Always an officiant, never a bride — That’s how the saying goes, right?

I love that three of my favorite couples have now trusted me with setting the tone for their wedding, and also that everyone knows I’m not bridesmaid material. I’m busy, LOL.

Being a bridesmaid? That’s a JOB. Being an officiant? It’s the fun part — just writing and performing for two of your best pals on one of their biggest milestone days. It’s an honor, and it’s a truly blast.

You mighta guessed this by now, but I love my friends pretty hard.

This bride and groom have become two of me and Jake’s closest pals over the last few years. We have the best hangs every time, so it was no surprise that their wedding was all vibes top to bottom — the best energy and company anyone could ask for. I don’t laugh that much at most comedy shows even…

We simply can’t deny how naturally funny people from the Midwest are.

It’s kind of funny: pre-pandemic, I was writing and filming my first special on my canceled wedding day, only to now, post-pandemic, have officiated two weddings in preparation to film my sequel of my wedding special — the story after the story.

We love a good lived story arc.

Speaking of arc, a little exclusive just for my newsletter readers.

THIS IS NOT PUBLIC via socials until end of the week, but early bird tickets end on Friday, so I was given the OK to give access to my readers only until the big announcement.

Please keep this under wraps until you see it on my socials this week, but…

I’m officially a TedX Speaker for 2025!

I’ve known about this for a few months now, and I would personally like to thank you all for being my diet test group for some of the subject matter in these newsletters. Maybe there will be a new special taping, a book, a podcast and a TV Series to follow…

My perspective on life and my past has shifted since my last special taping — I no longer feel defined by the past and have used those experiences to propel myself forward into new opportunities. It makes me really excited to be a storytelling comic, where you could watch my last special and my upcoming one back to back and ride the full wave. My TedX talk will tie a lot of this together.

TedX this year has the theme “The Future is Human,” and I am the creative and comedic speaker being brought in to exemplify storytelling and how human comedy is.

You can read more about my talk, and purchase early bird tickets through this Friday morning (7/25) if you’d like to attend in person on September 26th: NPH x TedX

The Hustle

I’ve been buried deep in a writing hole lately — wedding officiating, TEDx prep, tour prep, new special material — and obviously, writing this newsletter.

Honestly, it all comes down to one thing: storytelling. I’m finding new ways to communicate different messages through humor, whether it's a TEDx stage, a comedy special, or an intimate conversation here in your inbox.

Telling stories in every form is hands down my favorite thing to do.

Preparing for TedX has been a whirlwind. It’s like I’m stitching pieces of my comedy together that didn’t quite fit in the previous special or the next one, blending storytelling with humor in a more refined way — finding those moments of comedy that speak to something bigger, something universal.

A side of my humor with less edge and more purpose.

It’s exciting. It’s a new challenge, but it also feels like it’s been in the works for years. Funny how that happens.

My last special held a lot of interest due to its nuance — literally throwing a party for myself and “marrying my career” on what was supposed to be my wedding day. Very publicly. Wild.

I’ve come a long way since that taping, even though the story streams on. I still think about that version of me — I remember what she went through, and I reflect on it in this new hour — but I’m not her anymore. Does that resonate?

My next hour is about where I am now, how I've changed, and a lot of reflection on what got me to now. This next tour is going to be the perfect place to introduce a new chapter. The material will be fresh, the vibe will be different, and I can’t wait to share it with you. New creative experiences are riveting.

The Chill

I’d always felt like I would give a Ted Talk, but I never knew how or when or why it would happen. That wasn’t my job to figure out.

I happened to be at an event months ago, and struck up an end-of-the-party conversation with a woman who is quickly becoming one of my new favorite people and great friends. We talked for 40+ minutes, never once discussing what we did for a living. We didn’t even care.

Honestly, those are my favorite kinds of conversations — just real talk. No agenda. No dumb questions like “and what do YOU do?”

This was the conversation that led to this opportunity. Me just being myself, her being herself.

Funny how some doors just open where you didn’t even know there was a door.

Kinda dope that I not only get such a huge stage and opportunity to do something different than most comics, but I got to make a badass friend out of the deal.

Serendipity? Manifestation? Right place right time? Vibes? — maybe a bit of it all.

Once again, it comes back to storytelling, and using story and conversation to connect with someone — be it a comedy club audience, some rando on the street, or a woman at a party who ya just hit it off with — and that connection being enough for something to happen.

I’m a builder. Always have been. I love looking at stories from every angle, zooming out, and seeing what else I can pull from them. I’ll toss it back to the Lego and Tetris days for building my brain this way.

In a way, that’s what I’ve been doing for years in my professional life — podcasts that turned into live Las Vegas shows, TV pitches based on jokes, personal stories that turned into businesses.

Stepping back, reflecting, and seeing the full circle of things hits differently when you’re in the middle of your own journey.

As I look forward to the next chapter, I also reflect on how fortunate I am to have this life, to be able to have these conversations, and to share my growth with others through many outlets.

But most importantly, laugh through the bullshit.

Upcoming Shows

July 31st - Kansas City Funny Bone 

August 17th - Columbus Funny Bone

I would still appreciate your help spreading the word of the above shows! They are big clubs and I’m believing hard for sell outs — and I don’t trust the algorithm as much as people.

Alaska, New Orleans, LA, New York and Austin are dropping next!

This weekend in ChicagoLand:

Thursday 7/24 - Chicago Comedy Club at House of Blues 7pm

Friday 7/25 - Headlining Babs Comedy Club in Forrest Park, IL 8pm

Love you all and cheers to the hustle + chill. We love a good story.

xx NPH