Outside the Bell Curve

Heather Hiccups
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

For the forever curious and the ones chasing wild ideas. Outside the Bell Curve is a podcast for those who just can’t seem to color inside the lines. I’m Heather, and each week I chat with friends, creatives, and fascinating humans I meet on the road — folks with cool jobs, wild stories, and a habit of choosing the unexpected. From bold pivots to one-way tickets, from a small town in Texas to a residency at the Kennedy Center, or a drive from the UK to Mongolia, I’m full of questions for the people who’ve lived it. Let’s explore what it looks like to live outside the bell curve.

  1. 6d ago

    Not Cute to Panic: The Whimsical Art of Going Full-Time Comedian | Zubi Ahmed

    Zubi Ahmed was told by her teachers not to bother with a creative career because "nobody's gonna watch you." Now she's performing stand-up for hundreds of people in New York City, and she recently turned the loss of her day job into an opportunity to go all in on comedy. Queen Zubi (I'm dubbing her this now) is a Queens-born comedian, filmmaker and producer who co-hosts the NYC comedy shows Kutti Gang and House Party. We talk about growing up Bengali in Ozone Park, learning comedy from sitcoms with her immigrant parents, falling into stand-up by accident, and why she refuses to panic, even about an "iffy" bank account. Long story short...book the room first, then figure out the rest. For the forever curious and the ones chasing wild ideas. Do the scary thing. Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:06 Meet Zubi Ahmed 2:22 Digital Nomads, Travel Guilt & Loud Americans 8:13 Which New York Accent Does It for You? 11:04 Sitcoms, Immigrant Parents & Wanting to Write 14:30 The Teachers Who Said "Don't" 17:07 Falling Into Stand-Up by Accident 22:07 Representation Doesn't Have to Look Like You 26:02 Lost the Job, Found the Sleep 37:16 Zubi's Advice: Book the Room First YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheBellCurvePodcast IG - https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheBellCurvePodcast Follow Zubi - https://www.instagram.com/chopzubicomedy/ Follow the host - https://www.instagram.com/heather_hiccups/ https://buymeacoffee.com/heatherhiccups

    Not Cute to Panic: The Whimsical Art of Going Full-Time Comedian | Zubi Ahmed

  2. Sep 23

    Melbourne to Morocco to Andorra: Travel Guiding and Cloud Watching with My Cool Aussie Pal, Patrick Davis

    One of our favorites from the archive, back in the feed for anyone who missed it the first time. ~Sometimes you're on a hike in Andorra and just wanna plop down to ask your new friend some questions, so let me introduce you to this mountain valley chat~ What happens when you swap an office job for 70 days on a bus across Europe? Patrick Davis did just that — and fifteen years later, he’s still guiding travelers through Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with a side of skydiving, sailing, and a sleuth of other random licenses. We talk about the intensity of Contiki’s infamous training, why being out of your depth can be a gift, the art (and chaos) of guiding, and what a life of constant movement really teaches you. Also: cloud spotting, wild horses, and why you should probably just book the trip. YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheBellCurvePodcast IG - https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheBellCurvePodcast Follow the host - https://www.instagram.com/heather_hiccups/ https://buymeacoffee.com/heatherhiccups Follow Patrick’s travels here: Patrick Davis Adventure on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@patrickdavisadventure

    Melbourne to Morocco to Andorra: Travel Guiding and Cloud Watching with My Cool Aussie Pal, Patrick Davis

  3. Sep 16

    Do The Scary Thing: A Pro Soccer Player's Road from US to Valencia & Puerto Rico | Danielle Marcano

    Danielle Marcano didn't just chase a childhood dream, she stepped away from it for two years, went back to school for a master's in sports psychology, and then rebuilt herself into a professional soccer player good enough to sign in one of the best leagues in the world. Pro La Liga and Puerto Rican National TeamSoccer player, Danielle, takes us through her path from Iceland, Turkey, and France before landing in Valencia, Spain — all while suiting up for Puerto Rico's national team in World Cup qualifiers. What's it feel like to move abroad alone? The culture shock of small talk (or the lack of it), learning a new language on the fly, and the mental rebuild it took to trust herself again after time away from the game. She also opens up about the women who inspire her, how much women's sports have grown since she turned pro, and why she believes doing the things that scare you is the only way to actually find out who you are. This is a conversation about identity beyond your job title, redefining what "success" even means, and having the guts to bet on yourself in a country where you don't speak the language yet. YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheBellCurvePodcast IG - https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheBellCurvePodcast Follow the host - https://www.instagram.com/heather_hiccups/ https://buymeacoffee.com/heatherhiccups

    Do The Scary Thing: A Pro Soccer Player's Road from US to Valencia & Puerto Rico | Danielle Marcano

  4. Sep 9

    Quit His Job & Created His Own Opportunities: Your Sign If You Wanna Reinvent Yourself | Lamar Dawson

    Lamar Dawson — aka the Dirty King of Pop — has built a career out of reinventing himself more than once. He started with a master's in higher education, a job at Georgetown, and a dream of working in student affairs. He hit refresh, moved into PR, and eventually quit that stable job (giving back his signing bonus in the process) to chase entertainment full time. Today he's a SiriusXM & TikTok radio host, a L'Oréal Vice President, and a content creator who built his whole platform without chasing virality — SiriusXM discovered him with only 20,000 followers and hired him without an interview. In this episode, we get into: Why he thinks of career reinvention like a slingshot, the pullback is what makes the launch go furtherGrowing up Black in predominantly white military towns, and how that's given him a unique perspective on pop cultureHis lifelong Christina Aguilera obsessionWhy he believes nobody's truly original — "we're all just sampling from each other"The mindset shift from posting for virality to posting for opportunityHis dream interview ... is it Christina, is it Beyoncé? Follow Lamar: https://www.instagram.com/dirrtykingofpop/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheBellCurvePodcast IG - https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheBellCurvePodcast Follow the host - https://www.instagram.com/heather_hiccups/ https://buymeacoffee.com/heatherhiccups Chapters: 00:00 - Hi 03:01 – Meet Lamar Dawson 03:59 – His Secret First Career 07:17 – Finding His Voice on TikTok 09:25 – Vulnerability vs. Working Corporate 11:39 – Growing Up Black & the Christina Aguilera Origin Story 22:38 – Blogging His Way In & Quitting His Job 26:53 – Dream Interviews & Pop Culture Nostalgia 38:04 – Sampling From Each Other 46:04 – Balancing It All 56:27 – Post for Opportunities & The Slingshot Theory

    Quit His Job & Created His Own Opportunities: Your Sign If You Wanna Reinvent Yourself | Lamar Dawson

  5. Season 2 Trailer

    Outside the Bell Curve is back! Season 2 Trailer

    This year was filled with countless times meeting incredible people who amazed me at every turn. Professional soccer/futbol player? Got that. Headlining comedian? Check. TikTok star by morning and VP at a major company by day? Yes and Yes. Get ready to feel inspired, ready to say "ef the timeline" and eager to pursue your passions. This year we're really going for it (note to self) so hop in, cuz we're jumping unapologetically Outside the Bell Curve! YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheBellCurvePodcast IG - https://www.youtube.com/@OutsideTheBellCurvePodcast Follow the host - https://www.instagram.com/heather_hiccups/ https://buymeacoffee.com/heatherhiccups

    Outside the Bell Curve is back! Season 2 Trailer

  6. 11/26/2025

    God, Sex & Rich People… Purity Ring to NYC with Mattie Jo

    We’ve all been there, trying to outgrow the version of ourselves we were raised to be. The “good girl,” the rule follower, the one who doesn’t question anything… until suddenly you do. Mattie Jo Cowsert is a pastor’s kid turned shameless oversharer, actor, author of God, Sex & Rich People, and truly the definition of “I’ll do as I please.”  From rebuilding her entire identity, to choosing a life that feels good, and staying out of situations that shrink you. We get into: • How the queer community and the diversity of New York City cracked open everything she believed about “purity culture” • Why “F*****y Monsters” was not only a chapter in her book, but a full era • What it really feels like to rebuild your identity in your 20s (and 30s) • Writing God, Sex & Rich People and developing her viral pilot  • Why she refuses a safe 9–5 in favor of alignment,  joy, and simply believing in herself.  Get ready to rethink the “rules” you grew up with, laugh at her overshares, and maybe feel a little braver about pursuing your passion projects. ⁠⁠Follow Mattie Jo - https://www.instagram.com/mattiejocowsert/ ⁠⁠Follow Heather- ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/heather_hiccups/⁠⁠  ⁠⁠

    God, Sex & Rich People… Purity Ring to NYC with Mattie Jo

  7. 11/12/2025

    Delusional Positivity, Ridiculous Job Apps & the Art of Just Starting — with Vandie

    Vandie is bold and not to mention, savvy. She went from tech to essentially the “fun-planer” at a dream company, has lived in 26 cities, co-founded a space for connection after college, and chose to be child-free in a very permanent way. We talk about “delusional positivity,” radical self-trust, quitting the checklist life, and showing up authentically (even when you’re still figuring it out). This Dutch Bros’ “donut girl” redefines what “having it all” actually means. 🎙 Topics: The audacity of starting before you’re ready Building inclusive community spaces Life after being laid off Choosing the child-free life Authenticity > perfection ⁠Follow Vandie - https://www.instagram.com/vandieboo/ ⁠Follow Heather- ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/heather_hiccups/⁠  ⁠Follow the show on Substack- ⁠⁠https://travelinghiccups.substack.com/⁠

    Delusional Positivity, Ridiculous Job Apps & the Art of Just Starting — with Vandie

  8. 10/29/2025

    Ghost Hunting 101 with Spirit Chasers: Apparitions, EMF & Evidence. A Halloween Special

    What happens when the ghosts get to know you? This Halloween, we’re with Spirit Chasers UK, the nonprofit ghost-hunting team making the paranormal accessible, affordable, and full of heart. David and Marie share their wildest encounters: a singing child, flying tables, a haunted cottage that sent them running, and explain why laughter might be the strongest tool in any investigation. A story about trust, energy, and finding community in the unknown. Learn about Spirit Chasers - https://www.spiritchasersparanormal.uk/ ⁠⁠Follow Heather- ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/heather_hiccups/⁠⁠  ⁠⁠Follow the show on Substack- ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://travelinghiccups.substack.com/⁠⁠

    Ghost Hunting 101 with Spirit Chasers: Apparitions, EMF & Evidence. A Halloween Special
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About

For the forever curious and the ones chasing wild ideas. Outside the Bell Curve is a podcast for those who just can’t seem to color inside the lines. I’m Heather, and each week I chat with friends, creatives, and fascinating humans I meet on the road — folks with cool jobs, wild stories, and a habit of choosing the unexpected. From bold pivots to one-way tickets, from a small town in Texas to a residency at the Kennedy Center, or a drive from the UK to Mongolia, I’m full of questions for the people who’ve lived it. Let’s explore what it looks like to live outside the bell curve.

Information

  • Creator
    Heather Hiccups
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Heather Hiccups
  • Show Website
    Outside the Bell Curve