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Why Suicide is The Secret to My Success with Frank King

Frank King podcast interview on Hustle & Motivate: Why suicide is the secret to my success. Presented by Joker Mag, the home of the underdog.
Credit-Frank King/The Mental Health Comedian/Joker Mag Illustration

“With chronic suicidality, you’re sitting in the exit row in the window seat of life.”
– Frank King

Frank King spent 20 years as a writer for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno before sharing his story of what was really going on behind the scenes.

In 2014, Frank came out as depressed and suicidal in his very first TED Talk. Since then, he’s become known as “The Mental Health Comedian”, speaking across the country and helping save countless lives in the process.

Frank and I covered a range of topics in our conversation: from the most frustrating misconceptions about suicide to the hilarious idea he had while suffering a heart attack on a logging trail.

Listen by tapping the play button below. Or tap the icon of your favorite podcast platform to listen on the go!



Show Notes

[3:10] Selling insurance vs. stand-up comedy

[9:15] Touring for 2,629 nights in a row (featuring Adam Sandler, Ellen DeGeneres, and more)

[16:00] Starting the conversation on suicide

[35:00] Misconceptions about depression and surviving a heart attack in the middle of the woods

[45:30] How he started writing for Jay Leno

After Listening…

You can find all of Frank’s work over at his website, TheMentalHealthComedian.com.

Learn more about Frank’s upcoming book, Guts, Grit and the Grind: A Complete Guide to Men’s Mental Health here.

Thank you for listening! Check out these related episodes:

From 34% Body Fat to 11% and The Underdog Mentality with Henry Duncan

Comeback From a Heart Attack with Comedian Brian T Shirley

Written By

Division III baseball alum (McDaniel College) and founder of Joker Mag. Being cut from my baseball team in 7th grade could have ended my athletic journey. Instead, I found hope in stories of undersized athletes who defied expectations. I ultimately played baseball through college, earning Honorable Mention on the All-Centennial Conference team in my senior season. This experience inspired me to create the world's first digital media platform dedicated to inspiring underdog stories. Since launching in November 2017, my work has been featured on platforms such as FOX Sports, SB Nation, and The Sporting News, reaching over 1.5 million readers world wide.

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