In my early 20s, living in Chicago the first time, I had a bestie who suffered from severe depression.

Sometimes we’d have the easiest hangs ever, and other times I had to come check on her when all the lights were turned out in her place at 3pm, and you wouldn’t even know someone was home.

I didn’t understand depression. But I loved the shit out of her. So I showed up the best I knew how.

Summer of 2008 it was her birthday, and being a broke improvisor and bartender at the time, I couldn’t afford a gift. I also knew she was having a deep despair kind of day.

I wandered from my little apartment in East Lakeview all the way to Old Town. I’d remembered seeing a Dutch bike shop that had recently opened — the kind of bikes that had a giant bucket in the front for an adult or two to sit in.

I barged into the shop with all the courage in the world. This was pre-social media, and I said to the owner, “Listen, I love these bikes. I have a friend who’s having a hard day and it’s her birthday. Can I pick her up in one of your bikes and advertise for you? I’ll hand out flyers for the shop and everything. We will sell some damn bikes.”

He agreed.

I showed up to her apartment, went in, and peeled her out of bed in her dark room saying, “I have a surprise for you and it’s gonna make your day.”

We got her dressed. She came outside. Boom — giant bucket bike.

I said “Get in. We’re hittin’ the town!”

I biked her around in that thing for HOURS. We were screaming laughing, cruising through the heart of the city. Neighborhood to neighborhood. Barhopping. Every intersection I pulled up to people asked “Where did you get that bike??” and I would hand them a flyer from the shop.

Two girls having the time of their life on a contraption nobody had seen before? BEST marketing ever.

I handed out probably a thousand flyers. I guarantee I sold dozens of bikes that day. The owner saw me in Old Town later that week and let’s just say he was NOT wrong to trust a broke improviser with a bucket bike, a big personality and a dream.

But most of all, I proved to a bestie that there’s joy and adventure living right on the other side of despair.

The power of besties and bucket bikes is real.

That's what a ride-or-die looks like…

Knowing that you’ll always have someone who shows up when the lights are out at 3pm to take you on an unexpected adventure until you’re screaming laughing again.

I've been thinking a lot about that energy lately and how rare it is. In friendships, in business, in the relationship between a creative and their audience.

Most people have followers. Scroll-past-ers. Visual eavesdroppers. Occasional-openers. People who know your name and might show up if the algorithm serves them the right post on the right day.

And then there are your ride-or-dies.

The ones who open every newsletter. Who buy the ticket before they even know the venue. Who text you the second they hear good news about you. Who tell their friends about you not because you asked them to, but because they genuinely believe in what you're doing in the world.

There's a theory in the creative world — Kevin Kelly's "1000 True Fans" — that says you don't need millions of followers to have a sustainable, even massive, creative career. You need 1000 people who are truly, deeply, ride-or-die for what you do.

Because those thousand people are the backbone of your career. The ones who follow along and ride the waves with you, not just watchers.

I think it’s time to ride for the ride-or-dies.

The Hustle

Kevin Kelly wrote "1000 True Fans" in 2008 — the same year of my Dutch bicycle escapade.

The universe has always had good timing and an even better reflection.

His theory is simple: fame doesn’t always define a stable career. You simply need 1000 people who will buy anything you launch, show up anywhere you perform, and tell everyone they know about you without being asked.

1000 people who treat your work like it matters. Because to them, it does.

Do the math: 1000 true fans spending even $100 a year on your work is $100,000. That's a solid career foundation. That's the start of freedom. That's the ability to keep creating without constantly chasing views or begging platforms for reach.

But here's what Kelly's theory doesn't fully capture… It's not just about the math. It's about the energy.

When you have ride-or-dies in your corner — people who genuinely believe in what you're building — everything shifts. You're not creating into a void anymore. You're creating for people who are actually waiting for it. Who will actually show up. Who will actually tell a friend to tell a friend.

That changes how you make things. It changes the stakes. It changes what's possible. It changes who you want with you on that ride.

The difference between a follower and a true fan is the same difference between someone who knows your name and someone who shows up when you’re buried under blankets on a summer day at 3pm.

One is passive. One is THERE.

I want to build something for the ride-or-dies. Something curated, intentional, and honestly kind of exclusive — because not everyone gets to be in the bucket bike.

I’ll be launching this soon… Stay close.

The Chill

The thing about ride-or-dies is they already know who they are… and I think I do too.

You're reading this right now. You opened this email. Maybe you've been opening it every Tuesday for months. Maybe you forwarded it to a friend once because something landed. Maybe you've been in the front row or the back row of a show and felt something click. Maybe we’ve met for drinks before or after a show. Maybe we grew up together and I’ve always felt you had my back and you knew I had yours too. Maybe you’re new here and just dipping your toe in to figure out what I’m about. Maybe you’re a fellow comedian who actually supports the works of your peers.

That's the energy I'm talking about.

I'm building something for you specifically.

I'm not launching it today. But I'm close.

And when I do, it won't be open to everyone — it'll be handpicked, applied for, and intentionally small. Because the whole point is that it actually means something to be in it. And that you feel appreciated for being a part of this big chaotic journey.

If you're reading this and thinking "that's me" — it probably is.

Reply to this email and just say "I'm in."

Because that's what besties do.

They show up before the bucket bike even arrives.

Upcoming Shows

Madison Comedy Week is back, and we are ready to support Madison with laughter through a challenging time for the community there — because that’s what comedians do. If you haven’t gotten tickets to my first ever MCW Headlining show yet… you know what to do. And tell a friend.

NPH and Friends — Friday August 7th for Madison Comedy Week

Tour dates dropping soon. To besties first.

Love you all and cheers to the hustle + chill. We ride before we die.

xx NPH