Laugh or Death with Paul Osincup | Humor, Resilience, Humanity

Paul Osincup: Keynote Speaker
  • 5.0 (15)
  • Comedy
  • Updated Weekly

Laugh or Death is a show about finding the humor in everyday life and during our darkest moments. Host Paul Osincup talks with industry leaders, entertainers, and brilliantly imperfect humans to uncover how they use humor to cope, survive, and even thrive. From career setbacks to personal loss, each conversation reveals the surprising, human, and often hilarious ways laughter builds resilience. Equal parts heart and humor, Laugh or Death is a reminder that sometimes the best way to face life's gravity, is with levity. www.paulosincup.com

  1. 4d ago

    36. How to Be a Rational Optimist, Even If It Sounds Awful

    What does a motivational speaker do when he's not feeling motivated? Today, I'm still in my pajamas, I'm tired, I recently got rejected from a comedy contest I was excited about, and my brain has already used that one rejection to question virtually every decision I've ever made. So naturally, I turned on a microphone. In this solo episode of Laugh or Death, I'm talking about rational optimism—a way of being hopeful without pretending everything is great. Because optimism doesn't mean ignoring disappointment, rejection, frustration, or all the things that suck. Sometimes it means acknowledging exactly how you feel and then asking: What can I actually do to make this situation a little better? I share an exercise I use with audiences that shows just how easy it is for our brains to focus on what's wrong, why words like "always" and "never" can send us into a spiral, and a framework from Martin Seligman's Learned Optimism that helps me challenge the stories my brain starts telling after something doesn't go my way. Transcript We also get into the difference between being a thermometer and a thermostat. A thermometer tells you the temperature: "This sucks." "I'm disappointed." "I'm not motivated." A thermostat acknowledges the temperature—and then does something to change it, even if it's only by one degree. That's what rational optimism looks like to me. In this episode: What happens when the motivational speaker isn't motivated Why negativity comes so easily to some of us The optimism exercise I use with live audiences Why staying positive actually takes effort Optimism vs. pessimism vs. "realism" What I mean by rational optimism How rejection can turn into a much bigger story in your head Why "always" and "never" are red flags for me The adversity → belief → consequence framework How to dispute your own negative thinking Using your actual track record as evidence Why creativity comes in waves Thermometer vs. thermostat thinking Finding your next best move when you're in a funk 🎙️ Episode 36: How to Be a Rational Optimist, Even If It Sounds Awful Subscribe to Laugh or Death for conversations about humor, resilience, comedy, and how to get through being human without taking yourself too seriously. Life is hard. We should laugh harder. FREE GIFT! Download the Fun Over Funny Guide For Leaders! https://www.paulosincup.com/freegift  If you enjoyed this episode and want to build your own humor habit, make sure to follow the podcast and share it with someone who could use a little more levity in their life. To learn more about Paul's work, book him for speaking engagements, or explore the science behind humor and resilience, visit: 👉 https://www.paulosincup.com You can also dive deeper into the tools discussed in this episode in Paul's book: 👉 The Humor Habit All Links For Paul: https://stan.store/PaulOsincup    Episode Minute-By-Minute: 00:00 – What Happens When a Motivational Speaker Isn't Motivated? 01:00 – Why I'm Not Naturally Positive All the Time 02:00 – The Positive vs. Negative Experiment I Use With Audiences 03:00 – Why Negativity Is So Much Easier for Some of Us 04:00 – Staying Positive Takes Effort 05:00 – Optimists, Pessimists & "Realists" 06:00 – Why Our Brains Look for What's Wrong 07:00 – What Is Rational Optimism? 08:00 – The Rejection That Put Me in a Funk 09:00 – When "I'm in a Rut" Becomes "I'll Never Be Good Again" 10:00 – Learned Optimism & Learned Helplessness 11:00 – Adversity, Belief & Consequence 13:00 – How Negative Beliefs Kill Motivation 14:00 – Dispute the Story Your Brain Is Telling You 15:00 – Use Your Own Track Record as Evidence 16:00 – Creativity Comes in Waves 17:00 – Be a Thermostat, Not Just a Thermometer 18:00 – What's Your Next Best Move?

  2. Sep 23 ·  Video

    35. How Improv Makes You Better at Being Human with Annie & Levin O'Connor

    What can improv comedy teach you about failure, trust, relationships, presence, and becoming a better human? Quite a bit, apparently. This week on Laugh or Death, I'm sitting down with Annie and Levin O'Connor, owners of Last Best Comedy Club in Bozeman, Montana. Between them, they have more than 50 years of experience performing and teaching improv—and they've also built a comedy community that has become incredibly important in my own life. We talk about why improv is basically practice for failing without freaking out, why you shouldn't wait around for the perfect idea, and what happens when you learn to trust that the people around you have your back. We also get into how improv teaches you to read a room, why sometimes the best thing a performer can do is acknowledge that something feels weird, and how those same skills can help with uncomfortable conversations in real life. Then things get surprisingly existential. Annie and Levin explain what it's like to spend decades creating an art form that disappears as soon as the show ends—and why that impermanence can actually teach you to appreciate the moment you're in. Or, as we realize during the conversation: These are the good old days right now. We also talk about why Last Best isn't ultimately just about comedy. It's about creating a place where people can make friends, take risks, be themselves, and belong. In this episode: What improv teaches you about failure Why you shouldn't wait for the perfect idea How "I've got your back" changes collaboration Why Paul returned to improv Can improv make you a better spouse, friend, or parent? How improv builds empathy and awareness Why comedians need to commit to the bit What to do when you lose an audience Why saying the awkward thing out loud often helps Improv and uncomfortable conversations Why the best improv disappears Learning to recognize the "good old days" while you're in them Why live, human comedy still matters Comedy as a tool for community and belonging What Annie, Levin, and Paul are saying "yes" to next Why Paul is finally saying yes to being a comedian 🎙️ Subscribe to Laugh or Death for conversations about comedy, humor, resilience, and practical ways to laugh more and take yourself a little less seriously. Life is hard. We should laugh harder.   Links: FREE GIFT! Download the Fun Over Funny Guide For Leaders! https://www.paulosincup.com/freegift  If you enjoyed this episode and want to build your own humor habit, make sure to follow the podcast and share it with someone who could use a little more levity in their life. To learn more about Paul's work, book him for speaking engagements, or explore the science behind humor and resilience, visit: 👉 https://www.paulosincup.com You can also dive deeper into the tools discussed in this episode in Paul's book: 👉 The Humor Habit All Links For Paul: https://stan.store/PaulOsincup    Episode Minute-By-Minute: 00:00 – Meet Annie & Levin O'Connor of Last Best Comedy 05:00 – Why Their Comedy Club Has No Drink Minimum 06:00 – What Improv Teaches You About Failure 07:00 – Stop Waiting for the Perfect Idea 09:00 – Why Paul Started Doing Improv 12:00 – Does Improv Make You a Better Person… or More Annoying? 14:00 – Anything Can Be Funny If Everyone Plays Along 16:00 – The Empathy Superpower of Improv 20:00 – Your Stage Persona Isn't Your Real Personality 22:00 – Commit to the Bit 25:00 – What to Do When You Lose the Audience 28:00 – Say What's Actually Happening in the Room 30:00 – Why Uncomfortable Conversations Make Life Better 34:00 – The Strange Beauty of an Art Form That Disappears 36:00 – These Are the Good Old Days Right Now 39:00 – The Audience Is Part of the Performance 42:00 – Why Live, Human Comedy Matters 43:00 – Comedy Is Really About Belonging 46:00 – Stop Trying to Force the Funny 47:00 – What Are You Saying Yes To?

  3. Sep 16 ·  Video

    34. How to Do Impressions (And Why You Should Lean Into Your Weirdness)

    Ever wonder how people actually learn to do impressions? I've been doing voices since I was a kid—making faces in the mirror, mimicking people on TV, talking to myself, and generally behaving like someone my parents probably should have been slightly concerned about. In this episode of Laugh or Death, I'm breaking down how I actually approach impressions. Not just performing them—how I find the voice. We get into the words, sounds, cadence, facial expressions, tongue placement, throat position, breathing, and physical mannerisms that help me get into different characters and celebrity impressions. And yes, at one point Kermit the Frog becomes an important part of learning Arnold Schwarzenegger. You're welcome. But this episode is also about something bigger. For years, I didn't lean into impressions much onstage because I was a perfectionist and worried they weren't "real" comedy. Eventually I realized they were one of the things audiences remembered most about my performances. So we're also talking about why the weird part of yourself that you've been trying to hide might actually be the thing that makes you stand out. In this episode: How I started doing impressions as a kid Why I avoided doing voices onstage for years The word or phrase trick I use to unlock an impression How I approach voices like Seth Rogen and Arnold Schwarzenegger Why Matthew McConaughey is more than "all right, all right, all right" How your tongue, throat, breath, and face change a voice Chewbacca, Adam Sandler, Tracy Morgan, Jennifer Coolidge, Blink-182 and more Why an impression doesn't have to be perfect to be funny How perfectionism can make you hide your best material Why the weird thing about you might actually be your advantage The older I get, the more I think we should stop removing the interesting parts of ourselves just to appear more normal. Maybe your weirdness isn't a bug. Maybe it's a feature. 🎙️ Subscribe to Laugh or Death for practical ways to develop your sense of humor, laugh more, and take yourself a little less seriously. Life is hard. We might as well get better at laughing through it. FREE GIFT! Download the Fun Over Funny Guide For Leaders! https://www.paulosincup.com/freegift  If you enjoyed this episode and want to build your own humor habit, make sure to follow the podcast and share it with someone who could use a little more levity in their life. To learn more about Paul's work, book him for speaking engagements, or explore the science behind humor and resilience, visit: 👉 https://www.paulosincup.com You can also dive deeper into the tools discussed in this episode in Paul's book: 👉 The Humor Habit All Links For Paul: https://stan.store/PaulOsincup 00:00 – Why I've Been Doing Weird Voices My Whole Life 02:20 – Stop Hiding the Weird Parts of Yourself 03:30 – The Impressions I Grew Up Doing 06:25 – How I Actually Learn an Impression 07:00 – How to Do Seth Rogen 08:10 – Arnold Schwarzenegger Starts With Kermit the Frog 09:55 – How I Get Into a Donald Trump Impression 11:40 – Breaking Down Barack Obama's Voice & Cadence 12:50 – How to Do Matthew McConaughey 14:35 – Chewbacca, Shaggy & Using Your Tongue for Voices 16:20 – Tracy Morgan + the Hardest Impression to Breathe Through 18:10 – How to Do Adam Sandler 19:20 – Breaking Down Bernie Sanders 21:05 – Jennifer Coolidge = Kermit + Something Else 😂 22:15 – The Easiest Blink-182 Impression 22:50 – Your Weirdness Might Be Your Best Feature

  4. Sep 9 ·  Video

    33. How to Laugh When You Have No Idea What You're Doing with Horse Vet Turned Comedian Matt Evans

    What happens when a guy who wasn't raised around horses becomes a horse veterinarian... and then decides to become a stand-up comedian? You get Matt Evans. Matt is an equine veterinarian, stand-up comedian, and author of Chomping at the Bit: How I Became a Horse Vet Beyond All Common Sense. In this episode of Laugh or Death, we talk about what veterinary medicine and comedy have surprisingly taught him about imposter syndrome, learning new things, handling stressful moments, and finding joy while you're still figuring everything out. Matt shares what it was like becoming a horse vet when he wasn't actually a "horse person," why learning to laugh at painful experiences changed the way he handles stress, and why comedy may actually be harder to master than veterinary medicine. We also get into the strange similarities between medicine and stand-up, how humor helped Matt deal with anxiety, compassion fatigue, and imposter syndrome, and why learning how to learn can make almost any new pursuit feel possible. And somewhere along the way we discuss horse castration, retirement-home hecklers, bald-guy grooming problems, colonoscopy jokes, and things about bulls I genuinely did not need to know. So, a very educational episode. In this episode: Why Matt became an equine veterinarian despite not growing up around horses The imposter syndrome that followed him into veterinary medicine How humor can change the way we experience stressful situations What horses can teach us about human emotion and laughter Why becoming good at something means getting comfortable being bad at it first The surprising similarities between veterinary medicine and stand-up comedy How Matt found comedy and eventually started performing Why humor became a tool for dealing with anxiety and compassion fatigue Learning to see yourself as the main character in a comedy instead of a drama Why you don't need to have everything figured out to enjoy the journey Matt's book, Chomping at the Bit: How I Became a Horse Vet Beyond All Common Sense, is available now. You can also find his comedy, book, and artwork at MattEvansComic.com. 🎙️ Subscribe to Laugh or Death for conversations about comedy, the science of humor, and practical ways to laugh more, stress less, and find more levity in everyday life. Life is hard. We might as well get better at laughing through it.   Links: FREE GIFT! Download the Fun Over Funny Guide For Leaders! https://www.paulosincup.com/freegift  If you enjoyed this episode and want to build your own humor habit, make sure to follow the podcast and share it with someone who could use a little more levity in their life. To learn more about Paul's work, book him for speaking engagements, or explore the science behind humor and resilience, visit: 👉 https://www.paulosincup.com You can also dive deeper into the tools discussed in this episode in Paul's book: 👉 The Humor Habit All Links For Paul: https://stan.store/PaulOsincup  Guest Socials & Website: Guest: Dr. Matt Evans Website: mattevanscomic.com Social media: @‌mattevanscomic LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-evans-13b1273b5/ Order his book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Chomping-at-the-Bit/Matt-Evans/9798895655955   Episode Minute-By-Minute: 00:00 – Meet the Horse Vet Who Became a Comedian 02:00 – The Weirdest Way to Know Summer Is Coming 04:00 – Becoming a Horse Vet "Beyond All Common Sense" 06:00 – When You're Definitely Not a Horse Person 08:00 – Bald Guys Writing Jokes About Hair 10:00 – The Imposter Syndrome Was Real 12:00 – Learning to Fake It as a Horse Vet 15:00 – Can Horses Tell When You're Nervous? 17:00 – How Humor Helps in Stressful Moments 18:00 – "What Did You Do Wrong Now, Matt?" 19:00 – The Most Brutal Heckle From a Retirement Home 21:00 – Learning to Laugh Before the Crisis Is Over 23:00 – Colonoscopy Jokes, Obviously 25:00 – The Tiny Trick That Makes a Joke Funnier 26:00 – What's Harder: Comedy or Veterinary Medicine? 28:00 – Once You Learn How to Learn, Everything Changes 30:00 – The More You Know, the Less You Know 32:00 – Why Getting Good Requires Being Bad for a While 33:00 – Things I Never Needed to Know About Bulls 😂 35:00 – You Don't Have to Have It All Figured Out 36:00 – What If Your Life Is a Comedy, Not a Drama? 38:00 – Why Veterinarians Need Humor 39:00 – How Comedy Helped Matt Through Imposter Syndrome 41:00 – You Worked Really Hard to Feel This Bad 😂

  5. Sep 2

    32. From Shit to Bit: How the President Stole My Joke and Made It VIRAL

    What happens when you write a joke, the internet steals it, turns it into a meme... and eventually the President of the United States shares it? Apparently, you have a minor identity crisis. In this episode of Laugh or Death, I'm introducing a new recurring series called From Shit to Bit, where I break down how one of my jokes went from a dumb idea to an actual comedy bit. And we're starting with a joke I've been performing for more than a year: "Canada geese will now be called Donald's Ducks." I'll take you behind the scenes of how I wrote the original Trump renaming bit, why punchlines like MAGA Meat Sticks, Republican Rat Dog, Elon Island Iced Tea and Donald's Ducks made the cut, and how performing the material live helped me discover which joke should close the bit. Then things got weird. I reposted Donald's Ducks when Trump's renaming antics returned to the news. It took off on Threads, people started turning it into memes and AI videos, and eventually President Trump shared a video using my punchline. Cool? Absolutely. Except now my joke is so widespread that if I perform it onstage, people might think I stole it from the internet. So we're talking about joke writing, going viral, joke ownership, the weird shelf life of comedy, and what happens when something you create stops belonging to you. Welcome to From Shit to Bit. 🎙️ Subscribe to Laugh or Death for more comedy, behind-the-scenes joke writing, humor science, and practical ways to find more funny in everyday life.   Links: FREE GIFT! Download the Fun Over Funny Guide For Leaders! https://www.paulosincup.com/freegift  If you enjoyed this episode and want to build your own humor habit, make sure to follow the podcast and share it with someone who could use a little more levity in their life. To learn more about Paul's work, book him for speaking engagements, or explore the science behind humor and resilience, visit: 👉 https://www.paulosincup.com You can also dive deeper into the tools discussed in this episode in Paul's book: 👉 The Humor Habit All Links For Paul: https://stan.store/PaulOsincup    Episode Minute-By-Minute 00:00 – The President Shared My Joke 01:00 – Introducing "From Shit to Bit" 02:00 – Where the Joke Started 03:00 – The Original Trump Renaming Bit 05:00 – How I Actually Wrote the Jokes 07:00 – How "Donald's Ducks" Happened 08:00 – Testing the Joke on Stage 09:00 – Why I Moved the Biggest Laugh to the End 10:00 – The Joke Comes Back From the Dead 11:00 – Donald's Ducks Goes Viral 12:00 – The Internet Steals My Punchline 13:00 – The President Shares My Joke 14:00 – Can I Even Tell This Joke Anymore? 16:00 – Do I Want Credit or Do I Let It Go? 17:00 – The Problem With Posting Comedy Online 19:00 – When Your Art Escapes You 20:00 – Mr. President, I've Got More Jokes

  6. Aug 26 ·  Video

    31. How to Be Funny (Even if You're Not)

    Think you're just "not a funny person"? Good news: being funny is a skill you can actually practice. In this solo episode of Laugh or Death, keynote speaker, comedian, and The Humor Habit author Paul Osincup breaks down three simple comedy techniques comedians use to find humor in everyday life: comparison, exaggeration, and the comic triple (rule of three). Paul doesn't just explain the techniques—he shows how he's used each one to write actual jokes, including material about couples therapy, stressful work meetings, dog training, being short, and more. You'll learn how to take an ordinary observation and ask "What is this like?", use ridiculous exaggeration to turn frustration into humor, create laughs by establishing and breaking patterns, and structure a joke so you don't accidentally step on your own punchline. And these tools aren't only for stand-up comedy. Learning to look at frustrating, awkward, and stressful moments through a comedic lens can help you find perspective and bring more levity into everyday life. You don't have to be the class clown. You don't need to have a naturally funny personality. You might just need to start looking at life like a comedian. 🎙️ Subscribe to Laugh or Death for new episodes every Wednesday about humor, resilience, positive psychology, and finding more levity in everyday life.   FREE GIFT! Download the Fun Over Funny Guide For Leaders! https://www.paulosincup.com/freegift  If you enjoyed this episode and want to build your own humor habit, make sure to follow the podcast and share it with someone who could use a little more levity in their life. To learn more about Paul's work, book him for speaking engagements, or explore the science behind humor and resilience, visit: 👉 https://www.paulosincup.com You can also dive deeper into the tools discussed in this episode in Paul's book: 👉 The Humor Habit All Links For Paul: https://stan.store/PaulOsincup    Episode Minute-By-Minute: 00:00 – Can You Actually Learn to Be Funny? 02:00 – The 3 Comedy Tools Anyone Can Learn 02:30 – Comedy Tool #1: Comparison 05:00 – Finding Humor in Everyday Frustrations 07:30 – Comedy Tool #2: Exaggeration 11:00 – How Exaggeration Can Reduce Stress 13:00 – Comedy Tool #3: The Comic Triple 14:00 – Why the Rule of Three Makes Us Laugh 16:00 – Put the Funniest Part Last 17:30 – Using Humor in Presentations 19:00 – Putting All 3 Comedy Tools Together 21:00 – Start Looking at Life Like a Comedian

  7. Aug 20

    Paul's Shorts: Why You Need a Vacation From Your Serious Self

    What if the thing interrupting your perfectly planned day is actually the part you'll remember? We spend a lot of time trying to optimize our lives—our workouts, morning routines, productivity, habits, and even our happiness. But somewhere between checking the boxes and getting to the next thing, it's pretty easy to optimize the joy right out of life. In this mini episode of Laugh or Death, Paul Osincup shares what happened when his dog, Hopper, started interrupting his yoga routine with wrestling, tickle fights, and absolutely no respect for personal space. What started as an annoyance became 10 minutes Paul now deliberately protects—a chance to be ridiculous, laugh like a kid, get out of his overthinking mind, and take what he calls a "vacation from your serious self." It's a reminder that enjoying your life doesn't always require a big vacation or perfectly planned weekend. Sometimes it's 10 minutes in the middle of an ordinary day. Sometimes it means letting yourself be weird. And sometimes the interruption isn't getting in the way of your life. Sometimes the interruption is the life. If you're constantly trying to be more productive, build better habits, or get through your daily routine as efficiently as possible, this mini episode might make you ask a different question: Am I actually enjoying any of this? 🎙️ This is a mini moment from Laugh or Death. Listen to the full episode for more on humor, happiness, habits, and finding more joy in everyday life. #Happiness #PersonalGrowth #Productivity #Humor #Mindset #HealthyHabits #LaughOrDeath

  8. Aug 19 ·  Video

    30. Are You Optimizing the Joy Out of Your Life? VIDEO

    Are you so busy trying to optimize your life that you've accidentally optimized the joy out of it? In this solo episode of Laugh or Death, Paul shares what started as a battle between his yoga routine and his dog, Hopper—and turned into a realization about productivity, happiness, habits, and the moments we actually remember. Paul was trying to get through his workout. Hopper was trying to turn the yoga mat into a wrestling carpet. Eventually, Paul realized he was actively pushing away the part of the routine that was making him laugh the hardest. Instead of trying to fit his life around his routine, he started fitting the routine around his life. In this episode, Paul explores why discipline and enjoyment don't have to be opposites, how pairing habits with things you enjoy can make them easier to repeat, and why constantly tracking steps, workouts, meditation, productivity, and efficiency can cause us to miss the moments happening right in front of us. You'll also hear why Paul now deliberately makes room for "Doggy Daddy Time," why being silly can feel like a vacation from your serious self, and the question he's started asking instead of only wondering whether he was productive: Did I actually enjoy today? Maybe the goal isn't to eliminate every interruption from your perfectly optimized life. Maybe sometimes the interruption is the life. Subscribe to Laugh or Death for more conversations about humor, happiness, resilience, leadership, and finding more joy in everyday life. #Happiness #Habits #Productivity #SelfImprovement #Humor #Mindset #LaughOrDeath Links: FREE GIFT! Download the Fun Over Funny Guide For Leaders! https://www.paulosincup.com/freegift  If you enjoyed this episode and want to build your own humor habit, make sure to follow the podcast and share it with someone who could use a little more levity in their life. To learn more about Paul's work, book him for speaking engagements, or explore the science behind humor and resilience, visit: 👉 https://www.paulosincup.com You can also dive deeper into the tools discussed in this episode in Paul's book: 👉 The Humor Habit All Links For Paul: https://stan.store/PaulOsincup  Episode Minute-By-Minute: 00:00 My Dog Thinks My Yoga Mat Is a Wrestling Carpet 01:00 Why Hopper Thinks Yoga Means Playtime 02:00 I Realized I Was Fighting the Best Part 03:00 Discipline vs. Enjoyment 04:00 Making Play Part of My Routine 05:00 I Work Out to Not Die Now 06:00 How My Dog Made Yoga More Fun 07:00 Stop Making Healthy Habits Feel Like Punishment 08:00 Pair Your Habits With Something You Enjoy 09:00 Why We Try to Optimize Everything 10:00 Are We Optimizing the Joy Out of Life? 11:00 Take a Vacation From Your Serious Self 12:00 Give Yourself Permission to Be Weird 13:00 You Don't Need a Vacation to Enjoy Your Life 14:00 What Part of Your Day Are You Just Trying to Get Through? 15:00 Maybe the Interruption IS the Life

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About

Laugh or Death is a show about finding the humor in everyday life and during our darkest moments. Host Paul Osincup talks with industry leaders, entertainers, and brilliantly imperfect humans to uncover how they use humor to cope, survive, and even thrive. From career setbacks to personal loss, each conversation reveals the surprising, human, and often hilarious ways laughter builds resilience. Equal parts heart and humor, Laugh or Death is a reminder that sometimes the best way to face life's gravity, is with levity. www.paulosincup.com

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