Tiny Girl Big Show
Leah eats fire, juggles knives and shoots a bow with her toes. Two and a half years after diagnosis, type 1 is part of the act.
Jump to a moment
- Leah was diagnosed at 28, about two and a half years ago, with no family history of diabetes or autoimmune disease. Her symptoms started roughly two months after a case of COVID: constant peeing, insatiable thirst, blurry vision, cramps and swinging energy. It went on for about six months. An eye doctor ordered autoimmune labs, Leah added an A1C because it was practically on sale at Quest, and it came back over 14. The lab called her the morning after a big show in New York City and told her to go to a hospital.
- She's a circus performer and comedian who tours full time as Tiny Girl Big Show — Renaissance festivals, theaters, comedy clubs and cruise ships. She eats fire, juggles knives, rides a unicycle and shoots a bow and arrow with her toes. She started writing jokes about diabetes the year after her diagnosis, and now she sees Dexcoms in the front row. Her bit: "Do you want to see my impression of a diabetic in the Renaissance?" Then she lies down and dies.
- Her travel rule is backup, backup, backups. She keeps a fridge with insulin backstage, spare Dexcoms with her costumes, a reader on stage and a juice box in her prop bag. Her biggest piece of advice is to pay attention during transitions: when you leave a cafe or an airport, look back at where you were sitting, because that's when the insulin pen gets left behind.
- Concierge medicine is what makes touring possible for her. She pays a set monthly fee, has her doctor's cell number and can get a prescription filled in any city. She's been on MDI the whole time. An early endocrinologist told her she'd have to wait before she could get a pump, and she's looking into one now.
- She has two long-term partners, Aaron and Chloe, who both knew her before her diagnosis. Both follow her on the Dexcom app, put on her overpatches and know where her sugar is and how to use glucagon. When Scott asked whether they could count her carbs, she decided to add basic diabetes care to the end-of-life paperwork she already keeps.
- Tiny Girl Big Show — Leah's tour schedule — also on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok
- Bold Beginnings Series — Getting a refresh and re-releasing in the feed, in order, starting around episode 2000
- Juicebox Podcast Pro Tip Series — Management fundamentals with Jenny Smith, episodes 1000–1025
- Juice Cruise 2027 — Out of Orlando, July 2027 — deposits open now
- Twist — Automated insulin delivery you can run from an Apple Watch
- Eversense 365 — The one-year CGM — one insertion a year
- US Med — Dexcom, Libre, Omnipod, Tandem, iLet and more — or call (888) 721-1514
Every word of the conversation
Welcome0:03
Hello, friends, and welcome back to the juice box podcast. If you don't love today's episode, you can have your money back. You should not, in any way shape or form take anything you hear on the juice box podcast. As medical advice, I'm talking about medical advice, regular advice, any kind of advice. This is a podcast.
Nothing you hear on the juice box podcast should be considered advice medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your health care plan. I cannot stress that enough.
Meet Leah1:00
Hi. My name is Leah Rose Orleans. I'm an entertainer, an acrobat, and a type one diabetic.
And you'd have the coolest Instagram. So I
Thank you.
You're very welcome. I I don't... Did I eventually reach to you? Did you to me?
I'm not sure. I found you when I was diagnosed. So I at least was familiar with who you were long before I ever thought of becoming public about my diabetes as well. So
Interesting. Let's find out about that then. How long ago was that?
That was only, like, two and a half years ago.
Really? Okay. Yeah. How old are you now?
I am currently 31. So when I was 28, I was diagnosed.
Tell me more about that. But first, like, let me understand. You have brothers and sisters. Do you have extended family members who have type one or other autoimmune issues? Did you have any reason to think you might get something like diabetes?
No. I have no family history of diabetes, type one or type two that we know of, at least. I think... Or what the doctors might think. We have no proven testing that that really proves this, but I think after COVID, my symptoms really began.
Mhmm. And we think it might have something to do with organ failure, pancreas, obviously, and, like, a post COVID side effect. So I I had COVID, and it was fine. You know, I was vaccinated prior to that. And I was sick, but it wasn't, like, you know, completely detrimental.
Two Months After COVID2:41
I was, like, definitely very sick for a week, and then I got fine. But about two months after that, I started to get a series of symptoms. Just really having to pee all the time, drinking a ton of water, insatiable thirst. The typical symptoms that you hear of, blurry vision, weird energy levels, suddenly very tired, suddenly very awake, weird cramps in my body. I'm an athlete.
I'm an entertainer, and I tour full time. So I was on the road touring my show, and I'll get more to that later. But
Before you do it, Leah, did a fan just come on behind you or something? You were so crystal clear, and then all of a sudden, it got loud behind you.
Let me look.
There it goes. Now it's gone.
Is this better?
It's it's... It... You sound like you're sitting next to me in a quiet room right now. It's beautiful.
Great.
I don't know what happened. Do you know what happened?
No. But keep me posted.
Okay. I'll let you know. Otherwise, I... So I wanna go to the co... The COVID thing for a second, though.
Yeah.
So you... Basically, you had a virus, and then you got type one diabetes.
Yes. Yeah. And it was about six months of me not knowing what was going on until I got tested, and I was probably in DKA for... On and off for a few months.
Okay. Yeah. And before you, what, got so sick that you had no other choice?
An Eye Doctor and an A1C on Sale4:03
I started getting weird eye problems, and that's really what took me to a eye doctor. And she recommended a series of tests for different autoimmune diseases. Funny enough, it didn't include an a one c test, but I ended up getting an a one c test on top of that because it was... Really, because it was practically on sale at Quest. One of those kind of weird situations where I was like, sure.
We'll just do this too. And everything else came back fine, but my a one c was off the charts over 14. The lab called me, which isn't something that they do, apparently. And they were like, you... Are you alive?
You need to seek medical attention. We can't help you, you need to go to a hospital because you're clearly not okay.
You went from you bought cookies and chocolate. Are you sure you don't want milk? To Yeah. To, oh my god, run to a facility right now?
Yes. I I literally had... I was performing the night before in New York City doing this massive show. I had a crazy night of partying, and, like, it was a very successful successful evening, and everyone was, like, up late. And I woke up the next morning to the email from Quest.
It was crazy. That's so exciting. I... It's not... You're not the first person who's got...
Know, that I've talked to who's gotten a call that's like, hey. You're standing. That's awesome. Go to a hospital.
Wow.
So let me just, like, pick around for half a second. Thigh... Hype... Like, hypothyroid, celiac, anything with an ant even. Nope.
That's really something... Do you have brothers and sisters? Nope. No. Oh, you're an only child.
Yeah. And your parents are generally healthy?
Very healthy. My mom was a aerobics champion in the eighties. My dad is very fit and moves a lot. And, yeah, we have we have a pretty clear nobody smokes. Nobody has cancer.
The First Chronically Ill Person in the Family5:57
And that that also was... Part of it too is that I was suddenly the first chronically ill person in my family. And that was, like, a a real shock for all of us Did... Emotionally.
Like, no one knew what to do quite?
No one knew what to do, and we also just didn't live... Frankly, it was privilege of us not experiencing the real detrimental effects of the American medical system, what it's like having a chronic illness, what it's like loving someone with a chronic illness. I was an athlete. I am an athlete still. I'm a circus performer, so I do high level acrobatics and circus tricks since I was a child.
And it's my full time job. It's what I train, you know, hours and hours. I used to train with Cirque du Soleil. Like, I just assumed that I... The most dangerous thing that could happen to me is I break my leg or something.
You know? Like an injury from
face while you're juggling or something like that. Yeah. Yeah.
Right. Injury from fire was way more likely to me than a chronic illness. Yeah. And suddenly, I had this thing that was expensive and complicated and scary. And there was a big growing period that I'm sure that your listeners also relate to where you have to take it in and be like, holy crap.
This is my life now.
And your parents are doing the same even though I imagine you don't live with them at 28. Right? But Yeah. But still, like, now, do you feel your relationship changing? Like, can you feel it?
I did. Yeah. Oh, I did. It was it was honestly kind of beautiful, and I've always been very close with my parents. We have a very good relationship, but there was a difference.
I travel so much, and they travel so much too. So we don't really see each other a lot. And most of the time as well, our holidays, like the typical times that families would get together, are usually spent working because we work in the entertainment industry. So... Oh, excuse me.
It's my diabetes alarm going off.
Well, that that happens a lot on this podcast. It's okay.
I bet. It's so funny. I'm gonna give myself a few minutes.
Are you anxious or nervous about this for any reason? About Is it talking? I mean, I can't imagine you are, but, like
speak full time all the time about the story.
Yeah. I was gonna say, I I didn't think you would be, but some people get just, like, a little adrenaline burst when they start making the vodkas. Yeah.
No. I think I just didn't inject enough this morning for breakfast, to be honest.
That may... That would do it too. Well... So when you said that your relationship changed kinda beautifully, what did you mean by that?
Walking Chemistry Sets8:30
I think we all got suddenly a deeper appreciation for life. And to be kind of blunt, we've understood the preciousness of life. I know that I got a real rude awakening about how we're all just kind of walking chemistry sets, and things can happen all the time that are outside of our control or merit. And I think my parents and I kind of raised each other through a concept of, like, if you eat healthy, then you'll be healthy. If you work out a lot, then you'll be healthy.
And experiencing something that was nobody's fault...
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It was not their fault. It was nothing that they did to me as a child. It wasn't something that I did that I can feel guilty for, and we all just got to be sad about something for a while.
I mean, I understand what you're saying, and I think everybody listening does too. It's it's like, you know, oh, my hip is stiff, and it hurts. Oh, you should stretch. Not there's a crazy amount of inflammation attacking your joint.
And...
Yeah. And everything feels like you can dominate it if you need to. Right? Yeah. You...
Yeah.
Yes. And I'm a self employed... Anyone who's self employed also understands that your job is solving problems, and you often look through the world as problems to solve and what the best resources to do that. And diabetes was a problem that none of us could solve.
Yeah. I think that's why the podcast exists. Yeah. Yeah. Because I I just was like, oh, there's nothing I can do about this.
That makes sense.
Yeah. So I'll see if I can tangentially, like, impact it somehow.
Diabetic Comedy10:57
Yeah. And I think that's why I started you know, I I incorporated my diabetes into my work pretty quickly too once I started realizing that I was gonna be with this thing forever. That following year that I went out on tour, I started writing jokes about diabetes and making material about it, and the community came out fast. Mhmm. You know?
They were like, oh, yeah. Diabetic comedy? Tell me. Like, they sat front row. You know?
I I get to look at my audience and see Dexcoms everywhere now. It's very cool.
Before you decided to do that, was there a fear that I shouldn't tell people I have diabetes? Because you are do... You know what? Maybe we should answer that question for... After we explain better to people what you do.
So I don't I don't know how to quantify what you do, but if if... But if I could if I could put it into my own words, it feels like I'm watching... It it feels like I'm watching a juggling comedy Ren Faire happening in front of me. Is that fair, or is or is that reductive? Is
it No. That's that's very correct.
Okay. Okay. Good.
Stand-Up While Doing Circus Tricks12:03
So I am... When I explain what I do to people that have never seen me or don't have a visual in front of them, it's like stand up comedy while I'm doing high level circus tricks. And I perform in different places, including Renaissance Fairs.
Okay.
So I also perform in theaters and comedy clubs and cruise ships. But a large percentage of my work is these outdoor festivals that are all across the country. And I travel doing a forty five minute long show where you get to kinda know about me and my in... Like, the insanity that I do while I, like, eat fire and ride a unicycle and juggle knives and shoot a bow and arrow with my toes. And I, like, do all these crazy tricks too.
And I have my Dexcom on, you know, out there Yeah. Proud in my costume. And so I bring it up, and I make it. I make jokes about it, and I explain what it is. But I...
The whole show isn't about that, but it's an element of my character that gets to give a little more depth. And I think there's something super cool in that because what I do is so otherworldly and superhuman. Then you get to see that I'm I'm also a homo sapien with a broken pancreas. You know? Like, we all are just people, and I just chose to spend a lot of my teenage hood and twenties learning circus tricks.
And before you decided to tell people about it while you were on stage, there... Was there a, like, a professional or a business concern? Like, I don't want people to see me as sick, or I don't want this to bum people out, or did you just go for it?
I... I'm gonna be honest. I just went for it. I think... Okay.
I'm gonna mute this.
What are you muting? Oh oh, you think I can hear your alarm. I I can't hear you. I can't hear your alarm.
Probably over... Yeah. I, like, overshot the audio. I went for it, to be honest with you. I think that some of that is just the way that I handle my own stuff.
I definitely love writing material about my real life. Mhmm. It's relatable. It's fun. And it helps me process it too.
And I I think there was also something where I found this news out while I was on tour. I was in the middle of doing shows, and I kept doing shows when I was diagnosed. And then I had, like, three months off. And during that time, I, like... My body did that full reset where it...
Losing Her Best Friend14:30
So I started to get on insulin again, and I, like, gained a bunch of weight, and then I lost a bunch of weight, and then I felt really sick, and then I felt better, and then I felt depressed. You know? Like, your hormones just do a huge shift. And during that time, my best friend also died of cancer.
Oh my gosh.
Not to be... To bum you all out real hard, but she passed away. We all knew that was coming. She had breast cancer and was sick for many years, but that kinda coincided with my diagnosis. And so I was mourning that and taking care of her in her last days.
And then she passed away, and I was, like, still sick. And it really did this reset where I learned so much about the value of time, the value of community, And I felt very grateful to be alive and to live in a time when medicine allowed me to be alive, and I was learning that, like, I was gonna still be able to tour. I wasn't gonna be stuck at home for the rest of my life. Like, I could still do my job, and that was enough gratitude to get me through and make me feel like I really wanted to talk about it.
Was it as simple as you saw something happen to her that her body changed or did something different or not correctly, and humans weren't able to get in the way and stop it. And she passed, and that same thing could have happened to you except we figured out a way to stop that from happening.
Very much so. Yeah. Yes. And she she was diagnosed in 2017, and she didn't pass away until '22. And she...
Or '23. And she was given, like, four years to live, and she made... She got through a lot more than that. So we all kind of had a blast, to be honest. And she wasn't in chemo either.
Like, she had... She was just on a lot of painkillers for that entire time until her body gave up because it was safer and easier than fighting it, which was a really interesting thing to grapple with. And she had such a strong sense of humor, and also it was just, like, so sure of herself that that's what she wanted to do. Yeah. And it it taught me so much about the medical system and kind of her own integrity.
And then I got diagnosed. You know? So it was really an interesting timeline.
Yeah. Well, when you were talking about your, you know, your parents and yourself and this new reality, I thought... The way I usually say that to people is that in my mid thirties, I felt like I had the perspective of, like, a 100 year old person. You you know, like, when... Like, somebody would complain about something or I'd be like, that's not actually a problem.
Yeah.
You... Right. You you know, I was like, oh, you think this is... This is not a thing. Like, you're...
Or, you know, they were... You know, oh, the... This kid in class said this thing to my daughter. It's horrible. I'm like, ah.
Okay. My kid tried to die at 02:30 in the morning. I haven't I haven't slept in three years. I I I I... And and that's when you find yourself saying very simply, like, I I do think that the worst thing that's ever happened to you is the worst thing that's ever happened to you, and and therefore your perspective comes from that.
Yeah. But the world benefits from people having your perspective and having you have supported your friend and live with type one and talk to your parents and then go talk to other people and stand on stage and tell other people about it. It's... I'm glad everybody doesn't know, but they should at least, you know, have a grasp of it because I do think it would help them as well because you are... I believe you are gonna live a more...
A full experience for knowing that a hundred and ten years ago, you'd be dead.
A Diabetic in the Renaissance18:15
Right. Yeah. Absolutely. And I make a joke about that in my show because I perform at Renaissance Festivals. And if you've never been to a Ren Faire, they're kind of like outdoor fantasy amusement parks that are lightly themed historically accurate Renaissance fair, but they're not, like, deep, deep reenactment spaces.
They're more fantasy and fun. And I make a joke in the show in the diabetic sequence about being like, oh, well, you know, do wanna see my impression of a diabetic in the Renaissance? And everyone's like, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
And then I, like, just lay down
Lay down.
And die. And it's really funny and it's goofy, you know. And I get to make references to glucose and sugar and... Yeah. It's it's it's a good time.
Yeah. You'd just be a... It's... Well, anyway, I think it's important. I don't wanna bum everybody out.
But if you're listening and that hasn't occurred to you yet, it's difficult day to day to think this, but it's 100% true and it's inarguable. You're incredibly lucky.
Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. And it...
There was so many. Yeah. Who knows what it could have been even if I waited another six months. And I live a dangerous lifestyle already. Like, I'm already doing dangerous things.
If I, like, passed out from being sick while on the road or something, you know, like, you can just play the what if game forever. It's awful. Yeah. But How
did you get into all this? You said you've been doing it since you were a child? Your parents were, like, go
Yeah.
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A Family of Entertainers21:42
My parents are professional magicians and entertainers as well. So I come from a family of of entertainers and live event specialists. So I started doing circus when I was, like, 10, 11, 12 for fun, like, in the... There's kind of, like, an after school program that my parents really encouraged, and I loved it, and it was great. So I kept going really hard into it.
And then I ended up going to circus school for a while as well in theater school and acting. And I did a lot of comedy and joke writing stuff through my teens and... Yeah.
That's awesome. And then do you find a niche at some point? Like, do you just think, like, oh, this is the part I like, and this is the part I feel like I'm best at, and I can deliver to people, and you just develop a thing for yourself?
Yeah. That is kind of how it happened over time, I think, over, like, a five year span. And, of course, like any career growth, you're ebbing and flowing back and forth through different phases of, you know, of of creativity and in demand and different industries. But Renaissance Fairs have been a very consistent element of the places that I perform. They're really fun.
I just love them. It's just so much... It's it's just whimsy and joy, and everyone that is attending is, like, already in a really good mood. You know? It's it's very fun.
The the the fair is your your opening act, basically. Gets everybody Right. Yeah. Gets everybody going.
Yeah. Like, before they get to me, they've already seen a fairy and a troll and a a joust. You know? So they're, like, warmed up and ready to play, and then I can get up there and be super silly and goofy and everyone's with me.
Hey. Before I get a ton of emails from people who are like, you guys should have Leah come on your, like, cruise. I don't make money on my cruise. I'm not good at putting on live... I...
Like, I'm not good at putting on live events and turning them into, like, you know, money making affairs. So I don't have any money, just so you know. I should be
I totally... Yeah. That's good good to PSA them.
Not you. But I don't... They're gonna reach out to me is what I'm is what I'm gonna think here in a second.
So That's all good. If anybody wants to see me, my tour schedule is always on my website, and you can always go to go to see where I'm at. And I make big circles around the country all year long.
Oh, tell them the website.
Tinygirlbigshow.com.
Very nice. You said that a couple of times.
Or on Instagram, tiny girl big show, but, yeah, you get it.
Are you a tiny girl?
I am. I'm five feet tall.
Oh, that's awesome. I've... That Yes. And so it probably plays even, like like... It probably plays fun even because you're...
I I don't wanna say short. But, like, do you know I mean?
Like short? Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. But but right at... Because you're doing these big things and Right. Oh, that's awesome.
That's really cool.
That's the whole vibe.
What types of things will... Would I see you do on stage?
Fire, Knives and a Bow With Her Toes24:27
So I juggle fire. I juggle knives. I bend my body into ridiculous positions, crazy splits and back bends. I shoot a bow and arrow with my toes. I'm currently on a little hiatus from that trick to deal with a a injury, a non diabetic related injury.
But I did do that, and I hope to do that again soon. And then I also eat fire and ride the unicycle. I jump rope on the unicycle. It's a lot it's a lot of skills. It's a lot of fun.
I was gonna say, I don't know how I would treat... Train myself to do one of those things.
That's okay.
Yeah. Yeah. You don't have to. You can just watch. I I I certainly wouldn't try.
I have to be honest. How is it... Well, I guess, I... I'd like to go back to that point where you're, you know, you're kind of finding yourself with a diabetes a couple of years ago. How do you learn how to manage it so that you can be this active, how your schedule can be the way it is Mhmm.
You know, how you can do activity. Listen. I've I've only done two cruises with people. But while we're plugging things, the third one's coming up in July. Juiceboxpodcast.com/juicecruise.
And Juice Cruise.
Love that.
And the week that I'm spending on that ship, I run around like a freaking lunatic. Like, I I have to remind myself to eat. You know? Like, it's Yeah. It's because there's so many people there, and they are
are hard.
Yeah. Right. And and I'm just... And so... But I'm also not trying to swallow fire and, or manage type one diabetes for myself.
So how do you... I... What did you learn in the beginning? How did you put it into practice to get yourself in a position where this was all gonna work?
Systems for Everything26:09
Yeah. That's a good question. I I think some important context too is that I'm already kind of somewhere between neurotic and type a and also type c person. I have big creativity, but I also have big systems in place in my life already because I tour full time. So a lot of my life is set up to have, like, certain bags for certain items, certain systems that happen weekly.
Costumes, makeup, equipment, gear is something that's very much so in my life and requires a lot of detail more so than the average person that, like, lives in the suburbs and works a nine to five. Right? So I'm already kind of a logistical wizard lifestyle type. And as a result, I just realized... I was like, okay.
I gotta integrate diabetes just like the rest of everything else.
Mhmm.
So I have systems in place. I have... I keep a fridge backstage with insulin in it. I keep backup Dexcoms backstage with my costume. I have a little reader that I keep on stage with me.
I have a juice box in my prop bag, like, things like that so that when I inevitably mess up and forget my insulin pen or my Dexcom stops working because equipment failure happens, I have a backup. Mhmm. And I don't let not having a backup be the reason that I can't perform or can't work. Does that make sense?
Not only does it make sense, but I find that from my own experience, that people think that when you're creative or or loud or not scared to talk in front of people, and it it feels like whimsy to them, and then they have a hard time imagining that you're structured in other ways. Yeah. Do you know do you know what I mean? But I Yep.
I know exactly what you mean. Yes.
Run a pretty big podcast completely by myself.
Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I bet your CRM looks beautiful.
Right? And and and my desk is a mess, but the things I but the things I do are not. And and it's... I don't know even how that works, to be perfectly honest with you. Because when I started when I started, I thought, oh, I'm not gonna be good at the rest of this.
And then I became pretty good at it. There are still times where it happened, like... It was, like, two years ago. I got a I got a note from one of the advertisers, and they're like, we owe you money. Like, do do you
not forgot.
Do you not want it? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I was like, no.
I I I... Not only do I want it, I need it. I've been looking at my account thinking, like, what did I mess up this year? And was it that I forgot to ask you to send this to me? I'm so sorry.
And then... And so once in a while, like, that part of me creeps into the other side of it. The structured part of me very infrequently creeps into the podcast part, though. It's Yeah. It's kind of interesting.
So you would just... You set yourself up for success. You just... You put things in the right place so that if something happens, it's there. What about travel?
Because people are... I mean, you must know this by now. Having met so many people with type one, especially newer diagnosed people, are... They are freaked out to travel anywhere. But you're not just traveling.
You're you're on boats and planes and cars. And so Yep. Yeah. It just works?
Backup, Backup, Backups29:28
Backup, backup, backups. You know? It's traveling with a ton of extra stuff is really the biggest first secret. And then paying attention during transitions is my biggest piece of advice for anyone traveling with any illness or not. Like, when you're leaving a cafe, when you're leaving an airport, look back at where you were sitting.
Did you drop anything? Did you leave anything there? You know? Did your pen fall out of your pocket? Did you leave your wallet?
Like, the... Those types of things, like, don't multitask during transitions. Don't multitask when you're packing. Like, pay attention is my biggest piece of advice Mhmm. Because that's when you don't make a silly mistake.
You know? You don't intentionally leave your insulin somewhere. You leave it because you were on the phone, and you were thinking about something else, and you walked away, and you didn't track. Like... So those types of of little moments are the ones that really keep me from getting in big trouble.
Concierge Medicine30:31
I have a concierge doctor, and that's what has really allowed me to tour full time. Concierge medicine was clearly the right option for me when I was trying to figure out how to have primary care when I'm in a different city every six weeks. So I got to find someone, and I was very lucky to find somebody. And it's expensive, but it's practically the same amount of money that I would spend if I wound up at an urgent care and had to do lab work that the amount that I want to, and I can budget for this. Like, I know how much it's gonna be every month.
So I just have an auto pay like my phone bill, you know, that just goes to him and that allows me to do this full time.
And then he could send you a script no matter where
you are. Scripts no matter where I am. I have his personal cell phone number. It's great.
Yeah.
I will soapbox concierge medicine for traveling diabetics until I can't no longer because it is just... It's awesome. I can text him and be like, hey. My throat feels scratchy. I think I'm getting strep.
And he's like, cool. Go get a strep test. And if you do, I'll get you a script, and you can pick it up immediately in any city, in any state. I don't have to wait. He texts me back within an hour.
You know? It's great.
Let me tell you a quick secret. So Arden just lost her concierge doctor because her husband got a fancy job in the French government, and they moved out of the country.
And Oh, no.
I'm happy for her, but, you know, I was like, oh. So we're back in the system right now to see how that goes. But for me, it's funny because I don't I don't travel nearly as much as you do, but I just got done. Actually, I'm back... I just returned last night.
So last night was Touched By Type 1. It was my last, like, diabetes event of the year that started back, I don't even know when, in the spring. I I think I went and spoke at a hospital, then I went to Atlanta to speak at a Touched By Type 1 community event, and then it was ADA, friends for life. The cruise was in there. ADCES, they...
Then back to... I... And I, like, ping ponged all over the country this this year. Right? Yeah.
Leading up to one of those things, I thought, oh, I don't feel right. Like, just like you said, like, scratchy foot. I'm like, something's not quite right with me. But here's my... And I hope this doesn't change anytime soon.
I have an urgent care near my house, and a listener of the podcast is a doctor there.
That's awesome.
So I just kinda go, and I'm like, hi. Hi. I'm about to travel next week, and I don't feel good. Could you hit me with one of those steroid packs you guys got over there? And then and it...
And it's within the bounds of what's correct. But it's it's... I don't have to make an appointment and then, like, wait two weeks
freak you out.
And then then and then try to talk the person into believing me and and everything. It's like a person at least knows me and believes enough that I might
And that's exactly it, what you just said there. Talk the person into believing you. And with my lifestyle, it's so unbelievable. You know, the PDF of context that people need to understand what I do is like... I'm like, yeah.
I shoot a bow and arrow with my toes. And they're like, what? And I have a... Like, have an album on my phone that is pictures that I show doctors, massage therapists, you know, anyone that I see that just kind of proves... I'm like, this is what I am.
This is what I do. And then they go, oh, okay. And they have a little more. And, you know, at that point, with a normal dentist or doctor appointment, the appointment's half over by the time I get done describing what I do. Yeah.
And I'm diabetic, and I'm this, and I'm that. You know? Like... Ugh.
Also, when you know how to manage yourself and your health and and they might get lost on the wrong left turn when you're showing them or telling them or something, they get stuck on one idea and you're like, that's got nothing to do with this. Like, please don't please don't focus on that. Yeah.
And I've had other injuries. I've had neck injuries and things from my work. So it... You know, I often have to, like, divide those concepts. When I was in...
I was at the hospital for a neck injury because I needed to get an MRI, and they were trying to do a blood test on me and that... Be... Just because I'm diabetic. And I'm like, I don't need a blood test. It's a neck injury.
Like, that blood test is gonna cost me $500 when you bill me.
Yeah.
I know I'm diabetic. I have a CGM on. I can tell you what my blood sugar is. You don't need to do an a one c check for me. Like, I I had to push this dude away from sticking a needle in my arm and charging me.
You know? I was like, I don't I don't need that. Well
I don't
need that.
Last week, my daughter ended up in the ER. She had a a burst, like, a burst ovarian cyst, which if you don't
Oh, I'm so sorry.
No. Thank you. It's really awful. And we're there. This is now, like, the fourth one she's had in five years.
An ER Story35:33
And and she's never had a CT because because they won't do it. They'll do all the stuff. They they have no trouble yanking her in the back room and giving her, like, a transvaginal ultrasound to prove that her ovary didn't twist. I'm like, that's not it. You know?
Like, they'll they'll like, oh, but, yeah, but your presentation lets us bill for this. So now you're gonna do this with us. Right? And then they run blood work, which you're happy to see, but then do an m... Like, I don't They did an MRI or something, and I was like...
Or whatever. They did something that wasn't what we needed. And I was like, I need a CT, abdomen, pelvis, so we have a real answer for what happened so we can move forward and keep working towards this. Doctor just came over, like, laughed in my face because I I was like, maybe it's stones. Like, right, it could be kidney stones.
He's like, it's not kidney stones. I said, but wouldn't we... Like, we're here. She's in massive amounts of pain. You've already hit her with morphine.
We're... I mean, we're in for a penny and for a pound now. Like, give her the CT and check it out. Right? Yeah.
You're not... He's laughing, like, literally, like, mocking me. And then I was like, I I just want you to do it anyway. Now I'm trying to talk him into charging me for something, and all I could think was, this is crazy. You just gleefully charged me for a bunch of stuff that we didn't need, that we all know we didn't need, but now you won't do one more thing?
And it it was just... And by the way, the CT return back, shows the cyst, and now you go, okay. This event in my life is this. Like, I know
now. Yeah.
Right? Like, I have an answer, and, also, we can address other things moving forward. And it was that he tried to push Arden into not doing it. She, like, luckily, the morphine was like, no. I wanna do it.
How old is she?
She's 22. Because... But I I said she wanted it. I... My...
Like, we want this. And then he was like, well, it's not up to you. Then he spins to her and tries to pressure her. He goes, Arden, like, she's on morphine. He goes, I don't think you need this test.
He starts, pauses, and then he says, do you want the CT? And I'm sitting there thinking, she might be high enough to go with what he just said. I have no idea. And I can't try to, like, impact her. So I stood there, and she's like...
She looked at me and looked at him and was like, no. Yeah. I want the CT. I was like, okay. She can think.
But, like, if that concierge doctor worked in an that person that I'd known all those years and had that experience with, we would've walked in and that... It would've been the first thing she did. Also, wouldn't have let her sit there for four hours without giving her pain medication. It was really crazy. So I I mean, I think those stories are the ones that scare people into, like, not traveling as much or not getting around.
But I think it's also great to hear a story from you that's like, I go all over the place, and I'm okay.
Right. And I, you know, I think there's always an inherent risk of of something happening outside of my control. You know, the power going out and not having a place to keep my insulin or... You know, like, there's there's a whole list of stuff that can go wrong. But I think what I've been trying to do up to this point over the past two years is minimizing the chance that it could be something that's human error
Mhmm.
And saying, okay. If it's... If something's gonna go wrong, at least it's out of my control. But if most of the time, I can be on myself enough... And I...
Still on MDI38:55
Some of that's, like, discipline, you know, I think. I also am... I've been MDI this entire time. I've never been on an Omnipod or a pump.
Yeah.
So that's something that we're looking into and investigating upcoming in this season. And I'm excited and interested to see how that would be or how it would change my life or what it would feel like and if it would be in the way with my costume or whatever.
Interesting. So I just assumed you were MDI because you didn't want to wear it, but, like, you're thinking about it. So what... Like, how did you start MDI, and what made you not think pump right away?
I think that I was having insurance issues, I remember, initially. And then they were like, one endocrinologist before I got my concierge doctor was like, oh, you have to be diabetic for a certain amount of time until we can put you on a pump because you have to you're gonna have to, like, regulate and come down. Because my a one c was, like, crazy, and so nothing was... I don't know. He made some sort of explanation to me about that.
I didn't like him anyway.
All the all the words that sound regulate crack me up in those conversations. You wanna get you wanna get... Let things settle down first. Or Right. I was
like, I guess. I didn't know. You know? I was like, okay, doctor.
So You didn't like it? You didn't like him very much, you said?
I guess. I just didn't feel connected. You know? I was like... And I was sick and confused and lost, and I didn't feel like he was really Mhmm.
Understanding of that. But he also probably has a billion people to see every day and doesn't have the time to make emotional bonds. You know?
Like Also, might not know what he's talking about. Right. Sure. So you're in your you're in your early thirties. Do you Yeah.
Date... Do you date? Are you with somebody? Are you married?
Two Partners40:38
Yeah. So I am. I... You know, full disclosure and transparency, I'm polyamorous. I'm in two long term committed relationships right now with two different people
Mhmm.
And very happy. I travel so much. We all travel so much that it... Of it is kind of a logistical convenience, but also I just have a really great community of people that I love in my life. I live with my partner, Aaron, in Florida, but neither of us are home often at all.
So we kind of both cycle around this house and go when we have some time off. And then my partner Chloe lives in Los Angeles, and her and I do a show together as well. And we get to travel together sometimes during the year too.
Well, see, this is a... Unexpected but great answer because Yeah. What I was gonna follow-up and ask you was is how do you, how do you integrate a partner into the diabetes? And now I feel like you might have two different answers. So this is
I do.
Yes. This is more interesting actually now.
Sure. For sure. Absolutely. And I... I'm public about this anyway, so this isn't, like, pulling out anything that is uncomfortable for me to talk about.
Okay. They both all... We all are very happy in our situations. But we... I was...
I've known both of them long before I was diagnosed. Mhmm. So I didn't have to, like, introduce myself to either of them as a diabetic. They were... Aaron was in the hospital with me, and Chloe and I went on tour for the first time together after my diagnosis, and she drove me across the country while I was, like, sick in the car.
So they were there for it really in support holding my hand, and they both know that I'm kind of an independent cat too. So they never try to micromanage me, but they both have definitely spent a lot of time learning about the illness and making sure that I'm okay and keeping an eyeball out for me and saving me when I get low or uncomfy or... I taught Chloe how to inject insulin and things like that. So I know
I know from your Instagram that Chloe is a girl. Is Aaron a guy?
Yes.
Is there any difference that you would attribute to just sec... Like, to masculine and feminine responses?
No. I don't think so. Not with these two specifically. Neither of them are very gender as people. Okay.
Aaron is definitely... He's also kind of an independent cat. So he's very good at, like, giving me my space when I need to figure it out. But also, I know that he's there for me when I need it, and he's there as an anchor to kinda catch me when I when I trip and fall. Chloe is very detail oriented and also, like, enthusiastic about everything all the time.
She has a lot of enthusiasm. So I really feel like she has made efforts to understand and be there. She'll usually be the one to to text me when I'm low quicker and be like, yo. You... You're low.
Your your Dexcom's low. They're both on the app. So Yeah. They get their alerts.
Is there... Do you give them a job? Do you let them see the whole thing? Do they just naturally... Are they better support systems for certain things so they they kinda fall into the...
I'm saying job, but into the job that, like, works best in your relationship? Like, because I... The reason I'm asking is because I I sometimes interview people who are like, I don't want anybody else involved in this. And sometimes they don't wanna burden them, and sometimes they're just private people, and they don't want to... Anyone else to know what's going on.
I've interviewed people who've been married for a long time and, you know, then got diagnosed later. And it's just like, well, you know, this isn't her problem. It's mine. Sometimes I find some... You know what I mean?
Like, there's a lot of different, like, nuance to it. I was just wondering how it worked for you.
No. That's a great question. Because I'm not with an either of them consistently throughout the year, they don't really have, like, a job in that way where, like, oh, it's your job to pick up my meds or something. Mhmm. Because I really...
I might only see either of them for maybe half the year respectively
Mhmm.
Depending on our schedules. So I'm very dependent on my own consistency and ability. But when I have to, like, change my Dexcom, they're the ones sticking my over patch on. You know? I'm like, I'll, like, show up with a sticker and be like, can you can you put it on my arm?
Thanks.
Could They Count Your Carbs45:03
Question I I usually like to ask is if you, like, just... I don't know. If you just went catatonic, would they be able to count your carbs? Like like, how much of it do they understand, like, functionally?
I think I think they would. I don't know if they know exactly, like, what my what my basal is. You know, I don't know if they know all of my numbers in detail. And I... Now that you say that, should probably, like, write it down and keep it somewhere.
We all have different types of paperwork that we keep. Like, if something awful happens, here's where... We have wills. We have, you know, end of life documents. And because of the kind of unconventional lifestyle that we have where I owned multiple businesses and vehicles and spaces and trailers across the country, like, I have some end of life documents that are like, this is the thing I need.
This is the thing I need to do. But I don't I don't think that has some basic diabetes care on it, so I think I'm gonna go change that.
My last question about that is could both of them give you glucagon? Would they know how and when to?
Yeah. Yeah. They would. And they also would, like, know to put sugar. I always...
They know where my juice boxes live, and they know where my sugar lives, and they would know what to put in my mouth to make it the most effective.
I'm almost twice your age. And when you started describing how you have all your documents together, I was like, oh god. I'm woefully behind on that stuff.
End-of-Life Paperwork46:28
We've... Honestly, at once, when I got diagnosed and then Michelle passed away, that was when we did that. It was that that, like, time of the year when all those things were happening in all of our lives, and we were kind of all, like... And another one of our friend's father's passed away too in that time zone. So we all kind of were like, okay.
We're doing this now. We're just doing it now. We're getting it done. And it's pretty easy to do online, honestly. There's like...
I think we used Rocket Lawyer, which is one of those kind of Mad Libs style Mhmm. Lawyer document creation websites, and it was easy. So I recommend it.
I would imagine at this point, you could ask Claude to do it for you.
Honestly, and it's it's way better to have something than nothing because we've seen... I've seen situations where people, you know, god forbid, sad, sad, sad, pass away unexpectedly, and they... All their stuff goes to the bank. You know? Like Right.
People they love
People they love fight over it or whatever. Yeah.
It's a mess.
Taxed weirdly.
It's a mess. Can you all thought?
Yeah. So so you're so, like, mobile, honestly. Right? You're so mobile. Does your life ever feel unsettled, or is it a thing you love?
Because I I'll tell you that this was my most active year going to events. I have... I mean, I don't know how well you know this thing I do here, but, like, this podcast, you're talking to me in its twelfth season. Like, it's twelve years, like, 2,000 episodes. I've been doing this a long time.
Right? I don't go to stuff usually.
Yeah.
And this year, I did. And I lost my summer. Yeah. And I lost a lot of time with my kids and my wife this summer. Yeah.
And I'm and I'm wondering, like, do you feel, like, transient or, like, do you ever feel settled?
Absolutely. I am very transient. It... That is the lifestyle that I live. I think I do get to feel settled in certain spaces, but I would say the feeling of being settled is not part of my job description.
If I feel settled for too long, I get antsy, to be completely honest. I've been doing this for so long that if I'm in one place for more than, like, three or four months, I'll get real antsy real fast.
When you... Go ahead.
Yeah.
No. I'm sorry. I I cut you off.
I've spent a lot of time through the rituals of packing and moving. Like, that's that's just such a large part of my life the same way that, you know, school season or football season is part of people's lives that kind of cycles through. I have, like, packing time and moving time, and that's, like, a holiday situation for me. I know it sounds silly, but it's true.
A Singer on a Cruise Ship49:13
Why Yeah. I I got to... I'm gonna ask you a question by telling you what I think is a funny story. So Yeah. For the for the second cruise I did, the cruise line wanted me to come out and see the ship.
So my wife and I did, like, this, like, five day cruise right before Christmas. Yeah. It's probably their slower time. It's probably easier for them to to give me a a, a cabin at that point. Right?
And and so we go to see the ship and everything. And maybe the first or second night, my wife says to me, there's a singer here. I recognize her from American Idol. I was like, okay. And she's like, we should go.
And I was like, okay. So we went. She was great. You know? And I don't know if people know her.
Her name's Ashley Amber, and you might remember her as having, like, a giant, like, purposefully crazy, almost mohawk afro. And, like... Right? And she... She's all fun and everything and blah blah blah.
And my wife and I are, like, we're leaving and we're talking. And I said immediately, because my brain goes to places like that, I'm like, how does she move around this ship without people being... Like, because when I'm... I'm like, I don't know about you, Leah, but, like, in certain parts of the world for certain moments, I'm incredibly famous. And it's not...
It doesn't last long. It doesn't last sometimes when I walk outside of a room or anything, but, like, in certain places I am. And I thought her... Just her style, and she's on this ship with these people. Like, she still gotta eat and move around.
Like, how does she do that?
Right? Yep. So That's exactly what happens.
Yeah. It's... Right? Yeah. Yeah.
It's gotta
be perform on cruise ships, you become a mini celebrity in the city of 2,000 people for a week.
Yeah. You're... And and I know what you look like. You are... Like, you were
I'm very distinct.
Uniquely you. Yeah. Yeah. Like, I I
don't I can't really... Like, I can put on a baseball cap and a hoodie and my headphones and hide, but
Also, not trying to do that. Right? And, also... And by the way, when people see you do that... Because I walked through a hotel two days ago with my headphones on because I was trying to get myself centered for what I was about to do.
And I got a lot of comments from people, oh, I waived you, and you didn't see me. I'm like, I can't
even do standoffish.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
So Yeah.
So now... Also, I I... This is an aside, but I find when I get to an event, I get... Whatever the first door is I go through, I just put this smile on my face, and I never take it off. Because
My my face will hurt from, like, smiling. Yeah.
Just get incredibly aware that someone is always looking at you.
Mhmm.
Right. Right? And so... Anyway, not the point. So I'm going to get the food.
I'm I'm going to get food on the ship, and there's this poor girl standing, holding her food, and someone is talking to her. And I thought I've been in this situation where I'm like, I'm so close to eating. Please stop talking to me. And and I was... And and...
But but also you're having a lovely time talking to the person, and you don't have any real desire to walk away from them. You just need to eat. So I walked up and just, like, buffoonishly, purposely interjected myself into their conversation. Yep. And then as soon as the woman, like like, that she was talking to just was like, okay.
Goodbye. And she left. I looked at her and I went, you can go. I just did that so you could go eat. And then she and she...
She's like, thank you. And then I said, no problem. I said, is a weird part of my life where I have the same problem. I I could see it. She goes, you really saw that?
I said, from across the room, I saw you. And, and so she thanks me, and we start walking away from each other. And she goes, wait. Wait. Wait.
Why do you know about this? And and I said, oh, I I I make a podcast. And, like, she's like, oh. And then she starts asking about it. And I don't know.
And then she said, I'm from Tennessee. And I went, oh, my wife and I are thinking of moving to Tennessee. And then she says, and this is the reason I tell you this whole thing, I am getting off this cruise ship gig, and I'm gonna start selling real estate in Tennessee. So she's like she's like, gives me a card. And by the way, she's now showing me a number of homes.
But
That's so fun. That's... Opportunities come from people, man. That is is the only way.
But what I was wondering from you is the vibe I got from her is, look. I love this. I'm good at it. It's been a great way to keep my singing career going to make money. Obviously, you know, she owns her own home now, like, all this stuff.
But I think the grind of being on those ships might have been... Maybe she had seen enough of it at that point. You don't get that you don't get that feeling ever?
Oh, I absolutely get that feeling. I don't I don't only do cruise ships, though.
No. But, I mean, of the lifestyle in general.
Yeah. I think part of why I I don't really let myself grind. I am switching tasks so often that, like, I'll do renaissance fairs for about fifteen weeks, and then I'll do cruise ships for four weeks, and then I'll do theaters for a few weeks, and then I'll be home. Like, I switch it up enough that just as soon as I get I get sick of something... And cruise ships are easy to get sick of because it is Groundhog Day.
You're doing the same thing every week. The passengers are very similar moving on and off. You're seeing the same the same ports and the same itineraries, and you're with the same people in staff on the ship. So it does create a cycle of grind.
Yeah.
But that being said, like, that's why I don't do it for more than a few weeks at a time. And then I get off and I go home, and I can see my friends and see my community and go to Pilates class, and then I come back on. So that switch is... And my ADD are good friends.
That makes perfect sense. Also, you've said a couple of things here that I'm gonna pick out for a second. So you you... Are you a little anxious? Or
Like, as a person?
Type A54:48
Yeah. Like, you said type a. I'm wondering what that means when you said type a.
I think that I like the control of having choices, like, creative control and choices, even if that means more responsibility is, I think, what I mean by that.
So Okay.
I'd much rather be the one in control of the spreadsheet, in control of the schedule, the day of the lists, and get to have all the Post it notes.
Be... Because if my because if it wasn't in your control, what would happen?
It's a great question. I I think I'm afraid it would all just go wrong, which is now we're like, this is... Now this is therapy. But, yeah, I I think some of it is that... I think also I have recently had a lot of success in the growth of Tiny Girl, Big Show and the different projects that we've done.
And I've been able to work with people who trust me to lead them in the right direction, whether that's a sponsor, a donor, an assistant, a tech crew. And I like being able to withhold that. So I think I'm definitely in a phase of that in my life. I would love, you know, eventually to be able to release a lot of that control. But I've also seen a lot of stories of entertainers doing what I do, who are with managers and bookers, and those people do most of the work.
And then shit goes wrong Mhmm. Fast.
Yeah.
And now they're not making any money, not having a schedule that's good.
Well, I
I working with people who just wanna get the thing done instead of wanting to get it done right.
I let one thing go out to another person, and it went well for quite a long time. But when it stopped going well, what struck me immediately... And I felt like a child when it hit me because it hit me so... Like, I thought, oh, this person doesn't care about this thing the way I do.
Uh-huh. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely.
And and by the way, statement. Right?
Right. Right.
But I don't want to be in a situation where the... A person who doesn't live and die with this the way I do could be straying from a task or something like that. And then, like, you know, one day being like, oh, guess what? It's not done. You you know?
Right.
And Exactly.
And and, sorry. And I'm like, no. Not sorry. I I was telling my daughter last night, and she was, by the way, like, asking me for another puppy. She's we like, should get one more...
I'm like, no. No. I can't. I need more time. I can't.
And at one and at one point in there, I was just like, I I don't I don't have enough time. Like, I I don't have enough time to give over to, like, what the puppy would need properly and, like, you're... It's not the right timing and everything. But as I'm talking about it, all I could really think was I'm trying to, like, make my life a little more... I don't know.
And I... And as I'm standing there trying to explain it to her, I just blurted out. I haven't taken a day off in twelve years. Yep. Like, that...
That's what I... And I don't... I just... I was like, I I I... You know how people wake up in the morning and go, I'm not going to work today?
I'm like, I've never done that. I I was like I'm like, I'd like to get to the point where that's doable. You know? So... And, anyway, I'm sorry.
This is a little bit of my personal my personal drama in the middle of it.
This is it.
Yeah. But you know what I mean, though. Like, I've just... I'm just like, I am so... This podcast and everything that happens around it, it...
It's me. Like, I'm the little nucleus in the middle, and I'm okay with that. And I actually probably thrive on it, and it's probably good for me. All that... Like, I'm not a complainer about it.
But, oh my gosh. Like, you think, well, this one task, if someone could do this one thing, that would be awesome. Yeah.
Who Not How58:25
I also highly recommend... You know, the difference... Just to clarify too, there's a difference between, like, I like being the one in control, but I'm also delegating like crazy. And learning to delegate is terrifying and hard because of exactly what you're saying. You hit the nail on the head.
I highly recommend the book Who Not How by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy. If you haven't read it, read it. If you wanna audit, Bullet. It's a great audiobook too. Mhmm.
And it's all about delegation for the sake of of exactly that of buying your time back. And it really taught me how to choose people who are humble, hungry, and smart, and correct for the job that I needed them to do so that they would care enough for the right amount of money that made sense for me and them. And you find the right people. And when you find the right people, then you don't have to figure out how to do the thing yourself because those people already know how to do it. Yeah.
And it changed my freaking game.
The Facebook Group59:20
So I just think I'm not at the point where I can afford to do that. I know. I have met I have met people along the way, and some of them actually donate their time. Like, I don't know. I mean, you're young, and maybe you don't know about this, but I have a Facebook group that's, like, insane.
There's almost 90,000 active people in it.
Wow.
And I have a lot of people who volunteer their time to just kinda keep it on track Yeah. And who are willing to, like, you know, not turn into rage monsters or egomaniacs, and they just do the... Like, I set them on a task. I'm like, this is how we support these people, and this is how this is valuable for them. And if you can do these couple of things, I thank you so much for doing it.
I... I've somehow locked into, like, the greatest group of people.
And that's... Those are the right who's, you know, the right people. And the book talks about that too, that getting people to work for you for free is not a bad thing if they're the right people that want to do the volunteer work. You know? Exploiting an employee and saying you're gonna work for free is a completely different situation.
But when you get people who are like, yeah. I'm excited about this thing. I have the time and the financial stability to give my attention to it. You say yes, and you work with them. Yeah.
Yeah. I find mostly that what happens is that people who have... It's kinda too... I... If I'm understanding them well, I think that they were, like, kind of helped by the podcast, which I say podcast because it makes me uncomfortable.
I don't wanna say me because that feels weird. But I think that for clarity in the conversation, I did something that helped them so much, they wanted to do it, like, return the favor somehow.
Yeah. Sure.
And then in the side of the community, they see people being helped, and then they kind of, by extension, get to, like, help those other people, which I think is very satisfying and maybe soul soothing.
Yeah.
You know? So those things happen like that.
And there's something to be said about creating something that doesn't exist. You know, you can get a lot more people to help you do a thing if you've made something that they can't find anywhere else.
Mhmm. Yeah.
That's very true. That, you know, you've been along for so long that you've had. You have the trust that's grown with that. I mean, your numbers are, you know, proof that.
I just think that I've seen so many times a thing that existed that I was like, that's not quite right. Or I see what they were going for, but here's where it fell apart. This is how I would do it. And one day, was just like, why? I had to stop saying this is how I would do it and just sort of do it.
You know? Yep. And especially in the digital age, like, you can make something out of nothing.
Mhmm.
Yeah. And and that's just wasn't like... You're yelling. You're like, no. Yeah.
That's how it works. But, like, trust me. Like, I lived in a I lived in a time where you couldn't just will something into existence. Mhmm. You you know?
So that... That's actually nice too. What else... So you do... What did you say cruise Cruise ships.
Ships? You You do do live events. I heard you say you have trailers stashed around the country. I'm imagining you, like, a little, like, like, magnet of of juggling somehow or something. I'm not sure how to put it exactly.
How does all that gets... Like like, you're just you're just one person? Like, is it just slow slow and steady? Like, you get a trailer one time, you go, I'll park it here for when I'm in this area, and then you're like, that works. We'll do it again.
Like, you
know Yeah. Pretty much. I mean, it... That's not completely wrong. I definitely have multiple people that help me in different ways.
And exactly back into what we're talking about now about delegation, I have different people all over the country, even network. And, also, Renaissance Fairs are all over the country, so some of those trailers are parked at the festival. And I have multiyear contracts at the festival, so I know I'm gonna be returning back. Where I'm... I am currently standing inside of my trailer that is at the New York Renaissance Festival, and and I, you know, have had this same space for almost a decade now.
So We're close to each other today.
Yeah. Yeah.
I'm in New Jersey.
Oh, amazing.
Yeah. Yeah. Oh, that's
Are you always there?
This is where I... Yeah. I live in Central New Jersey.
Woah. Have you ever been to the New York Renaissance Fair?
I don't know where it... I... As you were saying it, I thought I wonder if it's like
It's in Tuxedo, New York, right over the border of New Jersey and New York.
Oh, no kidding. That's crazy.
Yeah. Like, Suffern, Mahwah area.
Yeah. No. Sure. I know where this at.
Yeah. Oh my gosh. We should... I
didn't know. Could I just done this in reverse?
Driving distance from me. Yeah. Yeah. So I
Never Recorded in Person1:03:45
I was gonna say, let me tell you a secret. I don't... I've never recorded with a a person live except for one time I did, like, a thing for MiniMed once. I've Woah. I've interviewed, like, thousands of people.
I've never sat in front of anybody and done it before.
That's so funny. Yeah. That's wild. Oh my gosh. Well, I'm in...
Project Insulin1:04:02
I'm doing an event in Brooklyn with Project Insulin. It's a... The diabetes big insulin circus party, and it's a a big show that we're putting on. There's another Broadway singer who's diabetic and a few other entertainers. It's October third on Friday.
If you're around, I'd love to see you.
Oh, that'd be cool. October... Oh, it's so soon. It's just in a couple. I was gonna say, like, maybe I could put this out in time for you, but I can't get it out that fast.
Oh, it's totally okay.
Oh, that's so cool. Yeah. I see. I've available. I've seen you guys talking about it.
Are you trying to raise money for
Yeah. It's a Project Insulin fundraiser for their company, and they reached out to me and and their their cause. They reached out to me as a event producer essentially and was like, can you put on this show? So I get to put on a big party, and it's gonna be really fun.
That's awesome. Can you tell... Maybe I'm gonna make this something up in a second ago. I don't have that experience. But when you start something from nothing and you grow it...
And I'm using, you know, my understanding of you literally just through Instagram. Like, you have a really significant Instagram following. Your your Mhmm. Your posts, like, get get attention. Do you know what I mean?
When you when you grow it like that, do you feel a pressure to continue to make it grow, or do you feel a pressure to stop it from going away? Like like, it's easy to talk about, like, everybody's like a hustle society, and I wanna get to a thing. But when you get to it, no one tells you about the part where it feels like someone's about to take it from you constantly.
Yeah. For sure.
Yeah. So what do you do? Like, how do you manage that?
Keeping an Audience1:05:37
Yeah. Definitely. I have experienced that. The Instagram is a large following, and I also have a YouTube and a TikTok following that are of similar sizes. So it's a lot of it's a lot of nurturing and a lot of content creation and a lot of marketing and a lot of video editing.
And I do feel pressure to maintain it. I also love the game of it. Like, personally, I think it's, like, a fun thing to take a bunch of jokes and clips from my show and throw them online and see which one does best. And then, like, it's, like, research. There's part of me that's like, I kinda gamify the system
Mhmm.
And not be like, oh, I need every post to do really well because I don't... It's not about that. It's about figuring out what what makes people feel something.
Yeah.
Either laughter or suspense or education or whatever it is. So I've had a good time crafting it. And I also have teams of people that help me edit and schedule posts and organize what to make when, but it is a lot of self done for sure. I've been video editing for a long time.
While you were talking, I just... I... The word gamify was, like, stuck in my head. I was like, if she pauses, I'll say, oh, you've gamified the whole thing. And Yeah.
And I would also tell you... I was gonna say then you and I a lot in common because I... When people will ask me... It's usually more behind the scenes than on the podcast where people say, how do you keep something like this going for so long? Because I I would tell you easily when I get done whenever I get done doing this, if you ask me what my greatest, like, business accomplishment is, I'm gonna tell you it's longevity because it's very, very difficult to accomplish.
Right? And and when people ask, like, how do you, like, how do you keep this longevity going like this? I just tell them the honest truth is I'm incredibly, incredibly competitive. And, like, and I just want to win. And I know it's like...
And and and it really helps with this. Like... But I I direct it in a good way. Like, I don't... I wouldn't win at all cost.
Not Yelling Cure1:07:43
I wouldn't do things. I I will give you just a simple example. You're not gonna see me running around yelling cure every five seconds to make
Right.
Clicks. I I wouldn't couldn't possibly be involved in that. And I also don't not understand when people do it when they get these... They get these... They get a foothold and stuff starts happening for them, and then it's I know they start seeing it slip away because it's so transient.
The the the success online is... It's just so... Everybody flashes. You know? And and they...
Usually, the way I put it is, like, name an influencer you saw twelve months ago that you still see. It's hard. It's... It happens very... And the algorithm wants them gone.
I... And I... And that even feels bad because when people are trying to build a thing up, I think, oh, you don't realize it's going to build you up, make you huge, and then pop you so that the next person can do it because it doesn't want it to be you. It wants it to be someone, but not the same someone. And
There's definitely a lot of truth in that. Yeah.
Yeah. So it's so hard. And then... So, anyway, my point is is when you get it there and then the next video doesn't do quite as well and the next one doesn't do quite as well, I understand when you go, hey. There's a trial in Chicago.
People have been cured of diabetes. Like, I get why it happens, but it's not a thing I would do. And Mhmm. And and I I... I'm...
It's not a judgment. It's a thing that comes from... I think that when you tell people that a cure is coming, I have seen anecdotally, they don't take as good care of themselves because they they feel like it's kind of almost over, and I don't wanna be a part of that cycle.
So I understand that.
Yeah. Anyway, it'd be easier. I'm not gonna lie to you. But but... So when you when you have this thing and your thing...
Would you call this the pinnacle of what you've... Like, are you at the highest point right now of what you've been doing?
I... Yeah. I would say that.
Okay.
Which is... It's kind of crazy, but you're... Yes. I am.
How do you keep it there?
You you have good questions. Thank you. I think that I've always reached for sustainability, and I've always looked at sustainability as much as I could because I also know that what I do athletically isn't completely sustainable. I think knowing your audience is huge. I think listening to your audience is huge.
Listening to what they want instead of just, like, making, yes, I'm making the art that I wanna make, but I'm also really listening to what they want. And we're in a recession now. Right? Like, people aren't buying $60 theater tickets the way that they used to for a lot of reasons.
Yeah.
So what can I be marketing that is actually gonna say yes to? When when those people have to look at their budgets, their monthly allowances for themselves, what can they spend on entertainment? And a lot of what I've seen is I want my audience to grow as much as it can right now, people wise, not necessarily monetarily. Because then in ten years, hopefully, when our economy does another swing, I will have had those people that have said, wow. I really that that entertainer made a mark in me.
I've... I have a relationship. I've been a fan of theirs forever. Yes. I'm gonna spend money on their show.
So kind of thinking long game is really helpful for me. And then
Can I say I think I? What I heard you say is, like, I have to be authentic and real with these people. So... Because if if this is just pretend or something that's flashy for attention, then they're gonna forgive... They're gonna forget about me.
They're gonna go away. Yeah. You have to be... You have to make a real connection with people, not just
Yes.
Yeah. Oh, good. I'm glad that's the answer because that's how I think about it. And it's the only thing that makes me happy when I see people making content that I think is not as... That I think is dangerous or not as valuable.
I think, oh, they're not gonna be able to sustain this.
Right.
So at least it'll flash out at some point. And then the stuff that sticks is the stuff that's actually valuable because you you don't win by mistake. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, this is cool.
Email Lists1:11:48
Also Yeah. Diversifying, you know, my my market. So, like, I have the large Instagram following, but also YouTube and TikTok. And then my email list is also big too. And I love I love my email list because it means that those are people that directly said, I want...
I didn't scrub that information. You know? They volunteered that and said, I want to know where you are. I wanna come see you perform. I wanna follow-up.
I don't want the algorithm to be a reason that I miss your posts. You know? Tell... Email me when you're in my city so that I know when you're there, and those are the people that will really show up.
I have to tell you. I I appreciate you saying that because, I I mean, I'm not gonna ask you how many people are on your email list, but I might ask you when we get done recording. That's okay. I have what I think is a fairly significant email list
Yeah.
That I never use.
Oh, it's great. Would you... Okay. I mean, like, I can nerd out on email marketing with you. Please
do. Don't know. What's...
What do you use for
your list? Think I have MailerLite right now maybe, or is that a good one? I don't know.
I don't know. I've... I was on Mailchimp for a while, and then I migrated to GoHighLevel, which is a more in-depth CRM. And I'm I'm geeking out over it because it does so many more things, and it's cheaper. GoHighLevel?
Yeah. G h l is what it's kind of referred to as often. It's called Go High Level, and it it does email marketing, but it also does a bunch of other CRM stuff that I probably won't use because I don't, like, run a dentist, you know, or something. But...
So I think the same thing. So I... I mean, obviously, listen. We're different. You're also...
You're more... You're you're much more visually pleasing than I am. Let me just say that. And so, like, I don't have a lot of, like, visual content, that includes me. It's weird.
Like, people know me through my voice or my thoughts. They don't... Like, sometimes people see me, and they're like, I had no idea what you look like. Yeah. Sure.
An Episode Every Day1:13:44
And so that happens. But I also make a lot of content. Yeah. So so I put out an episode every day. And
it's Oh my gosh.
Yeah. It's like a one hour... At least a one hour conversation every day.
Every day?
Yeah. Monday through Friday. And then I do it
I don't think I knew that. I thought... I think I thought it was once a week. That's crazy.
Yeah. I mean, that's that's what... I think I made... I'll make, like, 250 episodes of the podcast this year. Whoo.
Yeah. So... Yeah. I I am... I'll I'll brag for half a second.
I I am one of fewer than 200 people in the world to make 2,000 episodes of a podcast and, to have reached over 20 mill... Actually, I'm one of fewer than 200 people in the world who've reached over 10,000,000 downloads.
That's insane.
A small in a small, like like, not
It's niche field. Yeah.
Not Joe Rogan is the idea.
Right. Right. Right. Under Scott...
Those top 2% of, like, famous people making podcasts.
Congratulations. That's crazy.
Yeah. I just... I I have way too much to say. And as crazy as crazy as it sounds, someone asked me the other night online. They were they actually...
I think it's why it was in my head. They asked me how much of this I delegated to somebody else, and I I found myself explaining, like, none of it, really. And and as I was typing back my response, I thought, I really wish I could make more. And I and I felt how crazy that was when I said it.
Crazy.
Yeah. Like, I was like, I... One a day doesn't feel like... It's enough for you listening. The people listening are like, this is plenty.
We're good. You know? But I feel like I could... If I had more time and more help, I would do more specific, like, series
Do you like doing your... Those events? You said that you're doing more events this year.
Are Events Worth It1:15:29
Do I like doing the events? Okay. The ones where you meet people are awesome. Business wise, they don't help me grow. And this is not a...
I'm not... This is not an ego thing. This is a meet and greet for me. I don't meet a lot of people who don't know me when I go to stuff. So it's not like somebody goes, oh, you're awesome.
I'll listen to your podcast. They go, I listen to your podcast. You're awesome. It goes the wrong way for for me business wise. I love meeting people and talking.
That part, I think, is fantastic. I love giving... I did... On Saturday, I did... I talked to a group of adults.
I talked to a group of teens. I did what ended up being a stand up comedy show for five and six year olds that have type one diabetes because they're not very well focused. And Love that. Yeah. And and I did...
I think I... Oh, I did another talk. I did a follow-up talk at... Towards the end of the day, just talking about my ideas around how to manage your insulin and, you know, take better care of yourself and stuff like that. I love that.
I could do that all day long. It does not help my podcast. It doesn't help the business side of what I do or growing the thing or keeping people.
Are you charging for these talks?
No. I I donated my time to a Touched By Type 1 for that. Mhmm. And I've... You know, I don't normally ask people to pay me to do things like that.
I did a big hospital recently. It just seems... I don't know. Like, it's seems like a nice thing to do. You reach people who you wouldn't normally reach.
Mhmm. And I don't do a ton of them. And then the other in person stuff was, like, it was industry stuff. It was ADA, ADCES, stuff like that where you just... You know, ADA turns into more of, like...
It's more of, like, a chance to see people who you do business with, which is nice, you know, to have, like, FaceTime with people who you spend a lot of time on, like, FaceTime calls with and stuff like that. Yep. ADCES is all educators, and I have to admit that was the one where I thought, let me go see if I can find people who don't know about the show and tell them about it. And so I'm gonna need I'm gonna need six months to know if there was any actual value in it for me. Sure.
Yeah. Of
course. And then then after that, I already agreed to do it again next year with the person I did it with, but it could end up being a thing where I am... It's just... I don't know. Like, yeah, I I have no real idea.
I don't know how to answer it. Like, if it was outside of my house, it would be no trouble. You you know what I mean? I'd be happy to go. I really...
I I find myself very, like, vexed by the whole thing. Like, did I enjoy doing them? A 100%. Was there a better way for me to spend my time for the podcast and the community that I've built around it? Probably.
Yeah. The one thing that I can tell you is that going on the cruise changes me every time in a really positive way. So I'll talk for, like, two more seconds here, and then I'll be done with my word salad. But I don't have type one. So I am oddly in a incredibly unique position where I probably have, like, a pretty big voice in a space where I don't have any literal, like, first person perspective.
I do through my daughter and everything, but I've sort of become more of a, I don't know, like a social scientist in the space because I have so much interaction with people. And I always find that I need more because I... I'm always kind of... Like, I come to an understanding about this and then... Through people's experiences, and then I keep being inquisitive about it, and then it unfolds a different idea for me.
And the first time I went on the cruise, even though I had seen it in person a million times before, it wasn't till I was, like, enveloped in it that I saw how quickly people melted together who didn't know each other, and it was clearly just because of the type one. Like, because they all... I don't wanna oversimplify, but because they all really just intrinsically understood each other's lives, and it seemed to make a force field that I think they carry around themselves that they're not aware of. It made it it made it disappear. And then that
was community and gathering is really just completely undisputed.
Yeah. It's just awesome. But but specifically around the diabetes, like, kids who showed up with their heads down, like, I can't believe my mom made me come on this damn cruise with these freaking people who have diabetes. And then five seconds later, heads up, bright eyes, smiling, running around with people they met. And I was like, oh, that's crazy how that happened.
And I felt like I got to watch it in front of me. And and it changed how I understand this whole thing, and it will inform better the conversations I have after that. The cruise that... I... I'll keep doing the cruise even if I never find a way to scale it to a point where I can go like, oh, I paid my electric bill because of the cruise.
It breaks even for me, and it's good enough for me. Like, it doesn't cost me money, so I'm like, that's awesome. I also wouldn't be surprised if I woke up in five years and there were, you know, five, 600 people on that cruise with me.
So Right. Absolutely.
So we'll we'll see what happens. But being with them and hearing their stories... I'll tell you the one from this year that got me the most. So when I get on the cruise on the first day and hope... It's possible it'll get big enough one day where I won't be able to do this as much.
But right now, if you'd like to talk to me, I'll meet you anywhere on the ship you want. We sit for ten, fifteen minutes, and we chat. Right? So I I get to us... Like, you know, I'm given a list, like, go to this place next, be here at this time.
How Long Have You Had Diabetes?1:21:09
And I get up on deck, and I sit down on this chair across from this lovely lady. And she's in her early mid sixties, and we're, you know, floating across the ocean in the... You know, outside of... I don't know where at the... You know, we just left we just left Miami, I think, or something.
And she sits down. She goes, can I start by asking? We introduce ourselves. She goes, can I ask you a question? I'm gonna say this a couple of times this year.
She goes, she goes, so how long... She's talking to me. Have you had diabetes? And I just, like
Oh my god.
Stopped me in my tracks. And I went You're like, oh god. I went, oh god. I'm so sorry. Is it not clear on the podcast that I don't have diabetes?
And I promise you, Leah, the next thing she said was, what podcast?
Oh my god. Wait.
And I was like, it would it would have been like if you sat in a bar and went like, hey. How do you like the thing I do where I swallow the fire? And she went, what? And you're like, why are you here? Why
you here?
Yeah. So so I
said Why are you here?
I said, you're on a cruise. Been asking. For people who listen to the juice box, how did you get here? Right. She just said, I heard online that a bunch of people with type one were getting together, and I thought it would be great.
Yeah.
It really taught me something, like, right then and there. Like, I... And she came from cat... She flew from Canada to Miami buying herself. Yeah.
It was awesome.
Because we need that community, and that's also why, you know, I think part of that is the answer of the question you asked earlier of why did I put it in my show? Because we need it. Because as soon as I say that and I ask who's diabetic in the audience and then people go, oh my god. It's me. And then we get to bump Dexcoms and be cute.
Like, it it just becomes so strong as a community source that I was like, great. I'm never forgetting this.
Yeah. So anyway, I... So do I like going to these things? I don't know if I do or not, but I know that I understand, like, at its core that concept now, and I think that's important. And I wonder what I'm gonna learn on the next one.
Yeah. So... Yeah. So I guess I like going to the things.
I'm
I could've just said that. But, you know, then how do you make five hours of content every week if you just say that?
Well, it's really good to talk.
Yeah. I appreciated this very much. Oh god. We've been talking too long. What...
Tell me what the rest of your day is like. When do you next go do something? I guess the the thing in New York is your next thing. Right?
What's Next1:23:33
So I'm still performing every weekend at Renaissance Festivals, but I will be... I'll be at the New York Renaissance Festival for one more weekend and then the Pennsylvania Renaissance Festivals for two weekends. And then I will be doing the insulin fundraiser in Brooklyn. And then I go to South Carolina and perform there for a little bit. And then I come back to New York for an Off Broadway show.
And then I get to go home, and then I get on a ship. So...
You drive around or fly around?
Depends.
Yeah. Depends on what it is. Yeah. That's so interesting. Well, I think you're awesome.
I don't I think you're awesome.
Thank you. Very nice. Chatting.
I love your I love your Instagram. I
Thank you.
Yeah. You've done a really wonderful job. And to bring, you know, eyes, attention, and light onto your diabetes the way you did. I think it's really fantastic. I I I really hope you you continue to succeed the way I...
It pretty obviously is you're going to. Will you hold on for one second for me before you go? Awesome. Thank you. One second.
To learn more and see if you might be able to get Twist from the pharmacy and try it for free, head to visit.twist.com/juicebox. That's visit.twist.com/juicebox. Or give them a call at 18774. That's +1 (877) 489-4478 and tell them Scott sent you. Twist requires a prescription and is indicated for people with type one diabetes six and older.
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