S5-EP21: Fry Your Chickens: Phil Barth on Stress, Humor, and Finding Joy

What if the voices of doubt and stress in your head weren’t scary monsters but… chickens? In this laughter-filled and deeply insightful conversation, Doyle welcomes keynote speaker, author, and humorist Phil Barth—a man on a mission to help us “fry our chickens” and reclaim joy from stress.

Phil opens up about his unforgettable run on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, how a Toastmasters speech and a rubber chicken reshaped his career, and the heart attack that pushed him to rethink everything about stress management. With warmth and humor, he explains why stress can’t be eliminated—but optional stress can—and shares strategies for finding gratitude, choosing laughter, and staying resilient.

Along the way, you’ll hear:

• The origin story of the “chickens” that represent our inner voices of doubt

• How humor helps us remember life’s most important lessons

• Why gratitude is the simplest and most powerful way to reset a stressful day

• A playful radio play (complete with clucking chickens) that proves stress-busting can be fun

From rubber chickens to life-changing insights, this episode is a reminder that resilience doesn’t have to be heavy—it can be joyful, playful, and deeply human.

Learn more about Phil’s work and his book Fry Your Chickens: Seven Strategies to Get the Chickens Inside Your Head to Shut the Cluck Up at PhilBarth.com.