Gabriel Iglesias Quit $5K/Month Job In 1997 For Comedy Then Got Evicted I CLUB SHAY SHAY

TL;DR

Gabriel Iglesias quit a $5,000/month cell phone sales job in 1997 to pursue comedy, was immediately evicted, and had to sleep on his brother's couch.

Key Points

• 1.Iglesias was earning $5,000/month at LA Cellular (later AT&T) in 1997. With rent at just $500/month and a $150 car note, he was financially comfortable before sacrificing it all for comedy.
• 2.He was evicted immediately after quitting and had to sleep on his brother's couch. Family and friends urged him to return to his job, but he refused, saying 'I can't' because he was burning the candle at both ends.
• 3.Iglesias struggles to give advice to young comedians because the landscape has changed completely. Social media, screens, and music tools have transformed comedy since his 1997 start, making his experience largely irrelevant to beginners today.
• 4.He was inspired by Eddie Murphy Raw and Robin Williams at age 10 and performed his first comedy at a school talent show, doing impressions of Eddie Murphy doing impressions of others.
• 5.Iglesias is analytical and reserved offstage, not a 'always-on' comedian. He finds comedians who never turn off their funny persona annoying, and describes his process as observing life and bringing those stories to the stage.