Tuff Shift!
Tuff Shift! is a podcast designed to shed light, not just on behind the scenes antics, but on the incredibly resilient, reliable, durable, and of course talented folks who have served time running drinks, taking orders, and entertaining the masses. Who is the person seating me/ serving me/ clearing my plates/ making my drinks? Whether the service is good or bad for whatever reason, are you aware of the life these people lead when they hang up their aprons and put their feet up after putting up with you? With "105 years" worth of experience slinging hash and shaking drinks, the award-winning actor and singer, Sean Patrick Murtagh welcomes actors, singer, dancers, artists, creatives of all disciplines to share their war-stories, commiserate, and unpack all that goes into surviving the job and living the dream.
Episodes
TUFF SHIFT! Episode Eighty-Six: Sean Patrick welcomes a fellow hustler, a mover and a shaker, singer, actor, stage, screen, you name it, the one and only Gil Torres. From fake it ’til ya make it to boxing tables and surviving wedding season to performing dream roles in basement theaters, the two unpack it all in spite of technical difficulties. Tune in and hear all about Gil’s adventures and determination o...
TUFF SHIFT! Episode Eighty-Five: welcome back to part 2 of our visit with Ryan Harer. From making the dream a reality to lazy sequel titles to keeping the creative spark alive. It's no wonder this interview became a two-parter.
Follow Ryan @rharer or visit ryanharer.com
And for even more of Ryan's reviews check out his substack and sigh-up for his newsletter: rharer.substack.com
Check out Sean Patrick at the Post Office C...
TUFF SHIFT! Episode Eighty-Four: Sean Patrick welcomes one of his newest social media obsessions: writer, film-goer, substacker, and hilarious Ryan Harer. From customer service to working in Hollywood to building an online following, Ryan shares his journey and a hot take or two. As it tends to happen here, the conversation was too much fun for just one episode.
Follow Ryan @rharer or visit ryanharer.com
And for even mor...
Episode Eighty-Three: Buckle up and brace yourselves for another "Pre-Shift-All-Shift!" with host Sean Patrick. A quick little wrap-up post Mother's Day service AND his first Mother's Day outside of the industry. From bad service to bad tipping to bad management, he's unpacking it all for you off the cuff.
Check out Sean Patrick at the Post Office Cafe in Provincetown on June 12th at 4pm for the first ever TUFF SHIFT! ...
TUFF SHIFT! Episode Eighty-Two: Sean Patrick welcomes one of the fiercests and most fabulous triple-threats in NYC. From serving LEWKS on the high seas to slinging drinks in the heart of Hell's Kitchen to keeping up with auditions and bookings, the two unpack it all. Tune in to hear a first time meeting that sounds like two old friends catching up.
Follow Gray @gray_mortier
Follow TUFF SHIFT! everywhere @...
TUFF SHIFT! Episode Eighty-One: Sean Patrick and Chris are back for part 2 of their conversation in unpacking Chris's adventures and evolution in NYC. From leaving the world of restaurants to finding a new journey in fitness- building a whole community by inspiring others to find their true strength. And if that wasn't enough, Chris and his husband opened a shop in Narrowsburg, NY called Project Weekend.
TUFF SHIFT! Episode Eighty: Sean Patrick welcomes a guest who unknowingly has been a part of his first hospitality memories in NYC; the adorable, the charming, the multi-talented and faceted human being that is Chris Crowthers. From unpacking their time spent in THERAPY (the bar on 52nd) to working brunch as a gay man to the back and forth of it all, the conversation was too bountiful for just one episode. Tune in this...
TUFF SHIFT! Episode Seventy-Nine: After a few weeks of reflection post his retirement from the world of hospitality, host Sean Patrick Murtagh is back with an all new episode unpacking what life is like on the other side of the table. From figuring out what to do with his weekends to trying to not be "THAT GUY" that has to let everyone know he worked in a restaurant to juicy updates from his most recent restaurant job. ...
TUFF SHIFT! Episode Seventy-Eight: fresh on the heels from teaching his first workshop to musical theatre majors in Iowa, Sean Patrick thought what better time that to revisit his interviews with the cast from PARADE. Tune in to hear all the meltdowns, power outages, mommy meltdowns and more!
Follow Thomas Patrick Riley @thomaspatrickriley or visit his website: thomaspriley.com
Follow his fitness account @tprileyfit
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TUFF SHIFT! Episode Seventy-Seven: In honor of Women's History Month, Sean Patrick revisits some fierce, funny, strong, and amazing friends and past guests. Each one of these guests has not just made an impact as a performer, but also as resilient hospitality veteran, moving mountains without breaking a sweat. From #NegroniGate to 1,200 cover nights to ridiculous bosses, they unpack all that goes into surviving the job...
TUFF SHIFT! Episode Seventy-Six: To celebrate his milestone of leaving hospitality after 20 years of service, Sean Patrick is revisiting some of his favorite conversations with past guests. Part 1 features: Blake Lee, Nattalyee Randall, Matthew English, and the story of how it came to pass that Sean Patrick found himself in hospitality in the first place.
Follow Blake Lee @yogawithblakelee
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Follow Nattalyee @Nattalyee or...
TUFF SHIFT! Episode Seventy-Five: Sean Patrick welcomes a man of many talents and overflowing with charisma, Aidan Wharton. From breaking with tradition and forging your own path to making your dreams come true and continuing to dig deeper, the two unpack all that goes into reinventing and more importantly rediscovering yourself. Our first guest with a survival job outside of hospitality, but not out of customer service...
TUFF SHIFT! Episode Seventy-Four: Part two with the ridiculously talented, multi-faceted, and ever-evolving, Carly Ozard. Sean Patrick and Carly continue to get back on track, and mostly get there, but more importantly they unpack so much along the way. Find out how you can learn 24 Italian Arias and Art Songs and still have difficulty figuring out complicated tip out procedures!
Check out Carly's music streaming litera...
TUFF SHIFT! Episode Seventy-Three: Sean Patrick welcomes one of his oldest and most talented friend, Carly Ozard. An international headliner and more talents than you could shake a stick at, Carly has sung everything from Opera to EDM to Musical Theatre to Cabaret. The two unpack way too much for just one episode, which is bound to happen when you're interviewing friends. Enjoy part 1!
Follow Carly @carlyozardsin...
TUFF SHIFT! Episode Seventy-Two: Sean Patrick welcomes back his hilarious friend and maragrita-comadre, the multi-talented, Rachel Green! (Not that one!). Rachel is back to unpack some more as well as promote her upcoming show, GREEN EGGS & WHAM!, with Mark Benjamin. The two reminisce about their wild nights in Hell's Kitchen to creating stability and opportunities in this every changing entertainment industry. &nb...
TUFF SHIFT! Episode Seventy-One: Sean Patrick welcomes gay comedy icon and QUEERTY nominated podcaster and all-around mensch of a human, Eric Williams. From serving celebrities to interviewing them; staying thirsty on the clock; and discovering happy endings along the way. The two unpack surviving the job and rediscovering the dream(s).
Follow Eric Williams @EricWillz (@ericwillzTT on TikTok) or visit www.ericwilliamsco...
TUFF SHIFT! Episode Seventy: Sean Patrick welcomes singer-songwriter Preston Scott Straus back to the show for a little more unpacking. From knowing when it's time to move on to creating the healthy work environments to keeping your eye on the prize. Tune in to hear all about Preston's music journey in Austin and his upcoming single, "Car Ride," debuting Feb 13th!
Follow Preston Scott Straus @prestonscottstraus and visi...
TUFF SHIFT! Episode Sixty-Nine: Buckle up, it's "Dine LA," week and we are off and running with a series of TUFF SHIFTS! Sean Patrick makes the most of the sh*tshow he calls work. From liquor reps making a sales pitch during the rush to coworkers calling out to restaurants preparing to fail. Burn out, party of one!
TUFF SHIFT! SHOUT OUTS!
Richard Skipper returns to Palms Springs: Wednesday, February 11th at 7...
TUFF SHIFT! Episode Sixty-Eight: Sean Patrick welcomes his brother in sequin attire and one of the most joyful men in show business, Richard Skipper! From falling in love at work to life after hospitality, the two unpack it all and then some. It's always a joy to chat with Richard. Tune in and you'll know why.
See Richard in Palm Springs in RICHARD SKIPPER CELEBRATES on Feb. 11 at 7pm at REVOLUTION STAGE COMPANY.
Tickets...
TUFF SHIFT! Episode Sixty-Seven: Happy 2026! Host Sean Patrick returned from his Christmas stint in San Francisco just in time to close 2025 out with TUFF SHIFTS! And of course, there was no better way to begin 2026 than with a string of back to back SHHHT Show of TUFF SHIFTS! Listen to the roller coaster that was his first handful of days back at work... and hear the determination in his voice to make this the y...
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