We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Adam Bush a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Adam, appreciate you joining us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your creative career?

Before I was a comedian, I worked at a very large church. My title was ‘storyteller,’ because I would help people within the church tell their story of spiritual transformation, etc. I loved writing (still do) and that fostered a desire to write my own television series for kids.

One day I was sitting, with my wife, in my boss’s office and shared my desire to step away from my job and pursue television writing projects. I can still hear my boss’s very clear response: “You think YOU’RE going to be the one to write a television show?”

I was really hurt.

I did leave that job, though, and I did write a show. Later that year, I sold the series, which currently runs on Prime Video. Additionally, another studio hired me to write on a new show which is still in pre-production and set to release in 2025. From there I’ve written on a popular Youtube show, produced a couple comedy specials, filmed a Dry Bar Comedy Special and had just a ton of fun.

I’m not hurt by my boss’s words anymore and it’s not because I found some success. It’s because I don’t blame him. He’s not wired to dream and think the way I am. He has different strengths. So, when I brought up my lofty goals, I can now understand how there would be 100 reasons he’d think, “This is a bad idea.” Would it have been nice if he was encouraging? Sure, but hey, we’ve all been the voice of discouragement, sometimes without realizing it.

When I dream of new goals, I’ve learned there are certain people I share them with, albeit honest people who give me real feedback, but people in my life who understand the kind of drive I embody and how I’m wired.

(Also, I got a really good comedic one-man show, WHO BROUGHT THE KID?!, out of the experience, which debuts on May 17. You’ll find it on my Youtube @heyadambush. : )

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

For years I was a writer at a mega church in Oklahoma. Because of that, I followed storytellers and comedians in entertainment, to sharpen my craft. Pixar and Jim Henson were HUGE inspirations and it initiated a desire to create my own television projects for children.

In 2018 I sold my first t.v. series, Pete and Penelope, to a startup streaming platform and eventually had it licensed on Prime Video. Since then, I’ve worked on and continue to write and produce various television and film projects.

In the middle of this writing expedition, I won a random contest to open for comedian Mike Birbiglia. That sparked a love for standup and I’ve been a comic for 5 years, working professionally for the last year. I filmed a Dry Bar Comedy special in 2022 and my first self produced comedic one-man show premieres on May 17. Additionally, I’m currently on tour with comedian Preacher Lawson.

Oh, and I live in Tulsa, OK with my wife and best friend, Dy, and our two girls, Luna and Ira (also our pup Walter).

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

One of my biggest resources has been podcasts.

There’s not straight line into standup, so when I started this journey, I listened to as many podcasts as I could find. We live in such an amazing age that allow us to hear from artists whom we’d otherwise never learn from. As a comic, one of the most helpful podcasts is Nate Bargatze’s Nateland podcast. It’s entertaining, but the guys on there drop loads of stories from their lives in comedy. They’re just one example. Email me and I’ll tell you so many more.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I’m just walking through the doors open to me. I never set out to be a comic, I just loved telling stories. That led to my love for standup, leading to a contest, which led to a hobby that is now a job. When this door closes, I’ll see what opens next, but for now, I’m fulfilled in walking it out.

Contact Info:

• Website: heyadambush.com
• Instagram: @heyadambush
• Facebook: @heyadambush
• Twitter: @heyadambush
• Youtube: @heyadambush

Image Credits
https://www.threads.net/@abrunkus