What would your life look like if you stopped waiting to feel ready and just went for it?
Hilarious and multi-layered Mehdi Amani, former international school teacher turned standup comic. From living in Saudi Arabia and teaching across three continents to crushing mics in Chicago, Mehdi unpacks his deeply honest, wildly funny, and unexpectedly insightful journey. He shares stories about growing up in gang-heavy Chicago, surviving comedy bombs, and why he considers laughter the final frontier of true freedom of speech.
Throughout the conversation, Mehdi drops gems on teaching overseas, embracing failure, and why leaning into your fears is often the fastest way forward. Whether you're chasing your first open mic or plotting your next big life pivot, Mehdi’s story reminds us that reinvention is always possible and often hilarious.
Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, rate, and share it with your favorite aspiring comedian or expat dreamer. Don’t forget to check out Jonathan Mitchell’s other episodes on Skip The Lines for more stories from the edge of comfort zones.
Chapters
00:00 Introducing Mehdi Amani to the show!
11:30 World Traveler
23:10 Culture, Comedy & Contradictions
34:05 Growing Up Chicago
46:15 The Comedy Hustle
01:03:10 Fear, Flow & The Freedom to Fail
Quotes:
"Bombing is the scariest thing because it’s like this heat that just resonates out of your body." – Mehdi Amani
"When people ask me what I do, the first thing I say now is, ‘I'm a comic’." – Mehdi Amani
Enjoyed the show?
Click here to SUBSCRIBE to the “Skip The Lines Podcast”
FULL VIDEOS are always uploaded on YouTube.
Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@skipthelinespod
📢 Connect with Mehdi Amani!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Mehdi-Amani/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mehdiamanicomedy
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MehdiAmaniComedy
📢 Connect with me!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanmitchellre/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088499808533
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanmitchellre/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088499808533
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-mitchell-a1493410b
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jonathanmitchellre
Twitter (X): https://www.tiktok.com/@jonathanmitchellre
ADU PALS: https://adupals.com
Business Inquiries: jonathan@adupals.com
#SkipTheLines #SkipTheLines #MehdiAmani #StandupComedy #ComedyJourney #ExpatLife #TeachingAbroad #ChicagoComics #MiddleEastLiving #BombingOnStage #ComicLife #SanDiegoPodcasts
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com