464. Michelle Wolf, Comedian & Ultramarathoner

Ali on the Run Show

Ali Feller

Run, Health & Fitness, Women, Inspiration, Runner, Entrepreneur, Sports, Fitness, Health, Running

4.9 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 30 December 2021

⏱️ 89 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

“If I’m stuck on a joke, I’ll go for a run and think about it during my run. And almost all the time, I can figure it out on the run.”

Michelle Wolf is a comedian who is best known for her stand-up specials (Michelle Wolf: Joke Show on Netflix, and Michelle Wolf: Nice Lady on HBO), and her roles as a writer and on-air contributor at both The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and Late Night with Seth Meyers. And though she's been successful on the comedy scene for a long time, it was her set as the headliner at the 2018 White House Correspondents' Dinner that really made headlines. Where was she when she got the call about being invited to the dinner? On a run. And what did she do in the aftermath, when life was, as she recalls, "tumultuous?" Go for a run. Michelle is a college high jumper turned avid distance runner, ultramarathoner, and self-proclaimed "track and field super fan." On this episode, she talks about her road to comedy fame, what her joke-writing process is like, and how she deals when rejection and feedback are essential parts of her job. Plus, all about that White House Correspondents' Dinner, including how she came up with the material, what it was like in the moment, and what happened next.

SPONSOR: AfterShokz — Visit ontherun.aftershokz.com for 15% off wireless headphones.

What you’ll get on this episode:

How Michelle became a fan of the sport (6:40)
On writing and telling running jokes (15:15)
Is the goal as a comedian to make everyone laugh the entire time? (17:00)
What Michelle was like as a kid (19:20)
How Michelle went from Wall Street to comedy (25:45)
What Michelle’s comedic process is like (39:40)
All about the 2018 White House Correspondents’ Dinner (47:30)
Why that time in Michelle’s life was so “tumultuous” (1:03:20)
What hasn’t Michelle done? (1:09:55)
Michelle’s advice for being more confident (1:17:55)

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode of The Alley on the Run Show is brought to you by Aftershocks.
0:04.4	Go to ontherun.aftershocks.com to save 15% on all wireless headphones.
0:15.2	Welcome to The Alley on the Run Show.
0:17.3	I'm your host Allie Feller and every week I talk with people who are doing exciting things on
0:22.4	the run and beyond. We all share that love for running and that's what brings us all together.
0:27.8	But of course there's so much more to life than what happens on the run itself.
0:32.0	And this show is all about the in-between.
0:35.1	The moments and decisions that have shaped who we are today and the wise.
0:39.2	Why do we do what we do and how does getting sweaty factor in?
0:43.5	Today's exciting.
0:45.0	Comedian and ultra runner Michelle Wolfe is here.
0:49.2	Maybe you're a fan of her stand up.
0:51.5	Maybe you remember her as a writer on late night with Seth Meyers.
0:55.2	Maybe you remember her.
0:56.9	Oh so controversial set from the 2018 White House Correspondence Dinner.
1:02.4	Or hey, maybe you know her as a track and field superfan who loves following the
1:08.7	Bowrim and Babes and Sydney McLaughlin.
1:11.5	Or maybe you're new to Michelle and you're going to get to know her really well in this conversation.
1:17.6	Unsurprisingly, Michelle was totally willing to be an open book with this one.
1:22.3	So we talk about her love for running and her transition from collegiate high jumper to ultra marathoner.
1:29.1	We talk about how she got her start in comedy.
1:31.6	What it was like working as a writer for Seth Meyers and how she made it big in the standup world.
	...

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