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

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

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

Publisher

Paul Osincup: Keynote Speaker

Category

comedy · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

6 Mar 2026

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

45 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026

   37. Laughing Through Disability with Comedian Noah Crow

   What happens when the thing that makes your job harder also becomes part of what makes your comedy unforgettable? This week on Laugh or Death, I'm hanging out with my friend and very funny comedian Noah Crow. Noah has a stutter, which creates a pretty unusual challenge when your chosen profession is…talking into a microphone in front of strangers. Some days his stutter is barely noticeable. Other days it can get bad enough that he has to seriously consider whether he should perform at all. And in one of the strangest twists, there are even nights when he has to exaggerate or fake his own stutter because the jokes he wrote about it won't make sense otherwise. Transcript Transcript We talk about what it's like when audiences laugh before Noah has even told a joke, why people sometimes mistake a stutter for nervousness, and how he learned to use those uncomfortable moments instead of running from them. We also get into the craft of stand-up: finding your closer, writing jokes about the city you're performing in, why crushing your first open mic might actually be terrible for you, and the bizarre path that took Noah from young Shrek to stand-up comedian. But one of my favorite parts of the conversation is when Noah talks about the people with stutters who approach him after shows and tell him that watching him perform makes them feel more comfortable being themselves. One interaction hit him so hard that he found himself crying on the way to work the next day and realizing, "I can't stop now." Transcript We also somehow cover assless European sailor underwear, a Nashville stranger asking Noah for "a dollar or three," and one of the worst possible ways to ask someone what country they're from. So, a normal episode. In this episode: Living and performing with a stutter Why Noah sometimes has to fake his own disability Being laughed at before you've even told the joke Turning uncomfortable audience moments into comedy The comedian who inspired Noah to try stand-up Why Noah started performing at 18 Chasing his mom's laugh How to know when you've found your closing joke Writing location-specific stand-up material What disability representation means when you're actually great at the craft Why people with stutters have approached Noah after shows Comedy, resilience, and learning not to hide Noah's upcoming one-man show, Sprinkler 🎙️ Episode 37: Laughing Through Disability with Comedian Noah Crow Subscribe to Laugh or Death for conversations about comedy, humor, resilience, and getting through being human without taking yourself too 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 Guest Socials & Website: https://www.instagram.com/mrnoahcrow/ Episode Minute-By-Minute: 00:00 – Meet Comedian Noah Crow 01:00 – The Underwear Modeling Story 😂 02:40 – "The Stutter Is Just Part of Your Act, Right?" 04:00 – When Noah Has to Fake His Own Stutter 05:00 – How Much His Stutter Can Change Day to Day 07:00 – The Comedian Who Made Noah Think "I Could Do This" 09:00 – Why People Laugh Before He's Told a Joke 12:00 – Turning Awkward Audience Reactions Into Comedy 13:00 – Noah's Favorite Stuttering Joke 15:00 – How Comedians Know They've Found Their Closer 17:00 – Getting Life Advice From a Stranger in Nashville 19:00 – Why Local Jokes Hit Harder 21:00 – Doing Stand-Up With a Disability 22:00 – Noah's First Open Mic at 18 23:00 – Chasing His Mom's Laugh 26:00 – Why Doing Okay Your First Time Can Be Dangerous 27:00 – The Moment Noah Realized His Comedy Was Helping People 29:00 – Being Great at Stand-Up, Stutter or No Stutter 31:00 – The Worst Possible Way to Ask "Where Are You From?" 😂 32:00 – Has Comedy Made Noah More Resilient? 33:00 – Why People With Stutters Shouldn't Feel Like They Have to Hide 35:00 – When People Think the Stutter Is Fake 37:00 – Noah's One-Man Show: Sprinkler

2. 

   30 Sept 2026

   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?

3. 

   23 Sept 2026

   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?

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

15 ratings

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