Brendan Schaub: From UFC Fighter To Selling Out Comedy Shows (#442)

About this video

Sam and Shaan interview Brendan Schaub, a former UFC fighter turned podcaster and comedian, about his rapid rise through multiple careers, his transition from fighting to entertainment, building his podcast network (Thick Boy Studios), and navigating fame, criticism, and the evolution of the comedy podcasting community.

Key takeaways

• Brendan describes a pattern of being thrown into the deep end across football, UFC, comedy, and business—learning fast but publicly and sometimes before he was ready, which initially hurt him professionally but ultimately accelerated his growth
• He turned down a six-year contract with Showtime in 2022 to launch Thick Boy Studios independently, owning the IP to his shows; a year in he’s growing the network but facing the challenge of starting from zero again and learning to delegate as both talent and CEO
• Audio metrics, not YouTube views, are the true measure of podcast success; consistent audio downloads reflect real subscriber loyalty, whereas YouTube can be misleading for assessing actual reach
• The comedy podcasting community experienced a ‘golden age’ around 2015–2018 centered at the Comedy Store with Joe Rogan, Theo Von, Andrew Schultz, and others who supported each other, but the pandemic and various controversies scattered that crew; Brendan now emphasizes the importance of pay-it-forward culture
• Brendan prioritizes positivity and avoids engaging with online hate and Reddit criticism, believing that focusing on real-world interactions and not comparing himself to others is key to happiness and sustainable success
• He admits he doesn’t have a specific numerical end goal (like a $50M revenue target or exit valuation) yet, but trusts that momentum and getting to ‘cruising altitude’ will reveal clearer objectives; vision matters more than a rigid five-year plan

Episode details: published April 13, 2023 · 13K views · 1:05:56 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. The business ideas, figures and results discussed are the hosts’ and guests’ own claims, shared as brainstorming and entertainment — not verified facts and not investment advice.

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