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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), founder of Joker Mag, and author of The Underdog Mentality: Sports Stories That Will Change How You See the Game (And Yourself). Since launching in November 2017, my stories have been featured on platforms such as FOX Sports, SB Nation, and The Sporting News, reaching over 1.5 million readers worldwide. The seed was planted way back in 7th grade when I got cut from the baseball team. Instead of giving up, I found hope and inspiration 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. Today, my mission is simple: To share stories that give people the same feeling I felt when I was that undersized ballplayer searching for hope, inspiration, and evidence that my dream was possible. Like my mom always told me, you can do anything you set your mind to. Sometimes we just need a little extra push. And that’s why I’m so passionate about sharing these stories with the world.

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