Entry Level with Brooks Wheelan

Georgia Hardstark (My Favorite Murder) discusses growing up in Irvine working as a hungover baker at age 15, not being good at selling retail in Hollywood, and bailing on her desk job to make a food show, all before starting one of the most popular podcasts in the world. Check out My Favorite Murder: https://myfavoritemurder.com/ Follow Georgia: https://twitter.com/GHardstark Get a Fuck The Cave s...

Gareth Reynolds (The Dollop/Arrested Development) talks about being a super hero for hire at children’s parties in Hollywood, being a “ballet” in the parking lot of a Comedy Sports in Milwaukee, then being a real valet and feeling like he made it after that. Check out Gareth on tour and listen to the Dollop: http://www.garethreynolds.com/ Get the new Fuck the Cave T-shirt: getric...

Emily Gordon (The Big Sick/The Meltdown) discusses growing up as a goth in the middle of North Carolina, being punished by having to travel with NASCAR for a summer as a teen, serving coffee from a travel cart in a hospital, and being a therapist to a hotel of over 200 schizophrenics. All before deciding to pursue a career in writing. Check out and follow Emily: twitter.com/emilyvgordon Get the ne...

Max Silvestri (Big Mouth/The Good Place/Netflix) talks about getting gasoline in his asshole when he was 15 working for his dad, being a tech guy that knew almost nothing, and working at the NYC MoMA for 7 years before bailing and going all in on comedy. Follow and watch Max's stand up: http://www.maxsilvestri.com/ Check out the Entry Level instagram for all the T shirt designs: instagram.com/entr...

John Gabrus (Comedy Central/Comedy Bang Bang!) talks everything Long Island. From being a "Mother's Helper" to a Jones Beach lifeguard, he was the king of the island. He also bartended while taking classes and getting involved at UCB while being a production assistant on "I Love the 90s." John did everything you could do around New York until he quit to go all in.  Check out John's work and l...

Andre Hyland (Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping/Jesse Miller Talk Show) discusses growing up in southern Ohio with Dyslexia, being kicked out of three elementary schools, getting an SNL audition by just visiting New York once, and having two public access shows. Check out Andre's stuff: https://twitter.com/andrehyland Check out Jesse Miller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IegytJDQk_A Join the pa...

Nate Bargatze (Netflix/Comedy Central) talks about losing dogs he was suppose to watch at a Nashville theme park, being the kid people hit golf balls at on the driving range, being in a drive by shooting while delivering appliances, and a ton of other fun jobs before he made it in comedy. Check out Nate's podcast and new special: https://twitter.com/natebargatze Join the Patreon: https://www.patre...

Joe Kwaczala (Comedy Central Half Hour) talks about going to Notre Dame where he got do a literal comedy college semester at Second City in Chicago. He also discusses the perks of working as a Pittsburgh parking attendant, how easy it was to trick his office workers into thinking he was busy, and the crossroads that led to him making the sketches to jumpstart his career out in Los Angeles. Check o...

Allen Strickland Williams (Conan/Comedy Central Half Hour) talks about being an NBC page for The Tonight Show, working as a lab tech while going to Cornell, and what it was like to sell a show to Quibi. Check out Allen's Conan set: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fou62fWA-Y8 Check out Allen's podcasts by going here: https://twitter.com/TotallyAllen THE MUGS ARE FOR SALE: https://www.etsy.com/shop/...

Solomon Georgio (Comedy Central/Conan) talks about getting the vaccine by being part of a covid study last summer, his stint at multiple Denny's, running away to LA when he was 17, and writing for Spongebob Squarepants. Check out Solomon: https://twitter.com/solomongeorgio Solomon's Conan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crRyhIS0c3I The MUGS: https://www.etsy.com/shop/EntryLevelStore?ref=simple-sh...

Rojo Perez (Conan/HBO) talks about his family moving back to Puerto Rico from NYC when he was 8, not knowing how to speak spanish in a spanish speaking school, working for his dad's wood borrowing business in a small Puerto Rican town, moving back to the States as a bartender, and ending up in New York selling drinks at a comedy club before it all worked out. Check out Rojo's stand up: https://www...

Renee Young (WWE/Oral Sessions Podcast) talks about growing up in Canada surrounded by Avril Lavigne and Sum 41 making her believe she could make it in show business. She worked a bit at Dairy Queen, thought about trying to make money playing hockey, and moved to LA at 19 then moved back before working in the service industry until she landed a gig out of Toronto that led to WWE.  Check out R...

Sean Donnelly (Comedy Central/Letterman) talks about growing up in Long Island too afraid to make twist cones at Baskin Robbins, what it's like being a door man in Manhattan, and what it took for him to finally get on stage after wanting to do it his whole life. Follow Sean and listen to his radio show: https://twitter.com/seanytime Check out Kelcey Ayer's new podcast here: https://art19.com/shows...

Sal Vulcano (Impractical Jokers/Amazing stand up) talks about working at a 24 hour deli in Staton Island as a child, crashing cars delivering pizzas, getting a finance degree for no reason, and having a car drive through a bar he was working at. Check out Sal's other podcasts: https://twitter.com/SalVulcano Watch Brooks' 2013 video where Turner found weed: https://vimeo.com/85942244 Join the patre...

Zack Bornstein (Writer for SNL/Jimmy Kimmel/a bunch of other great shows) talks about starting Zack's Snack Shack and getting robbed as a 10 year old, studying brain chemistry at Brown where he ran sleep deprivation studies, and how he got hired at Jimmy Kimmel from online sketches. SNL might get brought up a time or two as well. Follow Zack: https://twitter.com/ZackBornstein Join the patreon: htt...

Barbara Gray (Lady to Lady/Stand Up) talks about growing up in utah where she sorted feathers in Salt Lake City, had a job driving around Olympians during the 2002 Olympic Games, and worked at the Sundance Film Festival seeing cool shit while going to school. Check out Barbara's comedy: https://twitter.com/BabsGray Join the patreon: https://www.patreon.com/entrylevelwithbrookswheelan

Sarah Schaefer (Comedy Central/MTV/Author) discusses saving a child's life as a counselor then not being promoted because she cried after, what it was like to host a tv show for MTV in the old TRL studio, and how she crushed it as at a law firm on accident for almost a decade. She also gives Brooks the inside scoop on how to write a book. Get Sarah's book: http://saraschaefer.com/ Join the Patreon...

Jared Logan (Comedy Central/One of Brooks' favorite comics) talks about growing up in West Virginia before moving on up to the great state of Tennessee where he worked for and still respects the Steak and Shake franchise. He also talks about rambling around Memphis before ending up in Chicago where he worked with junkie bike couriers. He rounds it out nicely with a fun job where kept people from g...

Ryan O'Flanagan (Dead Kevin/American Vandal/Comedy Central) talks about auditioning for SNL with Brooks, sharing a room with an 80 year old man in Los Angeles for a year, never being picked as a caddy, and lighting stuff on fire growing up. Follow Ryan: https://twitter.com/ See Dead Kevin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBxmNif2Rcs The mugs are for sale: https://www.etsy.com/listing/629706167/ent...

Haji Outlaw (Author/Stand Up/Writer for Eric Andre Show) talks about growing up in Chicago trying to become a Major Leagues pitcher, working as an engineer for four years until he realized he needed to go after comedy, and also being a bouncer at a Hollywood Nightclub when moving to LA where he wrote for The Eric Andre Show. Check out Haji's new book: https://www.amazon.com/Laughters-Cold-Shadow-H...

Ben Roy (Those Who Can't/Grawlix) talks about running a Maine public access channel, moving to Colorado with his band mate, thinking stand up was hack, and working in a record store where that encouraged employees to actually fight Juggalos. Check out Ben and listen to his podcasts: https://twitter.com/benroy00 The mugs are for sale: https://www.etsy.com/shop/EntryLevelStore?ref=simple-shop-header...

Adam Conover (Adam Ruins Everything/College Humor) talks about being fired from a pumpkin patch, not fitting in while working at an apple picking stand, creating online sketch comedy before youtube, and how he came up with the short that led to Adam Ruins Everything while working for College Humor. Check out Adam's Podcast: earwolf.com/show/factually-with-adam-conover/ Subscribe to the patreon: pa...

Curt Neil (Channel 101/Author/Director) talks about running a popular public access show in Oregon, delivering pizzas in Hollywood, and driving for Lyft/Uber before making his first feature length film. Join the Entry Level Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/entrylevelwithbrookswheelan THE MUGS ARE FOR SALE: https://www.etsy.com/shop/EntryLevelStore Derek's Dad trailer: https://vimeo.com/450825439 D...

Sebastian Major (Host of Our Fake History/Brooks' absolute favorite podcast host) discusses what caused him to go all in on history as a high school student, working for a 7x world kickboxing champion/liar in Ottawa, and also indulge Brooks on some of his historical knowlege. Check out Our Fake History: https://ourfakehistory.com/ THE MUGS ARE FOR SALE: https://www.etsy.com/shop/EntryLevelStore

Roy Wood Jr (Daily Show/Amazing Stand Up) talks about working in a Birmingham mall, rising to the top at his local Subway, and working as a morning radio DJ where he made prank calls. Follow Roy: https://twitter.com/roywoodjr Join the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/entrylevelwithbrookswheelan THE MUGS ARE FOR SALE: https://www.etsy.com/shop/EntryLevelStore Check out 5th Element CBD and get half...