About the Podcast

We spend most of our time working, so what does it take to (mainly) love what you do? How do even the most gifted, talented, intelligent, ambitious, disciplined, imaginative, inventive, and lucky people develop their point of view, find meaning, serve a greater good, deal with work place politics, rejection, finances, boredom, red tape, logistics, and creative roadblocks? What are the perks or enjoyable about forging your own path? Catie Lazarus and her guests delve into beauty, banality and absurdity of work, jobs, and labor.

About the Host

Catie Lazarus

Catie Lazarus is a writer and talk show host. She has contributed to The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, Marie-Claire, The Daily Beast, Slate, Cosmo, Out Magazine, The Forward, Bust Magazine, Travel & Leisure, Slate, The New York Post, Sundance Channel, IFC, UCB Videos and Funny or Die, and contributed essays to multiple anthologies. She is best known as a talk show host because well, according to Broadway.com, "If Stephen Colbert and Oprah had a baby, it would be Catie Lazarus." Between her insatiable curiosity and innate compassion, she may have been born, or, at least, bread to host a talk show and to interview folks. Her utterly unique background in psychology, journalism and comedy is why The New Yorker found that, “Lazarus gets people to open up in ways that others cannot.” Stephen Dubner, co-creator of Freakonomics, says that, “Lazarus manages to be empathic and hilarious at the same time.” Gothamist named her “one of the finest live talk show hosts,” New York Magazine named "Employee of the Month" one of their top 10 comedy shows, and Lewis Black called Catie Lazarus, “more brilliant than she’ll ever know.” Lazarus is perhaps best known for being the first person to interview Jon Stewart, after he announced his retirement from The Daily Show. Their interview went viral, as did her interview with Jill Abramson, when Abramson had served as Executive Editor of The New York Times, and revealed her four tattoos, including a New York Times "T." Lazarus has interviewed countless celebrities, including Bette Midler and Robert Redford, but she is as deft and invested in interviewing humans who are not famous, including a former pick-pocket, astrophysicist, "Lice Lady," and, of course, Guinness Book of World Record Holder for Most Guinness Book of World Records. On stage, Lazarus has told stories at The Moth's mainstage, RISK, Story Collider, Night of Our Lives and UCB's Assscat, as well as performed comedy at The John F. Kennedy Center for The Performing Arts, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Knitting Factory, The Improv (DC, LA and NY), Ice House in Pasadena, Joe's Pub at The Public Theater, Caroline's on Broadway, Arlington Drafthouse, Cutting Room, City Winery, Gotham Comedy Club, Stand-Up New York, Comic Strip, Magnet Theater, People's Improv Theater, The Bell House, Largo at The Coronet, and Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (New York and Los Angeles.) She frequently moderates panels and Q & A's; hosts benefits, film screening talk-backs, corporate retreats and red carpets, and conducts interviews for organizations like IFP, Gotham Awards, Tribeca Film Festival, J & J, Microsoft, MSN, Brand Week, AdWeek, WGA-East (Writers Guild of America), JCC (Manhattan and Houston), The Li.St, 92nd St Y, Brooklyn Film Festival, Russ & Daughter's, and Women in Film. She also has performed at and hosted numerous comedy benefits for Just Vision, New Israel Fund, HIAS, Planned Parenthood, and created Stand for Peace for Seeds of Peace. Lazarus received her Masters of Arts and Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University. She was studying for her doctorate in clinical psychology— until she met Tina Fey. While researching Mean Girls, Tina Fey (alongside Jack McBrayer) taught a little improv to Catie and several others at an Empower Program event, an organization which worked on bullying to sexual harassment and violence issues, where Lazarus had worked. Afterwards, Fey recommend Lazarus check out Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York. So, Lazarus said, "Yes and..." She dropped out of her doctoral studies, moved to New York, started taking improv classes, and hopped on a stage for the first time at Stand-Up New York, where she won a contest she hadn't even entered. Lazarus landed on the cover page of a local paper and the rest is herstory. Lazarus lives in Brooklyn with her dog Lady Lazarus.

Additional Information

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