Mike Ellison: Why It Took 14 Years to Go All In on Stand-Up Comedy | Origin Stories Ep. 3
Rich Bruckner Comedy
157 views
Long Island comedian Mike Ellison joins Rich Bruckner to share the winding story of how he discovered stand-up comedy, spent 14 years performing sporadically, and finally decided to devote his life to getting onstage.
Mike discusses growing up in Sayville, being inspired by Chris Rock and George Carlin, performing his first comedy set at a high-school Battle of the Bands, bombing early in his career, and repeatedly walking away from stand-up whenever things became difficult. He also shares how working at a Long Island pizzeria for nearly 20 years—and unexpectedly losing that job—gave him the freedom and motivation to finally pursue comedy seriously.
Rich and Mike also get honest about the sacrifices required to become a stand-up comedian, the financial realities of the comedy industry, overcoming stage fright, developing new material, and why every aspiring comic must learn to “get comfortable being uncomfortable.”
Origin Stories with Rich Bruckner explores the childhoods, defining experiences, failures, and turning points that shaped some of the best comedians from Long Island and New York City.
If you enjoyed the episode, please like the video, subscribe to the channel, and let us know your favorite moment in the comments.
Follow Mike Ellison:
Instagram: @MikeEllisonComedy
Facebook: Mike Ellison
See Mike Live:
August 27 — Riley Fibbers, Selden, NY
August 28 — The Great Red Zone Bar & Grill, West Babylon, NY
September 12 — Give a Hoot Comedy Club, New Jersey
September 19 — Laughing Stock Comedy Club, Pennsylvania
September 25 — Watson’s Public House, Bohemia, NY
September 28 — Butera’s Restaurant, Sayville, NY
This episode is sponsored by The Cleaners, one of Long Island’s destinations for live comedy, music, events, and more.
Visit: https://cleanersny.com
Chapters:
00:00 Preview
00:36 Introducing Mike Ellison
01:54 Growing Up on Long Island
03:50 The Injury That Ended Football
05:26 Becoming the Funny Friend
10:52 Embarrassing High-School Stories
14:12 Discovering Stand-Up Comedy
17:05 Mike’s First Comedy Performance
21:50 The Cleaners
22:07 Getting His First Big Laughs
23:40 Bringer Shows and His First Bomb
25:14 Walking Away From Comedy
27:20 Why Stand-Up Is So Difficult
28:41 Working at a Long Island Pizzeria
33:04 Delivering Pizza After Hurricane Sandy
34:47 Spending 14 Years on the Sidelines
35:22 Mike’s Comedy Wake-Up Call
36:37 Getting Fired Changed Everything
37:45 Returning to Comedy After COVID
38:28 Choosing Passion Over Money
41:46 The Financial Sacrifices of Comedy
43:38 Why Opening Comedians Are Underpaid
46:09 How the Internet Is Changing Comedy
48:38 Advice for New Stand-Up Comedians
51:05 “Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable”
52:41 Where to Follow and See Mike
54:17 Final Thoughts
#MikeEllison #StandUpComedy #OriginStories #RichBruckner #LongIslandComedy #ComedyPodcast #ComedianInterview #NewYorkComedy #StandUpComedian
Mike Ellison: Why It Took 14 Years to Go All In on Stand-Up Comedy | Origin Stories Ep. 3
Rich Bruckner Comedy
157 views
Long Island comedian Mike Ellison joins Rich Bruckner to share the winding story of how he discovered stand-up comedy, spent 14 years performing sporadically, and finally decided to devote his life to getting onstage.
Mike discusses growing up in Sayville, being inspired by Chris Rock and George Carlin, performing his first comedy set at a high-school Battle of the Bands, bombing early in his career, and repeatedly walking away from stand-up whenever things became difficult. He also shares how working at a Long Island pizzeria for nearly 20 years—and unexpectedly losing that job—gave him the freedom and motivation to finally pursue comedy seriously.
Rich and Mike also get honest about the sacrifices required to become a stand-up comedian, the financial realities of the comedy industry, overcoming stage fright, developing new material, and why every aspiring comic must learn to “get comfortable being uncomfortable.”
Origin Stories with Rich Bruckner explores the childhoods, defining experiences, failures, and turning points that shaped some of the best comedians from Long Island and New York City.
If you enjoyed the episode, please like the video, subscribe to the channel, and let us know your favorite moment in the comments.
Follow Mike Ellison:
Instagram: @MikeEllisonComedy
Facebook: Mike Ellison
See Mike Live:
August 27 — Riley Fibbers, Selden, NY
August 28 — The Great Red Zone Bar & Grill, West Babylon, NY
September 12 — Give a Hoot Comedy Club, New Jersey
September 19 — Laughing Stock Comedy Club, Pennsylvania
September 25 — Watson’s Public House, Bohemia, NY
September 28 — Butera’s Restaurant, Sayville, NY
This episode is sponsored by The Cleaners, one of Long Island’s destinations for live comedy, music, events, and more.
Visit: https://cleanersny.com
Chapters:
00:00 Preview
00:36 Introducing Mike Ellison
01:54 Growing Up on Long Island
03:50 The Injury That Ended Football
05:26 Becoming the Funny Friend
10:52 Embarrassing High-School Stories
14:12 Discovering Stand-Up Comedy
17:05 Mike’s First Comedy Performance
21:50 The Cleaners
22:07 Getting His First Big Laughs
23:40 Bringer Shows and His First Bomb
25:14 Walking Away From Comedy
27:20 Why Stand-Up Is So Difficult
28:41 Working at a Long Island Pizzeria
33:04 Delivering Pizza After Hurricane Sandy
34:47 Spending 14 Years on the Sidelines
35:22 Mike’s Comedy Wake-Up Call
36:37 Getting Fired Changed Everything
37:45 Returning to Comedy After COVID
38:28 Choosing Passion Over Money
41:46 The Financial Sacrifices of Comedy
43:38 Why Opening Comedians Are Underpaid
46:09 How the Internet Is Changing Comedy
48:38 Advice for New Stand-Up Comedians
51:05 “Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable”
52:41 Where to Follow and See Mike
54:17 Final Thoughts
#MikeEllison #StandUpComedy #OriginStories #RichBruckner #LongIslandComedy #ComedyPodcast #ComedianInterview #NewYorkComedy #StandUpComedian