FOLLOW THE PIVOT PODCAST: MERCH | https://pivotpodcast.com  YOUTUBE | https://www.youtube.com/thepivotpodcast INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/thepivot TWITTER | https://twitter.com/thepivot TIKTOK | https://tiktok.com/@thepivot FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/thepivotpodcast FOLLOW HAPPY DAD: https://www.instagram.com/happydad FIND HAPPY DAD: https://www.happydad.com/find No greater remedy to life’s stresses than laughter and being able to make light of tough moments is not just a form of entertainment but a gift. And today we sit with someone who’s found a way to separate himself in the crowded space of comedy as one of the younger, more successful entertainers of this generation. Desi Banks joins The Pivot to share his journey with Ryan, Fred and Channing about his rise to fame, staying true to his purpose, and how stand-up comedy changed his life forever. Growing up and being raised by his grandma in the Eastside of Atlanta, everyone around Desi knew his calling was comedy despite his passion and a dream of playing professional football but when football didn’t work out as planned, the setback led him to find his true purpose. Desi shares a candid moment and calls his mother during our conversation for her to confirm the story he’s telling about while she was pregnant with him, he would kick nonstop when he heard the Arsenio Hall show on tv and would happen often like clockwork. Desi’s grandmother always said the white noise most kids listen to was not for him but if she ever needed to settle him her goto would be putting on the Martin Lawrence show to soothe him.  Starting his career off by becoming well-known for his comical skits on social media, Desi recalls the time where his first video went viral in 2012 on Vine and since then, he has amassed millions of followers across all social media platforms and successfully turned his life experiences into a million-dollar business. Although everyone around Desi saw the gift he had of comedy, he had other things in mind for what he wanted his future to look like. With aspirations of becoming an NFL player, Desi played the WR position at Morehead State and Georgia State. Post-graduation all Desi had was a job at Smoothie King, his phone, and a crisp lining haircut. His girlfriend at the time, didn’t believe in his comedic calling and kicked him out which turned out to be his pivotal moment as he moved in with his grandmother again and found a gun wrapper that captivated him by the saying which in turn became his mantra and later a lifetime of making others laugh while touring the world.  Opening up about his relationship with God and how he’s kept purpose as the guide of his journey, Desi talks about believing he was born to spread light to others and he’s continuing to put in the work to elevate as a comedian. Thanks to our friends at Celsius for giving us the boost to always empowering us to be our best selves. Go to the Celsius Amazon store to check out all of their flavors #CELSIUSBrandPartner #CELSIUSLiveFit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices