Berner Phone - Rod: Work Anxiety & Millennial Nostalgia

Episode Date: June 25, 2021

I'm jealous that he met Lance Bass but I'll get past that. He's blown up on TikTok for being open about anxiety in the workplace. He's hilarious, probably because he was bullied as a kid, and is open about his mental health journey to find his passion and ultimately become his own boss.--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/berninginhell/support Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's up, my little devils? I am very excited about the episode today because I discovered this man on TikTok, and I'm currently spiraling on TikTok, so definitely follow me at being burns on TikTok. I do think it's brought me some joy to just post random stuff and try to make people laugh where Instagram is like a lot more pressure on TikTok. I'm like, who cares what a Gen Z thinks of me? I am not going to lie to you guys. burning in hell is a mental health pod and over the last two years that I've been doing it some months I feel really good about myself and I felt really positive and I've been like you know talking about depression is weird because I feel so good right now and then there are times where when I'm asking my guests how to cope with their hell I mean it like I'm like I need help and I think sometimes in my interviews you'll see based on my questions what I'm currently working through the last couple months have been very difficult for me and it's been you know a lot of changes in my personal life my professional life but having this podcast and you know i've had a lot of

messages of people saying that i've helped them feel less alone but you guys make me feel less alone through my stuff and um i just love you guys a lot but yeah i'm going through it i'm going through some hell and i'm going to a therapist weekly now because I had started and then I stopped, and now I'm back in the game. So some episodes going forward might be a little deeper, darker, but still lots of laughter. I have a bunch of really exciting guests coming up. But also what's been helping me get through some darkness is getting away from the screens and doing stand-up.

I have a bunch of shows coming up, hannah burner.com, Philly is coming up. Richmond, Indianapolis, I said that weird, Indianapolis, West Niagara, Texas, Kansas City, New Jersey, Buffalo, Nashville, Irvine, Raleigh, Maryland, and I'm working on some more. It also feels therapeutic to let you guys know. Like, yeah, shit's been tough, and a lot of it has been a little situational. But I'm working on, like, feeling my feelings and not just, like, putting my head into work and just, like, pretending it's not happening. So we're working on feeling our feelings. So we're working on feeling our feelings. feelings and this interview is really great with Rod because he's a millennial who has anxiety so already we're bonding but he finds humor in it so I think he's perfect for burning in hell but also for anyone else out there who's had a rough last couple months who had a rough pandemic I am by your side we're in this together we're holding hands we're having a Pepsi commercial you know and I also started vlogging I just posted on YouTube a vlog of my first comedy show in Levitown, you see behind the scenes, me prepping with Des, afterwards with some family.

And I think it's cool to get, like, kind of a vibe of what it's like back on tour. So that's fun. Let's get into it. Let's get Rod on. I think both being a millennial and having anxiety is my brand now. Yes. So, like, even I'll be at a party or something or just, like, I'll just say the word anxiety. And it's like, ah, because Rob said anxiety.

So there's even been moments where I'm like, Okay, do I actually have this much anxiety? I'm like leaning into it a little too much. Welcome to Burning Hell. Okay, what is up, you guys? We're going to corporate hell today with Rod. You know him from all over social media. Rod, do you want me to say your last name?

Are you, like, incognito? We can keep it tight. I love that for us. I'm like, what's it like to have some privacy? Not for long, I'm sure. What I wrote in your bio is you are the songbird of our millennial generation's workplace anxiety. Okay, yeah, that maybe.

I thought the songbird at the millennial generation. No, I'm pretty sure that's Stacey Rico, but yeah. But there's like a genre on TikTok called corporate millennial TikTok, and I'm a millennial, and I have been in corporate America. and I'm not in corporate America I haven't been for a while but I'm still laughing so hard at the shit you write

but you really hit on stress and anxiety and you're a dude so it makes me just so fascinated in your mind how it works Rod, thank you, welcome to hell thank you, glad to be here a little kind of get to know you what is your job

and where are you based? I'm in Chicago Chicago, Illinois the brusseling windy city but i work in logistics which is just like the least exciting thing to talk about but i've worked all the jobs that are like yeah like exciting workplace culture like you sell really cool stuff but you're gonna work 10 hour days you know so i would rather have a job that i'm working like an eight hour day than working a job that i feel tied down to because they love it so much and we're like

family you know so it's funny because that's that like that's like your thesis statement i feel like and then you let it all flow with the evidence of your TikToks. And if you guys don't know what Rod looks like, you can fit in at any environment. Like I see you at like, we work. I see you like anywhere. I'm just your regular old McMillard. Yeah.

However, I do feel like when I was in corporate America, it was the same shit because I'm a millennial girl. And I got to my first media company and they were like, you have unlimited vacation hours. And that was the most horrible shit. I've ever experienced in my life because that means you have no vacation. That means you're going to take vacation.

That means it literally means we're all riddled with anxiety that we're going to get fired at any moment for no reason. And then you tell us we can choose our own vacation days while getting judged by everyone around you. I think it was this year through TikTok. The craziest thing, I don't know if you're going to go into this, but the craziest thing about everything that's happened is because

I thought I was alone in all these things that I was thinking. But then TikTok, because I wasn't. work to be honest i work with like a bunch of like barstool fragments which they're awesome it's just like for college rod that's triggering because those are people who like believe me honest but they're great now they're friends um but they're like yeah anxiety what is it you know it's like oh your tictox look funny i just don't relate i'm like yeah you do you just try to act up um every straight dude has anxiety don't try to come from me even my own brother who i'm related to i'm like we have the same generational trauma is like i mean i get stressed up like i'm not anxious

I'm like, you're more anxious than me, bro. You just, you call it stress. It's just like, that's what it's called. That's manly anxiety. You just need to go to therapy. Like, that's been the crazy. So anyway, that's been the crazy thing is like, realizing how seen everyone felt, I was like, okay, so we're not doing this alone.

But this year, all that said this year, I was the first year, the light bulb switched about the unlimited vacation. I'm like, wait, it's a trick. It's a trap. I mean, you could, it's like you're almost, it's like change. It's like change.org, but TikTok being like, can we stop with the unlimited. vacation yes quite literally i would rather luckily the company i work for now they're great they're like you should take a vacation yeah you know it's like or like i want to or i'm like i come to them with my

unlimited vacation request yeah and i'm in sales so i feel like that the anxiety why do i was in sales too sales and marketing i do feel like when you said logistics it reminded me of a meme that was like don't come from me being like what is the content creator it's like what is a financial analyst yeah what is that what is a logistics person what is that and people say like oh if you can't explain what the job is in more than like a second it means they're making a lot of money but like no this shit has gone too far and also now it's just me venting about my own stuff i'm just using you it's like my therapist but i do i do feel like so much of the workday when i was in it was just like how do i fill up the time to get down like

the one or two or three to do list things i have if i have meetings with like of a meeting at nine meeting at 10 meeting at 11 you better believe I'm not getting any work done until 12 because I'm not like even if I have a half hour 15 minutes in between each meeting there's no way I'm doing anything like you just can't expect that I don't know if it's because I have a terrible problem with authority but like I'm convinced that everything is smoke and mirrors like I feel like most meetings are literally just like so this boss gets a check on his list to show that he can tell his boss that he got rallied the troops so like if things don't get bad it's like well I did all I could and you you're sitting there obviously being like this should have been an email and then i don't feel like experience it correlates at all to like how good you are at your job like there's been studies yeah there's studies that show like doctors who are new are actually like better at their job than older doctors because they like give a shit more or whatever bullshit but um did you like your job do you like my job i like i like the people i work with i work in a healthy environment i think That's the thing as I've seen.

I'm 31 now, so I've been in... You've been in the game for a bit. I've been in the game. The average life of a salesperson is like, at a company is, I think, under a year. So, like, the fact that I've been, like, more than two years at certain companies, it's, like, tracking. It's incredible. It's like real relationships. You have a full work relationship.

Exactly. And that's because that's what they want it to be. But, no, I think sales is just hard because it's like if you're not working, you're not make money. Like, I wish that I could have a job where, like, I could take a vacation and not check my inbox. Sales is an emotional roller coaster because you live by the quota. And like, you're like the most valued person at a company, but like, yeah, but you're most valued. But then I feel like everyone else in the company, Loki hates you because you'll do anything you can to sell it. And then once you sell it, they have to do what you told them. The clean up, the clean up.

I think that's why I do better as a salesperson knows because I don't over promise and under deliver because that gives, I've been there. That's the call. A quality of a good sales person. Yeah. I've been pushed to the limit. It's like, just do anything to get the sale. And then I've done it. And then it's like, oh, no, look for that. It's like, your quota is your happiness, I feel like at some point.

And it's hard because it's not like, oh, you have a great year. You are literally months to months. So you could feel like one month you're amazing. And the next moment you feel like you're a piece of shit when you haven't really changed as a person. Yeah. Or it's like you crush months and months and then you get the boss that's like you have one bad month.

It's like, wow, what happened here? But where do you live? So I'm in New York City. New York City. Yeah, but I went to University of Wisconsin. Madison? Yes. Go badgers.

So I have a lot of friends who are in Chicago. I can't wait to, I want to go and visit. My brothers in Indiana. Anyway, we love the Midwest. Go packers. Go back. Where are you from originally? From the suburbs of Chicago.

Okay. So do you feel like you have an abnormal amount of anxiety as a human being? Or do you feel like you're kind of just opening a. a lens and talking about it where people weren't talking about it with the workplace because they're afraid they're going to get fired. I think both being a millennial and having anxiety is my brand now. Yes. So like, even I'll be at a party or something or just like, I'll just say the word anxiety.

And it's like, ah, because Bob said anxiety. So there's even been moments where I'm like, okay, do I actually have this much anxiety? And I'm like leaning into it a little too much. But no, I truly think, so there's this book I read by Lewis Howes. I'm not sure if you know who he is. it's called the mask of masculinity and that like changed my whole world because it's like we're supposed to be like as men you're supposed to like like like sports you're supposed to do this yeah I freaking hate sports I watch the Cubs because it's like a social event yeah it's culture it's culture that's like it's like right like I went golf with my buddies this morning and like 10 years ago if I would have done that I would have been like okay I have to hit the club and I have to do well but this morning I'm like I'm not going to golf I'm just going to sit in the car I love me go I have to hit the club I have to do it's the club to get the quick a big club and then hit the ball and the ball needs to go far and that's what i know like can we go to the actual club there's a exactly there's a flag and i need to make the ball in the flat by the flags

my god you're so cute but but the uh yeah it's just so all that to say is just that book kind of changed my life's like okay like men can have anxiety my therapist is actually the one who recommended it because there's went through a really it's been a hard couple years you know just with like a lot life changes and stuff like that and so going to my therapy like started going to therapy and that just changed my whole life because i'm like wait like because i think growing i think that's where this millennial anxiety kind of comes from is growing up we've had this lens of therapy being a negative thing um like for me is if in high school someone was going to therapy it's like something really bad yeah or it's like in my even in my head it was like associated with like some sort of like psychiatric

treatment yeah which that's i mean at the end of day it is psychiatric doing because it's what's going on in the head but it's not like you're going to a hospital you're literally going to someone with an unbiased opinion with no judgments that you can be completely honest with because at the end of the day we like to say we're honest with everyone but you're going to have some sort of guard up with someone and they're going to have a certain kind of bias too to everything you say exactly with humans it is innate nature for us to feel judged so sometimes I do feel like my therapist judged me but then I remember I'm like oh he gets paid to not judge I'll be sitting here I'm like there was one time I'm like I shouldn't be telling you all this

he looked around and he goes that's letting my job there are moments definitely where I'm like wait does my therapist think of being a fucking brat right now and then I have to say something self-aware like I know I'm being a brat and then she'd be like why did you say that

and I was like no it was too she's like why do you think that you have to like me she's like this isn't a podcast you don't have to entertain me bitch and I'm like well then I'm just gonna cry the whole time yeah exactly and that's fine so you mentioned that you've been through bullying

which I feel like everyone deals with through an extent. Was it particularly bad during a certain time or like how did it affect your mental status? I guess I don't know if there's TMI on this podcast. No, there isn't. Trigger warning. I was severely overweight from like third grade to which like no hate to like anyone who like lives a certain lifestyle or whatever, but just for me like it brought medical issues upon myself. But I was overweight from like third grade through like two years after college,

until 2015 and through that obviously with the millennial generation there's a lot of bullying associated with that so it was funny back then but my nickname in high school was Andy Milanochus because it was Andy Milanoffis which was he's a comedian he's funny but like there's a certain point where the jokes got too much and and like I was the nice guy but then I was also the dormant yeah so I didn't have any friends like the popular people weren't necessarily mean to me but they were like I just I was alone but then I had a group of bullies that obviously were bullying me I was the kid that sat alone at lunch, you know, or, like, who tried to fit in in certain crowds that just, like, were accepting, like, theater. And they were super nice, but, like, all that said, I didn't have, like, you didn't feel like you belonged anywhere.

I didn't feel like I belonged, yeah. So there was a certain point, even in high school, where I became suicidal, and it was really hard. And then college, it started to blossom a little bit more, a social guy. Like, I had friends, but nothing too deep. Like, I wanted to be a relationship. I was forcing myself being these relationships because I wanted to be a relationship. guy and it just got to be so stressful that um one day i went through a breakup and i was just sitting there we were dating for like three months it wasn't anything meaningful but his relationship i jumped into

and i was sitting there and i'm like okay like i can either sit here and wallow or i can do something with myself and for me i had everything this i still do like all this other medical stuff like i said i just stepped on a treadmill and started walking which turned to running which turned to lifting and started working out and lost 150 pounds. But I did it on the reverse and so unhealthy. I lost all that in seven months where I wasn't at the time diagnosed. I'm talking my therapist. He's like, yeah, definitely I became anorexic.

So it's just like I've been all over the spectrum. So my anxiety is coming from all these different places. First of all, I just want to hug you. But second of all, like men speaking on anxiety and anorexia in one podcast is like so fucking mind blowing. And also women can connect to you in so many ways. but it's interesting to me how it was like a breakup and something that was really hard

that got you to say oh like this is my change this is what I have to do but I was thinking about this on the toilet earlier I was thinking of like what I would tell people I was like if you're depressed like definitely go to therapy get a pet and then I was like wait

these are still like external things that help but like the happiness is always within you and as someone who's been like very skinny or, like, lost a lot of weight in a sure amount of time and also been overweight, how were you different emotionally? Like, were you happier taking a plus space? I was so, my friends that I had, I lost a lot of them during that time because I was so obsessive about food.

And that's where the antaract, like, that's where my therapist, like, that's what tells me was anorexia. It was just, like, the amount that I was obsessing. I'm like, I cannot eat that one French right now because of having half of a cheeseburger on Friday. Like, it was real. Prioritize all your social interactions. Prioritize my social.

I'm like I ended up not going out with people because I didn't want to be like I would step on this. I would eat that half a cheeseburger on a Friday. Every Friday was a spiral because I'm like, oh my God, I'm going to gain it all back one day. Yeah. You know? And like right now I'm the heaviest I've been just quarantined all that. But I'm like, it's still like obviously stress for my clothes. I'm like, oh, like my clothes don't fit me.

Like in the mirror, body, it's more for all this. But I will say like I feel better mentally now. extremes were so extreme that it became too much. And so on the other end of my enderxia, I wouldn't say I was suicidal again, but I was definitely far into depression. Hell, yeah. Because I was alone on that side too.

So it was like this thing that I was, yeah, I'm going to do for myself. And I was, I became healthy. Like I became, I was a runner. I ran half marathons. It's so exciting to be able to do. But I felt like that wasn't defining the worst that I thought it was. Like, look at you now. You're running a half marathon. You couldn't have done that four years ago. It's like, you're right, but like, what does that matter? People never know what you're really going through.

It's also like when you date someone who's like really hot or like successful and everyone around, he's like, oh my God, they're amazing. And in your head, you're like, oh, my God, no, they're terrible. They're horrible to me. It's like you really have to hear your own voice of what you want and how to really like love yourself. And that's why you talking to therapist is so important because you were fixing external things to ultimately fix probably deeper shit that your therapist.

can be like let's it's not about the french fry but you can try to control the french fry but you still can't control your emotions deep down it's about where you're you're afraid to go back to where you were is what it ended up being yeah yeah but yeah and so it's just I think that's what you said those like men talking about anxiety is such a far-fetched thing which I've been trying to figure out how to put that into some content but actually I would love like my goal with all this I have a platform now and I've always said if I have a platform I'm going to use it yeah for good my my goal is to create a charity specifically for both so for for for youth that are bullied and who are bullying and focus it on men to start just because I feel like that's like such like a we're so

tough because there's this like masculine like I said this book is amazing but it's like there's this masculine side of us that like we have to maintain and it comes from generations right generational thing our dads or my dad was amazing it was more something I put on myself it was more societal pressure than pressure at home but um so yeah that's that's kind of been my goal with all of this my 10 year plan would be to have have a charity where I help help kids that are being bullied but also the bullies as well you that is smart because people never fucking talk about that and the bullies are a lot of them I feel like are abusing because they've been abused and they're so young too it's like you like yes they're doing terrible things they should definitely be there should be

some sort of like conversation around it but it's not a conversation it's like either of the rugs, people don't want to deal with it, or you're being punished. It's like, let's like look a little deeper into it. Well, even you look to this day and age, like when someone might do something mean or in the media, they try to frame someone as like the bad guy. And it's like, everyone is so much more complex, but we all love to put people in a box. Like, this person's evil. We saw that with Britney Spears, like the Britney Spears, like the Britney Spears documentary, which I even feel bad about watching. She's like, you guys, like, for me, it was like, wow, we were doing the flip side of what the media did to her. We're, like,

think we're saving her, but really, we're putting her in a box again. She wants to be safe. It's like, we have not heard wants from her. Yeah, I know. She's just like, leave me alone. But then it's also like, I just want to dance in my house. I feel like for the second, the media was like, oh, and then they go right back to their bullshit.

Yeah. I want to know you've gotten this platform, I feel like, pretty quickly. October. Holy shit. Have you, did you manifest this? Did you envision this for yourself? Deep down. think you'd ever be like, I'd throwing the word around, like, internet famous one day?

No. I mean, every, a lot of people, I don't say everyone, but a lot of people. I mean, I was like very social, like I said, and had like a lot of personalities. I'm like, how cool it be to be famous one day? I'm like, for what? I don't know. I'm not a creative. My friends are all great. I'm friends. Todd of photographers, videographers, you know, like these people in my circle and like, I'm in sales, you know? So it's been amazing to have this way, though, to express my creativity and now I'm exploring writing options like what like I'm I've worked personally it's not picked up anything the swimmers out there it's picked up but I'm working myself on writing a TV pilot that is so exciting which would hope we get picked up but yeah it's just like little things

like that that I'm doing um do you feel like you've always had that creative side but it was like a little suppressed no I just think that I didn't I mean I have obviously but I didn't think it because like I don't know I'm looking like wait I have been writing emails for 10 years to convince people to buy something it's like yes I'm a writer you know so it's just I think it is my life experience it's just taking a different path than what other people have because there's this in a sorry if I'm offending anyone but it seems like this could be the podcast right we're in hell exactly there's this group of comedians who are like pissed like TikTok isn't comedy blah blah blah and it's like okay like yes it's not the traditional many that you've gone through but I think we've just seen a way to take advantage of a platform and like now like I'm excited to be right I'm like I don't consider myself a stand-up I don't think I'm going to be doing stand-up anytime soon you know like I don't want to audition for SNL personally I think other comedians do but I think we just we need to learn how to take advantage of things that that are in front of us but all that say no I wasn't planning this I loved vine

got on TikTok got overwhelmed got off TikTok got back on during 14 started making stupid videos And then when I started hammering in, though, like a specific niche, which is important with TikTok in order to grow is when I started to grow. Wow. So you kind of used that like business logical mind. But being a salesman, you hit it. You have to be charming as fuck. You have to be very creative with and you have to be very intuitive with people's emotions.

And I feel like that's comedy is like understanding. It's like being empathetic and charming. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Exactly. Being empathetic and not the kind of guy that like wears a blue. be like, hey, Mark, I was going today. We're going to buy this much

tie, or whatever, how salespeople do. I like that accent. And that's another thing. It's like my entire mom signed our car dealers, so maybe it's just a good. And I went school to be a teacher. Like, what is my life right now? Oh, my God.

But, yeah, I think it was for the video specifically. I think I just, you nailed it on the head when I have an analyst mindset being in sales, working in business for so long then like okay like I can recognize okay this video did well because of this this one didn't do so well because of this I'm still going to have fun and make that but I know that's not that one's not going to go viral so I think creating a mental mindset around TikTok is really important because that's one thing that I'm struggling with with TikTok is there's even times where I spiral people go viral really fast and it slows down is at the end of the day

virality is not good for mental so luckily I have my therapist but I'm hoping other people out there who are in the same position as me I love that you brought that up because I've had a couple TikTokers who are really big and one of them is like this actress actually Caitlin Riley just came on and she's fucking so talented so hysterical and she's like I am tweaking off at like

if a video doesn't do well tweaking. Yeah you work hard on it yeah and then it's always the videos that don't you don't expect to do well do so well I posted the stupidest one last night that I was I just was excited about making it and it was have you seen the movie Mamma Mia? Yes

it's the this guy walks in He's like, are you watching Mamma Mia? No way. Tries to change it. It's friends like, no, don't change it. It's two guys. And it's, um, super chupa comes on.

It's like, super chupa. And it's a bop. It's an absolute pop. So it's like, like, of course you're not going to change it. So that, and that one's hitting. I'm like, like, but then the one that I like work really hard on millennial anxiety. Yeah. Put a lot of thought into, write a script for nothing.

It is. It is. So you mentioned for TikTok, anyone who like wants to grow on TikTok that a niche is important. So it basically means like you have to kind of brand yourself and stay fairly consistent with like a specific thing yeah even like Caitlin like Caitlin makes a lot of funny videos but she has a consistent video that she keeps making which is her wasp mom yeah her wasp parent yeah that video is what brings people back yeah where you see a lot of people who are like a lot of gossip colonists are like get a ton of likes they have so many likes but it's not something

that like people are going to be like okay like I like oh yeah I got my information here quick but I'm not like following that specific person or caring or like a lot of sketch comics make really funny stuff but they make so many different characters like my friend delaney now is making a consistent character and those pop off every time because the people that follow you for they have to think about it like this people follow you for a certain video so you want to be able to keep making that video in different variants like for me people are followed me because they were getting a dose of nostalgia with these locked memory songs like Samantha mumba like elementia like things like that that we grew up with but then I was working in my workplace anxiety but

now so many people are doing that that I've took it a little pivot with my millennial week with my millennial week with my millennial week after. I saw that. Yes, but I'm still dabbling in the fun like music stuff that I did before because I enjoy that. So you got it. You have to be open for growth.

Like you have to be open to evolve your brand and always be moving and not just staying the same thing, which is scary for some people, but also like creatively fun for some people. How much time do you actually spend on the app like understanding it, seeing what creators are making, scrolling? at first it was a long time when I would like there's a like there were times where I would if a video like

Kate one said if a video wasn't doing well then then I would stay on the app all day and not get any work done because I'm like I have to put another video up because like that one wasn't doing well like TikTok's not going anywhere you know like my head is like it's just this mystery algorithm so everyone views the algorithm as a person and the algorithm's going to hate you if you don't upload a video and then you're never going to go viral again that's not the case um which I want to If anyone's listening, that's not the case because that was my biggest spiral, was that algorithm. That, she's beeping with you. Yeah, exactly. Months ago, it was a lot more than what it is now.

I think for now, I usually scroll, like, during a lunch break or something, post a video. I make my content on the weekend, so I spend more time making content and scrolling. Smart. I mean, because there was a conspiracy theory saying that TikTok, like, rewards people who are on it more. That was just, that was just me on the worldwide web. I think that would have to do more with confusing the algorithm

but with what you're like engaging with because that's the algorithm is about is what you engage with. So if you're like engaging with like for me if I'm like oh work from home TikTok yes amazing but then I'm also millennial but then for some reason I end up on Charlie DeMilio's page the algorithms be like what do you want to see

you know and then it's like but you're out the algorithm pushes your content out based on what you want to see as well. Yes. So I think work from home content is what I make and what I want to see. So that goes hand in hand. Amazing.

I just have to address this. How the fuck did you meet Lance Bass? Can you give me any story behind it? Yeah, we actually have a mutual friend that we made through TikTok. He followed me on TikTok as well. And so I'm like, I'm going to be in LA. Can I meet Lance? And he's like, yeah, of course, in Lance Bass is the nicest human.

I kid you not. I kid you not. He is the most charitable giving person I've ever met. He owns like five restaurants in Ou in West Hollywood. He's just like a smart businessman. He's the kind of person. that you said, like, you have to work with your gross. Like, he definitely, like, he's part of Insinct, the biggest boy of animal time.

Yeah. Right. Um, debatable. Debatedly, I guess for us, there's our one direction. I'm, I'm an, I'm an NSYNC. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Like Backstreet is not my thing, but I like black and blue.

I can appreciate, but don't like say they're better than in sync. Thank you. Which stay tuned as well for best of your boys stuff. Um, but, um, but, but yeah. So, but Lance did that. And then what he did was he, he's like, all right, yeah, like, yeah, like, like okay this band is done you know like I don't know if he tried to make a solo career what have you but then he also is like but I want to do good so he started doing good charity obviously he does a lot of pride um which makes sense and then he fosters five dogs he like does a lot of fun content with creators as well I know I'm not the first creator who's done stuff with and then he's been like he's going to be a bachelor in paradise so he's just like having fun like that's my

dream it's just to like have fun just doing doing whatever I want to do and making people smile and make people laugh, which is exactly the Lance does. I love that so much for you. And I love that you've met someone like Lance who we all loved growing up and found out like he's better than we thought he'd be. Like what? Do you know who else? I guess I'll set the record straight.

Who else is an amazing human? Who? Is Samantha Mumba? I'm not sure if you remember her. She was like, uh, she had like a couple big bangers. The nicest human I've ever talked to in my life. Like we, she's just an angel. TikTok, I feel like it's so social too. like even you mentioned Delaney where like I had

she has like a ton of followers on TikTok and I have like a decent amount on Instagram and I noticed she didn't like have as I was like she'll notice me she'll notice me so I just messenger I'm like hey just want to say you're fucking funny good job keep it up and then she loved it and then we all connected so I feel like TikTok

also rewind you guys are comedians stand up comics who were saying that are pissed that they would take Delaney is more than me Delaney is so crazy we hung out when I was in L.A. this past time. She's so creative. Oh my God. Well, a lot of you guys also are like your actors and you're using the app to do something, but I also feel like stand-up should instead of, you know, blocking it learn from like the technology

because like, I mean, so many stand-ups have taken advantage of it and people are now able to see more their stuff. Like, Caitlin. Yes. I'm not sure to stand-up, but she's a comedian. She's hysterical and she like grew on TikTok. Yes. And I do, there's always the respect of like the comedians who started with the, you know, open mics. And then there's respect to the comedians. who have been doing videos in their basement for years and, like, finally, or even just making their friends laugh for years and finally putting themselves out there.

An A-list comedian put on his Instagram the other day. I don't know if you saw it, that he's like, just a heads up. No one's expecting you to make TikTok videos. And he goes, no hate. And then he like put it on his Instagram feed, which is weird. There was just, there's nothing else on his Instagram feed. It was that. And then he put up another one says, no hate to those who use Instagram.

And then it was a swipe. And it goes, it's just, it's just an app for babies. and people were like what like and he has a really big like appreciation on ticot like he's a lot of people in ticot that love him so i think he lost a lot of credibility needed that wow because it's like you were in a public eye yeah and you are discrediting people who look up to you by saying it's like me saying like oh you're not valid because you have less followers yeah it's like what in what world was that because i'm like eight months ago i was exactly where that person was but also i do have to say as someone who's went from like virtual to stand up that yeah having the

the virtual digital space has enabled so many more people to break into a community that had a lot of gatekeepers that like now it's so much more diverse and there's so many more perspectives because of the internet where like before you had to like get passed by like some 70 year old dude who's had a club for 30 years and he just look at you and be like I don't get it yeah exactly or you have a booker that's like not going to book any person that they don't person who's yeah it's like it's such like social politics it's like they can't change it's like it is what it is yes but like one person is uh jared free yeah i love jared he's a new yorker with me he's just on his pocket he's exactly but he's one person that's taken advantage i don't know

i don't know if his story if he was staying it before but he was taking the ride he uses what he does so well though is he uses the features on instagram like the questions feature to gain more followers and to like to build up his brand because he does relationship advice through the instagram questions which i'm sure gives him content so it's like he's a genius and he's just been like very smart to be like I'm going to use technology so now he's like four podcasts well we love creating we love all that shit I do feel like there's always been the like blog talking shit like anonymously about your job being like I fucking hate this person I hate that what gave you the balls to be like I'm going to make fun of work where you ever afraid

you were going to get fired um yes I'm still terrified there was like a moment where my direct like my not my boss but my director's my boss yeah i saw her name pop up and she's a very specific name which i'm like yeah like i was random like not to do my own home but i got like a thousand followers a day at least right so it's just like i don't i try to like i try to scroll between my notifications as much as possible but i can't spend all day doing it so it's just like scrolling looking and then i just randomly happened to see her name and said five followed you five minutes ago and i was like if i would have looked at that 10 minutes later i've not seen this block I was like, okay.

So I clicked follow back immediately, so I could keep an eye on when she's in. And then her boss, I have a good relationship with all, and they're amazing people. But then her boss DM'd me the next day. I was like, hey, just a heads up. Saw some of your TikToks.

And I was like, okay, they're all a joke. I swear I have on there. This is just a joke, all this stuff. And he's like, no, he's like, I really, and he's like a man's man. He's like, I really tear anxieties. And I was like, what? Like, it blew my mind.

And then, five, forward a week, our CEO put one of my TikToks on a company-wide presentation. I was, like, sitting there. We were for a startup, so it's like 200 of us. But it was literally like, I literally just sitting there like this. Do you feel like there's going to be any like little change in culture around based on like stuff you've been saying? There is towards me. People apologize a lot more. people like sorry for interrupting you rot and i'm like okay like i made a tic-tok about someone interrupting

you on a zoom calling like a great great screen but no luckily i worked for a company that's very entrepreneurial too so like they know it's on my radar and what i want to do so as long as i'm doing good what i'm doing now that they're like they're fine with it that's awesome do you try to it's hard because we all know if we stay off our phones we are happier but then you're making money and creating a career off your phone i'm asking you for me what what advice do you have to keep your anxiety low like my fiancee was joking with me he's like wait so you know the internet's the source of your anxiety and then you just keep going back to it so like where's the logic there yeah so you're saying like how to stay off how do you find a balance

that's healthy for you while also you're able to still grow it's like physical controls in my life like for food like I'm the kind of person that will put like the bad stuff in the harder to reach spot because like I know my own I have a very addictive personality too very addictive um so specifically like TikToks like I just like it can scroll for hours and hours I'm so addicted to it it's funny you know but what I do now is just like I put I have a separate app section for TikTok Instagram and Twitter on my phone like in the stuff like how you know on an iPhone you can make like little groups and so it it's an extra step for me to click on it so instead of just opening it I click on that that group and I'm like, wait, what am I doing?

So it's not just impulsive. Yeah, exactly, exactly. Or when it is impulsive, you have enough time to catch yourself and be like, do I really want to be on this right now? Exactly. Or putting my phone in, like, a separate room. What I'm really struggling with right now is I love movies, but I'm not watching movies because, like, I'm scrolling. It's like, I want to watch a movie, but then I miss a part of the movie that I wanted to watch. So then I'll rewind it, but then I rewind it too far.

So I start scrolling again, then I'll miss it again. It's a vicious thing. It's a vicious thing. But I am interested in use doing. the work with like addressing there could be a fun video in terms of like what guys say instead of being anxious like oh bro like my heart my heart kind of hurts i've dealt with i literally went to a hospital with a dude once and he was like i'm having a heart attack and i was like you're not having a heart attack and like they did like he spent 15,000 dollars in them testing him and the doctors were like there's you were having anxiety and he's like no i don't have anxiety my heart's fucked up and we were like you are a healthy man like I have feel like it's overwhelming like overwhelming like overwhelming strain on my back yeah it's like I'm paralyzed I'm paralyzed in my chair but I'm like I have been sweating for last 20 minutes in air conditioning but I'm not anxious I'm good bro exactly yes yes you have to do that I can't see straight but you know what um the room is blurry and I am seeing colors now I'm just like sitting in front of my computer with nothing to do, but I feel like I should be sitting here anyways. Yes. We can go on for hours.

I actually have you, that was fun. We're having fun. Did you watch Bo Burnham special on Netflix? That's the thing is, like I said, I haven't had to watch movies. You are going to love it so much, but also Bo Burnham said that he stopped performing for five years because he started having panic attacks on stage. And then he made a joke that like finally I started doing work on myself and I was ready to go back on stage.

he said like November 2020 but then the craziest thing happened so he filmed this amazing special a hit a documentary because he couldn't get back on stage you know one thing I was going to tell you too is like kind of backtrack about relating to like the anxiety of not performing

well did you watch your friends reunion no I didn't I don't know if you're friends fan but Matt Matthew Perry who plays Chandler said that he because he was the jokester like that's his whole character

is the jokester so if he didn't land a joke which can kind of relate to Bo Burnham too he felt like if he didn't get enough reaction like he wanted to out of the joke

he felt like he was gonna pass out like on stage it's like there's so much stress with being in the spotlight all the time so I think that that translates as well as like

Bo Burnham or like comedy or even TikTok yes and anxiety is based on not be able to control the future so like literally performing and hoping the audience reacts to type of

in the future is just basic anxiety and then this is like therapy yeah welcome the devil is actually great listener um but bo bernum was like am i in am i just human because when i go on stage i get performance anxiety and he goes or is everyone who goes on stage and doesn't get performance anxiety like legit sociopaths so and then you're like oh shit who am i as a stand-up but i want to wrap up with a final game called The Seven Deadly Sins, where we dove a little deeper, a little darker, but you're doing amazing. Seven Deadly Sins.

What are you greedy about? What am I greedy about? Time. People's time. Like my friend's time. I have a really hard time. Something my therapist and I are working on with my best friends, that, like, I'm the friend that's, like,

if they're like, oh, yeah, my best friend. And it's not me. I'm like, like, who? But then I have like 10 best friends. So it's like, who are I to say? No, I do have friends who are like best friends whores where they will, like, even on their Instagram,

they're like hanging with my best friend and then you feel like a jealous X. Yeah, exactly. But you're just like, I thought it meant something. Or if like I don't, like, if even I'm in a very busy season, I don't have the time like,

but I need to still plan something with my friends just to feel validated. So it's like that's actually like I'm greedy with time. But it sounds like you really, really care about friendship like you prioritize it yeah i think it's just because to a fault because i think i didn't have it for so long you know oh yeah what about your romantic relationships do i prioritize them yeah very much beautiful very much beautiful yeah who are you envious of i'm envious of i'm envious of i'm the biggest comparer like if that's not even but i compare a lot some envious of others who successful than me for doing this if they're doing the same thing yeah which isn't

okay but that's i feel like most most of it and it's easy to do on tic-tok it's very easy to do on social media it's like they're doing the same thing i'm doing and they're growing like why am i not growing yeah you're like why can't exactly someone says someone says somebody's like why does their success what how does their success affect you is what it was i'm like oh unless there are people out there who are directly copying me which is kind of right but well that is what is is when that means you're doing something right because um that i've heard yeah which is horrible but like yeah that's what i experienced and then people will be like oh you're copying them and i'm like oh honey i wrote that three years ago yeah exactly it's like oh that's i got that one

is someone took one of my tictox and like basically copied it into a tweet that went viral and they were like they're like what did you get this from a tweet and like no they got it from ticot Like I showed them the receipts. I do this multiple time. I have this tweet that's kind of gone viral for a while and it's like, do I have ADHD? Do I like people? I hate people. Whatever.

It's a very like relatable long paragraph that I wrote and it's lived for a long time. And people are getting hundreds of thousands of views just saying the tweet with that. And there's no credit. It's not in the background. And like I know my fucking tweet. So I'll do a response video with my tweet next to me and like the date under it just going like this. And then everyone gets all pissed off at the person.

and then the person first tries to defend themselves being like I'm just like I didn't know I just I didn't know but you know it wasn't yours you're reading it from somewhere yeah and then they said apologizing then they say sorry then I'll take it down but I've done this like four times with it's amazing but then part of me is like fuck why don't I just read the tweet but then I'm like yeah it's true but it's so overdone I'm like everyone's heard it already you can be like hello this is my tweet But then that's just Twitter. If you gave the backstory, my tweets gone viral, I thought, this is my tweet, everyone.

Because there's this new trend on TikTok that's so annoying where people, and I think just being a concert creator, I understand it now where people literally just screen grab tweets. And they don't put the creator or anyone on it. They just grab the actual tweet itself.

And they put it above them and they just dance in front of it. I'm like, you didn't come up with that content. You just found a tweet that you laughed at. And now you're getting hot. That's also where I think some standups will like shit on TikTok for things

that will go viral and but it's also like no those people aren't saying they're comedic geniuses like they're just posting something but there's also a thin line between like when I first started using it my jenzy friend was like you're using it like dubstep you're just like taking the funny quotes and like do I'm like yeah what else he's supposed do and they're like no create your own original shit on it and I'm like but I'm scared of it yes exactly so it's a thin line because there's is so much copying like in terms of trends but then still trying to make it your own yeah oh lord have Mercy. What are you gluttonous about? So what do you overindulge in right now? Social media. Yeah. I don't need to be on social media that much. I just think it's for me. I'm like, oh, this is my job as well. But it's like, no, like, I'm doing fun. Like, no one's expecting anything out of me. That's nothing is like, oh, my father's me to see this. My followers and you see here from me today. It's like, I'm not, I mean, I'm real to them. Like, I don't want to say that. But at the end of the day, like, it's not like I wouldn't stop making content for months without an explanation just because they know that people actually there. I've gotten DMs like, hey, just.

hips up your anxiety TikToks, make me feel seen or make me feel better about myself, you know, all this stuff. But at the end of the day, if I take a break for a day, it's not going to kill anyone. No. When was the last time you experienced extreme wrath or anger? Like, do you have an angry side to you? I'm a Gemini, so yeah. Angry Rod. That was the best answer. I'm a Gemini, so yeah. But being a Gemini, it's just what other people say about me. So I'm like, yeah, someone told me I have an angry side. So I do. But no. Whatever you get mad at anyone, you're like, sorry, I'm a Gemini. What do you want? There's a coworker of mine that is basically like using me as a stepping stone behind my back.

So I got a, and the person who brought to my attention, I got, I didn't get angry at them, but I got very angry in front of them. I apologize. But that was just really hard. Like, man, like, just be up front. More followers, more problems. Didn't Biggie Small say that? Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

yeah well you start seeing different sides to people or people treating you differently because of this virtual status you gain um it but yes it goes back to like the comparing thing where like i'm not sitting here jealous of jennifer aniston you'll sit here being jealous of someone who's like on the same journey as you and somehow is doing different things but i always like to say we're like popcorn we're all popping at different times even though it's the same temperature um and ultimately just like having that positive mind mindset where your emotions are not completely correlated with the results of the day, which is hard when we're on apps that are all statistics. Oh, God. Anyway, when was the last time you were a sloth, so like a lazy piece of shit? Because you kind of look like a guy that, like, I would hire. Like, I don't know what I'd hire you for, but you look hireable. I wish I could say this week, I had the busiest week of my life. I was in L.A. last week, and I had one free morning to myself. and I was just like I never that was my second time in LA ever I'm like I should go out

explore I go from our new and I just lived a sat in bed staying in the ceiling that's amazing what I needed it so what is your typical like morning routine now you're a beauty influencer you're a woman yeah it's it used to be a minute before my first meeting assuming and waking up

you know get up make coffee you know usually like 7 a or 6 a.m depending and then I want it I'm not a morning workout person I will never be same at the end of the day so I would rather get stuff done earlier the day that I would get done later and then go workout afterwards I love you yeah it's very interesting though to see someone who like talks about the workplace and their anxiety and stuff to be like you you you really just have that relatableness to you that makes everyone feel

a little more seen and I love that for you um when was this is a hard one when was the last time your pride or your ego got in the way of something like how was your relationship with your ego my ego I think it was with I was saying out with some people in LA and I was talking a little bit about like someone asked me a question about my content and then I just found myself like talking so highly

of myself that it was like listening back to it I had to stop myself in a pause and like wow I sound like a complete jerk like that's not what I mean but I was just like well I've been doing this so I deserve this kind of thing you know which isn't that no one deserves anything yeah you know you can't yeah so that's a hard one my mom would tell that to me because I'd be like I deserve to win that and she'd be like you don't deserve shit and I'm like yeah exactly it's like what did you do to deserve it you know it's like you probably got the someone like you probably got it from someone else you know so it's like oh okay take a take a seat take a joke though and it's also hard when the internet especially

when you're like on a hot time where you get a lot of like hyperboleys of like you are the greatest and you can let it get in your head when it's like they don't fucking know you I try to yeah it's like are people like getting recognized and starting it recognized like we live in an area of Chicago which is like no one's on TikTok like the little abuela next to me is not going to recognize me from TikTok but the start like I go out and get recognized or someone will say something and it's like oh and it's like wait what like eight months ago no one knew who you were you know so it's like let's just bring it back um but then I

try to then but then in those moments it's like I get their name I follow them you know so it's like so if you recognize me if you're listening come say hi because I would love to meet you but um I love I just try to I love that for you but it's also the like city I like say like New York mentality where they're call like New Yorkers assholes and I'm like no it's because of like the saturation of amount of people in a certain space that's why like if I say good morning to everyone on the subway I'd be exhausted so like I do understand when celebrities like get like shorter with people because it happens so fucking much that like they're like they're own mental health can't sustain it. So it's, you're going to grow throughout your career.

They're trying to eat dinner with their family. Yeah. Like Hillary Duff, like shuts on paparazzi so well. But yeah, there is also a way of grace of doing something. Also, when people recognize you, there's a way of doing that too that does, like, embarrass the person you recognize, if that makes sense. Yeah, exactly. Like, don't yell the person's name when they're like in a crowd people. Yeah, like this girl, like we were walking out of a restaurant with some friends other day. My friends are eating and stuff. They love it. They love it. But they're, I booked it out because I'm like, the area that we were in, I'm like, okay,

if I was going to get recognized in city of Chicago, this would be the restaurant. So I like booked it out. And then my friends were a scoop going a little slower and a girl on the table next was goes, oh my God, that's Rod. And then my buddy heard her. She didn't even say it. She was just saying it to her friend. And my buddy goes, yeah, that's Rod. That's right. And the whole restaurant stops.

Like half of them, all of them don't know who I just that one girl probably. But then I like, look back and then I like, So it's your friend who's an asshole. But then this was weird as I walked out and I'm like, does this a stocker situation? I don't know. This girl drives by in her car right as I'm walking out.

It wasn't even like she just recognized me with her phone up the window going, Rod, run, and that was like, all right. You're like, am I, am I Brad Pitt?

But I do think during quarantine, people, shit got so dark that like a lot of these online personalities became like, they have that paris social relationship with you where they feel like, you're fucking talking to them during their work day and there's people on there who are so entitled they're like well I've been verified for this long and I'm not getting this and it's like you didn't even need that verification you know it's like it's literally a blue check mark it means absolutely nothing in the real world so like that even I've heard some people like it's more

stressful having that but like I ran into like another creator when I was in L.A and he's just so rude I'm like I'm following you like I used to follow you for such a long time and you could tell he was almost like competitive like that kind of like which I would hate to be that, but he was just, like, comparing my success with his. It's just like, well, to anyone listening, luck is real. Like, I totally believe you work hard, you get lucky. But for a sustaining career in this industry, like, you have to actually have a good head on your shoulders, be really hard working.

So, like, when you see someone who's a dick get lucky and do good things or someone fucks you over and they're having success, it is, it does not affect you. It's not your shit. And, like, it sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders in your, in it for the long run and I love your charitable stuff I as someone who's dealt with a lot of online bullying in recent periods I think um talking about it more is so fucking important from both ends I posted a funny retweet that someone wrote who there was no credit on it it made me upset but it basically said like there has to be a show like catfish where you find like the trolls

that like said horrible things to you and sit down and then like not try to make them like you because that's how we got to this place. Yeah. But more like understand where they're coming from and the situations. So tell me, like with a therapist. Yeah. And do I remind you of your mother? Anyway.

Because the trolls, I bet you the trolls don't have a therapist because they don't think therapy is important. Or shitting on me is the therapy. Final question. You are so close to surviving hell. What advice would you give to people listening on how to cope with your hell when you're in your darkest points? Because you've been in some dark fucking places and you've,

been in some high, bright places. There's two things. And this is actually for my mom, not my therapist, which is what is the worst that can happen in the situation? And that was she says that to me because at the end of the day, it's, I would always just run back to her arms. It's like, yeah, that's true. My mom come over.

But like, it's a low spot in my life. You know, it's like, well, lose my job. She goes, okay, so what's going to happen then? And like, I would move home. She goes, yep, and you would find another job. So I think that's, that's, that's, that's. Exactly, exactly. But I think that's like one thing is like what is the worst that can happen in that situation. And then therapy, therapy, therapy. Guys, girls, guys need it a lot. I don't want women to think that I'm discrediting them ever because I just feel like I have this platform because I'm like, but I am a guy that is 85% of my following his women. A lot of women follow like following based on what I post. But especially when they're more acceptable of like taking in that content about anxiety. Exactly. But I do want to reach kind of a different. population of people who were me who were like no like I don't think therapy is that important

because I'm a man you know it's like no that's not the case at all like we we need it as well because we're carrying so much pressure as men thinking that we have to provide and do all this based on societal norms which isn't necessarily was the case yes and what your mom said is a therapy technique of saying it out loud to be like what is your biggest fear and then realizing it either is super logical or you'll be fine rod I had so much fun with you today sorry my cats in the background. Sorry, I'm a talker. I talk a lot. If you were not a talker on this pod, we've had a problem. Then I just have talked about myself the whole time, my anxieties, which, you know, also good for me. But I do want to know, where can people follow you? What are, give me the goods of like,

for people who want to jump on the rod train. Yeah, it's just me dot rod on Instagram. It's rod on TikTok. On Twitter, it's just me underscore rock. I know, because they can't have a dot. I used to be justme. got Rod on all of that. And then my TikTok contact is so nice. He just randomly changed my handle once, which I love him. So he's great. So Rod on TikTok. And I do have, this is really important because I look at this a lot. I put a lot of music in my content. So if you're listening and you're one of my followers, I do have Spotify playlist. Oh, cool. They're on my Instagram highlights. And I live in Chicago. So say hi. I'm obsessed with that. I might have a show in Chicago coming up. And I would definitely let you know. I want to see Jared in Chicago in a couple weeks.

Oh, awesome. Yeah. And when you go to New York, let me know. I feel like you'd fit in and guys thank you so much for coming to hell today and we'll talk you to with you guys later. Bye.