We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Danielle & Kristine a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Danielle & Kristine, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

Podcasting is a crowded field, and making an impact is challenging. Had we started before everyone and their uncle had a podcast (Danielle’s one uncle died way before podcasts were a thing, so she’s the exception), we may have made more headway earlier. That said, by the time we created How to Survive with Danielle and Kristine in 2021, we each had kids, years of show business experience, and an ability to laugh at ourselves (something not easily achieved in one’s youth). We were also both looking for a creative outlet. We hadn’t worked together since we met on a show called The Dish, but we remained good friends. When the idea came about to do a podcast together, it made perfect sense. We knew we worked well together, and we knew we made each other laugh. So perhaps it was the exact right moment after all.

Danielle & Kristine, 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?

We each started our comedy careers in Los Angeles (Danielle is from L.A., Kristine from Ohio), first as stand-up comics and then as comedy writers for TV. What sets our podcast apart is that we’re actually friends in real life. The show has strengthened our friendship, just as our friendship has strengthened the show. We can tease each other on-air because we know there’s no risk of hurting the other one’s feelings and that, in fact, we’ll all laugh. Our show format is unique in that each episode contains two distinct parts, neither of which we’ve heard on other podcasts. For the first half, we and our producer, Garon Cockrell, walk the audience through how to survive a harrowing real-life situation, be it an avalanche, being robbed and gunpoint, or an alligator attack. While we give practical advice, we in no way claim to be experts, and we do our best to sprinkle even the most dangerous situations with humor. For the show’s second half, we have a guest (usually someone in the comedy world, such as Patton Oswalt, Lauren Ash, Andy Richter) who shares a survival story. Their stories are generally low in stakes but high on comedy and include stories like losing your job, dealing with neighbors from hell, and bombing on stage. Our tagline sums it up: “The show that teaches you how to survive the things that can kill you and the things that just make you wish you were dead.”

We strive to bring as much of ourselves into the show, and this familiarity and a general sense of silliness are striking a chord with our listeners.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Being in a creative field allows us to play to our strengths. We’re naturally funny and inquisitive. There’s freedom in doing a job that allows you to be who you are. We’ve had plenty of “regular” jobs, but they weren’t anywhere near as rewarding as doing our podcast. And because of the way we’ve formatted our show, we get to meet so many funny and interesting people and hear amazing stories.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Working in the entertainment industry, we’ve each had to pivot many times. Danielle never thought she’d be writing for game shows or animation, but when those opportunities arose, she had to shift her thinking and skill set. Likewise, Kristine never expected to attend graduate school for creative writing, but when the pandemic hit, she finally had the opportunity. And as a show, we’ve recently pivoted to a Patreon format. We still offer our show for free, but we’ve also come to embrace the idea that we’re worth being paid for our work, and luckily many of our listeners think so too!

Contact Info:

• Website: podhowtosurvive.com
• Instagram: podhowtosurvive
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/podhowtosurvive
• Twitter: @podhowtosurvive
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBX0aS67HMUqale_–3meEg
• Other: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/podcasthowtosurvive