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TYE 118: An Emmy Award-winning Simpsons writer on how to tell a story with Tom Martin

Feb 08, 2022
Emmy-Award-winner, Tom-Martin, simpsons-writer, simpsons-emmys, cartoon-writer, comedian

Tom Martin has won multiple Emmy Awards as a writer for The Simpsons and Word Girl. He has also written for Saturday Night Live, The Naked Truth, Just Shoot Me! and Clone High, co-created Talking Tom and Friends, and is Executive Producer of the Clash of Clans inspired series Clash-a-Rama! But he’s not just a Hollywood funny guy with a few Emmys and a knack for entertainment. 

 

He’s someone who has learned the art of using writing - funny or not - to go inside people’s lives and share their journeys in a way that touches others.

 

Here, he joins The YES Effect podcast with Shelli Varela with advice on how to land big opportunities and how you can find inspiration from just about anything - even being a volunteer firefighter (which he is). 

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

 

  • How Tom got a job as a writer for The Simpsons
  • How saying “no” is a truly powerful way to, in fact, say “yes”
  • Why so many people fail to bring great ideas to life (hint: start telling people)
  • Why being nervous to put yourself out there is actually a good thing
  • A big lesson he learned as a standup comedian: people really don’t care about you…and that’s to your advantage.
  • How Tom learned to stay cool and composed during the biggest fire in Colorado history
  • Why writers should swear as much as possible in your first draft

 

Quotables:

 

“In your journey through life, opportunities sort of fall in your lap. If you don’t destroy them yourself and say YES, that will take you to good places.” -TM

 

“There’s a path out there for you that’s the right path if you can listen to some kind of inner voice.” -TM

 

“You don’t always need to know what it is. Sometimes it’s enough to know what it isn’t and that will start to steer you.” -SV

 

“It’s not whether you can or can’t…it just hasn’t been done yet.” -SV

 

“Sometimes if you ask yourself ‘why am I so afraid of this? Why am I so nervous to talk to this person?’ It’s because you should.” -TM 

 

Even the most arrogant person has fears and doubts. They may not show them, but they really want to be seen and to be heard and to matter.” -SV



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