Reviews

Love your comedy specials and admire how you connect with your audience. Wish I were able to see in person “old man in the pool.” Hope you consider filming it and offer it to stream. I was especially impressed with your touching interview with a Gary Gilman. You are the real deal. Love you.

These podcasts are a treasure trove of valuable insights into the process of writing comedy and personal essay material. After seeing The Old Man and the Pool in Seattle, with Atsuko Okatsuka opening the night, I found my way to the podcast and I’ve been drilling through the catalog. I bought a pair of quality headphones so I could immerse myself in the dialogue while doing menial chores like organizing and cleaning the garage. It’s a win win! Thank you Mike and all the guests! Some of my favorites are his conversation with Seth Parrish (I’ve applied to take a course with the Barrow Group), three Atsuko episodes, Neal Brennan and all of the discussions with Ira Glass.

This is my current favorite when I’m needing something while I’m working in my studio! Thanks for existing!

I want a Harry and David basket

Dear Entire WIO squad! This is absolutely one of the quintessential must listen pods for anyone caught in the limbo that is trying to become a comedic storyteller (but to be honest it fits all lanes of creativity!) I’m just gonna drop my top 5 eps: Ira Glass 3 : “you mean Jesus been telling this American life type stories!?!” Quinta Brunson : “little did you know mom and dad that I almost drowned… can I have some more chips?” Rachel Feinstein : “the Costco pajama set for the win… also yeah I know I’m a shallow husband 😂 !” Mo Amer : “Vist this man in Houston already!” EVERY ATSUKO OKATSUKA EP! I mean that was hard to narrow down but they are all always so sharp and humorous but amazingly human! I mad there aren’t 100 more yet! Also if I get a chance to vote for an episode I’d love to hear you rap with Tone Bell , Nate Bargatze, Sheng Wang, Tom Segura… ok that’s probably too much but any who keep up the amazing work! - Sam

I love comedy. Although I am not funny, I appreciate the art form. I just loved this episode. Thank you for sharing her special. I think I enjoyed it more because I learned a little bit about her first. She’s brilliant and beautiful. “Ladies and Gentlemen: Kitty Berlant.”

fave ep: Sarah Sherman (what’s the worst that could happen????) Heard the joke about the klonopin in the Kate Berlant episode and wanted to share a tip for splitting pills without a cutter: if the pill is scored down the middle, put the pill on a flat surface, put one finger on each half of the pill, and press down; the pill will split along the score. If that doesn’t work you could try it on a curved surface like the side of the pill bottle.

Fascinating, funny, great guests - I listen every week! Thanks, Mike!

…so far: gladwell and sedaris. Laughed a lot. MB is a great host. Solid volley with the guests and does not hog the conversation like so many others tend to do. Great work MB and the team.

I have loved Mikes comedy for years. And quote his lines in my everyday life. A year ago I was in the hospital after just giving birth to my finale baby. He was born early and was in the NICU. I had never felt so bad to be sick and not able to be with my baby. We names him Jonas, calling him Joey. I watched “Joey Bag of donuts” so many times to laugh through my tears. This podcast has my heart. Listened to every episode. Hard to pick a favorite but Varna’s might be the best. I dedicate this to all of my enemies.

Loooooove this podcast, no way could I ever pick a favorite. Makes you feel like a comedy insider, without ever having to get on stage and bomb yourself 😂. As a former English major I especially appreciate the careful attention to nuances in language & the prompts. Sorry Mike I can’t pick a favorite, they’re all so good. Thanks for doing this!

Thank you. Long story long, I have been an avid listener to the Working it Out podcast and loved going on the journey with you as you developed your new show, “Old Man and the Pool.” I was looking forward to possibly getting the opportunity to see the finished show one day. To my surprise, the show was being presented in Chicago, and the residency at the Steppenwolf started on my birthday. It felt like it was meant for me. I do not often make plans for my birthday, not because I hate birthdays nor am I uncomfortable with getting older. I have a history of plans I make for my birthday going awry in interesting ways. One year I thought it would be fun to going bowling my birthday. My partner and I had been going to our local bowling alley, which seldom had more than three other lanes full when we were there, fairly often and found we really loved it. So, plans were made for myself, my partner and my friend to go to the local alley near my work after we clocked out. We arrived and found that this afternoon was the one time a month to do a full lane cleaning with their heavy duty machines. All lanes were shut down until later that evening. We decided to trek back to my local lanes, an hour away. We arrived and found that the entire place was rented out by the boys and girls club for their annual bowling night. In all the times Marcus and I had gone bowling in the past year I had never not been able to get one lane with relative ease, but it was my birthday, so it weirdly was not an option. And apropo to how things had transpired in the past for birthday plans. Even with my weird birthday stuff, I felt compelled to buck my unluck and try to make “a plan” for my birthday. Now, I was not going to press my unluck to hard and choose to try and attend a performance on the weekend after my actual birthday. On March 3, my partner bought three tickets for me, my dear friend from Arizona, and my sister to attend the show. Still, I am sure my weird birthday energy made the oddity of the weather be interesting enough the early evening of the show on April 30th to have those emergency sirens go off in the middle of the show. Being that attending this show was my “birthday” celebration it prompted my just older sister to feel more apt to attend with me. I have five sisters, three of us have seven children under the age of four between us. As you can imagine, that makes it difficult for us to get a child free outing together. This show gave us the opportunity to do just that. As the show started I felt a surreal feeling like I was a part of the production. It was similar to how I felt when I did tech for the plays in high school. I was not a part of the performance, however, I still felt ownership in the process. I had some ownership this evening from listening to the podcast. This also meant I knew most of the show in a skeletal fashion. On March 26th, my Dad worked a full Saturday shift hauling scrap in a big truck around the city. He had done this for over forty years. He accidentally FaceTimed my Mom from the scrap yard, old people and phones, and took the happy accident to take her on a virtual tour of the place. An hour later he called my Mom on the way home to tell her he was having a heart attack. In July last year my mom sent a group text to my sisters and I to let us know she was bringing Dad to the ER for a possible heart attack. The cardiologist determined that he was moments away from a massive heart attack and place two stints. He was put on a restrictive diet and regular check ins with the cardiologist. On March 26th we got another text in our group chat that Dad was going to the ER once again. Twenty minutes later a simple text to the group “He Died.” Even though I knew the crux of the show, I had did not know there was going to be such a stark similarity to what we had just experienced and are still processing. Like I said at the beginning, Thank you. Thank you for coming to Chicago for my birthday so my sister was with me. Thank you for crafting your shows in such a masterful way to present such difficult topics in a real and vulnerable way with enough humor weaved in to make two sisters grieving their father on a rare outing be able to cry and have such joy in the experience. This is the days of us and I am so grateful to have spent this day at the show. I love you. Take Care, Theresa Coomer

Hey Mike. Rob Dundon here. Binging the pod daily. In the 70’s now. What are the lyrics for the theme-song. I hear, “workin it out cuz it’s not done, workin it out cus there’s no_______. Intentionally left blank? Genius if it is. “Dip that in ranch!”

Love to hear Mike and guests work through creating stand up! Occasionally Mike is too self referential, or wordy about promotions. Very glad this exists. Thank you Mike!

I love this show and the whole premise is carried out really well. As a creator it’s fun to hear other people process in real time. Only reason I give it four stars is it’s so annoying to have repost episodes that aren’t that old. It makes sense if they were notable episodes form a long time ago, but it happens really frequently.

But that’s how I’d describe it. Genuine, charming, intimate exchanges and generous insights into the creative process. Just a bonus how funny it is too. If you can’t get to see Mike in person then the podcast is a great intro. If you’re a longtime fan and worried that hearing how the “sausage is made” will ruin the experience of Mike’s live shows, forget it— it only adds layers to seeing the resulting show. Also sign up for the newsletter to hear about all the shows mike both performs and produces.

Love the show. Absolutely Slimed. 5 stars. Got me totally gooped up.

Tell your friends, tell your enemies to subscribe RIGHT NOW. The letter Mike reads on the Zarna Garg episode will reduce you to your emotional core.

Love this podcast. I’ve been watching Mike for years He is a great storyteller & listening to him always has a nice afterglow. 🙂 His conversations are so personal I feel like I’m sitting at the table with him & his guest talking comedy. Thank you Mike.

My favorite podcast. I love comedy. Mike is such a wonderful storyteller and so funny and just the kindest host to his guests. Also, a fake Mike Birbiglia just followed me on Instagram and for a minute I thought it was real and lost my mind. That’s how much I enjoy the show.

Mike is a great host. He shares generously. He listens thoughtfully. The guest is always sent up for success. Working It Out is the kind of conversation all creatives dream of having to sharpen their ideas and craft. A gem in the sea of podcasts.

I’m learning so much. You’re doing a beautiful job. Thank you…

Comedy is a place where thoughtfulness, curiosity, absurdity, vulnerability, and intelligence intermingle to create and showcase perspective. Working It Out is an intellectually playful space where the wisest idiots we have, lay bare their secrets and let us peak behind the veil to see how the proverbial sausage is made. I rarely recoil in horror as these sausage factory doors are opened. Mike has given comedy fans a tremendous gift; a series of conversations that showcase how unique people create magic in their own specIal way. It is thoughtful, curious, and silly. And at times it is shockingly honest, serious, and thought provoking. Thank you to Mike and his team for creating this master piece.

I look forward to this podcast every week. It’s a delight to get to listen in on such fun, funny and interesting conversations about comedy. Mike is the best host! Thanks for making this exist. It’s excellent company to calm anxious work commutes or decompress after long day. Top episodes for funny exchanges: Jimmy Fallon, Conan, Atusko, Jimmy Kimmel