures associated with launching his Museum of Failure. He also cuts through the crap and chats about the realities of productivity, yearning for the relatable, some of his favorite products in the museum, and the concept of goal free living.

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Episode 32: Josh Gondelman Mar 06, 2018

Josh Gondelman (Last Week Tonight, Physical Whisper) talks about a pretty tumultuous week doing standup at a casino in Atlantic City, NJ. We also chat about various ego blows, how being genuinely positive has given him an advantage in comedy, and some tips on how he breaks through his creative blocks.

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Episode 31: Jo Firestone Feb 27, 2018

Jo Firestone (The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Search Party) has put on her fair share of live shows in New York. Many did not go according to plan. We talk about failed shows that led to fist fights, lost money, and fourteen cases of expired, pickle flavored potato chips. We also learn why she thinks about giving up about once a year and how at her lowest moments, she gets her best ideas.

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Episode 30: Zhubin Parang Feb 20, 2018

Zhubin Parang (Head Writer of The Daily Show) joins the podcast to talk about the hallmarks of a failure spiral. We also chat about balancing law and comedy, the failure culture in a writers room, tips on submitting a packet, and how Zhubin thought he was going to get fired on his first day at The Daily Show.

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Episode 29: Laura Willcox Feb 13, 2018

On a very special Valentine's Day episode, Don's brilliant, beautiful, incomparable, caring, fantastic, amazing wife, Laura Willcox (The Jim Jefferies Show, I Am Bride) joins the podcast and talks about failing a pivotal improv class, a particularly tearful sketch rehearsal, and how her first major acting gig was cut short by a more popular, parallel show. Don and Laura also get candid about their ups and downs during their seven year relationship and how their love GROWS STRONGER EVERYDAY.

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Episode 28: Chris Gethard Feb 06, 2018

In our Season 3 premiere, renegade comedian Chris Gethard (The Chris Gethard Show, Beautiful/Anonymous) explains why failure has been his greatest ally and how he kept moving forward after so much rejection. We talk about panic attacks, his delicate dance with ego, a live Career Suicide show that almost spurred a fist fight, and how a shift in perspective helped him cope with harsh public criticism after a cancelled sitcom.

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Episode 27: Anthony King Dec 19, 2017

Anthony King (Search Party, Silicon Valley) was one of the most influential figures to come through the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, acting as Artistic Director for almost a decade, helping to launch the careers of many writers and performers working today. In this interview Anthony reflects on his time as AD, addresses his insecurities, and gives us insight into his approach to writing. He also shares a story about an inspiring speech to high schoolers that totally backfired.

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Episode 26: Mary Holland Dec 12, 2017

Mary Holland (Veep, The Good Place) has been steadily employed for the last three years here in LA. But the first 7 years were a much different story. We talk about the point when she realized her dreams might not come true and why she started to question her instincts and sanity. We also talk about how a job working with one of her heroes was cut short, how she failed at using her excessive perspiration at an audition, and Gandalf the Great Inspirer.

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Episode 25: Mike Castle Dec 05, 2017

Mike Castle (Action #1, Clipped) takes us on an honest and self-reflective journey through personal and professional loss. In a six month span, Mike loses his father, his dog, and two pilots he was excited to act in, so he leaves the country to work on a farm in Ireland for a couple of months.

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Episode 24: Shaun Diston Nov 28, 2017

Shaun Diston (Wrecked, Playing House) had to reevaluate his life after getting arrested at age 22 in Florida. We chat about what kept him motivated after getting cut from a UCB Harold Team, how long showers and smoking are part of his creative routines, and what happens when you are forced to be completely honest with yourself.

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Episode 23: Nate Dern Nov 21, 2017

Nate Dern (Funny or Die, Not Quite A Genius) talks about the tumultuous two months after graduating as a teacher for Teach for America. We also chat about his oopsies as Artistic Director for the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, the one major regret he had as a contestant on reality show Beauty and The Geek, and the multiple rejections he had to withstand from publishers and agents before his book was published. Nate also kindly allows me to read the list of 47 television shows he has been rejected from as a writer in my intro.

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Episode 22: Paul Briganti Nov 14, 2017

Paul Briganti (SNL) makes the difficult decision to transfer colleges and attempts to find his creative people. We talk about directing at Saturday Night Live, his love of editing, and the ongoing, seven year struggle to land a manager.

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Episode 21: Adam Newman Nov 07, 2017

Adam Newman (Silicon Valley, Letterman) talks about how he honed his stand-up for over a year preparing for his one hour special, only to have the network that was hosting it, shut down. We talk about his fitful journey towards Letterman, panic attacks, and drawing inspiration from 90's basketball.

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Episode 20: Fran Gillespie Oct 31, 2017

Fran Gillespie (SNL, Wet Hot American Summer) performed at the highest level in NY in both sketch and improv for over 10 years, but did not make the cut when she auditioned out in LA. We talk about the realities of a backup plan, the etiquette of asking for help, specificity in goal setting, and the shared procrastination experience.

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Episode 19: Nick Kocher Oct 24, 2017

Nick Kocher (SNL, BriTANick) had a pilot passed on by Comedy Central at the same time that his roommate had one green-lit. We chat about early BriTANick video blunders, going a little too "method" for his NYU audition, and why he believes doing the work is more important than asking for help.

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Episode 18: D'Arcy Carden Oct 17, 2017

D'arcy Carden (The Good Place, Broad City) had a creative purge and accepted the fact that acting was just not going to work out for her... then she booked The Good Place one month later. We share audition tips, talk about the success/failure pattern in her life, and how a flub in her network test for The Good Place could have been the deciding factor in booking the role. Also, Don embarrassingly shares his ideal breakfast.

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Episode 17: Doug Mand Oct 10, 2017

Doug Mand (How I Met Your Mother, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) gives a sobering account of the realities of being a professional writer. We talk about what it's like to sell scripts but never see them get made, the qualities of a good writers room, and what caused him to take a break from writing network pilots.

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Episode 16: Emily Altman Oct 03, 2017

Emily Altman (Kimmy Schmidt, Big Mouth) knew it was going to be difficult transitioning from an Italian professor to a comedy writer. She just didn't know it would be as soul crushing. We talk about what it was like getting some bad news in front of her students, paying it forward, and the deep satisfaction that can only come from playing video games.

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Episode 15: John Milhiser Sep 26, 2017

John Milhiser (SNL, The Guest Book) talks about his early struggles to get on a UCB sketch team, his ups and downs at Saturday Night Live, and why he stopped using wigs for his characters. We also chat about goal setting and how it's important to see the goals you write down.

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Episode 14: Kassia Miller Sep 19, 2017

A few years after Kassia Miller (Last Man on Earth, Trial & Error) quits her job as a lawyer to pursue comedy full time, she is sat down by her father and asked to reconsider her goals. She also talks about being motivated by fear, books on creativity, and how she wishes on eye lashes.

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Episode 13: Andrew Law Sep 12, 2017

Andrew Law (Silicon Valley, The Good Place) knew he hit a financial low, when he discovered moths in his rice. He talks about why he briefly quit performing and how he found a surprising mentor who gave him the opportunity to face his fear and pursue his goals.

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Episode 12: Alison Bennett Sep 05, 2017

Alison Bennett (You're The Worst, LA > Vegas) talks about how she quit her job to take her first professional TV writing gig, only to be put through the ringer and not asked back. We discuss how that opportunity led to forming lasting friendships and how she tries to "organize her brain to silence."

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Episode 11: Alison Rich Aug 29, 2017

Alison Rich (The Goldbergs, SNL) discusses the pressures of working at Saturday Night Live and what she took away from the experience. She also talks about the humbling experience of interning again at UCBLA after she had been regularly performing on house teams at UCBNY. Alison is candid, hilarious and packs this show with little nuggets of wisdom.

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Episode 10: Phil Augusta Jackson Aug 22, 2017

Phil Jackson (Key & Peele, Brooklyn 99), follows the mantra "onward and upward" which helps him push through different failures and setbacks. We talk about testing for his first major television show as an actor, booking a role on a cancelled show, and how a miscommunication led to an eleventh hour edit on a sketch that would eventually land him a gig at Key and Peele.

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THE NEED TO FAIL IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST

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Episode 9: Jon Gabrus Aug 15, 2017

I sit down and chat with Long Island's #1 Comedian/Sandwich expert, Jon Gabrus (High & Mighty, Workaholics), about how he was almost cast in TBS's Wrecked, why he did so well auditioning for roles that he knew he would never get, and other personal road blocks this insane business has caused. We also talk about setting goals and I sharemy methods for doing so. Oh, and the Ice Cream Man passes by during my intro and I am horrified at what I see.

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THE NEED TO FAIL IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST

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Episode 8: Nicole Byer Aug 08, 2017

Actress/Comedian Nicole Byer (Nailed It, Why Won't You Date Me) tells a heartbreaking story about being fired on set at one of her first gigs. We also go into the trials and tribulations of auditioning, how to get over a show being cancelled, and why Columbus, OH is such a difficult place to do standup.

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THE NEED TO FAIL IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST

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Episode 7: Dan Klein Aug 01, 2017

After a four year hiatus, Don Fanelli is back and talks to his friend, writer/actor Dan Klein (Great News, Wet Hot American Summer) about what it was like doing some of his best work on stage, only to watch his friends get hired by Jimmy Fallon and Seth Myers. He also talks about being distracted by grapes during his SNL audition and what drove him to participate in Behavioral Cognitive Therapy.

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THE NEED TO FAIL IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST

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Update #2: Why the 4 Year Hiatus? Jul 25, 2017

A short episode where I talk about why there was a 4 year hiatus with The Need to Fail and how it relates to some professional ups and downs. I give a brief history on where this concept started and how I failed to pitch the concept to production companies and podcast networks. I also talk about how my life on stage was going much better than my life in front of the camera and how I attempted to bridge the gap.

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New Season Update and Teaser! Jul 18, 2017

A quick update on the new Need to Fail and a teaser on what to expect this year!

New episodes released every Tuesday starting August 1st!

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Episode 6: Matt McGorry Jul 29, 2013

After a minor summer hiatus, the Need to Fail is back with a fun interview Matt McGorry (Orange is the New Black, How to Get Away With Murder) talking about his acting journey.

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THE NEED TO FAIL IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST

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Episode 5: Abbi Jacobson May 10, 2013

In this episode, I have a super fun conversation with Abbi Jacobson (Broad City, Color This Book) about Philadelphia, The Mighty Ducks, her Atlantic Theatre meltdown, and her journey through the UCB system.

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Episode 4: Josh Patten Apr 09, 2013

Josh Patten (SNL's Weekend Update, UCB's Grandma's Ashes) delivers a captivating interview filled with improv and life gems. Josh discusses the couple of times throughout doing improv where he accepted failure and recommitted to the love of improv and how that led him to new opportunities in the art.

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THE NEED TO FAIL IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST

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Episode 3: Josh Ruben Mar 20, 2013

I sit down and talk to Josh Ruben (College Humor, UCB) about how getting rejected from a couple of collegiate acting programs led him to study with some of the most accomplished teachers in the business. We also talk about a haunting 30 Rock audition, how making videos, pre-You Tube, led him to College Humor, and how he called his agent 10 times before he got a meeting. And Jaws, we talk about Jaws.

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THE NEED TO FAIL IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST

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Episode 2: Benjamin Apple Mar 04, 2013

I sit down with friend and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon writer Benjamin Apple (www.benjaminapple.com) to talk about the couple of times he did not get onto a UCB Harold Team and how it led him to a professional writing job in comedy.

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THE NEED TO FAIL IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST

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Episode 1: Lauren Lapkus Feb 15, 2013

The first episode of The Need to Fail! Don talks with Lauren Lapkus (Are You There, Chelsea?, Orange is the New Black, UCBLA) about high school rejection, the road to improv, and vision boards! Don also starts off with a quick story about losing his mind when he was stuck in traffic on his way to an audition.

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THE NEED TO FAIL IS A FOREVER DOG PODCAST

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