Here at the Funny Muscle Pod, we chat a lot about the skills in crafting jokes, but in this episode, we take a hard turn to the business side of comedy.

And although the business of stand-up is as glamorous as a motel continental breakfast, it’s needed.

We grill Mike, a seasoned touring comedian, on crucial survival skills, such as how to avoid burnout on the road (step one: don’t live entirely on gas station taquitos), why you need an EPK (which we promise is not a new cryptocurrency), and the dark, mysterious science of venue pricing.

Also, we talk about selling merch, because nothing says ‘comedy legend’ like convincing strangers to buy a T-shirt with your face on it