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HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons hosts the most downloaded sports podcast of all time, with a rotating crew of celebrities, athletes, and media staples, as well as mainstays like Cousin Sal, Joe House, and a slew of other friends and family members who always happen to be suspiciously available.
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We sit down with Tim Loulies, a Hampton Roads comic and teacher, to trace his 17-year journey from sticky-note premises to packed clubs, from the Comedy Store’s unforgiving OR to the Apollo’s infamous boo, and into the wild psychology of being a heel in professional wrestling. Tim opens up about stage fright, why you literally lose your breath at the mic, and how “mental cardio” makes or breaks your first minute on stage.
We dig into the craft: writing jokes that travel, building an opener that buys trust, editing tags that snap, and steering a room when chatter threatens the rhythm. Tim breaks down heckler control without punishing the crowd and explains why self-deprecation is a reliable on-ramp to shared laughter. He shares lessons from mentors like Steve Treviño and the late John Witherspoon, showing how consistency and energy turn a practiced act into something that still feels alive.
There’s heart here too. Tim’s work on PBS’s Comedy Boot Camp with the Armed Services Arts Program reveals how stand-up can help veterans facing PTSD take back their stories and connect through laughter. We talk about teaching at the Funny Bone Comedy School, building community, and using nerves as a focus—not a flaw. Plus, details on the new Virginia Beach club opening, upcoming classes, and how to watch Tim’s Amazon special, “Sugar Glider.”
Hit play to learn, laugh, and leave with practical tools you can use on stage or in any high-stakes room. If this conversation sparks something, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help more people find it.
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Chapters
1. Meet Tim Lullees (00:00:00)
2. Early Influences and Stage Fright (00:01:12)
3. Handling Hecklers and Club Etiquette (00:03:00)
4. Teaching Comedy and Beating Nerves (00:05:05)
5. Fear as Focus and First Steps Onstage (00:08:40)
6. Apollo Story: Booed and Baptized (00:11:25)
7. Mentors and Lessons from Legends (00:18:30)
8. Hollywood Improv and Comedy Store Trials (00:22:30)
9. Favorite Room: Stardome Energy (00:26:50)
10. Crossing Into Pro Wrestling (00:28:30)
11. Craft, Writing, and First Laughs (00:34:30)
12. PBS Comedy Boot Camp and Veterans (00:38:40)
13. Why Teach: Building Comics and Community (00:43:20)
73 episodes
