Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Philly Kash. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Philly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s go back in time to when you were an intern or apprentice – what’s an interesting story you can share from that stage of your career?
I worked at Disneyland and Disney World in my early to mid-20s via the Disney College Program.
Among the most interesting aspects of these experiences was the fact that park guests had one of three ways of looking at Disney Park employees: Admiration to an almost god-like level (the most rare), indifference to the point of near-invisibility (the most common), or disdain to the point of animalistic behavior.
Disdain was the least common, but definitely a daily occurrence for every cast member (the work term for Disney ground level employees).
If I had a dollar for every weird request I’ve gotten from park guests, I wouldn’t need to work again for… maybe a week in L.A.
I remember one lady frantically asking me to find her son’s $1,000 Mercedes or BMW stroller. She even asked me to use Disneyland’s “Voice of God”– you know, the one that announces to all the dozens of thousands of people outside when parades are starting and the parks are closing– to let everyone know how important it is to find that one stroller.
Having moved thousands of strollers in my Disney career because they all caused walking hazards, I’m very much over them.
Philly, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’ve wanted to be an actor since I was 4 years old, an endeavor my parents quickly shot down because, according to them, I would die of an overdose.
My parents weren’t big on subtlety.
The other reason they claimed I couldn’t become an actor is because if I ever had to testify on my own behalf in court, the jury apparently wouldn’t believe anything I’d say because I would be “just another disingenuous actor,” no matter how compelling my argument.
It sounds too funny to be true.
Can you see why I’ve gotten into stand-up and writing?
Flappers is definitely my favorite club to perform at. I don’t have a Netflix special yet, but maybe I’ll pitch an idea to them about my life as a comedian, ride operator, substitute teacher, and writer inspired by Norton Juster and Kurt Vonnegut.
While we’re at it, maybe we can do a meta miniseries adaptation of Charlie Kaufman’s “Adaptation” starring Tom Holland and I as a couple of Australian Nicolas Cages.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
“Atomic Habits” by James Clear has definitely been a game changer. I’m also reading “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius. I don’t want to spoil anything, but he wrote it almost 2,000 years ago, so I think most people have had time to give it a go.
Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?
My family and I took a road trip to Oregon when I was around 5 years old. We went camping, and I distinctly recall hiking with my dad, him telling me not to veer off the path, and me instantly almost falling off a cliff, hanging onto a flimsy tree root. My dad hoisted me up and saved me from the jagged rocky teeth being flossed by the crashing waves below.
“What does this have to do with your line of work?” you might be asking.
Performers know how different it can feel to rock or tank on stage. The audience, auditioner, or showrunner you’re pitching to can look like the pearly gates of heaven, or the gaping maw of those jagged rocks. And it can shift in a heartbeat.
No pressure.
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