The School of Greatness - Cedric The Entertainer: From Selling Insurance To Building a Comedic Empire

Episode Date: September 8, 2023

From his early days as a State Farm insurance agent to gracing the stages of Def Comedy Jam, from captivating audiences in stand-up comedy to bringing beloved characters to life on the big screen, Cedric's journey is nothing short of extraordinary. And today, we're here to dive deep into the world of comedy, huge success and how you yourself can find your voice and achieve great success.Cedric Antonio Kyles, better known by his stage name Cedric “The Entertainer,” is an Executive Producer, Director, Actor, Comedian, and now – a Novelist. Over the course of a career spanning 30 years, he has solidified his status as one of the world’s premier performers on the stage, in film, and on television. In this episode you will learn,What makes someone undeniably magnetic and entertaining.How to break from destructive habits and live the life of your dreams.The mindset shifts necessary to move from a traditional career path to one in entertainment.The lifestyle sacrifices of a top-tier performer.How to speak to an ever-changing audience from a place of authenticity.For more information go to www.lewishowes.com/1496For more Greatness text PODCAST to [phone]More SOG episodes with our favorite comedians:Bert Kreischer: https://link.chtbl.com/1234-pod Andrew Schulz: https://link.chtbl.com/1234-pod 

My friend, I am such a big believer that your mindset is everything. It can really dictate if your life has meaning, has value, and you feel fulfilled, or if you feel exhausted, drained, and like you're never going to be enough. Our brand new book, The Greatness Mindset, just hit the New York Times bestseller back to back weeks. And I'm so excited to hear from so many of you who've bought the book, who've read it and finished it already, and are getting incredible results from the lessons in the book. If you haven't got a copy yet, you'll learn how to build a plan for greatness through powerful

exercises and toolkits designed to propel your life forward. This is the book I wish I had when I was 20, struggling, trying to figure out life. 10 years ago, at 30, trying to figure out transitions in my life and the book I'm glad I have today for myself. Make sure to get a copy at lewishouse.com slash 2023 mindset to get your copy today. Again lewishouse.com slash 2023 mindset to get a copy today. Also, the book is on Audible now so you can get it on audiobook as well. And don't forget to follow the show so you never miss an episode. Don't ever try to convince people to like you. Be you, and then they'll decide. And if they like you, cool. If they don't get you,

cool. But be yourself. It's going to be your best way. And that's been one of those, like, flagpole things that I live off of. Like, forget about it. Like, just don't worry about it. Just go up there and be yourself. If that don't work, then that's different. But you trying to change, thinking you're going to fit it so that they are going to get you and they're going to love you because you changed your little way. Welcome to the School of Greatness.

My name is Lewis Howes, a former pro athlete turned lifestyle entrepreneur. And each week we bring you an inspiring person or message to help you discover how to unlock your inner greatness. Thanks for spending some time with me today. Now let the class begin. greatness. Thanks for spending some time with me today. Now let the class begin. Welcome back everyone to the school of greatness. Very excited about our guests. We have the inspiring, the iconic Cedric, the entertainer in the house. My brother was going on. Good to see you, man. I'm so glad that you're here because I told you this when we had dinner months ago

through a mutual fr, Ruben, that I was living in St. Louis for six years during kind of the golden era of St. Louis where it was Nelly, it was the Rams, and it was Cedric the Entertainer. Oh, man. And for me, being in that city during that time, during the late 90s, 2000s was so exciting and you were such a at that time really exploding onto the scene in a massive way and making a name for

yourself in a big way i told you before that i was a massive fan of kings of comedy and i think i I think I watched that probably 20, 30 times. Yeah. And the way you deliver your comedy, the way you communicate, the way you entertain is so magnetic. And how you've consistently showed up with a positive attitude, a positive energy for a few decades now is so inspiring to me and so many people. So I'm so grateful that you're here

and I appreciate the work you do. And thanks for putting St. Louis on the map. Let's go STL, baby. I love it, man. I'm curious. You've got a number of things that you've been working on lately. One is your book, Flipping Boxcars, which I want to get into. You've got six seasons of The Neighborhood on TV right now. You've got Kings of the neighborhood on tv right now you've got

kings of barbecue uh on a and e you've got so many different brands and businesses going on but i want to ask you about the transition from a career as a state farm insurance agent into comedy because when i you told me this story I was just blown away that you used to be in insurance. Yeah. And did you ever think that you would go beyond kind of a traditional career, work with an insurance company, and being where you're at today?

And how did you make that transition and have the courage to, it wasn't like comedy back then was like a big moneymaker. No. Whereas there's a lot of younger guys today figuring it out with podcasting and touring and making a name for themselves with social media. You didn't have social media then, and you went for it. How did you make that transition?

You know, that's really interesting because I grew up in a time where, you know, generationally that was the motivation. Your parents tell your kids to go to college, you get good corporate job and then you live your life you know going up the corporate ladder so but that was basically the steps I followed my mother was a schoolteacher you know so education was a big part of our household and so I have a younger sister who is a professor at Pepperdine right yeah and so so that education was kind of like our vibe and then but I was always kind of creative you know again probably being the only

male in the house and I was that you know that dude trying to like figure it out you know like you know so um you know so I was always funny witty you know in high school I was I wasn't necessarily a class clown but I was what they, you know, I would call the, what they used to call it, joning or bagging on people. If you, you know, if you was in the lunchroom and it was going down, you won't be on your side. I was like, rap, rap, rap.

So, you know, I kind of was known for that, of course, having a witty sense of humor and all that, but never really knew I can do it as a, you know i kind of you know was known for that of course having a witty sense of humor and all that but never really knew i can do it as a you know as a business so you know my my thing was to go to school you know follow kind of my mother's instructions for my life so went to school got my degree and you know and worked a couple of different jobs worked at you know selling fax machines for rico corporation a little a division of their worked at, you know, selling fax machines for Rico Corporation, a little division of their company. And then, you know, and then landed at State Farm

and became a claims adjuster for State Farm. And right around the same time, I discovered I could do stand-up. I had a friend that was another stand-up, and he was doing it for a living. And basically, basically told me I could do it. He was like, you could do this. Really? He was making a was doing it for a living and basically basically told me i could do it he was like you could do this so he was making yeah he was making a living he was out he was out i mean you know i got my corporate job thinking feeling good about myself got my little tie right you know got a little cubicle at work and you know but he was like yo i made 1100 this week and i made 1400

last week and then i'm like whoa doing what he's like i do comedy i'm like yo he's like if anybody can do this you can so was he funnier than you was he a talented i mean he's a talented person you know like say he was a pro that's what i would say more than anything like show off consistent know how to deliver a joke know how to make a crowd laugh you know saying and and it was one of these guys that knew how to do the job right knew how to deliver a joke, know how to make a crowd laugh, you know what I'm saying? And was one of these guys that knew how to do the job, right? Knew how to stand on there and deliver and be, you know,

a professional comedian. Was this back in St. Louis? St. Louis, yeah. What year? This is like, I'm going to say this is 80, 70. Wow. Somewhere in there, like 87.

So he's making a thousand bucks a week maybe doing stand-up. Killing it. And back then, that's great money. You're rich. You're rich back then. St. Louis too? You're rich. So he said, all right, you can do this.

Yeah. And did you think or believe you could do it or were you doubting yourself? Well, you know, I always loved the idea entertaining like you know i you know i definitely did the school plays and talent shows but mainly singing at that time look back in those days i was singing in groups and be a singer and go on stage one of my first big jokes was luther doing the alphabets because that was a little warm-up thing i used to do like when i was like you know trying you know when we work out in the group and I would it ABC D hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey

so you know Wow warm up on stage yeah that would be a like a little warm-up fun thing I would do and I would do that on stage you know and Wow. See, warm up on stage. Yeah, that would be like a little warm up fun thing I would do. And I would do that on stage, you know. And then I'd say that's how Luther got his weight problem because all the girls would be giving him snacks. Like, Luther, you're in the third grade. You want to sing? I'll get you my peanut butter sandwich. Oh, man.

Yeah, so, you know. And then I had a lot of little jokes like that where I would vocalize. And then the same guy helped me shape up my set. And I got in a comedy competition. And the first time I ever did it, I won $500. And that was it, bro. I was hooked. $500 doing comedy at that time?

That's cold. I was like, this is incredible. Yeah. And then so bit by bit, just kept the job, kept working at State Farm and then finding places to do comedy at night. So comedy was the side hustle back then. Yeah, exactly. And when was the transition where you said,

okay, I can make more than my main job and I'm going to go full time in comedy? You know, it was a strategy. You know, like, again, I in comedy you know it was a strategy you know like again I think you know I kind of I definitely related to you know having you know going to college and you know kind of thinking about things in a more strategical way and not necessarily just wanting to you know kind of believe that oh you know this is what I do now you know, so it was a comedy club based in St. Louis, the Funny Bones. They used to have 22 clubs and you can go twice a year. So that's 44 dates.

But, you know, you had to qualify for that. Like you had to get in their system and they book you. And if they book you, then, you know, you got at least 44 dates this year. And so that became my goal. How much did you make on one show? Have you got 44 dates? Dude, this is kind of to your point right here. Like back then, the opening act, $350 for the week.

$350 a week for one night or for every night? For the week. You go and you do nine shows. Nine shows for $250? Come on, man. That's what it was. And you you happy you're part of the system And you got it every week you know you got this 350 and you would have to drive So the only top of that you know it was all around the Midwest so Davenport Iowa Des Moines

Cincinnati Chicago You know Cleveland Columbus, Ohio All that run man, so that was every night you were driving a new place Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Ohio. Right. All that run, man. So that was every night you were driving to New Plain. Well, you stay in the city for a week. Got it.

So you go there for the week. Then you go to the next one. Man, that's a grind, though. That's a grind. Every week on the road. Yeah. And most of them weeks, you stay out because it goes from week to week. And you got maybe three days in between.

That became another hustle because the shows usually started on Wednesdays or Thursdays. If it starts on Wednesday nights, then you got Wednesday, Thursday, two shows Friday, two shows Saturday, one Sunday maybe. Now, Monday, Tuesday, you got to figure out what you're going to do. What are you doing that? You can't stay in the condo no more. That's over. Wherever they had you staying, that's over. So now you're trying to either drive to the next city, find a friend.

Sleep on a couch or something. Sleep on a couch. Pick up a random show. Somebody's doing a comedy night somewhere along the way. See if you can go in there and get $75. See if you can go in there and get $75. See if you can go in there and get a hundred, you know? So somebody has got a Tuesday night in,

in Louisville. You drive all the way to Louisville to get, get a hundred bucks, then drive back to Indianapolis, you know, that kind of thing. Like, you know,

were you like sleeping in motels of those nights or was this, you have enough money kind of thing. Were you like sleeping in motels of those nights? Or was this, you have enough money for hotels? Or is it more like sleeping in the back of your car? What's happening? I slept in good hotel parking lots. That was my move. So my mother used to be so worried about me.

You know, so I had my little Ford EXP Escort. So the little coupe, the two doors I had a sports car, it had some rims on it. And I had my little Ford EXP Escort. So the little coupe, the two-door. So I felt like I had a sports car. I had some rims on it. And I had some speakers. They spin? They spin?

No, no. They wasn't doing the spinning wheels. That was too soon. The spinning wheels came way after. 90s. Yeah. 2000 or 2000. That was before that.

That was before that. Just, you know, as a matter of fact, I had like some 12s. And that was considered rims at the time. You know, because people didn't have, you had 12s or 14s on your car and the inches, that was like, ooh, 20 inch wheels. That was out of them. That seemed ridiculous. You know, so, but, and then I had like some little speakers, had a little subwoofer. The Clarion.

Yeah, with the small subwoofer. The Clarion speakers. Come on, man. All right. Pione. Clarion speakers. Come on, man. All right. Pioneer. Come on, bro. You're the Sony of the Pioneers. Oh, man, we didn't get it.

With the pull-out. Of course, man. With the pull-out. It was amazing. So wait, so you were sleeping in the back of the hotel. Yeah. So I would sleep in the parking lot. You just laid the seat back?

I laid the seat back. You know, had my blankets. Had everything I needed in the car, you know, would sleep in there, had my windows tinted. So I was just, like, finding, like, a cool hotel parking lot and just, you know, act like I was. Security wasn't trying to kick you out? I never really ran into that situation

because, you know, it just always kind of felt like, you know, maybe one time a security guard came and was like, yo, you got a row. How many nights do you think you slept in your car? Oh, man, you know, through that run, you know, maybe, you know, 14, 15, 14 to 20. I don't know. It's a blind number. In that first kind of run?

That first little run. Did you ever have to do that again? No. No, you know you know luckily and it was interesting because timing is everything in business and in life you know that i didn't even get to do the second run of that because you know shows like deaf comedy jam started to happen um you know evening at the not even but uh showtime the apollo uh it was another show or that shot in new york called uptown comedy something like that uptown comedy was another show so opportunity for urban comedians to get on television and be urban like you didn't have to switch your setup and try to fit in. Those things became important. And then so that was also the rise of the kind of all African-American comedy clubs too.

So clubs like Comedy Act Theater, All Jokes Aside in Chicago. It was Comedy Act Theater in Atlanta and here. And then Steve Harvey did a club called vuku ray in dallas and well and that's where we met and in the first part of my run i met steve we became partners he took me under his wing and then we was i was just on a different trajectory from there so you did kind of half the tour leg yeah and then you started to get opportunities. Yeah, bigger opportunities. Is that when you met, so you met Steve at that time and he said, hey, let's get you on this TV show or let's do this other thing. Well, he was just, you know, he kind of introduced me to the bigger world of stand up, you know.

So it was like, so I went from 350 to a thousand dollar guy, you know. Wow. You know, so because I, even, even when I was doing the 350 shows, I was getting moved up. I was surprising the club owners that, like, oh, you're really good. You're better than the position you're in. So we're going to at least flip you to the middle. And then so you go to 650. But that was good.

It was totally different. But then, you know know on the black comedy side I was a big deal I was a bigger deal more like $1,000, $1,500 to come do a show for one night? No well this was again multiple shows comedy club work but then

of course you know the one night show started to come after Deaf Comedy Jam came out then pop in concerts became the, you know. How many people are going to those? What's the audience like? That's like, you know, anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000. So how quickly did this happen from going to the first comedy show,

from winning the $500 competition to 3,000, 5,000 person arenas, essentially. How long was that time? It was probably about five years. Okay. Yeah, it was probably a good five-year kind of space in there. But again, that's fast. People don't recognize that, but that's fast for comedy. Because if you're just building it up in the comedy club system,

you've got to run that ring. I would have had to stay the opening act that whole run. Then I would have, you know, they moved me to a middle in a couple of spots. But for the most part, I was hired as the opening act. So they would have. What is that, a 15-minute set? Is that a 10-minute? That's a short set.

That's like seven minutes. Seven minutes. Seven minutes. Five to seven is your max. But you's the short set that's like seven minutes seven minutes seven minutes five to seven but as you're mad but if you're the mc2 but if the club sees that you're killing it and you're just getting the most last of the whole night they're like all right let's move this guy give him an extra 12 12 minutes or something right that's what happened they end up moving me to the middle but you can't really knock the headliner out nor did i have that kind of time either like i was funny I had a really good 12 to 15 minutes.

You didn't have a 30-minute set. No. I would have panicked. Which happened to me one night because in one of my first opening act gigs, Sam Kinison was the headliner. So it was a middle act. It was a dude that was the middle.

Sam Kinison was the headliner. He was the middle. And Sam Kinison was the headliner. He was the rock and roll Sam Kinison at the time. I don't know if you know who Sam Kinison is. So he's the, yeah. He was a very famous comedian that was like, yells at people, but funny. But was a rock and roller. Like, drunk, get lit, girls everywhere.

Wild men. Drugs, everything. Yeah, wild men. and roller like drunk get lit girls everywhere wild drugs everything yeah wild man so so so he was the headliner and i was the mc and then it was the middle guy and the middle guy wouldn't you know struggled and then so i had a good set and the middle guy struggled and then sam was in the car in the out in the parking, couldn't come in. So they needed you to fill in. So they need me to fill in. And, man, I'm up there just. Twitter videos. Yeah.

Where you guys from? Yeah, like, yeah, that whole thing. Like, just. And, you know, and that's not really my brand. I'm not like, look at just, you know, look at just shirt. And being able to, like, pull a joke out of it. But that night, you just having to dig, dig, dig. And then I'm making it

happen and then he finally comes walking through the front door not the back he comes walking through the front door i'm like oh there he is ladies and gentlemen and then they like walking him it's looking like i don't know what's gonna happen they walked him up on stage and them lights hit and he was magic it was he crazy. It was crazy to watch. He was like, you saw him like, oh. And then like, boom, walked him up on stage letting Sam kiss him.

Boom, boom, boom. Chokes, jokes, crazy. It was one of those wild things. I was like, that's wild to watch. That'd really make you love it though. Somebody that's like, got that kind of spirit, kind of Chappelle-esque, like a person that can just walk in and just figure it out once they get there. Sure.

Yeah. What was the moment where you realized, I can actually make it big in this world? I went to Chicago. And so from St. Louis, Chicago, of course, Second City, known for comedians, you know, and it was a big comedic town with a lot of great comedians that came from there. And they had a competition called the Miller Genuine Draft Comedy Competition.

And you would win $3,000. Come on. That's big money back then, man. That's big money now. I'll take three grand. You win $3,000 plus. Your picture would be in a magazine. You got all these kind of extra perks.

You got a bunch of Miller Genuine drafts show up at your house. Sure. All these kind of cool little perks, right? But I won that. But it was inside that metropolitan area of going to St. Louis. I mean, going to Chicago, performing with all these great comedians, people that, you know, have grown up to be legendary comedians themselves already killing the game. I was able to hang and shine and win in that environment. So now I believe that I got what it takes. And so that's when you start to really like, kind of just like,

all right, cool. This is it. What year or how long into the career was that? Was that three years in two years? And it was, that probably was like, that probably was more like two years.

Okay. Yeah. So we're in there two or three years in. How much did it increase your confidence to say, I can do anything I want in this arena? Oh, I mean, that, you know, but that's it. Because once you start to play, you know, I would imagine

like for any kind of, you know, sports saying guy that plays basketball, once you kind of go outside your neighborhood and test your skills with the best in the city and you realize, oh, I can play with this guy that they say is the best. That's that's when you start to be like, OK. And that was good.

That's what I, you know, that was the thing. But even being able for me, like even for somebody like Steve to like embrace me and we would have like we would do these freestyles on stage sometimes because he just liked to come up and it was his club so he would come up and just be talking you'd be like yo man you about to take the audience away from me i'll go back on stage and we had many a nice up and just me and him doing these one you know one two tag offs really just we up at the same time at the same time like just you know and it was just a unique you know kindred ship partnership that we developed and so you know that was one of the things once he you know he started getting tv shows you know he was you know i was just always

his guy he would look out for me like you know so so when he got the steve harvey show he was like i want to say it you know, so that was that. Wow. What's the biggest lessons you've learned from Steve Harvey? You know, probably my greatest lesson, I tell this lesson all the time, was is that I was, I'd gotten in the Steve Harvey show, and we went to New York to do the big showcase. And so all the agents and the big power players the advertisers are there and so i decide to change my set because i see the room uh is like kind of like all white it's all executives

so i change my set yeah button it up and i bomb really i bomb like bomb and it's and it's it's no one's laughing nobody in this is is it's hurtful because one he's he's went to bat for me oh no i know he went to bat for me and one i know that i'm funny for real but i've tried i'm trying to do something else and that steve comes up comes up you know like i'm like kind of getting like, I see it's going horrible, and I'm like, let me just kind of like wind it down. Oh, man, how long was this for? Like five, ten minutes? It was probably supposed to be a little ten-minute set.

You kind of bring it down to seven. Yeah, I'm like, all right, y'all, coming up next. It's crazy. This is wild, man. Get out of here. How many mothers in the house? You? Gotta give it up for the moms. Okay, so you're whining and you're bombing. Bomb. How many people are

watching? I'm gonna say it's a room of 300 people. And these are like executives. Yeah, like, you know, people like New York and the New Yorkians. Oh, man. Everybody's feeling very cosmopolitan. Steve goes up and he just rips them. You know, like, talk about their suits and their little shoes.

How they think they special in your little BMW. Oh, he murder him. They dying. They're laughing. They're dying. He's not. He's not. He cussing.

He not being nothing but himself, right? He's not trying to fix it. So he comes off and he tells him, he's like, man, you already earned it. Don't ever try to convince people to like you. Be you, and then they'll decide. Wow. And if they like you, cool. If they don't get you, cool.

But be yourself is going to be your best way. And that's been one of those flagpole things that I live off of. Forget about it. Just don't worry about it. Just go up there and be yourself. If that don't work, then that's different. But you trying to change, thinking you're going to fit it so that they are going to get you and you're

going to they're going to love you because you change your little way you can do this it's kind of like you know it's better to bomb being yourself than bombing someone else the only way to do it right is the only only way to do it it's kind of you know like you know like when you dating or well you you see when people put on the false front, you know, they kind of, they're gentlemen and they do all the things. I got a daughter, so I always tell them, like, be very careful of the false front, you know, where it's, you know, I'm this kind person, but look for them little keys that if a dude a yeller, if he a whiner, if he go, you know, he don't ever want to pay or any of these little things these are

telltale signs of who that person is wow what do you think was the biggest mindset shift you had to make through your career of transitioning from again yeah state farm insurance of go to school get this career how what was the mindset shift for you And is it still the same mindset today as it was back then? I think probably one of the greatest mindset shifts was to think of, not to think of yourself as this kind of monolith that's outside the system, that you're so far outside that nobody else can see you. Right. I think we all feel like I used to always kind of feel like you never can make it from

St. Louis. You can never, you know, you know, oh, you know, I'm not the, you know, I'm not the shiny suit dude that's going to be, you know, like, so you start to see yourself like, ah, you know, I only, I'm only going to be able to knock down these doors. And as you kind of go, you recognize that the world is big. It is truly an audience out there for everyone. And you earn them. You don't get it automatically because you feel you deserve it.

You earn it. And so that's truly one thing that I keep to this day. I literally am willing to work for, go grab, go hustle for, and build every little thing that comes my way. I'm not resting on any laurels. I'm not resting on any hubris. You can give me all the accolades of everything you loved. That's great.

Thank you. Right now I'm here to do any hubris. You can give me all the accolades of everything you loved. That's great. Thank you. Right now, I'm here to do a job today for you. Wow. Like to get that. If whoever's paying the money, I'm here for you. Let's go. You still feel like you got to earn it. I earn it.

I want to earn it. Wow. So that's the thing that I take. I take as, you know, and I try to teach that to my kids too, is that, you know can you can be great you know you can get a lot of things that's going to come your way that's going to feel like hey you know and after a while your celebrity your starter makes you feel like that is this should be mine automatically and you got to recognize that that's not a truth

that that ever hang you up over the last, you know, decades where you became more of a celebrity and had bigger opportunities and got the bigger paychecks? Did you ever catch yourself thinking you were better than or now you deserve something and you had to wake up and say, oh, I actually got to keep working for this? Oh, of course. I mean, this is the, you know, I would imagine, you know,

everybody's going to have that as trajectory happens, right? Especially when you're in the hot spot, when you're in that white hot space where things are just blowing up and you like going, then you're like, all right, cool. It's things that you need, you know what I mean? Like, you know, like these are things that I feel are requirements for me to get the job done and then you kind of then you kind of realize really do i really need do i really know it's green

eminem yeah is that a necessary like i can't do the show unless i don't have come on man you start to go like that's ridiculous right you know now i never was that far but but anything along that line little little things that become like you you know, you know, hotels, if I don't have a suite, if I don't have a, you know, this kind of car, you know, like you, you like, okay, this is ridiculous, you know, like that's, you know, so those, those are, those are moments. And I think that you, you know, life will humble you one way or the other. And so, cause it is truly an ebb and flow to it all.

You know, it's always somebody next is always, you know, I feel very blessed to be consistent. What I feel consistent for as long as I am 30 plus years in this business, super highs, you know, of course down periods, but overall consistent, like know great career good life nothing no no scandals you know like just consistent do my thing man like just me like this how do how do how do you feel you mentioned kind of there's always someone next there's always like seems like there's so many talented comedians or people in comedy um who are making a name for themselves growing massive social media followings selling out arenas all these different things how do you deal with comparison of the younger generation coming up maybe they're doing things differently or in a new way.

How do you deal with that emotionally or mentally, even with all your success, even with, you know, being on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, even with all the accolades? Does comparison ever creep in? I mean, you know, I think it creeps in to the point that it, you know, for me, it's either a motivator or something I applaud. Most of the time, I just, I love to see people win. Like, you know, and if you win and you literally, your food and your plate is yours, you know,

and people who have learned to be able to be great at that, especially like, you know, the rise of the social media fame, and you're like, look, these guys, they're unique. They do these skits, they wake up, and they actually do the work, right? So you can't be mad at somebody that actually gets up and do it. Like, they do it. They shoot them. I don't shoot them.

So why am I sitting up and critiquing? That ain't real comedy. Right. But I never tried one. I never did it myself. I don't do it every day. I don't go and work to build an audience. So what am I critiquing?

Something that I'm just observing, you know what I mean, and got opinion. Like, go. You win and kill it. And then you meet. I've met a lot of these guys, the funny, unique, young people, and they motivate you. Now you start to think a different way.

And so that's really been my space. I try to really stay true to who I am. So I actually develop with a lot of young creators to get them bigger projects. You know, your social media is your thing, but, you know, I'm in the world of television and film. Let's take that idea and develop it into a bigger idea. And those are the relationships I have with them as opposed to being anti or hating on or whatever that yeah have

you always had this collaborative mindset versus being a competitor to people in the industry yeah I think so and I kind of feel like that's a Midwest thing in a way is a very much like you know because we we all kind of feel like we we're we you know we're here together in our own little niche you know uh because we we all kind of feel like we we're we you know we're we're here together in our own little niche you know and so there's a lot of like you know help help the other dude up come on up and then we all go right so so that's always been my thing i love that environment better i much rather be with a group of my friends and family doing something than to be the only one doing it. You know what I mean?

Of course. So we're going to go on vacation. Like, yeah, let's figure out how we all can do it. Like, sure, I can stay in the Four Seasons, but if everybody can stay in the Western, then let's go there then. Let's go. It's going to be more fun.

Like, you know, right? You know, that's different. So, like, yeah. What would you say is your biggest limitation gonna be more fun like you know right you know so but that's different so like yeah what would you say is your biggest limitation uh after 30 years in this business do you have any limitations uh you know i think you know for the most part you know this industry is one that you know you you you have to you got you have to be in the deal flow in a lot of ways so you know what does that mean that that means like you know when when when movies are having tv shows are happening people have to kind

of know who you are right and if you're hot that's one thing if you've cooled off then you have to prove that you're worthy that's a different thing like as you get older so because you know you you kind of see that in this business always hot is always considered next right the next the next dude is the it thing and then you hit your apex of that right it doesn't can't ride that forever right now you have to make sure that people understand that you are something that's consistent and it's still worth value it's a very interesting space in this town so you you have to kind of you know that's why you know like for me like doing the neighborhood doing a television show end up being a smart move as opposed to struggling to continue to try to be a movie star.

Really? Right? You know, because I had a bunch of movies, and the movies did okay. Some of them did great, and then some of them were hits. But if you do, like, just all right, then it's hard to kind of. They start to say, well, yeah, a couple movies. Let's go to the new do, right? Because movies is kind of a hit thing.

Television is consistent, You're on. And so, you know, there's a strategy for me. It's like I did that wisely, and I did it for my kids. It was a couple, because movies took you everywhere. We were shooting. Gone for three months at a time. In Prague, in Australia, you're everywhere. And it was fun when you're young, but, you know,

and then when my kids were young, because they were young enough, but when they started getting school age and got schedules, then now you go three months, four months, and you're missing out on a lot of life. You're missing out on a lot of the world. You come home, and they're like, I'm sorry, sir, can I help you? They don't recognize you anymore. I'm your dad. Of course. Please, go to your room right yeah they blocked my son blocking me now let's make sure so you

you know the goal was what i'm what i think i'm hearing you say is the goal was okay let me transition from one thing to the next and movies was kind of the apex opportunity for for a comedian i guess right yeah movies and tv yeah movies was movies was kind of like all opportunity for a comedian, I guess, right? Movies and TV. But movies was kind of like, all right, if you're in the movies, that's the biggest thing. And what I'm hearing you say is if you're not riding it high consistently or the next hottest thing constantly growing up, then for you it's like, well, let's try to make sure that TV,

I can get the consistent gig for my lifestyle my family but also to really stay i don't use the term relevant but worthy of being in the industry at this high level consistently yeah right is that yeah yeah it's yeah it became you know a smarter strategy because you know becoming a TV star you're in homes every week and you're in the home people go to the theater which is kind of you know Denzel can explain that really great and I thought that was it was really wise when somebody sees you on a hundred-foot screen you're a big deal you know when I come into your when I come into your home I'm a family member so it's the

thing of like you know people seeing you and actually feeling like they know you already. And I get that reaction a lot. Somebody can just be doing their thing, and they look over, and they be like, say it. And they'll say it like I'm their man. And I'll be like, what's up? They'll be like, no, I don't know you. I just know you. But the way they said it, you're like, oh, OK.

But the way they said it, you're like, oh, okay. But it's that real familiar nature of, like, you're sitting in your own living room, and this person is a part of it, right? Is there a different energy to when someone sees you as a movie star versus when someone sees you as a TV star? Oh, for sure. Really? Yeah, yeah. Where it's more of like they feel like they know you,

you're part of the family when you're on TV versus movie. It's more of like shock and awe when you see them. Yeah, the movie energy is way bigger for some reason. It's more of the kind of screams and pandemonium energy. Gasps. Yeah, like it's a little more shocking, I feel like. And you react that way a lot. Even as a human being, and you react that way a lot, you know, you know,

even as a human being, you can react that way to people that you see in a movie, like they just kind of like, you know, I saw Ewan McGregor one time and like, you know, and I was like, really? Yeah. Oh, hey, man. What's up, dog? Really? You had to play it off, though, what. Because you're watching the film and the film just seems like they're really far away. I mean, I'm in the industry, but it's one of these things when that person right up

on you just caught me totally different. I was like, yo. But you see a TV star and you know them, they feel familiar, and you kind of talk to them in a more familiar way. It's just a different experience you're having with them because you're you're at home you're watching them in the bed you're watching them on the seats you know yeah you're watching your phone in the toilet you know you're just like going to the bathroom hey paul giamanni what's up man i'm a big fan Hey, Paul Giamatti, what's up, man?

I'm a big fan. I'm a big fan of Billions, bro. What's up? Billions is great. I love that show. He does amazing in that show. Yeah, he's one of those great dudes that, you know, again, you saw him in movies early on, but again, made some really cool transitional, you know, moves to see as an actor.

That's what I love about the space nowadays with both streaming and the way it is done. You don't have to be locked into either. It used to be a time, if you're going to be a movie star, you can't be a TV star. Really? Yeah, you can't be both. Movie stars needed to stay movie stars,

but now great actors can find a really good movie they love and then they can also find a really great character on television you know such as like what we're talking about yeah and run that and be like yo and you and be just as beloved and just a big deal and so you know i you know i think i can't even think in the uh what's his name brian i love the the the character on uh succession the dad it's his name, Brian? I love the character on Succession, the dad. That's incredible. But, you know, like, I mean, he was a big movie dude,

and he had that brand. But on Succession is where you see him go like, now that man is, that dude can get down. That's acting right there, baby. That's incredible. Yeah. Speaking of fame, what have you learned about fame over the last 30 years? You know, you've ridden the wave of fame, what have you learned about fame over the last 30 years?

You've ridden the wave of fame for 30 years at different stages and seasons and heights. What has fame taught you? And what do you think people don't understand about fame who want to be famous? That's a good one right there i mean for me probably is um the false sense of finance fame gives you fame makes you think you're rich you're not you know like you can be famous and don't have the money to back it up and be broke yeah so I think that's one of the real things that I feel like and I saw that kind of early on with people I thought was famous when I first started to kind of get into the business and you thought you knew that you knew that they were famous but then you

saw the financial side and you realize like oh I believe that you were all of these things not realizing that your fame can get you caught up because you think that that is enough to be famous is enough to take care of everything else. And so you do have to understand that inside the fame, you got to go to work. You got to be humble. You got to have connections. You got to stay busy. You got to stay aggressive. You got to still strategize about who you are. And you can't give your fame over to the machine. That's the other

thing. What does that mean? This is most people they kind of work very hard to build their careers. You know, as a stand-up you build your stand-up, you travel, you do what I did. You go to all these clubs, you grind and then I a wrap. What I did, you go to all these clubs and you grind.

And then I get one TV show, and I believe that the agents, the managers, the lawyers in the town know me better than I know me. And I give it up. I give it over to the machine. Don't get me started on this. Right. Yes. This is like.

You trust them because you believe. Oh, you guys are the experts. They't get me started on this. Right. Yes. This is like. You trust them because you believe. Oh, you guys are the experts. They know. They've been doing this for so long. And if you add any little pop and they were a part of it in any way, then they make you think it was because of them. And now you kind of like, you don't do your part anymore. You show up as the commodity, not as this thing that's there to do the work, to build it up, to shape it.

So only great creators and people who really grind, you'll see people that's able to do a number of things. And that comes from their hustle. That's what I would say for me. I'm stand up on movies i'm television i did broadway i do i write books i'm you know i'm not gonna be in your box bro like i'm not in none of those boxes i can do it all i do side businesses you know i i'm a i'm an entrepreneur i'm i'm not, like, counting on that I'm famous. And even just saying, okay, I only do TV,

and TV's going to be around forever for me. We're always going to get a show. I think a lot of people can get stuck in that if they're not willing to, not diversify, but have other projects going on as well, the main thing also. Yeah, no, for sure. And I think that that's important. And you put family on top of all of that too like i got a great family

i've been married um well coming about 24 years got kids wonderful good house good life good wife all of those things good friends all those things are important to the ecosystem and so fame can oftentimes make you feel like all those people owe to be a part of that really yeah you know i mean you've seen it you know it's kind of a very telltale hollywood story when people get extra famous they started to kind of believe it's all them but that's what kind of fame will lead friends and family or the person both yeah the the the person usually believes is all them and then the friends and family have to fit into that and you know and if they don't then that's why divorce is big and that's why you know you know kids are you know all separated and don't know your dads and it's a very Hollywood tale. How have you navigated that?

Obviously, being from the Midwest, I think, might have helped support you with those roots and the values that you grew up with. But how have you stayed happily married, have kids that are grown and still want to be in your life and like you, and also navigated, I'm assuming assuming that for 30 years there have been people and friends and families who said i want money i need this i didn't you know give me this

i deserve this now how have you navigated those elements of friends and family maybe wanting something from you at different times and you just being okay with all of it or navigating that yeah i think you know again it's a combination of being honestly you know being you know true to who you are then kind of go back to that steve harvey you know untrust that part like so you know people got to earn and they got to you know they got to earn a space around me so you know you know yes is there some you know benevolent behavior for you know certain family members that you just take care of and love and give it to them you know yeah but most people you want them to you know learn to be self-sufficient and independent and and if they're

going to be a part of this they got to come truly come in and contribute. And so find the space for that. Earn it. Show me something. Add value in some way. Add value. And if you can add value, then, you know, good. We'll figure out how to make that work. And I think that that kind of goes all around. Again, you kind of say that to your kids.

Y'all wake up every day. Y'all got this beautiful home. You got all these things. What do y'all bring to the table? Really? What y'all do? Y'all just keep. Right really which i do yeah just keep so good grades is a part of your thing being a kind person and it goes that's a part of what

you offer to the family you don't you you don't you don't do none of that oh you're gonna be a jerk you're gonna be you know mean to people then you know then you're gonna have to have a talk with me like that's not so what is your contribution until you become an adult, until you, you know, get a skill set or something you love where you can start earning money, you know. You know, I always say that I got a scholarship program, and I tell the kids, that's what I, my scholarships are loans. Like, you know what I'm saying?

Yes, you can go to school, but, like, if you quit, I want my money back. Wow. It's a joke, but I say that to let people know there's no real free money. Like, people can take that attitude. Like, if I do something for you and you decide, like, I'm not going to do it, then, you know. Hey. Am I right?

Show me the money back. Yeah, run that back. Right. You don't get to just kick it. Right. You got to deliver on something. Yeah. You have a number of things happening right now,

which I love about you because you're multi-talented. You're not just on TV or just doing one project. You're creating a lot. Flipping Box Cars is the book that is about to drop can you explain a little bit about this book and why you're deciding to do a book right yeah man so flipping box cars is a novel and it's a novel uh loosely based on my machinations of my grandfather that i never met okay so this is my father's mother who I would just, as I started to climb in my career,

he would pop in my head sometimes. Never met him. Never met him. He would say things to me, and I could see how he's dressed. I knew what he smelled like, and he would have these cool sayings about, you know, the suit don't make the man, but it makes the difference. You know, you'd be like, okay.

You know, like, and I would wake up and be like, oh, you know, even if it was a daydream, I would just have that, and I'd write it down. I was like, yo. And so I had these for a long time. And so when I had the opportunity, they asked me, did I want to write a book? And I said, I got this novel idea about my grandfather. I never met him, but I have these little tidbits. I got little stories from my mother, little stories from my uncle, but I see him as a whole character. So we created this fictionalized tale and made him the center of it.

So it's a little true and a fictional tale. Interesting. And that's what Flippin' Boxcars is. And it's so much fun, man, because, of course, I had to go in and dig up some family history and go back and do some research and all that was great. oh, that was great. And then at the same time, get to tell this imaginative story of someone in the 1940s. If he could have been me, he would have been.

That's basically what I feel is the connection is that he was a person that, you know, the world was totally different. He was in a small Southern town in Missouri where, you know, as a black man there's only so much you can do but if he could have literally been who he wanted to be he would have been his whole self like me like a person that's like i can't be stopped by nothing like and i don't have nobody stopping me you know so i can literally get up in the morning and try and try

to do things and not do things and it's on me like nobody's saying say you can't do that so in 1948 1948 1948 we based the story around that uh the fourth of july he used to host this but he was he was a he was a gambler like a famous gambler shooting dice and back in those days dice players were a liken to the poker players we know today, like how we know famous poker players. Like then, but dice players were known. People knew these guys, you know, Blackie Johnson and them baby boys. They were known.

Like they would be on billboard, like on the flyers that you stick on a light pole like that and say say they're coming to town to gamble you like so so my grandfather was one of those guys he also had a business with my grandmother they had a cafe in this place called the sportsman hall that also had a a big banquet room in the back that they would turn into a casino certain nights of the week. And then he was friends with the sheriff. And these were real things. And so I took that whole story and made a caper. And so Flippin' Boxcars is about dice.

So a pair of sixes is considered the boxcar. Oh, cool. A pair of sixes is considered the boxcar. Oh, cool. And then on the diet, then it's a whiskey caper going on because they're moving liquor. He and his partner, the sheriff, are doing this big caper, and they have to do it with the trains. So the boxcar is on the train. Oh, that's interesting. So you flip the boxcars.

There's a whole little thing that's going on. Wow, that's cool. And so it's a great story. We had so much fun writing it. And Harper College, Amistad and Harper College is putting it out. September 12th, people go check it out. Man, it was special and a real great journey for me to allow that kind of creative come out. That is beautiful.

You know, it's interesting. It reminds me of my great-great-grandfather wrote wrote a book about wrote just the history of his life and we have it in a book format yeah i think like 20 people have read it in our family but i have this historical data of what life was like back in the 19 early 1900s yeah from a grandfather's perspective and i'm it makes me want to go back and read through this and really dig in and see what his perspective was. So I appreciate you doing that. I want people to get the book, Flipping Boxcars. We'll have it linked up.

We'll put a graphic up. Make sure you guys grab a few copies of that for some friends. That's really cool, man. I'm glad you're doing that. You also got a show on A&E called Kings of Barbecue. I love the nod. Kings of Comedy. But amazing stuff.

So people can watch that Saturday night on A&E. It's all barbecue-related stuff. You've got an amazing brand also out there called A.C. Barbecue, which is in Walmart and I think going to be in other places soon as well. Sauces, rubs, more things. So look for AC barbecue. I think it's a brilliant thing that you're matching media

and your own business and brand, which I think is brilliant that you're not just thinking I'm a talent and I'm just going to do talent work. Yeah. But you're building businesses, you're building products, you're adding value to your community

and extending and using media to promote these things. I think it's really smart how you've strategized your career and your business mindset through the process. It's really impressive. Then you also have your sixth season of The Neighborhood, which I believe you're an executive producer. Yeah, executive producer. Executive producer on the show as well, which is hilarious. I think I told you I used to do CrossFit with Max like 10 years ago, almost for like every day.

Funny guy. This is probably like just a tenth of what you're doing, but it's amazing everything that you're up to. So I want people to check out Flipping Boxcars. You can order that now. I want you to check out Kings of Barbecue if you want to laugh and see barbecue on Saturday nights, A&E, and then The Neighborhood. Yeah, man. We can't get enough of you, man.

Yeah, let's go. I'm out here, man. We need more from you, man. I'm outside. You got so much other great stuff, but where can we follow you just to see everything else you're working yeah yeah you follow me uh you know uh my ig is said the entertainer you look for the blue check down on ig and then uh i am cedric is my website that kind of has everything uh and then i you know and i know that you know i'm on know that, you know, I'm on Facebook and Twitter

and all the, all those websites. But your website and Instagram are kind of like the main place. Yeah, that's what I mainly

rock with. Okay, Sethian and Tanner. I am Cedric. Yeah. Dot com. Yeah. As well.

We'll have all the stuff linked up. Yeah, it has all the other links to everything. Amazing, man. We'll make sure to link

all the stuff in the show notes too, but this is powerful. I've got two final questions for you. This is a question I ask everyone towards the end of my interviews called the three truths. So it's a hypothetical scenario, hypothetical question. Imagine you get to live as long as you want, as long as you want, and you get to continue to live your life the way you envision it. Family, friends, career, it all goes the way you want it.

But for whatever reason, in this hypothetical scenario, it's the last day on earth for you. You got to turn the lights off. And you can't leave anything behind that you've created. So flipping boxcars, any other book, this interview, Kings of Comedy,

all the TV shows you've done and going to do, the movies, for whatever reason, they're gone. cars any other book this interview kings of comedy all the tv shows you've done and gonna do the movies for whatever reason they're gone but you get to leave behind three lessons to the world so without having access to your content anymore you get to leave behind three final truths this is all we would have to remember you by what would be those three lessons you would leave behind or those three truths for the world? Oh man, I think that, well, nobody can be you, but you. So trust that your DNA is necessary. It's an individual thing and that it is a reason to be. You're you. Trust that part.

Be a good citizen. I think that we just live in a space where civility, understanding, sensitivity to others, what their circumstances is, is super important. If I can give you that as a citizen, you just, you live and I'm civil, we good. Don't come over here with your nonsense,

I won't come over there with mine. And then, and then, you know, laugh, man. Laugh, man. Just try to get a good laugh laugh, man. Laugh, man. Just try to get a good laugh, man. That's it.

Find a way to laugh, man, in life and find joy. Those are the things I think are really important, man. Like, you know, you can have those moments. They lift you and they help you rise if you can you can have those moments those those they they lift you and they help you rise they heal you and you know they always say laughter is a good medicine but really you know that that good laugh is one of those things that can really change the trajectory on a rainy day on a sad day on anything so figure out how to get you a good laugh and those are good truths. I love that.

Before I ask the final question, Cedric, I want to acknowledge you for a moment, like I did in the beginning for, man, you showed up for, again, the St. Louis community. You showed up for the country in so many different ways. You bring healing energy through your entertainment, your laughter, your ability to be creative and bringing people together

through your way of being. So I just want to acknowledge you for your consistency. I don't think people realize how challenging it is to show up at the level you do for 30 plus years and do it with a good heart, a kindness to you, a good energy, a consistent creativity to you. So I really want to acknowledge you for being a leader in this entertainment world, in comedy and beyond the way you've done it. It's been really inspiring

to grow up watching you, to know you now, and to see you continue to thrive. Big up, man. I acknowledge you, man. I acknowledge you. My final question, what's your definition of greatness? Definition of greatness, man. That's a really interesting one, man, because I think you have to, I think my definition of greatness would be to be excellent and then one step past that.

Like, so be as excellent, as proficient, be as, you know, unique as you can as a person, as an individual. And then to be great, you got to somehow cross step right past that. you got to somehow cross step right past that. And, you know, it's a, it's a thing that's, uh,

so that, that means that, that means that you, even when you are actually, when you are at the, the top that you, you, you, you've decided that I can actually put something else in the world that will,

that everybody else can now aspire to. The line has changed. And that's what, that's what greatness is. It moves can now aspire to the line has changed and that's what that's what greatness is it moves it moves the line it moves the line up to where now we got to keep going because if we all right here that's dope we're killing it but that one person that did that you like oh i didn't even know we can go there right and then you keep doing it and now that's what greatness rings about i hope today's episode inspired you on your journey towards greatness make sure to check out the show notes in the description for a rundown of today's show with all the important links and if you want weekly

exclusive bonus episodes with me as well as ad free listening experience make sure to subscribe to our greatness plus channel on apple podcast if enjoyed this, please share it with a friend over on social media or text a friend. Leave us a review over on Apple Podcast and let me know what you learned over on our social media channels at Lewis Howes. I really love hearing the feedback from you and it helps us continue to make the show better. And if you want more inspiration from our world-class guests and content to learn how to improve the quality of your life,

then make sure to sign up for the Greatness Newsletter and get it delivered right to your inbox over at greatness.com slash newsletter. And if no one has told you today, I want to remind you that you are loved, you are worthy, and you matter. And now it's time to go out there and do something great.