Comics Watching Comics and Fantasy Football Jibber Jabber with Kevin Gootee

Host Kevin Gootee and Gerard Haran talk fantasy football strategy.

Kevin Gootee is the creator of the show “Fantasy Football Jibber Jabber.”

The show combines NFL fantasy football advice with giving weekly his best bets on the games throughout the season and playoffs.  Not to brag (he will) but he went 61% against the spread last year and 56% the year before.  A lot of FREEEE money.

Learn more about how Kevin Gootee can keep you entertained and informed about fantasy football by listening to this episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur above and don’t forget to subscribe on  Apple Podcasts – Stitcher – Spotify –Google Play –Castbox – TuneIn – RSS.

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0:00
Welcome to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur Show. I'm Josh Elledge, founder and CEO of UpMyInfluence.com. We turn entrepreneurs into media celebrities, grow their authority, and help them build partnerships with top influencers. We believe that every person has a unique message that can positively impact the world. stick around to the end of the show, where I'll reveal how you can be our next guest on one of the fastest growing daily inspiration podcasts on the planet in 15 to 20 minutes. Let's go.

Right, with us right now we've got Kevin Gootee. Kevin, you are the creator of a new show, Fantasy Football Jibber Jabber. And you are also the creator of a show that is streaming on amazon video. And we're going to talk about this and that is Comics Watching Comics. Thank you for so much for joining us. Thank you,

0:54
sir for having me, appreciate the invite.

0:56
So Kevin, you know what we really want to talk about in this show is like how you ultimately got to a platform like Amazon, why you did that. And we're gonna talk about kind of the difference between creating a show for YouTube and then possibly working with one of the streaming platforms. And, you know, the good news, I think for creatives is there are more methods of distribution than ever before. And there are more platforms that are say a little bit more curated than a YouTube which of course is accessible to pretty much anyone and I mean, unless you're you're pretty evil person, you get kicked off because you're, you know, you're putting something out there that shouldn't be out there. Anyone could use Amazon or anyone can use YouTube

1:39
Yeah, Uh, had— wow that is a lot of questions in one there. How did it come to be again, YouTube's obviously, first of all, for me, it was a stop— It was it was a beginning place. A lot of people have made a lot of money very fast off of YouTube. I did not. My views were not great on YouTube. I had better views on Facebook. So that was the one difference. And I was lucky enough and fortunate enough to know somebody who does have an Amazon where I was able to get in that way and take my show, I had four seasons at that point on YouTube. And then I was able to take all the previous four and then five—  seasons five, six, seven and eight and get them on Amazon that way. And that's where it currently, currently resides is the is on amazon video right now for comics watching comics.

2:24
So for someone who doesn't haven't and how did they get a show? In your experience? How did they get a show to say if they are like, Oh, man, My dream is to take this from YouTube or Facebook or wherever they're producing it, and they want it to appear on a streamer. Let's start off by saying first, why would you want to do that? I mean, I've got some ideas on that. But what was your idea?

2:46
My idea is simple, more views. It gives it of course, more poignant air of

2:52
distinction, if you will, again, someone will you know, walk in the room like, “Oh this guy's got a show on YouTube.” “So I guess, so what? so does my grandma she macrame's jean shorts, big deal.” But he welcomes go “Hey, this guy's got a show an Amazon,” like I've seen that my friends introduced me like “oh, this is Kevin. He's got a show on Amazon!” even though I definitely do not ask them to do that. But you see the eyebrows are “Oh Amazon really like that's pretty cool.” So it definitely gives that that air of distinction and credibility which is something obviously you try and seek for all your platforms. But you know, it's uh, it's great. I love it. It's been a big help and uh—and definitely got me into speaking with more networks and production companies for further shows I've had.

3:38
And so again, for someone who doesn't have it in at Amazon, I mean, what, who are you pitching to? Are you just like going on amazon.com looking for the Contact Us email address and say, “Hey, if I got a show for you!”

3:51
You are, but mainly you're going to be looking for production companies. That's the best bet go on LinkedIn. That's what I did. LinkedIn production like people in production companies. Find— Like you should be kind of know obviously, who your demographic is what channel you see it on and then reach out to those people on LinkedIn and say, hey, “I've got a show. It's kind of like in the same vein of this meets that on your network. Hey, any suggestions? Any advice? Can I link up with you maybe give you a call or even if you're local take you out for a cup of coffee, just pick your brain. Just any help.” And you say, “Hey, man, I'm just looking for some help.” People are a little bit more— their guard drops as opposed to :I've got to show here it is!” If you if you're more human about it, in your approach, they're more likely to give you help again.

4:35
Yeah, so you would imagine the key words would just be just search for Amazon and production and you know, just kind of

4:41
or whatever, whatever network you're looking for. Correct.

4:47
So, in your experience, then professionally once you got the tap to start— so you have been producing this show for quite some time. And for someone who hasn't watched Comics Watching Comics, can you it just explain the the concept?

5:02
Uh, yeah, sure. It's it's like last Comic Standing meets Mystery Science Theater 3000. So it's, it's a comedy competition slash reality show, where we take a bunch of comedians or intermediate, and we watch the footage at my house with comics who are more, more tenured and have more credits and have— who accomplished more. And we watch, we critique, praise, we offer advice. And if they're bad, we, we let them have it. So, and there's a lot of ballbusting on that couch. I also interview all the comics on the panel, just so you can say, “hey, stand up comedy isn't all that easy.” Like being that office funding guy, that's great. But when you to make a living out of it, to try to even start up as a hobby is way more harder than you think. And it's almost like it's very insulting when someone goes, Oh, you're funny. You know what you should do? You should go on coal bear like Ain't that easy. So we kind of we break down how and why it is that hard. So The funny stories and all the stories that we've had throughout our journeys of comedy so, that's the show if you're a big comedy fan like stand up comic booty see kind of how the sausage is packed? Well, that's the, that show kind of brings it into it. Again, no funnier group of people that are watching comics sit down and bust each other's balls nonstop.

6:19
For sure. And so your background that so you've been a stand up comic for 10 years now?

6:26
About Yeah, 10 years in March.

6:28
And so what explain that journey for someone who's not gone down that path?

6:34
Uh, wow. It's, it's tough. It's I have a day job as well. Because again, when you just because you want to say I'm going to do comedy doesn't mean people aren't going to start throwing money so I'm also a dad and so and a husband so I got a bargain my time if you're young. If you think about doing comedy, obviously the best time to do it is now as anything in life. But yeah, it's difficult because you got to go to these open mics. That's where you try out and test your material but Other comics who who could care less, most of them 98% of them about your material. And then you try it out and that's where you network you start making friends and and you network and after a while, you know, you start asking people to get on shows or they asked you to get on shows or you create your own show like your own comedy show you do it at a bar, or a diner, a laundromat, a club, who knows. And you just keep keep, keep getting stage time. I know it's the old hack axiom, but it's the truest way out there is you need to get more stage time no matter where it is, the more stage time you get, the more reps you get in the batting cage, the better off you are and it just it slowly begins to manifest if you're looking for that quick overnight sensation. I know exactly two people out of thousands that have quote unquote made it by made it I mean consistently pay it unable to make a living off stand up comedy in my nine years that are able to push to really make it I know people who quit their job and do comedy non stop, but they're also the ones who are screenshotting their bank balance going “Uh oh, $7 and 40 cents left!” like that a making it but the long arduous process you better patience. And most people do watch I think the number was given like 75% of people watch that after year three. So you see real fast is insanely competitive. And unfortunately most of you just aren't that good. Just a little dose of reality. But hey, you could say the same about me, you never know.

8:26
How is it performing for comics as opposed to performing for an audience where your peers are not in the audience. So you mentioned doing open mic night you know there's a lot of comics just kind of waiting their turn so they can go up and get their three to five minutes.

8:41
Exactly. They could care to less about you if you get a comic to laugh. Congratulations audiences are way easier because they pay to come out, they pay to have a babysitter, they've paid for dinner to have beforehand. They're over— overpaying for two drinks and garbage, you know, comedy club food. So they're looking at— they will all you— They're giving you a mile all you have to do is just get in and make em laugh a couple of times and you're their best friends. Comics just again, they don't care. They're looking for their next spot. They want to get out of that mic death. You know, we're just sitting there waiting to walk the green miles. So no, it really truly mostly people get care about what you're doing what you're up to. So you get to laugh. that's a that's a huge, a huge pat on the back. huge star in your shoulder. audiences to laugh real— a lot easier than usual, way more easier than comics. For sure.

9:33
So tell me about Fantasy Football Jibber Jabber, where are you at in the process right now? Currently, it's on YouTube. And so you could just search. That again, Fantasy Football Jibber Jabber and you can watch that. But I would imagine then, Kevin, that the idea is that you're kind of actively working with production companies right now and would like to see this again, get on to a different platform.

9:57
100% right, what we're doing right now it's our Facebook and YouTube. You just said, and a little bit of Instagram here and there too. But yeah, what the show is if your fantasy football fan we tell you who to start and sit the difference between us and every other fantasy football show a were insanely funnier because we're two comics myself, and, my co host, Gerard Heron, co host the show. And second of all, we combined fantasy football and gambling and I felt that we are damn good at this as well. It's where our spread was, I'll have to do the math, but alas, I'll do the math real fast -math sounds-. I'm 25 and 13 for the year on the show. So that's pretty good and have a breakeven point is 52 and a half percent 55% is making money. So I mean, do the math. I'm doing two seconds here for you. But I'm all about 60% I had a great year last year was 61%. Again, making a lot of money this is a second income for me, hence where the the Patreon page comes in patreon.com/fantasyfootballjibberjabber. And what we do is we offer our services to— we do your fantasy football lines for 50 bucks a month we do for you can also get my my lock of the week picks for 150 bucks a month, all you do is make one bet and bang, you made your money back. But and I don't even take any profits out of that what we do is you take that money, grow it right in the promotion of the show on YouTube and Facebook. So it goes right now, marketing process. So right now I'm 66% for the year, so I'll take that for someone for someone who doesn't.

11:29
Like I don't know how the fantasy football betting world works, or that you just go on a platform or you just with friends are like how would you place those bets?

11:39
Well, okay, so fantasy football and betting are two separate complete different things like you have leagues for fantasy football, or you draft players and you pick players or you could do it where it's called daily fantasy where every week you have a different group of players if you do with your buddies, you have one team and you have most those players for the entire year unless you drop them or trade them or whatever. With daily fantasy, every week you pick a brand new roster and it's like a salary cap like the better players have a higher amount you only get X amount of dollars per week to spend so you can't have you know 10 superstars every possession you have to budget out you have to go high in one spot low and in those spot and medium another spot so that's just fantasy football. Gambling is like what you see like oh I think the giants are get are getting seven this week in Detroit so I think the Giants going to cover I don't know I'll okay let's just say for argument's sake I take the Giants you can bet at a lot of states, now casinos to our sports gambling is legal Of course there are still plenty of illegal bookies all around the country. But yeah, you can go to casino walk in San with the Giants gonna win plus seven years $110 win $100 and that works. Or like I said casinos and other other states have also apps so you don't have to go to the casino, for example. There are other casinos in Jersey where you can just download their app and make your bet there instead of driving two hours down to Atlantic City and do it that way. So that's two different things that are talking So

13:00
I've got one last question on your work what percentage of you of your time do you say you spend perfecting your craft and doing the creative side versus promotion and just getting your name like actively marketing?

13:18
I would say I spend usually Wednesday's preparing all my, uh, my— my fantasy football notes and such and Thursdays doing my pic research as well, and then the other days I'm out blasting out hey, here's our and then we take our show Thursday nights, and then we have it air usually Saturday morning-ish, hopefully Saturday afternoon. And this blasted throughout “Hey, check it out. Here's who Kevin and George think where the top quarterback plays this week.” “Here's Kevin one of Kevin's Best Bets but here's one of George Best Bets for the week.” So it's constant just stream of consciousness in your face like Oh, that's right. My whole my day job is in medical sales and I will be known as the guy who does you know, my medical tests on would be known as Oh the guy who handicaps the guy who also does fantasy football. I have people you know messaging me on Facebook or Twitter like hey man, who should I start this regard? What do you think of the cheese plus five and a half at home this week? You know, and I'm trying to make myself like that brand. Yeah. So just a constant constant constant hey are tweeting out articles or sharing articles, sports articles with my take on it. That's that's what I do.

14:25
My suspicion is for people that are either creatives or you know, they're performing. They don't realize how much time they need to actually spend— they're getting discovered. that's a that's a really, really tough thing like that your chances of getting discovered are like next to none, unless you are like out making discovery happen. Is that kind of your impression of that?

14:49
I do. I think Fortunately, I live up in the New York area live in North Jersey. So it's it's a lot easier to have access to people who know people who can get me in touch with people. Yeah. Do that and say “Hey, here's what you should talk to.” And it's just being in this area versus like Lincoln, Nebraska, it's a lot better. I have more options that my hand can get ahold of more people and can make meetings easier. And yeah, so that's the good news. Although if you live in Lincoln, Nebraska and you do let's say you have one hell of a Nebraska Cornhuskers podcast or show about University of Nebraska,

15:23
you're the best guy you will get noticed it's just gonna you know take time to take a network of people to like and share your stuff non stop like you gotta but you had to have a top notch product and you got to be consistent with the marketing promotion. Nice. Kevin Gootee, you are the Founder, the creator of Comics Watching Comics now in its eighth season, and that streams on Amazon Prime and so if you have an Amazon Prime membership, just search Comics Watching Comics, give it a five star review, share it with your friends, and then as well look for Fantasy Football Jibber Jabber, which is on YouTube currently and quite possibly on its way to your favorite streaming platform as well. Kevin, thank you so much for joining us.

16:05
Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate your time. Thank you.

16:08
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