Alex Mackenzie: Quit Your Job For Comedy - January 7, 2026
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
The show that makes you laugh, think, and occasionally uncomfortable. The Last Show with David Cooper. We are here with someone who has a story that I think we can all relate to. Nine out of 10 people follow this journey, and here is what it is. You quit your six figure job, you sell your house, all your possessions, you buy an RV so you can live in it with your dog.
What motivated Alex Mackenzie to quit his six-figure job for comedy?
And why do you do that? Well, so you can tour the country doing standup comedy. My mom just recently did that. So this is gonna be a helpful interview for everyone. I'm here with Alex McKenzie, a comedian from Prince George, British Columbia, to talk his story. Alex, A very relatable narrative that I just displayed there.
Yeah, I would say I pass probably 20 to 30 people doing the same thing every day on the highway from gig to gig.
I'm guessing you don't have a Jewish mother, but I do. And if I told my Jewish mother that I was about to do what you did with your story, I think I would have no longer have eardrums at that point.
Yeah, you know what? That's pretty funny. I think that most parents, Jewish or not, you know, my Canadian mother, same thing. You know what's so funny? My mom was very, like, when I was working in the mill, she was always like, oh, you got to get out of there. You got to go and do something and chase your dreams, you know? And then when I was like, hey, I'm quitting my job to do this. She's like, whoa, whoa, whoa, you can't just quit. I mean, what are you? What are you, crazy? Like...
The subtext was she wanted you to trace your dreams as a doctor, a lawyer, an accountant, or an engineer is what she was really saying.
Exactly. Yeah, that was the plan.
I love that you treated your life like a canvas or an experiment. What has been some of the most unexpected results of this career pivot into comedy?
Oh, I would say, you know, the biggest thing that comes of it that you realize later is it's not what you're doing, it's who you're becoming. So I would say that is the biggest thing I've taken away from it. Like at the beginning, you're like, oh, I want to do comedy. I'm so excited to chase this dream. But then as you get into it and you get years down the road of chasing the dream, you realize that the real reward isn't the doing comedy, but it's the person you're becoming along the way. Wow. Look at you spewing this life advice. I love it. Well, it's because like, I don't know, you look and it's, you just have to overcome so many obstacles. And like, I can look back today, I can tell you right now today that like,
How did Alex's background influence his decision to pursue stand-up comedy?
I am the best version of Alex McKenzie that there's ever been so far in front of you today. And it's through the chasing the dream and the struggles along the way, man.
I think a lot of people romanticize, idealize what standup comedy is having done it myself and miserably failed at it and realizing how hard it is and not just how hard it is, how much you have to lay. It's an uphill battle every day. And if you don't have that resolve, like you're going to quit all the terrible gigs, all the terrible audience members, all the terrible bookers, all the terrible other comedians, everything about it is set up for you to fail at all times. Yeah. Uh, Somebody once put it to me this way. If you bomb at a show, it's because that audience decided they would rather have a bad time than have a good time with you. And that is soul crushing.
Right.
So I guess my question is for those who romanticize it, like what's your take on it, having really given your life to it?
Oh, I would say... I don't know, like there's a couple things there. Like one, you mentioned the audience. So one thing that really changed my standup career and helped me do a lot better was I used to go into the gigs where it was like me versus the audience. You know, I'm like, okay, I got to win these people over. I got to show them I'm funny and get them to like me. And then I realized, Like they're on my team. Like no one bought a ticket to come to this show to watch you do bad. Like they all want you to do good. Like everyone's like, man, I hope this guy's funny and I hope this is good.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:03–0:32
2
What motivated Alex Mackenzie to quit his six-figure job for comedy?
0:32–2:32
3
How did Alex's background influence his decision to pursue stand-up comedy?
2:32–6:27
4
What unexpected lessons has Alex learned from his career pivot into comedy?
6:27–9:59
5
What challenges does Alex face as a touring comedian?
9:59–18:21
6
How does Alex handle the pressure of ticket sales and audience reception?
18:21–19:06
Speakers
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