Balancing Comedy with Anxiety and Doing Stand-Up in the Sauna with Comedian David Stickle | EP070

In this episode of Who Thought We’d Be Here?, stand-up comedian David Stickle gets honest about the messy, uncomfortable, and hilarious process of becoming a comic. He opens up about how terrifying his early sets were, what it’s like to bomb in front of a crowd, and why anxiety still shows up before every performance — no matter how many times he’s done it.David shares how stand-up helped him move through self-doubt, build confidence, and discover a deeper version of himself on stage. From managing hecklers to balancing authenticity with the pressure to be liked, this conversation explores the tension between fear and courage — and the power of doing the hard thing anyway.If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to get up there and try to make people laugh, this one’s for you.00:00 – Intro & meeting David Stickle  03:15 – How David got into stand-up and his first few sets  07:40 – What bombing on stage taught him  11:25 – Anxiety and the moments right before going on  15:50 – Building stage presence & emotional resilience  20:30 – Balancing vulnerability and humor  26:05 – The pressure to be liked vs. being yourself  30:40 – When the jokes aren’t landing  35:15 – Processing fear and rejection after a bad set  39:00 – Why he keeps returning to stand-up  44:10 – Comedy as a tool for authenticity and self-growth  48:00 – Are we ever actually *ready* to do the hard thing?  51:45 – Finding confidence through repetition and discomfort  56:15 – The vulnerability hangover after being fully seen  59:20 – Shifting expectations and defining personal success  1:03:10 – How the audience changes the performer  1:06:30 – What keeps him grounded when it gets hard  1:10:45 – Letting go of needing approval  1:14:00 – Advice for anyone thinking about starting stand-up  1:17:40 – Final reflections and outroJoin our exclusive community on GROUPED where you can find uncut episodes, messaging with your hosts, and early access to promotionshttps://app.grouped.com/whothoughtwedbeherepodJoin Whoop with our promotional code and get your first month free!https://join.whoop.com/us/en/Whothoughtwedbeherepod/Sign up for online therapy with our referral link.Get 20% off your first month with our podcast's link:Shout out to our favorite neighborhood screen printer JOKER INK  https://www.jokerink.com/NEW EPISODES WEEKLY!"Who Thought We'd Be Here?" is hosted by Steven Aigner and John Pugh. https://linktr.ee/whothoughtwedbeherepodPlease Like, Follow, Share, and Enjoy!!!