STAND-UP COMEDY WITH NEEMA NAZ | E061 PODCAST

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE

ABOUT THE GUEST

Neema Naz is a Toronto-born comedian, actor, and content creator who has risen from local stages to performing internationally. Known for his sharp wit, cultural commentary, and unapologetic authenticity, he has opened for comedy legends such as Russell Peters, Theo Von, and Howie Mandel.

With over two billion views across social media platforms, Neema has become one of the most recognizable comedic voices of his generation. His work has earned recognition from global icons including Gary Vaynerchuk, David Goggins, Gordon Ramsay, Kevin Hart, and Andrew Schulz.

Behind the humor lies an extraordinary combination of discipline, creative vision, and entrepreneurial drive. Neema has built a global audience by transforming everyday experiences — from culture and family to the immigrant hustle — into stories that resonate universally.

This episode explores the business behind the laughs, revealing what it takes to build a successful brand in comedy today. From stand-up and skit production to social media growth, fame, and creative longevity, it’s an inside look at how a modern comedian turns art into enterprise.

Website: www.neemanaz.com

Neema’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neemanaz/?hl=en

Neema’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@neemanaz?lang=en

Neema’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NeemaNaz

George Stroumboulis sits down with Neema Naz in Newport Beach, California, on the Invigorate Your Business Podcast to dive into the world of comedy — from stand-up stages to viral skits, social media growth, cultural humor, and the business behind making people laugh.

“Every time I doubt myself or feel like I can’t do something, I think about my parents and what they sacrificed. That’s the shit that keeps me going.”
— NEEMA NAZ

MEDIA RELATED TO THE EPISODE

George Stroumboulis sits down with Neema Naz in Newport Beach, California, on the Invigorate Your Business Podcast to dive into the world of comedy — from stand-up stages to viral skits, social media growth, cultural humor, and the business behind making people laugh.

From stage lights to screen swipes — George Stroumboulis sits down with Neema Naz in Newport Beach for a raw conversation about stand-up, skit comedy, social media fame, cultural humor, and what it really takes to turn laughs into a living.

On this episode of the Invigorate Your Business Podcast, George Stroumboulis chats with Neema Naz about building a career through comedy — mastering the art of stand-up, crafting viral skits, navigating fame, and turning creativity into a full-time business.

A special moment in Newport Beach as George Stroumboulis presents Neema Naz with a custom “STELIOS the Greek” jersey — honoring the character that’s made millions laugh and brought Greek culture to screens around the world.

George Stroumboulis and Neema Naz link up in Newport Beach for an unfiltered talk on comedy, culture, content, and the grind — from viral fame to the business behind the laughs.

Neema Naz with Dina Stroumboulis and Theo at Ideoli Group HQ in Newport Beach, following the Invigorate Your Business Podcast recording.

Laughter meets leadership — Neema Naz stopped by Ideoli Group in Newport Beach to talk comedy, culture, and the business of being funny on the Invigorate Your Business Podcast.

ABOUT THE “INVIGORATE YOUR BUSINESS” PODCAST

The Invigorate Your Business with George Stroumboulis podcast features casual conversations and personal interviews with business leaders in their respective fields of expertise. Crossing several industry types and personal backgrounds, George sits down with inspiring people to discuss their business, how they got into that business, their path to the top of their game and the trials and tribulations experienced along the way. We want you to get inspired, motivated, and then apply any advice to your personal and professional lives. If there is at least one piece of advice that resonates with you after listening, then this podcast is a success. New episodes weekly. Stream our show on Spotify, YouTube, Apple, Amazon and all other platforms.

ABOUT GEORGE STROUMBOULIS

George Stroumboulis is an entrepreneur to the core, having launched several ventures across multiple industries and international markets. He has held senior-level positions at progressive companies and government institutions, both domestically and internationally, building an extensive portfolio of business know-how over the years and driving profit-generating results. George’s ability to drive real change has landed him in several media outlets, including the front page of the Wall Street Journal. George was born in Toronto, Canada to his Greek immigrant parents. Family first. Flying over 300,000 miles a year around the world puts into perspective how important family is to George’s mental and emotional development. With all this travel to global destinations, the longest he stays even in the most far-out destination is 3 days or less - a personal rule he lives by to make sure he is present and involved in family life with his wife and three daughters. To read about George’s global travels, stay connected with his blog section.

FULL SHOW TRANSCRIPT

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 0:00

Welcome to another episode of Invigorate Your Business with George Stroumboulis. Today I sit down with one of the funniest guys on the internet. His name is Neema Naz. You have surely seen some of his skits online over the years. He is a successful stand-up comic. He has opened for some of the biggest names in the world, including Howie Mandel, Theo Vaughn, and Russell Peters. His skits in comedy have been recognized by some of the biggest entertainers in the world, including Gary Vaynerchuk, Kevin Hart, and so many other people. He's a proud Canadian immigrant upbringing. And today we're going to sit down and talk about the business of comedy. We're going to dissect everything and we're going to laugh along the way. So enjoy this episode starting now. My name is George Stroumboulis, and I'm extremely passionate about traveling the world, meeting new people, and learning about new businesses. Join me as I sit down with other entrepreneurs to learn about their journey. This episode of Invigorate Your Business Starts Now. Okay, man, we're we're gonna jump into this. Let's do it. Um we got our coffees, we got our waters.

NEEMA NAZ: 1:11

That's it, baby.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 1:12

I'm gonna start off just reading a little intro about you. For the people that know you, they know you. The ones that don't, they're gonna find out.

NEEMA NAZ: 1:19

100%.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 1:20

All right. So my guest today is someone who needs no introduction. If you've ever scrolled through your feed and actually laughed out loud, Neema Naz, a Toronto-born comedian, actor, and content creator who's gone from the local scene to performing on international stages, literally. He's open for legends like Russell Peters, Theo Vaughn, Howie Mandel. And he's done it while staying unapologetically himself, which is very important. Online, he's a force. Over 2 billion views. That's with a B across platforms and recognition from some of the biggest names in entertainment: Gary V, David Goggins, Gordon Ramsay, Kevin Hart, even Andrew Schultz. What I personally love about Neema is that behind the jokes, there's discipline, there's business sense, and there's heart. He's built a global audience by turning everyday life, culture, family, and immigrant hustle into comedy that actually connects. I caught his show last night in Irvine with my wife and family, and he literally laughed the entire time, not joking. Today we're diving into it all the business behind the laughs, the grind behind the content. Neema Naz, welcome to the show, brother.

NEEMA NAZ: 2:21

Wow. What an intro. Did we cover it? No, not at all. Not at all, eh? You completely butchered it.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 2:27

Dude, it's impressive. It's impressive. So I just talk about last night, man. Like I got to see your show in Irvine, California, Orange County, took my wife, and then got two extra tickets. I brought my brother-in-law and my sister-in-law, who've never heard of you before, right? They're down here in California. And they came to the show and we'll build up to you by even building up your opening acts. Hilarious. The energy was great. Like we were sitting before the show even started, and music was pumping. Pump. Everyone's decked out. It was like everyone looked pristine, right? Like it just done up. And then the videos you had going on there of like instantly you knew, like, oh, this guy's fun personality, good energy. And then you just destroyed it the whole show. It was like amazing.

NEEMA NAZ: 3:09

Thank you. Wow. Yeah, that's great feedback. I appreciate that.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 3:12

Yeah, it was great. And then while we're talking about it, the merch, like how you have it set up, like the one of 500, like brilliant.

NEEMA NAZ: 3:19

Yeah, thank you.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 3:20

It was really cool stuff.

NEEMA NAZ: 3:21

Yeah, I I personally signed each and every one of those, those little tags, so they can press it onto the shirts. Smart. And it took me like hours just to like sign each and every one and number them to but it's worth it. You know, it's makes it feel special and you know, people people appreciate it.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 3:37

Yeah, absolutely. I tried to buy some before the show. They're like, no, you have to wait for the meet and greet.

NEEMA NAZ: 3:40

No, it's okay. Yeah.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 3:41

Smart, smart.

NEEMA NAZ: 3:42

Yeah. I mean, we're not attached to like trying to like sell as many as we can like every single time. It's like I want it to be the best product for the fans. And if people really want it and they want to support, then then by all means. If not, then honestly just come to the show as well. Come to the show, yeah. It's just huge, it's great support.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 3:58

Oh man, you're honestly so talented. So proud Canadian.

NEEMA NAZ: 4:01

Yeah.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 4:01

Right? Immigrant family. We'll we'll talk about that. I'm very proud Canadian as well. Like, where where do you start? You're 30 years old right now. You've been at this for 10 years, right? And people will start saying, like, oh, overnight success. You've been grinding for years doing this, right? So, like, where did it start? When did you know like this is my path? Like, fuck school.

NEEMA NAZ: 4:20

Oh man, uh I I from when I was a kid, probably. I just I always like to have fun. And I was always confused as to why in school we weren't having more fun. And I know I that it it that sounds dumb, but it's like, yeah, gym is fun. I love gym, right? Just running around throwing balls, you know, just playing basketball, whatever in school. But that was like, what we should have more creative time, and not just fucking math and science and geography, those are all great things too, but there should also be the other side too, because there's so many kids who aren't they don't they don't have an affinity for math and science. Exactly. And maybe they're just really creative people, but they're not getting the opportunity and the resources to actually shine and and and you know, have have the opportunity to actually just explore it. But as a kid, I always like to be, you know, funny and make jokes and make fun of my mom and my dad and my friends and their family and everyone. And they would actually get me to go up in front of all their friends, my parents and all their friends at our parties, our Persian parties, and uh, you know, literally impersonate my mom going through like a um a drive-thru. You're pretty trying to order food. And that was like the very first time I realized in my head that oh, like I I have this funniness to me. How old were you? I was like eight, nine. Shit, yeah. And I was crushing in front of my family, you know?

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 5:38

And I was like selfish fans though, right?

NEEMA NAZ: 5:40

Yeah, yeah, of course. But I was like, whoa, like they're laughing at me, and I'm eight, like making making fun of my mom, and like she's obviously like, Nima, you still stupid, like why are you making fun of me? But she's also like laughing too. That's when I knew I was like, Oh, I have something, I don't know what it is, but intuitively, just from a young age, I felt it. And then obviously throughout high school, you learn, you know, I'm one I'm the funniest guy in my group of friends. At school, I'm always the class client. You know what I'm saying? Like you get all these all these you know comments from other people throughout your life, you start to believe it, and then yeah, eventually I went to school and I realized, oh, this is bullshit. I don't want to be in a lecture hall listening to some guy talk about cells and microfiber and your muscles and stuff, which is also interesting.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 6:18

University now, uh high school, like where you realize university, university, yeah.

NEEMA NAZ: 6:22

Because I was I was I was studying kinesiology in University of Toronto. Shit. And by the way, top 15 schools in the world in the world, yeah. Yeah. Uh so I'm not as stupid as I look.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 6:32

It's stupid, it's stupid, yeah.

NEEMA NAZ: 6:34

Um, but I I just you know, I I could have done it, it's just I was miserable. Yep. And uh and then I I I actually discovered um the a comedy program that was offered in Toronto at the time. And as soon as I discovered it, literally within it was it just clicked in my head. I was like, oh, like this is exactly what I've been looking for my whole life without realizing this is something I could definitely do. And I immediately dropped out the next day. I went to the dean's office, I was like, bro, I'm dropping on, I'm getting out of here. Like I didn't even tell my parents. That's how much I believed in myself from the beginning. I was like, I don't know, like this something's calling me, and I just gotta go for it.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 7:08

And yeah, and then but but what what were you doing before you just dropped out? Were you doing skits? Were you doing stuff? Like, where did you or was it just being the funny guy?

NEEMA NAZ: 7:17

Yeah, no, I like I mean well actually to be honest, before I dropped out that year, I remember it was like 20 uh 2013, 2013, 2014-ish. That's when Vine just came out, and Vine was popular and huge, and I was like, oh, this is amazing. I loved watching people's vines, and I loved seeing funny shit. And I was watching stand-up a lot. This is how I knew before every exam I had, I would always watch stand-up.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 7:42

Okay.

NEEMA NAZ: 7:43

To to de decompress and de-stress a little bit to get ready to do the exam. Yeah, and so that's how I was I knew I was like, oh, if I need comedy to do this other thing that I don't really want to do, then maybe I should just do comedy, right? So there was all these signs everywhere until I finally found it and I went, I just went for it. So I wasn't like doing anything concrete, I was just like, there's just all these different signs around me.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 8:04

That's huge. Yeah. Do you do you ever feel pressure always having to be the funny guy?

NEEMA NAZ: 8:08

Uh no, no, not at all. No. I I and some to be honest, there's funnier people even around me sometimes. Like my friends are funny, like my brother's funny, you know, my family's funny. And so I I I just get it from all everyone, but I never feel like I have to be the funny one or anything. Like I just I'm just more chill actually in real life. Right. I don't I don't try to be funny. I just if it comes out, it comes out. If not, then I'm usually jet genuinely just very quiet to be honest. Right, right. Um, because I I I'm I'm so extroverted and I I I I am so annoying and loud and doing accents and joking around that like you you eventually hit this like low battery, and I'm like, all right, I gotta fuck it. Recharge, I gotta breathe a little bit. And I'll let other people take the take the reins. Yeah.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 8:48

Like last night, for example, I don't like you're not just interacting with the crowd where people do crowd work, but like then to have like the geographic cultural like there was someone from Cambodia there, and then you're twisting that into the Chinese, and that was happening on the spot. I'm like, holy fuck. Like it's not you know what I mean? Like you're not just oh, you you look a certain way. Like you're it was very impressive, man. Just seeing that.

NEEMA NAZ: 9:12

Well, I think it's be it's the it's the the reason why that is, is because I'm a product of being from Canada, like I mentioned in my set too. Being from Toronto specifically, you know, it's a melting pot of diversity. I was raised around every type of immigrant you can think of. Markham? Uh Markham, yeah. Markham, yeah. That was where all the Asians are, funny enough. But I was born and raised in Scarborough, you know. I've been with I've been around Tamils and Jamaicans and Africans, and then I I was also with Chinese and Korean and um Indian and Arab, you know what I'm saying? Like and whites, you know, so so I'm around all these different people. You kind of just sort of have an affinity of knowing cultures, and I'm much more open-minded than a lot of people because of that reason. Yeah, yeah. Right? And so, yeah, it just kind of comes to me naturally now.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 9:54

Absolutely. When I moved here, so I'm originally at born Jane and Finch, North Florida. You're from the hood, yeah, yeah. Well, born there, but then we moved out to Niagara Falls. Wow, what a change. Change. So I didn't really experience it. And then I grew up the rest of my life like till I was 19, Fort Erie, end of the highway. Oh wow, Fort Erie. So down there, but like seeing that, we were the immigrant family as well in Fort Erie. It was all like Tommy and Timmy and Josh and all these.

NEEMA NAZ: 10:15

Connor and Brayden. All these guys. And then Yorgos.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 10:18

And Yorgos, right? But then you wanted to be more like Brian. Like I remember growing up, dude, I was like embarrassed. We had the family restaurant and everything was there, and I couldn't play hockey. And dude, it was makes sense. Did you go through that?

NEEMA NAZ: 10:30

Yeah. Well, I didn't have a family restaurant, but same idea. Like I would be embarrassed that like my mom couldn't speak English like the other parents could. Right. Because if I had like a team outing or for sports. And actually, a very sad uh example is one time I was uh it was after a tournament or a basketball tournament, and all the kids and the parents went to this Chinese buffet to just have lunch or some shit. And I was so embarrassed that my mom couldn't speak English well that I told her I was like, can you just like stay in the car until we're done and then like just wait and then we'll go home. Yeah. And like to this day, every time I think about it, it fucking devastates me. You feel like I feel like garbage.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 11:15

Yeah.

NEEMA NAZ: 11:15

Because I'm like, why would I do that? And so I'm so happy I'm not like that now, obviously. But you know, as a kid, you don't really understand what you're doing. You're an idiot. And so, yeah, those are the moments that kind of make you realize like how how shitty of a person you can be growing up around those areas.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 11:33

Absolutely, dude. I used to play hockey, and my dad would come from the restaurant rush hour with the apron still on. Yeah, holy up, and I'd be playing hockey and I would look up in the stands to make sure that he wasn't, and when he would have it on, I'm like, fuck.

NEEMA NAZ: 11:45

You'd be ashamed. You'd be embarrassed.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 11:47

And then you look back, I'm like, this guy was just trying to pay bills. Like you see a different.

NEEMA NAZ: 11:51

100%. Exactly. That's like you realize like how much sacrifice they did just for you to do that shit. Exactly. And now I look back, I'm like, well, how how entitled was I, you know? And um now, so now when I see stuff like that, it really bothers me. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I'm like, don't be ashamed of who your parents are or if they have a little bit of accent and stuff like that.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 12:11

It's like you know, but you've made it like your mom now is uh the limelight, right now.

NEEMA NAZ: 12:15

No, yeah. I feel like I've I've redeemed myself by making her a superstar.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 12:18

I have yet to do that, so I gotta do something, man. That's awesome.

NEEMA NAZ: 12:22

Yeah.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 12:22

So then growing like immigrant, like talk to me as being an immigrant with comedy, right? Like you go from that and then you start doing these stand-up routines. Like, when did you realize like this is my path? Because really quick, last night when you closed out the show, you you had this message of like, hey, what I'm doing is not racist, right? I'm I'm bringing light to it, I'm I'm tapping it. Like it was a really powerful message. Um, like just talk to me about that.

NEEMA NAZ: 12:46

Yeah, no, I I I always say like my pure intention is to make people laugh. That's the main that's the forefront of what I do, and to bring joy into the world. That's just genuinely what makes me happy. And along the way, yeah, like people might think it's I'm being racist or misogynistic with the jokes I make, but the my pure intentions is truly just to like represent for my family and the different cultures, like I mentioned on stage. And that's that's genuinely how I feel. And then obviously, in like a set, it's like I have I set that up in a way where it's real and authentic, right? Because when you're more vulnerable in a live performance, people will resonate more with it and be more it'll be more relatable. Therefore, you can get away with more after. Gotcha. So that's why I set it up that way in the set, because then I go straight into like the thing I was talking about. Exactly. But you know, um I feel like it's important to be as vulnerable and raw as you can, and I think it'll it'll uh be more in your favor. Yeah.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 13:39

When you're traveling, is being from Toronto like you're putting Toronto on the map, right? Drake put it on the map. I'm from Fort Erie, Maddie Matheson, we went to high school together, he put that on the mic. It's important, right? So, like, why is that important to you like keep pushing like Toronto and the pride?

NEEMA NAZ: 13:54

Because I see people who make it outside of Toronto, like that are from Toronto and they go and leave Toronto and make it and then don't put the city back on for them. And that pisses me off. Absolutely because I'm like, well, these people made you. How could you not give back to your city and your culture, right? So that's why I really respect respect Drake because he doesn't talk to us about this. He doesn't need to do that. Right. But he does, and I'm like, well, that's sick, you know. Uh of course I'm gonna uh support him. Absolutely through through all of it. There's more reasons to it too, but but I'm just saying when you see that, you're like, oh yeah, that's it's a pride. Absolutely. Like, hell yeah, man. You know, it's like you're you're you're the you're the forefront of of this whole city, like you're representing us, and so it feels good. Uh as opposed to there's some people who leave and you don't even know they're Canadian. You didn't even know. Absolutely. Like, and actually, so like I don't know, like the weekend. I'm like, bro, you're from Toronto. What the fuck? You wouldn't know that. You wouldn't know that. Absolutely. No one knows that. Absolutely. And um like Justin Bieber a little bit better, like he still reps the Leliefs and all those things, too. But even I'm like, you know, and I love Justin Bieber. He's one of my favorite artists, and I still love Justin Bieber, but it's like I always think I'm like, why not rep Toronto more? Like you're I know he's from Stratford, but still, it's like and Toronto's a hotbed.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 15:05

Like, think of all the actors that have come there, comedians, everything.

NEEMA NAZ: 15:08

There's so many. Even Jim Carrey, man. Jim Carrey. Legend. He's from Newmarket.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 15:12

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like close to where I live now. But you you don't hear, you hear references. Like, I saw a lot of Canadians here that I didn't even know when the Jays were playing in the World Series, so everyone's rocking the Jays hats. I'm like, Canadian? Yeah. I'm like, holy shit, I've known you. You know what I mean? Like hilarious. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So just side note, two weeks ago, all three of my daughters got their Canadian passports. And I'm like, Oh, yeah, they know they're Canadian and they're American. Cool. And it's like, it's a big deal, man. Thank you. That's awesome. Okay, so talk to me about the business of comedy, right? It's your tour right now. You have spanned Canada, Europe, the States, Australia.

NEEMA NAZ: 15:46

Yeah.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 15:46

Right? And this in this tour. But how big is your squad? Like, how do you even manage this? What like what goes into it? What are the economics, right? Like, just obviously you can't give away, but when there's 30, 40 dates on this tour, and I see you on your socials, like everywhere. Everywhere. And side note, I want to talk about like some of your serious posts too. That I friggin' love the rants. I love the rants.

NEEMA NAZ: 16:07

Yeah, yeah.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 16:07

So how like how does that work, the economics of it and setting it up?

NEEMA NAZ: 16:12

That's a good question. I mean, well, to ask your first question about how big is the crew or whatever, it's just me and my brother. Amazing. Everything we do is just me and my brother. We ha we have people we we hire to like come to specific cities to do certain things. Like, for instance, we hire pretty much in all the Canadian shows, we hired a photographer that to to come and take pictures of the show, videographers to film the show or whatever behind the scenes. And then, you know, in Europe it was just me and my brother, like because in Canada it's easier because you can take people with you on the road and like they'll come with you. Yep. But in Europe, it's like we don't have the expenses and the and the the finances to to cover other people's flights and hotel and stuff. So it adds up. It adds a lot, a lot. And plus, we're putting money into flying there and you know, staying in hotels, and you have to eat and uh you have to invest in um you know, like traveling to this place and this place, and you know, uh putting putting money into the venue to to put a deposit. Like there's so many factors that a lot of people don't see behind the scenes, especially in Canada, too, where I was doing some of the biggest shows of my tour because that's my main market is Canada.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 17:17

Like where where were the biggest shows?

NEEMA NAZ: 17:18

Uh all m pretty much all the major cities, like Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal. Uh those were like the the top four shows I had, which were the biggest theaters I've ever done. Uh, Montreal was uh 1300-seater. Oh, jeez. And I sold about just over a thousand on that show, and it was a grind. Like we literally drove from Toronto to Montreal twice in two months leading up to the show to go and flyer the city. Come on. Go into restaurants and businesses, Greek restaurants, Italian restaurants, like every neighborhood being like, hey, you know, um, to the owners, I'll be like, hey, like, can I put my poster up in your in your window in your restaurant in return? I'll give you two comps. Like, just come to the show.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 17:57

Where's the documentary on this?

NEEMA NAZ: 17:59

So that and the problem is we don't even have enough money to have someone to document that. But this is all real shit that happens behind the scenes. So that's why we we work so hard because all we care about is like give the fans the best experience. Yep. Nothing beats that for us. Because I want people to not only come and enjoy the show, I want them to leave thinking, wow, like that was amazing, and I can't wait to come back. Exactly. And I can't wait to tell my friends. That's the effect that we try to have. And you know, sometimes it takes like literally driving to Montreal six hours, fly around the city all day, all night, sleep, do the same thing all day, sleep, do the same thing all day, three days in a row, drive back home, do other shit, and then still like struggle to sell tickets sometimes. And so, and then we end up losing money from that show. We didn't make money uh selling a thousand tickets. We didn't make money.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 18:46

See, I wanted to ask you, so like per show, some you make, some you lose, but like when you look at 30, 40 shows, yeah.

NEEMA NAZ: 18:52

Overall, you will make money, but sometimes it's like people don't see all the ads that goes behind it. Right. My brother works tirelessly.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 18:59

Give a shout out to his name. What's his name?

NEEMA NAZ: 19:00

Yeah, Omid, yeah.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 19:01

Omid, yeah.

NEEMA NAZ: 19:02

Omid Naz, uh a stupid Omid. We call him Jigsaw because he he's like he's the jigsaw, he like controls everything. Okay, good. No one fucks with him, too. Yeah, okay, good. Um, which is what you want in your team. Yeah, absolutely. So he he works so much behind the scenes with like, you know, booking the venues, and like sometimes it's impossible trying to find a date for a theater. Okay. Like theaters in in in Toronto and in uh in the suburbs sometimes. He would reach out and they're like, Yeah, sorry, we have one date on a Wednesday night at 7 p.m., like 13 months from now. Oh fuck. And he's like, why? Why you don't have any other like weekend shows? Like, because you know Friday, Saturdays are prime times. Sorry, we have dance competitions every other night for the next year ahead. I'm like, who's dancing all this time? My daughters. That's who's dancing. It's your fucking daughters. Exactly.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 19:48

Fuck these kids, man. I know. Well, we're teaching them to be on the polls. Like, I don't even want to do this shit. I'm with you.

NEEMA NAZ: 19:53

No, I'm so passionate about this because I'm like, dude, you're a 10-year-old girl. Fucking let me live my dream one night. You can dance the rest of the fucking year. You don't even, you're not even like this in five years.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 20:03

No, they're fucking resigning today. They're out. I'm sorry, man.

NEEMA NAZ: 20:06

They're taking my spots away.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 20:07

Well, I always wondered on some of your dates, dude, like around the world, and then I'll see like the East Coast geographically. I'm making it up, but it was like Boston or New Hampshire, Boston, New York, Florida, Toronto, Dallas. Yeah, Dallas. And I'm like, oh, that's just got to be venue scheduling, right?

NEEMA NAZ: 20:22

It's always scheduling. Because like people, everyone, I was like, why are you here? And then the next day you hear, like, why don't you just do this? I'm like, yeah, you don't think we thought about that? In a perfect world. Of course you would. You'd go like in a circle if you could. Exactly. So you can't. Because sometimes this one you book, this is a great date, but then this one, the best date is here, and this one is here. It's like, well, you just have to make it work however you can, the best you can. But he does a really good job, honestly, like a variety. He really thinks ahead a lot. And some this a tour like this takes two to two and a half years of planning. This is your biggest tour tour for sure, 100%.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 20:55

So it's the a stupid tour.

NEEMA NAZ: 20:56

A stupid life tour, yeah.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 20:57

A life tour. And so, how many dates are there gonna be by the time you're done in Australia? Like how many?

NEEMA NAZ: 21:02

Um, I don't know. Actually, I think in total it'll be like 60 to 70 or something. Jesus, man. I don't know, something like that. Like it's a high number. But yeah, I mean, honestly, it's been amazing. It's been one of the best experiences of my life and very tiring and exhausting. And sometimes you come out of routine and it fucks you up mentally because I'm like, well, I was doing so well earlier, but then you go on the road and you're like, holy shit, I can't do this. What do you mean by a routine?

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 21:24

Like at home, like regimen.

NEEMA NAZ: 21:25

At home, regimented, but like on the road, it's like the toughest things I've ever had to deal with.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 21:29

Dude, I'm with you. I I don't travel like that, but like I do 300,000 miles a year.

NEEMA NAZ: 21:33

That's wild.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 21:34

It's wild. But I'll do a night trip here. I'll go to China once a month for a night or two because I have kids, right? But it fucks you up. You think like I'm in a rhythm, fitness, whatever, out the window.

NEEMA NAZ: 21:45

It's time zones, man. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Time zones. Like sometimes I was talking about my stories one day. I was like, you know, with the schedule, sometimes I have four shows in four days. Come on, dude. And you fly into one city, you're not even there for 24 hours. You fly in at 3 p.m., drop your bags off the hotel, go to the show, do the show, eat something quick, sleep, wake up at 7, 8, 9 in the morning, fly to the next place. But it's not just fly to the next place, it's you go up two hours, and then the next place you back three hours. Yeah. And you just keep getting fucked.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 22:13

But the difference is I don't have to go in front of a thousand people, 500 people. Like, dude, you gotta be on.

NEEMA NAZ: 22:19

On, yeah. You have no choice.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 22:21

So of these 60, can you like of all the tours you've done so far? Yeah, when you go out there and you're just like, fuck, man, I'm not feeling it tonight. How do you fake that? Like, how do you get through it? What do you what do you do?

NEEMA NAZ: 22:32

Just coffee, man, just crushing coffee. Really? Yeah. Nice little frappe.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 22:36

A little frappe, let's go.

NEEMA NAZ: 22:38

No, uh, no, I mean, half joking, coffee really helps, obviously, but like it's just a lot of it is the will and the drive to just be great at what I do. And it's a more of a philosoph philosophical thinking of like, well, every time I doubt myself and every time I feel like I can't do it or I'm tired, or like, ah man, I gotta perform. I always think back to um like how my parents did it when they came from Iran to to Canada because they had to grind their ass to just provide for the family, but also like, you know, this might get kind of sad and like vulnerable, but like Bar Barbara Walters moment.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 23:23

Let's go. Let's hear this.

NEEMA NAZ: 23:24

Sorry, I don't even know who that is.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 23:26

That's how young you are. Forget it, man.

NEEMA NAZ: 23:27

Yeah, who's Barbara Walter? Dude. Actually, I've heard the name, I just don't know.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 23:30

A reporter who would always get people crying in emotional.

NEEMA NAZ: 23:33

Right, okay.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 23:35

No, no, no. Let's hear this.

NEEMA NAZ: 23:37

Well, the every time I doubt myself or I feel like I can't do something, I always think about my dad and my mom. They came to Canada, they fled their country to come here. My dad was an engineer back over in Iran, but then his degree didn't work in Canada. Right. So we had to restudy all the years. And then also drive taxis to make money for us because my mom had to take care of me and my brother at home, and also work in kitchens to make a little bit of cash too. But the the hardest part was my dad was handicapped, and he is handicapped. He has one leg and he had to amputate his leg at the knee when he was like 27 years old because he had cancer. And he also cut out half his lung because of cancer. And so, despite all that, he still came here, drive, drove taxis to make money, and on top of that, people would run out on his fare because they knew they could take advantage of him. Come on, man. So and then my mom, she had to work under the table, get cash, and people would fuck her over. Yeah. Because she couldn't speak English.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 24:34

And so she didn't have a voice, right? Like, that sucks, man. Yeah. But but Nima, while while you regroup there, it's like you realize that you got a soft spot for that. Like, fuck, dude. I I think of my parents all the time, like back to the apron thing, or like they would come into the restaurant and then they would make fun of them behind while I'm cleaning the table. They would make fun of their accents, and I'm like, fuck, man. And like, dude, I'm I'm with you on that so much. Yeah, it sucks, dude.

NEEMA NAZ: 25:00

So when I think about that, like that's the shit that uh keeps me going, right? So um so yeah, when when you ask, like if you're tired, like I just think about that. Oh fuck, dude. I'm like, well what would my parents do?

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 25:15

What would they do? Yeah, dude, you're so right, man. You're so so like yeah, that fuels you. Like, I I'll sit here. I have a I've been conditioned my whole life of like work, work, like even the restaurants. Like, I'd be sitting there Saturday, Sunday. My dad would call if the tables came in, my mom had to rush over, like to the point like when I moved out on my own and I I used to live in Ireland or whatever. Saturday, Sunday, when like there was no office work, I had to do something because I felt like I was a piece of shit, not working on the weekend.

NEEMA NAZ: 25:42

Guilt trips, guilt trips, because you're guilty, yeah.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 25:44

Yeah, because you're like, holy, they're busting their ass. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's but but that's what makes you who you are. Yeah.

NEEMA NAZ: 25:50

Yeah. I I always think I I always feel like I have that drive because of my parents, obviously, but it's that it's that immigrant mentality sometimes. Like, well, fucking, it's either this or nothing.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 25:59

Like, absolutely.

NEEMA NAZ: 26:00

I'm gonna get on that stage and rim it because why why else am I doing this? Oh fuck, dude. You know, it's either 100% or nothing. Yeah, it's like I'm not gonna half ass it. It's like I I don't want anyone to think I even I'm even a little bit tired. Absolutely.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 26:13

And it doesn't show the show.

NEEMA NAZ: 26:15

Because I've I really tell myself to just put all your all effort into it and then chill after. Absolutely. And then usually like it also helps that I love what I do. So I'm like, well, I'm not like doing something I'm dreading. Yeah. So it's easier to kind of not be tired.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 26:29

Absolutely. But plus you I'm I'm sure tired or not, and again, I like I've always said this the hardest job in the world. There's physically hard jobs or mentally, but like stand-up comedy's got to be the toughest job. Just just it's not amputated leg driving a taxi hard. Like that's on another level. But I mean to have the balls to go up there, and like my biggest fear is like, oh my God, going up there, bombing, coming back, not quitting. You know what I mean? Like, it's a tough fucking grind. It's a grind, yeah. Are you kidding me? So, but I would imagine though, if you're funny like you are, the minute you get that first laugh, it's probably like a drug. Like, all right, let's keep going. Like that that must fuel you, no?

NEEMA NAZ: 27:07

A hundred percent. Well, you chase that, and then you get better and better the more you do it, and then you find your voice and you realize what actually works and what doesn't, and then you just keep chasing that, like not perfectionism, but you chase that peak comedy that will make people laugh, and you just do more and more of it. And then now it's a whole set, and that's it. Like, yeah, yeah, it's great.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 27:26

My brother-in-law last night was at the show, the show finishes. We're walking out, said bye to you. Yeah, yeah. I'm like, hey, let's wait in line. It's like, I can't, the babysitter. I'm like, okay, so wait, right? Yeah. As we're leaving, he goes, So what's next for this guy? My brother-in-law, just to the point, I go, what do you mean? I go, he goes, no, no, no. He goes, like, he goes, that guy could be on SNL tomorrow. Oh wow. Right? Like, but but he was just he's very black and white, and he's like, Oh, he could be. I go, no, clearly he could. Of course, yeah. He goes, but like, is that the end goal? Like, what how do you define success? Because he doesn't know this world. So, like, what is your end goal? There's no end goal, but like what is the next step? Like, you're doing stand-up, you're amazing, right? You're building your crowds. Like, what where where are you going next with all this?

NEEMA NAZ: 28:08

Yeah, that's a that's a good question. Yeah, I mean, it's never a an end goal thing, it's always, yeah, what's the next thing? And for me, I just want to keep pursuing the things that will make me happy, which is doing stand-up, acting, making content, but just elevating as I go. Yeah. And the way I of doing that is, you know, touring more and doing bigger shows and better shows and visiting new cities and you know, uh providing all that value for the fans that have never seen me before, return customers, right? Return fans. Um, and then uh build my own movies and TV shows. That's something I really want to do, and I I actually currently am working on right now.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 28:46

Like your own studio that's producing content?

NEEMA NAZ: 28:48

Well, yeah, eventually that, but just in general, just uh making more higher production content that's not just social media, it could be for TV and movies. Awesome. Uh so I actually have filmed a um a proof of concept for a TV series that I'm gonna be pitching uh in a couple months. Nice, man. And I've been posting the clips actually this past month. I don't know if you've seen any, but it's uh it's about realtors. Uh yeah.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 29:11

Wait, this is with uh Bull Bobak?

NEEMA NAZ: 29:12

Bobak, Bobak Mark Arnia, yeah. Boback Marcanian, number of modern, okay. Um it's gonna be my own show, like my own TV series I'm building. Yeah, so the proof of concept is like instead of because people in a proof of concept, they'll film a pilot that's like 20 minutes long. But I was like, let me do a modern take on this, and instead of doing a 20-minute episode, let me cut up seven different mini skits that are like a minute, minute and a half long and post them on socials, see how people you know react and what the feedback is. Use that as a package, all seven, to pitch it to networks and be like, hey, look, this is the character, this is what the show's about, this is what it could be, this is the feedback, the people love it. Yes. Um, let's make this, let's make this show. Come on, dude. So I'm gonna I I'm confident in 2026 I'll have a TV show.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 29:53

And Netflix, like, is that an option too to try to get this on another?

NEEMA NAZ: 29:56

I mean, like, I yeah, I'm I'm not opposed to anything. At the end of the day, like. Like, if no one wants to pick it up, I'll just post it on YouTube. Yeah, absolutely. I just want people to to get to be more entertained. That's what I care about.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 30:07

By the way, the CEO of Netflix is Greek. So yeah, we gotta get the type of sarados. Yeah. Netflix, Greek. Exactly. Actually, good timing. This is so one of your funniest characters is Stelios. Stelios. Okay, so you gotta tell us about Stelios really quick. Well, Stelios. How did that come to be? Stelios is the Greek god. Exactly. He's the real Greek god.

NEEMA NAZ: 30:30

Uh no, Stelios is uh I don't know. I mean, uh with every other character I do that you've seen, it's based off of people I've met in my life. It's all inspired by people I've grown up with. Yeah. Or places I've been in the city or wherever I've been in the world. And I just kind of like I'm I I combine a few different people into one and I make that a character.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 30:50

Yes.

NEEMA NAZ: 30:51

And Stelios is based off all the taste of Danforth, you know?

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 30:55

Cocky Greeks.

NEEMA NAZ: 30:57

Going to all these Greek diners and Greek restaurants and uh and uh um Suvlaik, you know, on the Danforth, uh a Euro place, uh Messinis, you know, getting a late night gyro, you know, and the guys behind the counter like I like, you know, and they're yelling shit and whatever. It's like it's but it's so similar to how Arabs are and Persians are, you know. Totally it's it's in a way it's very similar, but very different. And I don't know, in my head, I'm like, I think of like a nice I like do I like doing characters that are like fobs from every country because that's that's just like that's funny. Absolutely. You know, everyone can relate to it. Everyone has a ya, everyone has a papu, everyone has a whatever, like an uncle and an auntie, you know. It's like I just like to portray those characters as much as best as I can. And it's it's relatable and it resonates with people because it's real and it's authentic. And it's I'm not making shit up. It's like this is all real stuff I've seen myself. Yes. And I think you can tell when I do it. Absolutely. It comes up authentic. I'm not trying to like play a certain weird character. No, it's just real life, you know?

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 31:53

And what you do so well, Nima, is you tap into all these cultures, like you're Chinese, this, to that, where a lot of comedians, you and you're the first comedian I've had on the show, which is awesome. Nice, nice. Uh a lot of them are just hate specifically for the Greek community or specifically for the It's just one or two things, yeah. Dude, you tap across everything. But I know Stelios doesn't like wearing a shirt, but you gotta open this up and oh wait, I'll take that one, yeah. This is uh uh elas? This is uh a Greek shirt. Oh shit. So again, I know you don't wear clothes. Stelios. Don't wear it shirt. But on the uh Oh man.

NEEMA NAZ: 32:30

Oh. And we got uh hilarious.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 32:34

In 2004, we put 04. That's hilarious. So that's our glory year when we won the Euro Cup Stelios. I tried to get the official jersey in time, but Greece. 04. Euro Cup champions. This is Greek.

NEEMA NAZ: 32:51

Thank you for having me. Malaka. Wow, this is sick. Thanks, dude.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 32:56

Just don't put olive oil on it, eh?

NEEMA NAZ: 32:57

I know you. I know I love putting olive oil on my chest. No, this is actually perfect because I'm filming a Greek video tomorrow. Okay. And I'm definitely using it. You have to use it, man. I have to.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 33:06

This is a sign from God. But hey, dude. I know the Greek community loves you too.

NEEMA NAZ: 33:12

Yeah, I love it, man. Thank you. I love the Greek community too, man. They're they're the best. Honestly, some of the biggest supporters I have are the Greeks. Right, right. Uh even on the live shows. So many Greeks.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 33:22

Oh, yeah. Who are some of the big content creators that you partner up with? I know like I I see a lot of them. Uh the Italian one.

NEEMA NAZ: 33:28

Yeah, Mark, Mark Anthony? Yeah. Hilarious big guy.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 33:31

Yeah. The no no no fucking guys. We're gonna get into my favorite ones are like I love your Bianca.

NEEMA NAZ: 33:38

Nice.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 33:38

Uh, Stelio's Hilarious, Luca, and then your Gary V.

NEEMA NAZ: 33:42

Yeah. Classics. What's your most well-received man? They're all good for different reasons. It's it's tough to even choose because there's a whole subsection of people who love Bianca, who love Gary V, who love Luca Marino, who love Bobak, who love Stellios. I don't know. It's like they're all equally popular and fun.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 34:04

But if you had one to identify yourself, like is there one where you're like, this gives me the most reaction from the community?

NEEMA NAZ: 34:09

Yeah, I mean, obviously I'd have to go with Bobak because it's it's me. It's I'm Persian, so it's like that's my community. Yes. Yeah, for sure. It's amazing. Yeah, I mean, yeah. Look, Luca Marino was also like a big one for me. Yeah. Uh I haven't done it a lot recently. It's just like, you know, sometimes you kind of outgrow certain characters and things, and you know, it is what it is.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 34:28

When you're coming up with one, how long do you practice it before you launch it?

NEEMA NAZ: 34:32

I usually just like it takes me like a day or two kind of like to think of ideas or like I I practice out loud. Yeah, yeah. And I'm like, all right, let me just film a quick thing, like and just post on my stories just to feel it out. Yes. And then from there I just I keep doing more and more. You keep doing that. Like I always do like when I try new impressions, I'll always just post on my stories first. And if it does really well, I'll post on my feed. Or like I'll I'll actually start to like create better ideas for it. Or like Mark Weens, for example, he's like a food creator. Yep. No, it's like he's huge on YouTube, he's one of the biggest food bloggers in the world. And I'm like, yeah, like I I love his videos, and that's the thing too. Any person I impersonate or I make fun of, I actually love their stuff. I love the culture. Yep, that's why I'm doing it.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 35:12

And they love that. Like Gary.

NEEMA NAZ: 35:14

You can feel it, you can feel it. Like, I'm not trying to hate at all. It's just it's because I genuinely love Gary V. He's like literally my internet god, he's my internet dad. Like, and he's the best guy, and he's the kindest guy, and then he's met him. You've you've opened for it. I was open for it, yeah, out of VCon. Yeah, I was on stage.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 35:31

Come on, man.

NEEMA NAZ: 35:32

And honestly, like he's the best dude. Like, and and I still watch his content religiously because like he really provides so much value.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 35:38

Value?

NEEMA NAZ: 35:39

Come on, give us something, man. I haven't done that in a while, actually. It's fucking like an itch, you know. Content? Bro, like you fucking George Trombulist, like, man, just fucking do podcasts, bro. Fuck. You're from Greece, dude.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 35:53

It is insane. He loves it.

NEEMA NAZ: 35:54

The blueberries, like, and he comments on my shit. You know, he man, he he went live with me a few months ago.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 36:00

That's insane.

NEEMA NAZ: 36:00

Like, he was just like, I'm on live stream now with Gary Bee. It's fucked.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 36:03

Yeah, but but like Okay, so half a million plus followers, two billion plus views, like all this shit. There's like significant people following your content. Like people, right? Like the Nelk boys, the this, the that. Like when you're in that, are you constantly, do you feel pressure? Like, fuck, I I gotta keep performing and making people like do you get stuck in this world where you're like, okay.

NEEMA NAZ: 36:23

Yeah, I mean, sometimes, but that's natural. I think I think any creative gets like, you know, writer's block or creative block block, but I don't know. You just kind of uh trust yourself and you just keep going and trying new things, and eventually it'll it'll get back into the flow. And I don't know, like Drake follows me. That's crazy, which is nuts.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 36:40

Can you tell us quickly? I know on time, I we have but uh so the whole Drake, yeah, for the people that don't know, like you were on Drake's live stream with Aiden Ross.

NEEMA NAZ: 36:49

Yeah, with Aiden Ross, yeah. They're doing a Toronto giveaway for 100k USD, and I was the winner of that because I'm from Toronto and I'm a creator.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 36:57

A buck forty Canadian, by the way.

NEEMA NAZ: 36:59

I know that was huge. Honestly, that helped so it was perfect timing because that was just before my tour started.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 37:05

Come on.

NEEMA NAZ: 37:06

And we had we had dropped so much money into the venues for deposits, like I was mentioning earlier. And we were like $180,000 in debt because we had to pull out line of credits, different credit cards, just to like put deposits. So we weren't making money at the time yet. And so that really helped to pay off some stuff and to, you know, whatever, move forward. But what a stud though, eh? Like huge, yeah, huge help. And uh, it's like that's what I'm talking about. I'm like, who else is doing that for their city? Who else is doing that for their city?

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 37:35

He didn't do that because you're from Iowa, right? Like he knows your.

NEEMA NAZ: 37:37

That's what I'm saying, exactly. And like he's he actually followed me a year before this.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 37:41

Okay.

NEEMA NAZ: 37:41

When I remember, I will I remember vividly when it happened. I was just about to go on stage in Montreal, uh, just on a random show. It wasn't my own tour. And I was backstage, ready to go up on stage, and my brother walks in and he's like, You're not gonna believe who followed you, right? And I was like, who? Like we always say, like, I don't know, like whatever, some like mid-tier person. Yeah, yeah. Uh, and he's like, and he showed me and it said Champagne Papi. I was like, no fucking way, dude. She's like Drake, you know? Oh shit. I don't know, I don't know, and I know people hate on Drake and stuff, but I'm like, man, like you can't, he's untouchable. He's he's the goat. He he he's the what most streamed artist in the world, yeah. The most consistently in the top 200 charts for a decade or more. It's like, I don't know, what do you have to argue with? Hilarious, great human. Hilarious, great actor. I don't know. It's like, well, I don't know what's nothing like anyway. But um, so that was already sick. And then when this happened, the money, I was like, man, like that's awesome. You know, it's like you didn't have to do this.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 38:37

Yeah.

NEEMA NAZ: 38:37

And he still did it.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 38:38

Why did he do that? Was it a giveaway for money?

NEEMA NAZ: 38:40

Yeah, well, he was doing that just for the Christmas holidays. It was called the Drismus giveaway, whatever. Yeah. And you know, he he he gave uh a free vacation to a couple, um, helped with like child care for a family, whatever. And that was one of the gifts, yeah. Uh prizes giveaways was for a Toronto artist, which is dope. You know, that's exactly what you want someone like that in that position to do for their culture. And that's something I would do. Yep. If I ever had the means, I would do that. And I I definitely will do that one day.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 39:06

Does he know now after the fact, like this is how much you were in debt, that helps?

NEEMA NAZ: 39:11

No, uh, I don't think he knows about that particularly, but I mean she should, dude. That's a big deal. I'm yeah, I'm sure like he he knows something about it, I guess. But either way, like I'm sure he knows like I'm not swimming in money. Yep. So and he knows like that definitely fucking helped.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 39:25

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

NEEMA NAZ: 39:25

For sure. Because I'm sure he knows what it was like to be in my position I am now. Different industries, but still very similar.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 39:31

Yeah.

NEEMA NAZ: 39:31

So yeah, and then uh, you know, I'm hopefully uh anticipating a collab with him as soon as possible. So it'll happen. I I believe it'll happen.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 39:40

Are you kidding me? You deserve like you're on that path, man. Um so just talk to me in general. Canadian culture, US culture. Because you you've been everywhere in the states now, you're touring, you know what it is to be Canadian, American. I straddle the line, I'm dual citizen now. Like, what are some things that stick out culturally? Uh food-wise, I've seen some of your rants about how hard it is. Which, by the way, what where were you Chicago Airport when you went on a rant when you went in to buy something and they didn't even look up at you? Yeah, yeah.

NEEMA NAZ: 40:09

That was in Chicago Airport. Oh, here. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that was ridiculous.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 40:12

Yeah, you you gotta do more of those rants because it's like it's a balance to the comedy.

NEEMA NAZ: 40:15

It is, it is, exactly. Right? And it's more vulnerable, it's more real shit. Yeah. That's what that's what builds brand. Absolutely. I agree. So that's a good question because I've been really passionate about this this past like few weeks since being in the States, and I've really understood the difference. So when it comes to comedy in in general, for me specifically, I realized in the states it's always black versus white. In Canada, it's everyone. It's always the if it's if you're talking about race. Yep. And I really noticed that when I started because I do a lot of jokes about different races, and I've noticed in the states it's way more sensitive, and people either are sensitive to it or they don't know what I'm talking about, which is very interesting. Yeah, because I'm like, what do you mean you don't know about Nigerians or like Filipinos? Some places, and like those jokes that you saw me do in some markets will bomb right in the States. In Canada, crushes. Yeah, everything I talk about in Canada crushes. Yes. Anywhere I'm in Canada.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 41:11

Even the variants, like last night, again, we're not going to give it away, but you were talking about a certain culture, certain person. And then within that, like, are you this or this or this? And I'm like, some of that was over my head. Right. Like on just some stuff, but 99% of the people in there was like spot on, right? Yeah, exactly.

NEEMA NAZ: 41:26

And so that's the difference I found is that like in states, in the states, people aren't as cultured as as as they think they are. There's different cultures, but they're all segregated. Yeah. Whereas in Toronto and Canada, everyone's mixed in with each other. Yes. And that's why they're way more cultured than than Americans are. Yep. And there's times where it honestly has bothered me because I'm like, how are you guys not more uh intertwined with each other? Like, that's the whole point of America, you know? It's like it's a it's a land of the free, fucking mixed with with in with each other. Like all this racism and bullshit. It's like, well, I don't know. If you guys just gave it a chance, I don't know why everyone's so segregated. And I'm like, anyway, it's just uh it's it's way less cultured, cultured. And honestly, the food's much better in Toronto. Hands down. Nothing beats Toronto food, to be honest.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 42:11

Because of all the cultures, because of all the cultures.

NEEMA NAZ: 42:13

And on one street, you can you can have I see a Jamaican, a Chinese, a Vietnamese, Indian person, and uh whatever. It's like there's every street you go on, there's shit like that.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 42:24

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

NEEMA NAZ: 42:25

And it's like, well, it's a melting pot, literally. And it's the best Italian food. You go to Italy for even Europe, you go to Italy, you have the best Italian food, but they have garbage other food. Right. But in Canada, you have the best Italian food, the best Greek food, the best Persian food, the best Jamaican food, the best Chinese food. It's like the list goes on. Absolutely. You don't have that anywhere else in the world. You don't have that. New York? New York is very it's close, yeah. I still think it's not as there's so many specific ones in Toronto that you don't even have in New York. Absolutely. Um, but yeah, New York is definitely probably the best in in the States for that, for that reason.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 43:01

But but Toronto Toronto's changing though, right? Like it's changing again, culturally, all that stuff, but like, you know, there's a lot of money, a lot of towers, a lot of this coming in where it's like the downtown, everything's changing. For sure. I'm not saying that as a negative, but I see it because I go back and you you see the difference. The difference, but I don't know.

NEEMA NAZ: 43:20

I mean, yeah. Uh it's it's it's always gonna be changing, but I feel like it'll never lose its like core.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 43:26

Yeah. So you hit the next stage, say you have to move to Hollywood for the next chapter in New York, right? Like you're Canadian, that's it.

NEEMA NAZ: 43:33

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I mean, I I'll still I I actually I am moving to the States. It's just I'll always call Toronto and Canada my home.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 43:40

Is that official? You are gonna move down?

NEEMA NAZ: 43:42

Yeah, yeah, I am. Can you share or no? Yeah, well, I'm gonna be in New York for a bit. Nice. Starting in April. Okay, that's around the corner, man. Yeah, so it's just the next step. Yeah. Because there's way more money and resources and opportunities in the US, unfortunately. I wish Canada bigged up their their artists more and put more funding into it, but they don't. And there's not much of a there's nowhere to really make anything. It's just this is where the market is.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 44:07

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

NEEMA NAZ: 44:08

So yeah.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 44:09

But you're a 45-minute flight away from that's what I'm saying, yeah.

NEEMA NAZ: 44:12

Amazing.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 44:13

Do you know where in the city you're gonna be staying?

NEEMA NAZ: 44:14

Like um, Manhattan. Okay. Yeah, yeah. That's where the culture, that's where the hub is.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 44:19

I did 15 years of my life there, dude. It's yeah, man.

NEEMA NAZ: 44:21

It's sick. I love it.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 44:22

What I love about there is you could be at a diner.

NEEMA NAZ: 44:24

Yeah.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 44:24

And it's the CEO of this company. Right. Uh Anderson Cooper and the homeless guy having coffee, all at a diner.

NEEMA NAZ: 44:29

100%.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 44:30

There's nowhere else in the world you can have that.

NEEMA NAZ: 44:32

Yeah, exactly. Right? Like that's what I love about it.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 44:34

Yeah, that that it's an equalizer. It's like the best place.

NEEMA NAZ: 44:37

And it's fun, man. There's all there's you'll never get tired of it. No. You'll never get bored. I don't know. That's amazing. I'm my age now. Maybe I'll change my mind when I'm 40, 45. Yeah. Maybe I want something quieter, maybe like more relaxed. Maybe I'll go to California. Yeah. But right now New York is the best fit for me.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 44:51

That's amazing.

NEEMA NAZ: 44:52

Yeah.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 44:52

Two more things. I know we're approaching um just relationships in this business. How is it possible? Like when you're always on the road, like how is it to maintain relationships?

NEEMA NAZ: 45:01

Well, I told you off camera how I didn't want to say. It's it's not easy. It's it's definitely very difficult. Um, it's not for the faint of heart being with someone like me as a as a woman, because I'm attracted to women. Um I don't judge if you attract anyone else. Yeah, it's not easy because I live such an uncommon lifestyle that not many people even know the behind the scenes or the context of it, to be honest, more than me and my brother. And it gets lonely. There's times where we're super lonely. Yeah. And I'm like, man, I wish I could just hug a girl or something. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's it sounds so simple. I'm like, I wish I could have a girl with me here. And there is a scenario where it can work. It's just not right now with the resources that and the place I am in in my career right now, because there's plenty of famous and more successful comedians who have families. And I see it all the time. And I'm like, well, yeah, that's because they're 20 million dollars in the bank in a year. Yeah, you can bring your family on the road with you.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 45:58

Yeah.

NEEMA NAZ: 45:59

Or do fewer dates or fewer dates, bring them to one weekend. Yep. And then come home and then do the same thing next week, right? But me, every day in a different city, this country, that continent, it's like, how are you supposed to maintain that? And that's the reason why I had to end my relationship, unfortunately, which is tough because I genuinely really liked the person I was with and um she was great. There's nothing wrong with her, and nothing wrong with me for that matter. It's just it was a circumstance that just couldn't keep us together. And that part's super sad, I'm not gonna lie. And so you always have to just battle that, you know. It's like, well, comedy's my baby. Yeah, this is my priority. But there are times I'm still human and like I would love some female connection, right? Yeah, yeah. You want to have someone that's by your side and like elevates you and pushes you, and you know, you can touch them and whatever. It's like that physical energy, right? So, yeah, it gets lonely at times, especially when I'm with my brother all the time. It's like, well, I'm not gonna fucking touch him.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 46:51

Yeah, you're spooning him. How many times can you do that?

NEEMA NAZ: 46:55

And so, yeah, you you know, it's kind of it's it's pretty much like that.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 46:58

Um, but like your your end goal, again, you didn't say it's an end goal, but you know you're on this path.

NEEMA NAZ: 47:04

Yeah, right?

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 47:05

You're 30, yeah, which is really young for a man too, but like it's tough.

NEEMA NAZ: 47:09

Yeah, like that's interesting. Well, but it's everything, everything's hard. I don't know. It's like you just choose your heart, like it is what it is. It's it's like sure, like I I I can't have that, but I have something most people don't have. So it's like I can't just look at that and be like, I don't have this. I have to also look at the positive stuff. Absolutely, right? So it's give and take, it's sacrifice. Yep. I've that's all I know is sacrifice. And once again, it goes back to what my parents did. I'm like, well, this is what my parents would have to do. They would do something similar to this. I have to sacrifice something in order to be great at one thing. Yeah. And that's right now. Maybe I'll change my mind in 10 years or 15 years, right? It's like, and by that point, I'm still a dude, and like it's not it's not as as hard for me. As a woman, maybe it's tougher if you want to have family, right? It's like biological biological clock. It's like I don't know. For me, I'm like, I'm not too worried about that. I I I'm also very confident and hopeful that there is a scenario in my life where something naturally can work with a woman. Um, it's just right now it's can't happen.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 48:10

Yeah, dude. I and I get it, man. It gets lonely out there.

NEEMA NAZ: 48:14

Yeah.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 48:14

Yeah. I'll go away for three days for work, and then you're just like, oh, I can't wait to get home and see my wife or the kids. And like I I get it.

NEEMA NAZ: 48:21

Yeah. Like, you know, some people have that and they're very rich in life, but they hate their job or they hate the people they're with or whatever. It's like uh it's give and take. I don't know. You can't have it all. Can't be you can't be great at all of them. Nope. If you want to be a great comedian, a great artist, you might be a shitty dad or a shitty partner. When you want to be great dad and a great partner, your career's gonna take a hit.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 48:43

Absolutely.

NEEMA NAZ: 48:43

So there's always trade-offs.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 48:45

Absolutely.

NEEMA NAZ: 48:46

Yeah.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 48:47

The last piece, man, there's there's so many people out there that were in your shoes 10 years ago. Should I do this? Should I get in there? Like, what's some real like real advice? Like, even, hey, dude, see if you're even funny. Yeah, right. Like before you even go there, like if you try and you're not funny, don't tell someone keep going at it. You know what I mean? Like, what's some good advice for someone who wants to get into this career? Because it's fucking hard.

NEEMA NAZ: 49:09

Yeah, well, it's hard, but it's also the most fun. So I think the the basis of of it all is if you're not having fun, then there's no point of you doing it. Because I've had fun this whole time. Right. It's been extremely tough at times, but I always remind myself, well, what I'm what I'm doing is fun. How hard could it be? So that's the mentality you have to have is never lose sight of why you're doing it and also understand why you are doing it in the first place, because that that's why I think actually matters is uh know your why. Yep. And from there, everything kind of kind of comes into place and you you build a flow, and I don't know. I you should always be more patient too. Patient? And because you just never know. There's so many times where I've wanted to give up and I'm discouraged. But I don't because I'm like, just keep trying. The people who fail never stop. And that that I I like I'll Alex Ramosy. I don't know if you know Alex Ramosy, but I love what he talks about with that stuff. He's like, well, the only people who fail are the people who stop. And I'm not willing to stop, so I won't fail.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 50:15

Yeah.

NEEMA NAZ: 50:15

But I will fail in micro ways along the way, but for a bigger cause. And because you have to fail to all in order to succeed. So I always think just find what you're passionate about and stick with it and try different ways. J just because one way doesn't work doesn't mean another way won't work. And maybe both together might work, or especially with social media, it's like use that as a tool more than anything. Yeah. Without social media, I wouldn't have a career. And so look at me. It's like I'm not and I'm not anything special. You know, I I'm just like a normal dude who is funny and I just try hard. I just I just fucking take more shots. That's why I'm here. There's way plenty more funnier people out there than me. That I know personally, but they're not doing anything in their careers because they're not willing to try. And I'm like, well, I don't feel bad for you, to be honest, because I'm like, you you have all the tools in front of you. Just do it. So that and that also comes down to like the will and the the sacrifice and the passion.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 51:14

Uh that's great advice. Would you have ever quit, do you believe, if you didn't have like a support of a brother there to kind of slap you in the gear along or or your mom or whoever? Because sometimes when you're on an island truly by yourself, it's like, all right, fuck it. I'll go be an engineer or kinesiology or whatever.

NEEMA NAZ: 51:31

No, I'm I mean, and I'm not sure because it's has definitely helped me a lot having my brother on my team and he's elevated my brand more than I could have on my own. But I mean, as far as I know, before he even came along, I was ready to go risk it all and just continue going on my own. Awesome. There's nothing that's gonna stop me. Yeah. And now with that mentality on top of what I have, it's like it's un unstoppable. I think.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 51:55

Last question. If you had half a million dollars pumped into the brand, this stupid brand, like where would that money go? Like, what would you do to like help get you to the next level? Because you talked about, you know, documenting this and the shows and everything, like or or whatever the amount of money is, like, how would you invest that to get it?

NEEMA NAZ: 52:13

All into the brand to elevate everything I'm doing. Like hire more people to help build the content, videographers, you know, people to vlog 24-7, edit stuff, like things that could just make my brand and my content better.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 52:26

Yeah.

NEEMA NAZ: 52:27

That's it. More writers help with like writing new scripts and build new jokes, like everything. I'm not I'm not ashamed of any of that. Because I think it's like, why not put more into your brand and invest in yourself more? And also into my health, too. But it's like all of them kind of are correlated. Yeah. Yeah.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 52:42

That's amazing, dude. You should package that because I I know there's people that would get behind that, right? Like that believe in you and double down.

NEEMA NAZ: 52:48

100%. Yeah. So awesome.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 52:50

So now I'll vet everyone whoever wants to see that, man.

NEEMA NAZ: 52:52

Yeah, yeah, you better, yeah.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 52:54

Right. Dude, you're awesome. Thank you. I know you got to get out of here. You got more tours, but like uh as a proud Canadian, like you're rocking it. Uh as an immigrant, you're rocking it.

NEEMA NAZ: 53:02

Much love.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 53:03

Um, and we had a blast last night, dude.

NEEMA NAZ: 53:05

Yeah, I'm I'm super happy. Thanks, man. Keep crushing it. Thanks, brother. Hey, Ali Thosa Nesti.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 53:09

Alithos honestly Christ has risen. That's a great way to uh great way to finish. Hey, can you can you give me one Bianca? Can you like what does Bianca think of Trump?

NEEMA NAZ: 53:18

I don't know. I just think like he's kind of cute, you know? I don't know. I mean, like, okay, yeah, like it's it's like hard running a country, but like, yeah, but like everything is supposed to be hard, you know? I don't know. I just feel like if you as long as you're like happy and like you're just like trying new things, like that's all that really matters in life, you know, bitch.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 53:38

Yeah, yeah, okay. And your OnlyFans, Bianca, do you want to plug your OnlyFans?

NEEMA NAZ: 53:42

Yeah, so um if you want my OnlyFans, it's um uh Star Unicorn67 67. That's it. Just join and like you know, I'm just like enjoying life.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 53:53

You should too. Love Bianca, man. I wish I could hire her. Like, I want her to be my assistant.

NEEMA NAZ: 53:57

Well, I'm down, bitch.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 54:00

I'm married though, man. I can't do that, Bianca.

NEEMA NAZ: 54:02

Oh my god, like you're just like you're silly. I can't believe you, George. Is that even a real name? George. Yeah, it's not.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 54:10

Dude, you're you're awesome.

NEEMA NAZ: 54:12

Thanks, man.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 54:12

Keep fucking climbing.

NEEMA NAZ: 54:13

Yeah, always. Much love. All the best to you two.

GEORGE STROUMBOULIS: 54:16

All the best, man. Thanks for listening to this episode of Invigorate Your Business with George Strombolis. Please hit the subscribe and like button and follow me on all the main podcast streaming channels. Also, please share your comments when you can. I appreciate your help in expanding this network to a worldwide audience. Until next time, stay invigorated.

CONTENTS OF THIS VIDEO

00:00:00 Setting The Stage with Neema Naz

00:02:55 Neema's Early Sparks And Dropping Out

00:08:45 Neema's Culture, Identity, And Family

00:14:40 Crafting Crowd Work From Diversity with Neema

00:19:10 Pride In Toronto And Representation for Neema

00:25:05 Touring Economics And Logistics

00:33:40 Grind, Burnout, And Immigrant Drive for Neema

00:40:10 Building What’s Next: Neema's TV And Characters

00:47:20 Drake’s Support And Debt Relief for Neema

00:52:00 Canada vs U.S.: Culture And Food

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO BE A SUCCESSFUL STAND UP COMEDIAN TODAY

🎤 1. Originality & Authentic Voice

You need a point of view that’s uniquely yours. The best comedians today — from Andrew Schulz to Ali Wong — thrive because their material feels lived-in and personal.

Authenticity > imitation. Audiences can sense when you’re performing versus when you’re sharing truth through humor.

Keys:

Write from real life: culture, relationships, identity, struggle.

Refine your style — timing, delivery, tone — until it’s unmistakably you.

📱 2. Digital Presence & Content Creation

Today, stand-up doesn’t live only on stage — it lives on feeds.

Social media is now the testing ground, marketing engine, and portfolio all in one.

Neema Naz is a perfect case study: skits, reels, and consistent content got him global visibility long before big tour dates.

Keys:

Post consistently (clips, crowd work, relatable skits).

Repurpose live content online.

Engage with comments — community equals longevity.

💼 3. Treat It Like a Business

Comedy isn’t just an art; it’s a business model.

Successful comedians manage touring, branding, partnerships, and monetization. They understand audience data, ticketing, and brand equity — often better than traditional entertainers.

Keys:

Build multiple revenue streams (tickets, merch, sponsorships, digital ads).

Study analytics to know where your real fans are.

Reinvest in production and creative teams.

🧠 4. Resilience & Consistency

Every great comedian bombs. The difference? The great ones get back up the next night.

Consistency in performing, writing, and posting is what separates a funny person from a working comedian.

Keys:

Perform as much as possible (open mics, clubs, online).

Record and review every set.

Keep writing, even when you’re uninspired.

🌍 5. Connection Over Clout

Comedy is universal — but connection is personal.

The modern audience wants to feel seen more than be impressed.

Cultural insight, relatability, and empathy are what make humor land globally.

Keys:

Observe deeply and write from empathy.

Connect across backgrounds, not just within your niche.

Stay humble and curious — fame fades, connection doesn’t.

🚀 6. Adaptability

Comedy evolves fast. The platforms change, the audiences shift, and the world’s sense of humor moves with the times.

To stay relevant, a comedian must be agile — willing to experiment with formats, tech, and topics.

Keys:

Test new formats (podcasts, sketch collabs, live streaming).

Follow trends without losing authenticity.

Keep learning — writing, editing, performing, producing.

how hard is it to transition from stand up comedy, skits into an actor?

🎭 1. The Skill Gap: From Stage Persona to Character Depth

Stand-up comedy and acting both require performance, but the muscles are completely different.

In stand-up, you play yourself — heightened, raw, and immediate. You feed off real-time audience energy and control the rhythm.

In acting, you have to disappear into a role. You surrender that control to a director, a script, and a camera lens that catches everything — even the stuff you didn’t plan.

💡 Challenge: Learning to tone down the performance and bring internal emotion, subtlety, and patience to the scene. Many comedians are used to quick laughs — acting requires stillness and truth.

🎥 2. The Industry Gap: Different Gatekeepers, Different Game

Comedy rewards independence — you can build your own audience through YouTube, TikTok, or touring. Acting still leans on traditional systems: casting directors, agents, unions, auditions.

A comic can go viral overnight; an actor can spend years waiting for the right role.

The audition process can feel like rejection bootcamp — you’re not performing for fans, you’re performing for casting teams who might not know your comedy world at all.

💡 What helps: Using your social following and comedic reputation as leverage. Studios love proven personalities with built-in audiences. It gives you more negotiating power than ever before.

🧠 3. The Mindset Shift: From Control to Collaboration

In stand-up and skits, you’re writer, director, and star. In acting, you’re one piece of a much larger story.

You must trust others’ creative direction and adapt to ensemble energy.

Improvisation helps, but discipline and listening become key.

💡 What helps: Training — improv classes, acting workshops, scene study. Comedians who treat acting like a craft (not a side hustle) break through faster.

💼 4. The Business Edge: When Comedy Becomes Currency

If you’ve built an online persona, you already have something casting agents crave — proof of charisma and audience appeal.

Think of Kevin Hart, Awkwafina, Donald Glover, or Jim Carrey — all started in comedy but expanded into acting because they showed range and emotional truth behind the humor.

Studios now scout TikTok, YouTube, and podcasts for authentic personalities who can hold a camera.

💡 What helps: Strategic branding — positioning yourself not just as “a funny person,” but as “a storyteller who can act.”

❤️ 5. The Human Factor: Vulnerability Wins

Comedy is armor. Acting is exposure.

The hardest leap for many comics is dropping the defense mechanism of jokes and allowing silence, sadness, or love to show through.

💡 That’s what makes the greats great — they can make you laugh and feel.

🎬 Bottom Line

Transitioning from stand-up or skits into acting is hard — but never more possible than today.

If you already command an audience, understand timing, and tell stories, you have the core of acting built in. The real test is humility: learning, training, and letting go of control to step fully into character.

what do you need to do to build a successful business as a comedian?

💡 1. Think Like a Brand, Not Just a Performer

Being a comedian today means being a brand — one that audiences recognize, relate to, and invest in emotionally and financially.

Keys:

  • Define your identity: What do you stand for? What kind of humor do you own?

  • Create a consistent voice across platforms — your tone, colors, captions, and style should all align.

  • Build an ecosystem: website, merch, mailing list, Patreon, and social channels that feed into each other.

Example: Neema Naz’s “Unapologetically Persian” and cultural humor niche became his anchor, giving fans something to identify with beyond the jokes.

🎙️ 2. Master the Craft — Because Funny Is Still the Foundation

No matter how strong your social media is, the product still has to deliver.
Write every day, test new material constantly, and study audience feedback like analytics.

Keys:

  • Perform live as often as possible — open mics, clubs, tours.

  • Record and review every set.

  • Keep evolving your material — comedy that stays still, dies fast.

📱 3. Build a Digital Empire

Comedy has moved from stage to screen. A comedian without a digital footprint is invisible.

Keys:

  • Post consistently — clips, crowd work, sketches, behind-the-scenes moments.

  • Diversify content: short-form skits, podcast appearances, collaborations.

  • Repurpose stage content online to reach audiences who can’t be in the room.

Tip: Treat social media like your daily comedy club — test, tweak, and track what lands.

💼 4. Run It Like a Business

Comedy is an art, but success comes from systems.
You need to treat your career with the same structure as a startup.

Keys:

  • Keep clean financials — track touring income, merch, and online revenue.

  • Build a team: manager, agent, videographer, editor, accountant.

  • Reinvest profits into better production, branding, and marketing.

Mindset: You are the CEO of You, Inc. — the product just happens to be laughter.

🤝 5. Network & Collaborate

The comedy world is built on relationships — not just punchlines.
Open for bigger acts. Support peers. Collaborate with creators outside your lane.

Keys:

  • Be professional and easy to work with — reputation spreads faster than talent.

  • Leverage every stage or show for connections, not just exposure.

  • Surround yourself with growth-minded peers who push you forward.

🌍 6. Diversify Your Income Streams

A successful comedian today doesn’t rely solely on ticket sales.

Revenue Channels:

  • Touring (clubs, theaters, festivals)

  • Brand deals & sponsorships

  • Merch & digital downloads

  • Patreon or memberships

  • Podcasting & YouTube monetization

  • Acting, writing, producing

Think long-term: Build assets that generate recurring revenue, not one-off gigs.

🧠 7. Stay Mentally & Creatively Resilient

Rejection, burnout, algorithm fatigue — they’re all part of the grind.
The comedians who last are the ones who learn to reset and keep creating.

Keys:

  • Treat your mental health like part of the business plan.

  • Create sustainable routines around writing, travel, and rest.

  • Keep perspective — laughter is your legacy, not just your income.

🚀 Bottom Line

To build a successful business as a comedian in 2025 and beyond, you must be:
a performer, creator, strategist, and entrepreneur.
It’s not just about being funny — it’s about owning the engine that turns funny into freedom.

BLOG POST

  • From Scarborough Stages To Global Laughs

  • The Business Behind Neema Naz’s Comedy

  • How A Toronto Comic Turned Immigrant Grit Into Worldwide Laughter

  • He Sold 1,000 Tickets And Still Lost Money

  • What Does It Cost To Be Funny?

A thousand tickets sold and still underwater—ever wonder what it really costs to be funny? We sit down with Toronto-born comedian and creator Neema Naz for a raw, fast-moving look at the craft, the culture, and the cash flow behind a global stand-up tour. From Scarborough family parties to crowd work that maps the room’s heritage in seconds, Neema shows how immigrant roots and city pride shaped a style that’s big-hearted, sharp, and built to connect.

We trace the road from dropping out of kinesiology to building the Stupid Life Tour with his brother, Omid—routing venues, fronting deposits, hiring local crews, and literally flyering restaurants to move tickets. Neema pulls back the curtain on indie tour economics, why some nights lose money even at scale, and how he keeps the fan experience sacred. When burnout hits, he returns to his why: parents who fled Iran, a father who drove taxis on one leg after cancer, and a mother who worked kitchens without English. That history powers the discipline, the empathy, and the relentless work ethic you feel in every set.

The conversation digs into culture and comedy across borders. In Canada, multicultural nuance lands; in many U.S. rooms, a black-and-white lens can miss the joke. We talk Toronto vs New York food and culture, why repping your city matters, and the moment Drake followed him—then later sent $100k that cleared tour debt and kept momentum alive. Neema also shares a modern blueprint for TV: release short proofs on social, collect feedback, pitch with data, and ship to YouTube if gatekeepers pass. He’s moving to New York for access and scale, but the heartbeat stays Toronto.

If you care about stand-up craft, creator economics, and what it takes to turn accents into art without losing the love, this one hits. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a push, and leave a review to help more curious people find the show.

Blog Post

The conversation opens with a packed room in Irvine and a clear thesis: funny doesn’t happen by accident. Neema Naz grew up in Scarborough and Markham, where Toronto’s mix of Persian, Greek, Jamaican, Tamil, Chinese, and Caribbean influences gave him the ear for accents and the instincts for crowd work. He shares how being “the funny kid” evolved into dropping out of kinesiology at a top university once a local comedy program made the path real. Those early family-party impersonations of his mom at a drive-thru became a blueprint for culturally layered humor: warm, specific, and rooted in love. That focus on intention matters, because jokes about culture can be misread. Nima frames his purpose: make people laugh and represent his family and communities with heart, not cheap shots.

Behind the laughs is a business model many fans never see. Touring across Canada, the U.S., Europe, and Australia on the Stupid Life Tour is mostly a two-man operation with his brother, Omid, “Jigsaw,” routing dates, negotiating theaters, and running ads. The economics are brutal: deposits, flights, hotels, per-city photographers, videographers, and local promo. They drove Toronto to Montreal to hand posters to Greek and Italian restaurants, trading comps for window placement, and still lost money on a 1,000-seat night. The lesson is stark and SEO-worthy: stand-up tour costs, creator economics, and indie comedy marketing demand patience, cash flow management, and audience experience as the north star. The goal isn’t selling merch at all costs; it’s delivering a show that earns word of mouth.

Nima credits immigrant grit as fuel when the schedule crushes him: four shows in four days, time zones, 24-hour turnarounds. When he doubts, he thinks about his dad, an engineer from Iran whose credentials didn’t transfer, who drove taxis on one leg after cancer, and his mom working kitchens while being taken advantage of for her limited English. That history informs Nima’s discipline and his insistence that authenticity beats shock value. It also shapes his stance on Canada vs. U.S. audiences. He argues Canadian crowds are more culturally fluent, while many U.S. rooms frame race as binary. In Toronto, micro-differences within cultures land because the city mixes people daily; in many U.S. cities, communities feel more segregated, and certain jokes don’t translate.

Looking ahead, Nima’s strategy blends platform-native content with bigger bets. He’s piloting a TV concept the modern way: seven one-minute proofs released on social to gather data and pitch networks, with YouTube as the fallback. Characters like Stelios, Bianca, Bobak, and his Gary V impression are love letters to communities that raised him, not targets. SEO themes echo here: creator-owned IP, social-first pilot testing, audience feedback loops, and multi-platform distribution. He plans a move to New York for access to industry, money, and collaborators, while keeping Toronto as home base. The city pride is real; he praises Drake not just for a follow, but for a $100k holiday giveaway that cleared tour debt and literally kept the show on the road.

There’s a cost to all this momentum. Relationships strain under constant travel and scarce routine. Nima is candid: success at this stage means trade-offs—loneliness, missed normalcy, and a career-first stance until resources let him structure life differently. His advice to aspiring comedians is direct: know your why, have fun or don’t bother, use social media as your engine, and accept that failure is part of the path. What separates winners is refusing to stop. If he landed fresh capital, he’d invest in people—writers, videographers, editors, a 24/7 doc team—and in health, because stamina is the hidden variable in creator longevity. That’s the real story: craft, culture, cash flow, and the unglamorous grind behind viral clips and sold-out laughs.

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