Always A New Year

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comedy, Networking, Roger Skai, Thomas J. Bellezza, top of the bottom pile

Always A New Year

January, the coldest month thus far, is becoming a tackled month. It is so cold, the walk around aspect of our journey is getting difficult. On the bright side, we have two road shows this month. And that’s important. Each new year must have upon it more growth. We’re extremely happy for these road shows. They are brought to us by our ever growing relationships. We are completely appreciative.

Though the team goes up and down with members, that membership is really a number. Our movement is more important. This year we hope to inspire others to believe in a strong unity of people. Helping one another and working as a team. We have friends outside our Top Of The Bottom Pile brand, but they are very much part of this family. To the exciting doors opening for us all.

Though we are working with Team Rise Together, and oh DEER! Productions on a web series (Dramatic), it is all a part of the growing Brand. With the radio show packed of guests, and more road shows coming up, the Top of the bottom is getting exciting for us all. Our movement is to inspire others to work together as a team. Let us hope we can enjoy opportunity together. Always in a new year.

Top of the bottom pile

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Cold Winter Breeze

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Roger Skai, Stand-up Comedy, Thomas J. Bellezza, top of the bottom pile, Winter

Cold Winter Breeze

This is the time of the year where those comedians willing to sacrifice are put through the grinder. The ice cold grinder. Spring, Fall, and even Summer, have a little give and take to the weather and wear and tear of whether we should or should not go out. Winter however is a stay at home cause. But you can’t. You have to get up and go out. Because you must be working toward your goal 365 days a year.

Jackets, scarves, and hats, are simply some of our favorite things. Depending on how bundled you get really adds to how hot you are in clubs. Carrying enough to stay warm outside leads to being super hot inside. Either way, we will be having our second winter in the city this year. That’s pretty exciting to know that we have gone from one location to another and all these things are happening.

Embrace that cold winter breeze and move on forward. Because every step forward is the next step up. You have to keep active out there in comedy, acting, in life. You have to be moving. Where are you moving to is important too. And we know that we want to be involved, and we want to help anyone and everyone. So let us keep building this pile and keep climbing to the top of the bottom pile!

Top Of The Bottom Pile!

Guests

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Guests, Radio, Roger Skai, Thomas J. Bellezza, top of the bottom pile

Guests
Life without friends is less than laughable. Meaning how can you laugh if you don’t have friends? Our best friends give us the greatest of jabs. They are letting us know it is okay to be down and out and still find the crazy funny in the situation. Because, truth be told, laughter in misery. Usually the misery in others mishaps. Still, what a notice! More friends the merrier!

We love our friends. The friends riding along side the rest of us on Top of the Bottom Pile! We are all on it. Unless you are on the bottom of the top pile, in which case, YAY! So happy you have made it there. We love seeing the success of others, it gives hope, proof, and validation that hard work pays off. And this is why we are proud of invite our friends to any format which allows them opportunity!

The newest opportunity has come in the form of our radio show. It is a great feeling to be able to interview people in general, but when they are our peers, and our friends, it adds a whole new flavor to the game. Changing it begins with opening doors for everyone! One level at a time we shall all rise together to the Top of the Bottom Pile!

“Individual commitment to a group effort–that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” –Vince Lombardi

Top of the Bottom Pile

Performances

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Business, Chris Hamilton, Performance, Roger Skai, Thomas J. Bellezza, top of the bottom pile

Performances

We love performing. How often we perform depends on if we are on tour, working material, or walking around. Busy does as busy is. There’s a sense of interesting concern in comedy. A thought that if you are not seen performing then you are not doing anything. Is performance really progress? How aggressively should a person be performing to be considered professional? Paid/unpaid!?

If a comedian performs every Friday / Saturday, and is being paid, are they more successful then a comedian performing for free seven days a week? What about a comedian performing only three months out of the year on tour? Our feeling is performance is our reward for doing our job. The job of making a career and getting all our business in order.

We look at everyone with the same amount of respect. Working, paid, unpaid, touring, just starting out, or whatever your situation is, we love and respect the crap out of you. This is a hard business, comedy. It’s beautiful when you see people doing what they love. The idea should be to judge less, working together more, and inspire one another to be successful in both business and entertainment!

“Look to the future, because that is where you’ll spend the rest of your life.” ~ George Burns

Top of the Bottom Pile: The best of the worst, your second best choice!

Screaming from the bottom

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Chris Hamilton, Ego, Roger Skai, Selfless, Teamwork, Thomas J. Bellezza, top of the bottom pile

Screaming from the bottom

“I want my chance!”, “I deserve my chance!”, “I am funnier than everyone, give me my chance!”. This is something that is said far too often in the scene. Followed by a response of maybe “Write more”, “Perform more”, “You have to pay your dues”. But these are all just sayings. Ramblings from a mountain top consumed with Flags. How loud can you scream to get the attention needed?

We don’t want our chance. Because wanting something means it is outside our control and nowhere near in our own grasp. Action creates results. The length of time to succeed is dictated by effort. We don’t deserve our chance. Chance is a risk. It is a gamble. Why gamble against the house? Opportunity is a much better word. Opening doors to opportunity through effort. We are not the funniest around.

But, we will keep running on the treadmill long after everyone else falls. Perseverance is key to a successful life. Longevity comes from helping up the people who fell on the way. The mountain had flags from the past on there and open spots for plenty of more. There is a way of thinking which leads us to understand the mountain is nothing to own, but to walk upon while traveling to the next moment.

“The mountain has a view beautiful to see, enjoy it, then more on, for there are many views beyond.”

Top of the Bottom Pile: The best of the worst, your second best choice!

Bottoms up!

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Auditions, Chris Hamilton, comedy, Kenny Murdock, Roger Skai, Stand-up Comedy, Thomas J. Bellezza, top of the bottom pile

Bottoms up!

The success of others is the success of us. What does that even mean? One of our Pile Brothers was passed at Comic Strip Live after his audition. Roger and Thomas have theirs coming up soon. He was passed in a way that made us all a little proud inside. He got no bad criticism from the owner. He was the most confident on stage, and he knew his material.

What makes this event all the more special is he did it the Pile way. The way of changing the game. We want people to explore outside routes from the norm. Because, let us face it, the norm has hundreds of thousands of comedians fighting for their chance. What if there was another way? Well, there is, and our Pile Brother, Kenny Murdock (The guy with glasses) did it another way from the norm.

The idea is that we work to support one another. Either a part of the pile or not. This game is big enough for all of us to be working together. There are other routes to the top, and all the boys are doing it. Staying focused, working their craft, building relationships and even growing a Brand. All we can say is that the Bottom went up the other night, and there is still more happening! To the Top!

Top of the Bottom Pile: The best of the worst, your second best choice!

Another Top Meeting

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Business, Chris Hamilton, comedy, Meetings, Roger Skai, Thomas J. Bellezza, top of the bottom pile

Another Top Meeting

A good meeting makes things great. What makes a good meeting? Conversation, trust, and a willingness never to hold back thoughts, ideas, and brainstorming. This week was the first time, in a while, we met face to face. It feels so much better than Skyping. The physical aspect of it really brings teams together. You get a chance to remember each of us are real.

Our meetings consist of laughing, S.M.A.R.T. Goals, planning out City walks, and really learning about one another. These are people who are going to be working together and making a difference. Changing a game which continues to remain stagnate. A system of ideas which maintain a status quo. We want others to change their game and make a difference too.

There is an amazing feeling when our efforts make others change up their style. Start working as a team, and more importantly, know that we too want to help other people in this industry. What we have planned for comedy is more than just jokes, more than a scene, but an empire to see others succeed. To open doors for ourselves so we can break down walls for other entertainers who deserve a chance. 

Top of the Bottom Pile: The best of the worst, your second best choice!

Together we reach for the bottom

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Christopher Hamilton, Roger Skai, Success, Thinking Outside the Box, Thomas J. Bellezza, top of the bottom pile, Working together

Together we reach for the bottom

The process of each day begins with us. Each person involved. Either those doing nothing, or those doing everything. The process is an end result to success. Being the best of the worst for us never was about fame or fortune, but changing the systems. Changing the game for those starting out. Maybe even more so for those still in the game after ten years wishing they could get their opportunity. Whatever it is, we all have our part to play. In Top of the Bottom Pile or near us.

This community needs to stand together for something more than “who is the funniest”, but what can we do with togetherness. I know, that sounds silly now, but think about the comedians you consider friends. You love working with them, you love being around them. The truth is, you need one another. We all need one another. When everything is said and done, you have your part to play while they have their part to play. We should, however, always know we can make it better together.

Changing the game begins with doing something different than what others have been doing their whole life in entertainment. What if there was another way? What if we could break the system and find out there is more to life than just working to be the funniest person out there? I think it is important to remember successful people are always keeping it fresh, and always doing something more productive than the normal beginner. You can’t start on top till you begin at the bottom!

Top of the Bottom Pile: The best of the worst, your second best choice!

Comedy Is Funny

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Christopher Hamilton, comedy, Roger Skai, Teamwork, Thomas J. Bellezza, top of the bottom pile

Comedy is Funny

The business of comedy starts with a joke. You can be a joke, tell a joke, hear a joke. What is it that makes all that funny? The humor of comedy is a mixture of all three. We can make anything happen as comedians. Top of the Bottom Pile is continuously fighting through change, understanding and the humor of the business. We are all about working together even when we’re not together. That’s one thing we have learned with Top of the Bottom Pile.

In the passing few months people have moved on, others have joined and even more so big moves have been made. The team is working hard at building our personal brands to help explode the power of the Top of the Bottom Pile brand. Some of us have radio shows on Tuesdays, others just got signed with a manager for acting, and even more so, others are getting ready for auditions for comedy clubs. The system is here to allow us all to succeed. The support system is what keeps us going.

Positive growth is an idea that no one person is bigger than the other. When your mind finds fear in being overshadow opportunity is lost. Success for one is success for all. One thing that has to maintain the fuel of Top is keeping our standards pure and purposeful. Respecting possibility in teamwork, individuality, and supporting the life of us entertainers is the goal. All the greats work together, why would doing it on your own as an unknown work differently? The best part of the bottom is the top!

Top of the Bottom Pile : The best of the worst, your second best choice!