Industry Standard w/ Barry Katz

Nate Jackson is a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and entrepreneur from Tacoma, Washington. He began performing locally before creating the Super Funny Comedy Show and eventually opening the Super Funny Comedy Club, establishing himself as both a performer and a force in the comedy community.As his career grew, Jackson became known for his high energy crowd work, which helped him build a massive online following while landing appearances on Wild ’N Out, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Young Rock. That digital momentum expanded his audience far beyond the comedy club, leading to his 2025 Netflix special, Nate Jackson: Super Funny.Today, Jackson tours nationally and internationally, continuing to build on the crowd work style that helped take him from a local comedian to a nationally recognized headliner.

Rick Messina has spent decades behind the scenes of the comedy business as a producer, manager, and talent representative, helping guide the careers of some of comedy’s most talented performers, including Tim Allen.In this episode, Rick takes us inside his career and the world of comedy management, from discovering and developing talent to navigating relationships, the business side of the industry, and the realities of working alongside comedians as they build their careers.He shares stories from his years in the business, the lessons he learned working with different talent, and what really happens behind the scenes of a comedian’s career.

In this episode Industry Standard, Eddie takes us behind the scenes of the comedy business, from the complicated relationship between managers and clients to how he sees the industry as a whole. He opens up about his own Achilles heel, what he would change about his life, and the moments in his career that make him most proud.We also get a behind the scenes look at Eddie’s creative process, including the story behind his track/alter boy bit, Barry’s perspective on Eddie, and a deeper dive into his connections throughout the comedy world.

Yakov Smirnoff came to America from the Soviet Union in 1977 with little money and limited English, determined to build a new life. He started out working as a bartender before finding his way into stand up comedy, where he turned the culture shock of being an immigrant into his greatest source of material.His career took him from comedy clubs to The Tonight Show, Night Court, and his own sitcom "What a Country!" making him one of the most recognizable comedians of the 1980s. Behind the catchphrase is a remarkable story of an immigrant who used comedy to understand America and ultimately found his place in it.

Questions on this week's episode of Ask Me Anything #22How should a new comic in 2026 be thinking about building stage time, clubs, festivals, podcast or something else entirely?How long do you have to pound the pavement as a comic before you start making it?What's a fair deal structure today between comics and managers, and where do you see comics get taken advantage of?How do you level up from a self-built regional comedy career without just being told to "do more content" or "network more"?How do you protect creative momentum when life gets busy and full of other important things?When you read a comedy script or watch a comedy movie, what matters more to you: the jokes or the overall story and characters?In such a competitive industry, how can an editor stand out for a better chance of getting hired for a job?