We were lucky to catch up with Mat Dann recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mat, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.

I grew up in a home when something good happened we’d celebrate with a bash and drink our faces off. When something bad happened we would greave while numbing our pain, momentarily, by drinking or faces off. As I grew a little bit older the drinking off of the faces would go pretty much go hand in hand with any and all activities – dinner, the movies, sporting events, camping, vacations, funerals, weddings, promotions, a long at work day, laid off, etc. Which eventually resulted in the drinking off of faces on a Monday just cause, fuck Monday’s. And Tuesday’s suck too so let’s do a ripper (ripper, chugging straight of the bottle as you Snapchat it to your friends), and drink that face off yet again. By the time I was 30 I was a full blown alcoholic and drank my face off so many times I don’t think I recognized my own reflection. Just another faceless drunk with a lot of embarrassing big fish stories and hot air, all talk and no action. This reminded me of someone I love very much, my dad. I had found myself falling victim to the same demons that plagued my father and even sadder, was staring into the same bleak future of squandered gifts and untapped potential. This was all learned behavior and for awhile, I thought the only way you could do this thing life; a wild ride with a bitter ending.

At 41 years old I decided to get sober and buy into the idea that I am deserving of good things in life. In just over a year my health has improved (down 130lbs and workout at least once a day), my marriage and relationship with my family has never been stronger and more peaceful and I can finally start to see the guy 10 year old me always wanted to become come into focus.

Here’s the best part, it’s been a bitch of a year. My dad is now battling dementia, I’ve struggled to keep a day job, I’ve had to re find my voice as a comic which has led to some high highs but quite a few more low lows, all while bleeding money from every orifice cause that’s life baby, and guess what? I’m handling it. I’ve gained the ability of “zooming out” and looking at the big picture. I’m handling it, whatever IT is, and then wake up the next morning without a hangover and I handle IT all over again.

So to answer the question, what would’ve allowed a younger me to move faster and more efficiently, less booze and more fortitude.

Mat, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m pretty sure my ability to act and sense of humor were born from a place trying to protect myself. I was the fat kid in school picked on and bullied with an alcoholic father at home that yelled and hit a lot. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of kids had it WAY worse than me and I honestly love my father very much, he wasn’t all bad, but he grew up in an abusive household himself and that’s all he knew – and so the cycle goes on. He like myself was afraid, angry and needed an outlet to feel safe and grow – he chose sports and was a fantastic athlete. I discovered I was a right minded creative with a sense of humor and leaned into acting and comedy.

Coming from a place that had no understood the entertainment world it was a struggle to find my footing. I started by attempting to tackle the Boston stand up scene, I was TERRIBLE. The confidence immediately took a hit so I decided to join a team sport by pivoting to improv and joining The Improv Asylum in Boston’s North End. That move changed everything. I finally had found a place that not only understood my sense of humor but also teach me how to lay a foundation as a professional entertainer that I’d be able to build upon for the rest of my life. If you’re a struggling artist living in the Northeast do yourself a favor and catch a show at the Improv Asylum – it could change the course of your life.

After a few years preforming at IA I was ready to see what else was out there. While still living in Boston I started by taking classes at Upright Citizens Brigade in NYC. I’d hop on the 6am Greyhound, arrive in New York around 1ish, attend a 4pm class, grab dinner in the city then grab the last bus back to Bean Town while falling asleep listening to the Red Sox game. Sounds like a lot of running around for only for a measly 3 hour improv class but I LOVED IT. Those bus rides were a defining moment in my life that I knew what I wanted OUT OF MY LIFE and I’d eventually figure out how to get it. It was the moment I realized I couldn’t be stopped.

The next year my wife and I decided that LA rather than NY would serve both of our careers so in December of 2012 we headed west. I quickly enrolled in The Groundlings Theater where I’d eventually become a member of their Sunday Company. I was extremely fortunate to learn and observe from incredible actors and writers such as Edi Patterson, Tony Cavalero, Jessica Pohly and my director of the Sunday Co Jim Rash, winner of the 2012 Academy Award for best Adapted Screenplay for The Descendants. What Jim taught me in terms of writing was invaluable, but it wasn’t just the Groundling that I received an education, I also sought out independent acting classes from Jack Politick, Arthur Mendoza of Stella Adler Studio and Tim Robbins’ The Actor’s Gang; each gave me something of extreme value and over time I learned to take what I want leave what I don’t and become an individual artist with all of their tutelage combined. As a talented actor and close friend of mine by the name of Michael Anastasia once told me, taking a note is like accepting a slice of cake at a party. Always politely take the cake, doesn’t mean you have to eat it. Be a professional, understand the constructive criticism but listen to your gut.

In 2018 I needed a new challenge and decided to go back to where I started, stand up comedy. Though there was still a lot to learn, this time I was coming with stage presence, confidence and most importantly a voice. In August of 2023 I featured for Trae Crowder, The Liberal Redneck, at the incredible Vermont Comedy Club. One of the highlights of my year. I’ve also had a touch of luck on television in that past year booking rolls on Welcome to Chippendales sharing scenes with Juliette Lewis and 9-1-1 preform alongside Angela Bassett and Peter Krause.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

If there was any resource I wished I had invested in much earlier it would’ve been unquestionably a camera and editing software. My writing partner and brother from another mother, Teddy Gilmore gifted me a 70D Canon and it changed everything for me. I was able to shoot sketches, stand up sets, you name it! And the best part was I didn’t need to rely on anyone else to get it done. Since I arrived in LA people have told me “hey dude, if you’ve got an idea to shoot hit me up and lets make it!” But that’s a lot of bullshit and hot air. When you do decide to take these generous “friends” up on their offer they’re usually too busy, wanting to change your idea to THEIR idea because they can’t picture the vision in your mind’s eye or they want to charge you an arm and a leg. The last one I get, nothing in this world is free – know that for a certainty.

Being able to record and edit opened so many creative doors. The next thing I realized is how important sound is – invest in a couple of lave mics and a boom, you can now make ANYTHING. Seriously. Rely only on yourself and get to work.

Any advice for managing a team?

Something I learned fairly recently that has changed my approach to everything, “hold your dreams like you would water” open handed, gentle and thoughtfully. My entire life I approached…well, everything with a white knuckled grip. Like I was squeezing a baseball bat, choking the life and all fun and creativity out of the project.

“Zoom out” as my wife likes to say, see the big picture and be adaptable. Be confident enough to realize going with the flow isn’t your idea failing but you succeeding as a leader and find progress in change. That’s how things are created, not with an iron fist but with gentle guidance. Let the universe flow through you and show you the path instead of swinging a hatchet and destroying a forest of ideas that doesn’t need to be chopped down in order to create your vision.

Is this a little guru-ish? Nah, it’s a lot guru-ish, but it’ll save you some massive headaches and bring unexpected joy into your work.

Contact Info:

• Website: matdanncomedy.com
• Instagram: @matdanncomedy @scaredycatshauntings @illpreparedcomedy
• Facebook: Mat Dann
• Linkedin: @MatDann
• Twitter: @MatDannimal
• Youtube: Mat Dann
• Other: TikTok: Mat Dann, Scaredycatshauntings