The Matt Balaker Podcast

Jody J. Sperling began his writing journey in earnest in 2010 as a 25-year-old freshman at the University of Nebraska Omaha. In 2021, he realized he had given up on his passion of earning a living as a novelist and quit his job to live his dream or go broke trying. He founded cre8 collabor8, a podcast for first-time novelists who, like him, want to make money publishing.

Comedian Sam Morril has established himself as a standup comedy star. Fresh off his David Letterman "Netflix is a Joke" interview, Morril sits down with us to talk Greg Giraldo, New York Comedy, and making his mom laugh.  After doing his first show at 18, he's been on Conan, Last Comic Standing, America's Got Talent, and released multiple specials.   Check out Up on the Roof:

Detroit raised comedian and actor Kerri Pomarolli caught the performance bug at an early age. A failed scoliosis test at 11, derailed her dance aspirations. So she focused on musical theater and acting.  After graduating from the University of Michigan, she moved to Los Angeles. Now she balances being a single mom with an active touring schedule. Hear her story.

Julie is a true visionary, marrying the influence of the Southern California lifestyle into the branding of her food product.   Today the company is in over 3,000 doors including: Whole Foods, Bristol Farms, Gelsons, The Fresh Market, Kroger, Wegmans, Central Market, and NOW, and Rite Aid Stores nationally.   Connect with Julie Podolec: www.themodernpop.com

Ivy League graduate, Shaun Eli Briedbart spend almost two decades on Wall Street before quitting his day job to pursue stand up comedy. What happened? Listen to hear his story.

Chris Linden is an attorney, advisor, investor, and seed stage backer of Greg Giraldo: A Comedian’s Story. He has worked for large global law firms and recently launched his own firm, Linden Law LLC, where he represents financial sponsors and other private fund investors.

Author and educator Jeremiah Cobra, discusses his writing process, what motivates him to create fictional works, and his passion for grammar.   Cobra is a native son of Hartford, Connecticut, where he grew up in foster care from the age of nine. It is this experience that he drew upon to create the fictional Stacey Bishop in his newest work ...And Then He Shot His Cousin.

While studying chemistry at UCLA, Greg Lai hoped for a career at NASA. He quickly switched to investment advisory and eventually started his own firm. Lai was a producer on the documentary More Than Miyagi: The Pat Morita Story. Listen to his insights on investments, balance, and entrepreneurship.

Author of You Can be Perfect or You Can be Happy Karith Foster joins us to discuss water babies, motherhood, Inversity, growing up Black in a white neighborhood, working with Don Imus's sidekick, free speech, and more.

Another comedian from Ukraine is heroically assisting her home country. Comedian Irina Skaya provides a first-hand account of what life is like in wartime Ukraine. She recently went back to Ukraine to help those in need and will return soon. Hear her story of comedy, tragedy, and resiliency.   To help support Ukraine, donate here:

Entrepreneur Dan Grim left a cushy sales job to follow his passion. In his 20s he reached his "business goals" but that wasn't enough. Three days at the MJ Bizcon Vegas convention changed his life. Dan Grim launched Good Stuff Beverage. Hear his story.

Joe Bishop-Henchman is the Vice President of Policy & Litigation at National Taxpayers Union Foundation. He leads the work of NTUF’s Taxpayer Defense Center to protect taxpayer rights across the country through research, litigation, and partnerships. In this conversation, Joe addresses the issue of whether American's economic problems can be improved by raising taxes on the rich.

Renaissance woman Kira Davis discusses her stand up comedy debut, moving from Canada to the United States, thoughts on Canadian health care and America's school choice movement,  her path to becoming a political pundit, and her case to be on the Supreme Court of the United States. She addresses the questions: can you be Black and not vote for Joe Biden and using the Kardashians to teach her kids about social media.

Webby winning comedian/author Lou Perez joins the program to discuss his days as an NYU student, stoking a Jimmy Kimmel/Mark Cuban Twitter feud, writing erotic fiction,  joking on serious topics, and his upcoming book That Joke's Not Funny Anymore.  Pre order her:

Carol Roth is a content creator, “recovering” investment banker, author of The War on Small Business, entrepreneur, TV pundit and host, and New York Times bestselling author of The Entrepreneur Equation.   She has worked in a variety of capacities across industries, including currently as an outsourced CCO, as a director on public and private company boards and as a strategic advisor. She advocates for small business, small government and big hair.   She joins Matt Balaker and Eric Cervone to discuss her career arch and the current climate of small businesses in the U.S.