Alysa Browne is a stand-up comedian based in New York City.

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(00:00) Childhood Dream of NYC

(01:48) Early Acting Ambitions & Stage Fright

(03:12) Typecast in Dramatic Roles

(05:26) Struggles Without a Support System

(07:42) Breaking Point & Rethinking Acting

(10:15) Discovering Design as a Creative Path

(12:58) Corporate Life at NBC & MSNBC

(15:37) Open Mics and a Return to Performing

(18:23) First Comedy Show at Fat Black Pussycat

(21:16) Building Momentum Through Shows

(24:04) Confidence, Anxiety, and Stage Presence

(26:31) Writing Process & Finding a Voice

(28:45) Comedy as Therapy & Self-Expression

(30:14) Favorite Comedians and Venues

(32:08) Defining Great Comedy & Personal Goals

(33:56) Advice for New Comics & Support Systems

Clayton Fletcher is a stand-up comedian based in New York City.

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(00:00) Broadway dreams to basement comedy

(02:04) Agent’s warning and saving up

(04:14) Godspell Judas pushes stand-up

(06:09) Class, Comedy Bible, Caroline’s debut

(08:37) Paying to play & craving creative control

(11:03) Open mics, peers, and redefining success

(13:21) “Amateur” ethos—doing it for love

(15:29) Vanished NYC rooms & the alt scene

(17:52) Discovering “home” in laughter

(20:18) Nerves vs excitement—chasing adrenaline

(22:22) Early influences: dad’s gigs, records, heroes

(25:06) First road break & the Denny’s edit note

(28:01) Rikers Island show & why network matters

(30:49) “Making it” is a moving goalpost

(33:12) Chasing funny vs chasing credits

(39:10) First headliner night in Scottsdale; “actually funny”

(43:04) Gatekeepers, social proof, and role fluidity

(46:26) Poker, sobriety, favorite clubs, and closing

Max Davidson is a magician and mentalist, based in New York City.

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(00:00) Choosing New York over Denver to pursue magic

(01:32) Grandma, The Wizard’s Chest, and the $6 trick that started it all

(03:58) First effect: sponge balls—and the early “this is possible” spark

(05:42) From hobby to “maybe a career” (pre-college to junior year)

(08:06) Lessons with Charlie, magic camp, and finding a supportive tribe

(10:55) Practice vs. performance: few shows then, learning by doing now

(13:12) Loving the mic: public speaking, surprise as a gift, and why it stuck

(15:48) Support at home, realistic self-assessment, grit, and self-awareness

(18:56) Influences: Nate Staniforth, Ossie Wind, plus the Penn & Teller axis

(22:04) Audience psychology: memory, story-shaping, trust, and “forced empathy”

(25:36) Skepticism & ethics: James Randi, “it’s not real”—and that’s why it’s interesting

(29:18) Pandemic Zoom reps: 100 shows, lifestyle test, deciding to go pro

(32:47) Building demand: email list, The Nudge partnership, and touring playbook

(36:21) Political-comms major, hating office life, taking the NYC leap

(40:02) Creating Stand-Up Magic: West Side start, The Gutter move, adding Tess & Jason

(51:02) NYC magician community: tight network, jams, collaboration, getting sharper

(55:03) Leaning into mentalism: memory stunts, names, “phone passwords,” methods & ethics

(59:12) The business & future: corporate rates, touring/venues, mediums vs. magic, defining success