Wendy Corr:
Well, hey there, folks, and welcome to The Roundup! We are a Cowboy State Daily podcast, and I'm your host, Wendy Corr. And I love to introduce people to really interesting, interesting characters from our Cowboy State. And today, you want to talk about interesting… We have comedian Brandt Tobler! He is an A-list comedian, he has been all over television, he's been to the biggest comedy shops. He has made his impact on the entertainment world - and he's from Cheyenne. We're so tickled! Who knew? We're glad WE know, and we're now letting you know - but I want to say hello, Brandt Tobler, so glad to have you on our podcast today. You're a podcaster yourself, though?
Brandt Tobler:
Yeah, hi, Wendy! Thanks. First of all, thanks for having me. I'm honored, I love to be on any, especially anything Wyoming. So it's always special. You know, being from Wyoming, we all stick together. So this is cool for me.
Wendy Corr:
Yeah, you're just an extension of the Cowboy State now, because you're taking Wyoming out there. You mention the fact that you're from Wyoming in your comedy sketches sometimes.
Brandt Tobler:
Yeah, I usually wear, I wear pretty much Surf Wyoming gear on stage every night, and I have my Frontier Days belt buckle on me at all times. And I rep the 307 everywhere I go, and people are, you know - so I lived in LA for like nine years, and they're always like, what's this? 307? What's the 307? And then I was like- it blows their mind to think like, that's all of us there, like, the whole state. Because in my neighborhood in LA, I think if I walked six blocks in any direction, it was a different area code. So yeah, it's definitely - I have a Chancey Williams hat on right now, I just realized.
Wendy Corr:
Yeah, all right! Go Chancey. Yeah, we're wanting to get him on the podcast next, so Chancey, ifyou're listening?
Brandt Tobler:
I'll shoot him a text.
Wendy Corr:
Please do! Yeah, I've talked to him before. He's a great guy.
Brandt Tobler:
He's a great guy. I'm sure he'll do it.
Wendy Corr:
But again, Wyoming people are making waves, and making their names out there in the wider world. And that's one of the things that we're so tickled about, Brandt, that you're out there making a name for yourself. First off, you’re Cheyenne Central High School?
Brandt Tobler:
Yeah, I'm Cheyenne Central. Yep.
Wendy Corr:
So you graduated from Cheyenne, and you decided, you know, I'm gonna go do something really different.
Brandt Tobler:
Well, you know, I actually - I graduated from Cheyenne, and I went to school in Phoenix. The original goal, I wanted to play basketball. Well, I mean, the original goal was to be in the NBA, which might be the funniest thing I've ever said. Oh, 5’11” white guy from Cheyenne.
But no, I went down to Phoenix to try to play basketball at Junior College. And then I just didn't really enjoy college. And then one day, my buddy, a kid named Matt Farwell I went to high school with in Cheyenne, we were on the phone, and he's like, ‘You should be a comedian.’ And I was like, ‘I don't even know how.’ You know, like, so many comedians you talk to they're like, ‘Oh, this is my dream since I was a little kid.’ My dream, I honestly just want to be a PE teacher and coach basketball at Central. But I never even dreamed of being a comedian. You know, like, I got class clown in junior high. I got class clown in high school, but there was no comedy clubs in Cheyenne, so it was never even a dream.
And so he said that to me, and I went to Barnes and Noble and I got a book and then I read about how to be a comedian. But then I actually chickened out for two years, because a couple times I talked into the microphone, my eyes would water. So I was like, I can't be a crying comedian. Funny.
But actually, the seeds were planted in Phoenix, and then I actually didn't even try comedy till I moved to Vegas. And I chickened out a bunch of times. And then eventually I talked about it so much, my friends are like, are you going to do it or what? So I had, like, 12 friends come to the show. And I had a couple of beers for some courage. And the first time went great, which is kind of rare - but I think the first time went so good, because I was so prepared from chickening out so many times. And then, I've never done a drug in my life, but I think the addiction might be similar, because I did it once and I was hooked. And then and now, I guess like 20 years later here, I am still doing shows.
Wendy Corr:
You get hooked on the laughter, the crowd response, I get that. You get endorphins from that.
Brandt Tobler:
And just the rush of just seeing it all come together, some dumb thought I had in my head that made people laugh. I'll never forget that first time - and I still have video of it, actually. But it's horrible. The jokes are horrible. But in the moment, I thought they were great. And maybe at the time they were great.
Wendy Corr:
Maybe at the time they were, because obviously people laughed. It wasn't just your 12 buddies, right?
Brand Tobler:
Yeah, no, there was there was maybe five other people there. But the audience for sure.
Wendy Corr:
You most certainly did. So you went to a comedy club in Vegas and said, ‘This is what I want to do.’ But you tell these stories in your standup routines, you tell the stories of your dad and going to Vegas and living with him - or actually him coming living with you, eventually, because you had some really interesting jobs.
Brand Tobler:
So I left college and moved to Vegas, because when I was a kid, my dad was in and out of prison the whole time I was a kid. So then he got out of prison, and then I moved to Vegas to try to connect with him. And the funny part is, I moved there with the dream of - back then they used to have these pirate ships that would battle in front of Treasure Island. So I dropped out of college, I just wanted to be a pirate on the strip. And then my family was like, my mom's like, ‘What are you doing?’ Like, ‘I'm going to Vegas to be a pirate.’
And then of course, I got to Vegas, and I didn't know anything about, like, casting or anything, I wasn't even hot enough to be a pirate. So then I ended up getting a job, I was counting money in a casino late at night, which was an awful job, especially when you're broke, just counting other people's money. And then - it's a long story to get into, but then I got a job working for some of the biggest professional gamblers. So then I was a runner for sports betting, and I would carry hundreds of thousands of dollars, and I would just run up and down the strip and bet on sports every day, which was the coolest job. Probably even cooler than a comedian. I don't know, comedians are pretty cool.
But that was a pretty cool job. So it was a long way from Wyoming, definitely, just living in Vegas. But then, you know, when I left Wyoming, I think I had $800 to my name. So to have $100,000, I mean, I had $100,000 on me 24/7, 365. Because you never know when you'd have to bet, so when my bosses would call I would just have to go bet. So it was a long way from home, needless to say.
Wendy Corr:
No kidding. You don't find those jobs in Cheyenne.
Brandt Tobler
You know, it's funny too, because anytime I do a podcast, every 22, 23 year old guy in America sends me, ‘Hey, how do I get that job?’ And like, it was a different time, that that job's done. But yeah, I was super lucky to have that job. And then I just learned a lot about life from the guy that was my boss. I just learned so much from him. He changed my life, and I'll always be grateful for him.
Wendy Corr:
Did he open doors for you? Or did you open doors for yourself when it came to becoming a comedian?
Brand Tobler:
No, no, it was all me. So that show I did, it wasn't at a comedy club, it was just at this little bar off the strip. So the local comedy clubs in Vegas didn't have any use for up and coming comics. Because if you're like a headliner - as a comic, there's a host, and then a middle and a headliner. But every comic in America would take a step down. Like if you're a headliner everywhere else, you would feature in Vegas, just because you wanted to go to Vegas. And with LA being so close, they just had no real use for us. So we just couldn't get in the clubs. They just didn't, they didn't do an open mic night. They didn't do anything.
All we had was a Sunday night at this place called Boomers, a show called Boomers Humors. And it would start at 9:30 on Sunday night. So it's hard to get a crowd, but to be honest, the best days of my life. I mean, I've done gigs all over the world, but there was nothing better. You'd have to drive over this little hill, and on those Sundays when you’d drive over the hill, most Sundays you’d just see your friends’ cars, which was great - but sometimes you'd see like 20 cars, and you're - my hair stands over my arm thinking about it - because you're like, oh, man, we got a crowd tonight, this is like a real crowd.
So those are like, you know, starting out, you make no money - I mean, you don't ever do this job for money. But those moments are still like some of my favorites, just because I'm still friends to this day with some of the guys and girls that I started with. So those will always be my favorite times.
Wendy Corr
So how did you then come out of Boomers Humors and get yourself noticed? To where you started saying, ‘Hey, this is this is a real gig here, like, I'm gonna make some money with this. I'm gonna make a living.’
Brand Tobler
So what happened was, there's a comedian named Doug Stanhope, and this is how long ago this was, we were on MySpace. And he wrote an article, he wrote like a blog, saying, ‘Hey, if you're a comedian, you can't wait for the clubs. You’ve got to do it yourself.’
So I was making a ton of money with that job, I mean, I was making $4,000 or $5,000 a day sometimes. So I had a bunch of money, and I had a big backyard where I was staying, with a huge balcony out the master bedroom that could hold like a hundred people. So I just said, ‘You know what, I'm just gonna do shows in my backyard.’
So I reached out to Doug Stanhope, who was, you know, a famous comedian, everybody respects. I said, ‘I read your blog. I built a stage in my backyard. Will you come do my show?’ And then he said, ‘Yes.’ So then once I had his approval, then I reached out to other comedians. And then my first show was Tig Notaro, who's a super famous comedian now, and then I had Doug Benson and Brody. So I did all these backyard shows, but I was making so much money.
Wendy Corr:
With your day job?
Brandt Tobler:
So I would just promise the whole door to the comedian. I said, ‘If you come here, you get all the money, I'll buy your hotel.’ SoI rented porta potties, I set up a club in my backyard. And then the Stanhope show was the biggest one, I had 240 people in my backyard.
And then I got evicted, like, a week later.
Wendy Corr:
I was gonna say, I bet your neighbors hated you.
Brandt Tobler:
Well, you know, what's funny is that I tried to do good by my neighbors. So, I lived in a cul de sac. So I went, and I invited all my neighbors to the show, I gave them a $50 gift card. But I didn't realize, you know, 240 people, it extended way past my block. And then, I did it on a Thursday night. And so some people saw the magic in it, but then some neighbors, and just the fact I was charging and you know, just the rules. But you know, in comedy, there's no rules, you just go for it.
So luckily, that kind of put me on the map. So then people are like, ‘Oh, you're the backyard guy.’ And then eventually a comedy club called La Comedy Club opened up in Vegas, and they started taking a chance on us, mainly because they didn't have a lot of money. So they needed us to work for free. So then we got our foot in the door. And then after that, you just grind and you just keep showing up.
People think it's such a hard job. It's not really that hard, it's just like anything else. It's just repetition, and you just kind of have to just keep showing up, and you get thick skin. And like, when you do bad - once you realize you're not going to die when you bomb - it's a rough car ride home. But now when I bomb, it's fun, because it just gets the juices flowing. And you're like, ‘Oh, that didn't go good at all.’ But now I know enough tricks to like, get out of it. So it's - too long an answer on that, but yeah, the backyard show really kind of propelled everything. And that was just kind of betting on myself and taking a chance. And luckily, I had the money to run a business where I was gonna lose money.
Wendy Corr:
Yeah, betting on yourself, though, truly. That's really what you did. So when, then, did you expand out of Vegas? At what point did you start getting invitations to go to some different shows? Because you said you've performed shows all over the world, which is phenomenal.
Brandt Tobler:
So that was the hard part. So, with a gambling job, the biggest thing we did was Saturday and Sundays, betting football. And then again, like I said, I'd make - there's weekends I'd make $8,000-$9,000 cash under the table. So I got a manager at about the five year level of my career, so then my manager would be like, ‘Hey, we got you booked in Dayton, Ohio. It's five shows that pays $800. You have to fly yourself out, but they'll give you a hotel.’ So I couldn't, my comedy career just just mathematically didn't work. I told my manager, like, I can't miss a Saturday or Sunday. This is like, you know, the money.
So eventually the gambling thing died out, and then I moved to Los Angeles and then - LA is a tough place to do comedy. So you kind of have to stay on the road to pay your expensive LA rent. So then that's when I started hitting the road more, and then I just started traveling.
And the first five or six years, that was the most fun, the first time traveling. Now, you know, traveling, it's just so lonely. So the first time going to Dayton, Ohio, you know, you go to a cool little spot where everybody likes to eat, you go to an antique spa. But then like the second or third time you go, and it's like December and you're just sitting in a hotel room, you're like, this sucks.
So, stand up comedy is, the show I do for free. What you pay me for is the rental car, the hotel, being away from loved ones, being away from home. The actual show I would do for free anytime - what you pay me for is everything that comes with it.
So you're not based in LA anymore. You're in Denver, is that right, now? So you go home?
Brandt Tobler:
Yeah, so I just missed home. I enjoyed LA for nine years, but, I mean it sounds like a corny answer, but I just miss, like, real Wyoming people. And in LA, everyone you meet, they just size you up, like, can you help them or not? And I just missed it. I just missed my friends, I just missed Wyoming. But I can't be a comedian in Cheyenne, and luckily Denver has one of the probably, top five comedy scenes in the country. And the Denver Comedy Works, I think is, I mean, the third best club in the world, probably the fourth best club in the world.
So I just decided, you know, I'm gonna move to Denver, because then I can get home, but I don't have to live at home. I love Cheyenne, I'm so proud of Cheyenne. But that wind and everything. So Cheyenne, I can get in trouble in Cheyenne, Cheyenne is kind of like my adult Vegas. So like, I just go in and out for a night or two, and then I get out of there.
Wendy Corr:
That's grand, that's grand. What are some of the really cool things that your comedy career has allowed you to do, Brandt? Because, I mean, I'm sure you've got a long list.
Brandt Tobler:
I mean, the coolest thing I've ever done was - you know, when I started out - so I grew up in Cheyenne, and I lived just blocks from the Air Force Base. And all my heroes, you know - performing for the troops, I just appreciate everything the military does. So one of my first goals was, I wanted to perform for the troops. So I signed up and then I finally got my orders to go perform with the troops. And I thought, I've got to go to Iraq or Iran or somewhere. And then I got to go to Italy, Greece and Turkey. So for a kid from Cheyenne to get to go, the honor of performing for the troops, but to get to do it in Italy was so incredible.
And then the shows were so cool, because you would get there and everything's so formal and strong handshakes and eye contact and everything the military way. And then we would do our show, and afterwards, the vibe had just changed, it was hugs, and like, ‘You don't know how much we needed this. And thank you.’ They're thanking us and like, I didn't do anything, like, ‘You guys. Thank you guys.’ So that's always been huge.
You know, the first time I came home in Cheyenne, I did a show at the Atlas Theater, which is a theater I rode my bicycle by a thousand times. And so that first time I came home, and everybody came out from Cheyenne Central, Cheyenne East, everybody I knew came. And I did really good. But, that moment of, then coming off, and then - I had a girlfriend at the time, I had a really special girlfriend and she had been with me at the start of all those bad open mics. So I'll never forget coming off stage, and then going behind the curtain and just hugging her, and just started crying. And then she was like, ‘Hey, stop crying. They're like, giving you a standing ovation, go back out.’ So stuff like that was cool.
And then also just like, you know, I lived in Hollywood - I never dreamed, I thought I could go to space before… Growing up in Cheyenne, that I'd ever live in Hollywood. So I lived right in the middle of Hollywood for nine years. So all that kind of stuff is just like, having like famous friends, you know, some people like me who have famous friends is pretty cool. So like, sometimes when my phone will vibrate, and I look and it'll be a celebrity, I just pinch myself like, ‘Oh, this is my friend. This is the guy who I watched on TV as a child. He's calling me to just check in and see how I'm doing.’
And so stuff like that is like - you know, I never dreamed I would get to do all the cool stuff and be all over the world and just telling dumb stories about my childhood, just my life. So pretty cool.
Wendy Corr:
You've got some real classic stories about the time you tried to kill your dad. You know, there's that. And then the engagement boxers. Are these all true stories?
Brandt Tobler:
Yeah. So everything comes from like, a true place, some of it you just have to punch up a little, to make it a little more entertaining, because some stories are just a little low between the start and the beginning. So you have to punch that up. People are like, ‘How do you get material?’ And it's just everyday life. You just have to be focused - like when something happens, the beauty is, the iPhone, something happens, I can just jot it down on my phone real quick and then come back to it. And I like to take walks every day, so then when I go on a walk then I just put an idea in my head and then - I probably look like a psycho walking down the street, kind of talking to the clouds, but then I kind of just run it in my head. And then sometimes it works, or sometimes I get a pretty good idea on what'll work now. But just, some stuff will work immediately, and then some stuff I'll be like, ‘Ah, it's close, but I just got to figure out what it's missing.’
So the fun part about it is, like when you come up with something new - like, I have a story now, a new story, and I just can't wait to tell it every night. It's so strong that I have to put it at the end. But then at the start of the show, I'm like, I can't wait to get to it because it's like having a new girlfriend. I'm like, giddy about it.
So yeah, it just comes from everyday life. Some of the stories are wild. And I used to, I had a tour where I was like, bad decisions make good stories, and I used to tell my ex-girlfriends, like, sometimes I have to do bad stuff for work. I gotta live a little bit. I gotta get arrested or do something wild. You know, if I just live this perfect life, it’s just not that funny. I mean, it's great fun.
Wendy Corr:
Fun, but not not necessarily funny. Oh, my gosh. So you have taken your life experience. You've put it out there for everybody, you’ve put a funny spin on it. Your timing, I'm sure you have to have a sense of timing, to know where to pause, where to make sure that the audience gets a chance to laugh here. You've taken that though, now, and you're doing a podcast. It's called The 31. What does The 31 mean? What's that?
Brandt Tobler
The 31 is a podcast I started in LA. So, the premise of it, I just ask 31 questions. 25 are the same each week and then five are unique for that guest, and then one is a fan submitted question. So I've taken a break from it now because I got kind of burnt out on it. But I have like 300 episodes out there. I'll probably start it back up in the fall. But yeah, it was just a fun way to, especially when I lived in LA and I had access to, like, the most famous comedians. That's kind of why it's on pause, because I can only - once I interviewed everybody locally, I can only pick who comes through town, and then some people are busy.
So having a podcast, as you know, is great. But it's just getting guests. And the key to a good podcast is consistency. But then when you're asking someone to give their time for free, and they cancel on you or flake, you can't really be mad at them. But it really messes up the momentum. So as much as everyone makes a joke, ‘Oh, a podcast, everyone has a podcast,’ it's actually - it's not easy.
Wendy Corr:
No, it's not. I can attest to that.
Brandt Tobler:
I mean, like, you want Chancey, and I'm sure Chancey will do it, but then the day of, you know, he could cancel - not because he's like a big timer, stuff just happens. And you do this for free, it's not like a paid gig. So if something comes up, sometimes you just have to cancel, which I totally understand. But it just got annoying. Like, because you just count on people, but you can't get mad when they flake. So, a little break. You know, I kind of exhausted, doing 200 episodes, and that's 200 of my friends. So now I'm just kind of giving everybody a break. And I'll probably come back to it.
Wendy Corr:
Yeah, exactly. So, where can people find your comedy? Because you know, I mean, I found stuff on YouTube. And you've got Instagram, and you've got Facebook.
Brandt Tobler:
The best place is YouTube. So I'm putting out a special probably next Friday, called Suits and Stories. And it's five different stories in my five favorite suits. So if you go to Brandt Tobler Comedy on YouTube, and just subscribe. There's a ton of material on there. And then my Instagram, I post a lot of videos and short reels and stuff like that.
Wendy Corr:
And if they want to open a book, you've got a book, you're a published author, look at that. “Free Roll!”
Brandt Tobler:
Yeah, I wrote a book! And I'm so proud of - again, like I mean, I dropped out of junior college three times. I never thought I would write a book, and I'm so proud of it because, it's really good. And I mean, I'm biased, obviously. But the funny thing about it is, all my Wyoming friends, it's kind of a backhanded compliment, but so many of my friends are like, ‘Hey, man, I bought your book just because I love you. But it's actually, like, really good.’ And I'm like, I'm as shocked as you are. So I think we're still shopping the movie rights, but hopefully, we'll have a deal by the end of the year, and it'll be a movie. I mean, I can't believe how good it is, because I'm a moron. But it's actually a really good book. It's got like 150 reviews, and all of them are five star except for one lady in Michigan that gave it like a three. I was like, ‘Didn't you hear the story about me trying to kill my dad? Like, I'll come get you.’
But you know, there's a book out there, and you can get it. You can get it on Amazon or anywhere. Or if you want an autographed copy, just send me a message on Instagram or Facebook or something, and I'll sign it. I'll sign Chancey Williams’ name if you want.
Wendy Corr:
Is the book about your life? Is it your life story?
Brandt Tobler:
Yeah, it’s just my life growing up in Cheyenne, and the whole process of growing up in Cheyenne, and what we dealt with, with my dad. My dad is just a really bad person. So this book made me really appreciate how amazing my mother is, being a single mom, because she did a really good job of hiding everything she went through from my brother and I. So then when I wrote the book, she told me all these awful things that she had to go through. So that was another reward of the book, just seeing how special my mother was.
So just going through having my dad in and out of prison the whole time I was a kid and all that, to then moving to Vegas - to moving to Phoenix then moving to Vegas, and then having this crazy life. Then the book goes all the way to the point when my dad stole $80,000 cash from me, which was my boss's money. And obviously, the guys I worked for were - I don't know the best way to describe them, but the guys you don't want to be $80,000 short with.
Wendy Corr:
They didn't kneecap you, though.
Brandt Tobler:
No, but it could have been. It put me in a bad spot. So yeah, so the book’s just about that. Just a kid from Wyoming who became a stand up comedian, and also had the craziest job kind of working for the mob in Vegas, carrying the $100,000 and all the crazy - I mean, I was 23 years old. So, there's stories in there, I just got myself into trouble, because when you have that much money, you can kind of do whatever you want. Which I found out.
Wendy Corr:
Yeah, well, until your dad steals $80,000.
Brandt Tobler:
Yeah, and then we had to deal with that. But that was the bad part. And then I got robbed at shotgun in my house one time. That was bad.
Wendy Corr:
But it's, but it's all in the book.
Brandt Tobler:
I mean, I would tell it here, we don't have time. This isn't me trying to plug the book, but for all the Wyoming listeners that we have, I think you'll enjoy it. Because you'll be like, ‘Wow, this kid from Cheyenne lived in a different world than how we do it in the 307.”
Wendy Corr:
What was that like? I'm kind of going backwards, but what was that like for you, when you left the shelter of Cheyenne and Wyoming? Going to Phoenix and then to Las Vegas? I mean, that's culture shock.
Brandt Tobler:
Yeah, it was wild. I mean, it was just a different world. I mean, totally different world. So I just learned, I was never prepared for it. Because, you know, working for those guys, it's not something you learn. It's kind of just, learn on the fly. And it's funny, because when I got there - so I dropped out of college, I just moved to Vegas, and my dad was just out of prison. And then he was living with this, like, cocktail waitress girl in a trailer. We were living in a trailer with, like, seven people in this trailer.
But I just loved basketball so much, and somehow I got a credit card. These dummies gave me a credit card with like a $5,000 credit limit. So I signed up for a gym in Vegas, because I still loved to play basketball. I still love basketball to this day. But it's so hot in Vegas that I couldn't play outside. So there's only really one indoor gym, but it was super expensive. It was like $200 a month - way back then. And I signed up, and then that's how I met these gamblers.
But then they thought I was an FBI informant because they're like, ‘How does this kid just show up that lives in a trailer and come to this expensive gym and start making friends with us?’ So then the first couple of months, once I got hired - my one boss hired me and then the other boss was like, ‘This doesn't feel right.’ So then for the first two months, they kind of - now in hindsight, they were really sizing me up. So I'd get to go out to dinner with them every night, which is awesome because they're a millionaire, so I got to eat, like, crab legs and sushi. All the stuff I never even tried. And then they realized I was just a moron. I wasn't the FBI.
But just spending all that time with them then, I just learned a different - the old side of Vegas, like the mob side of Vegas, which was really cool, but it was just old school Vegas, where everybody takes care of each other, and your word is your word.
Like, when I got the job, the one thing I'll never forget - he's like, ‘All you have is your reputation. And when your reputation is gone, you're gone.’ And I was like, ‘Okay, that's all I needed to learn.’ So that's what I learned, is just never break their trust. And then I was just like a kid, again, like a starry eyed kid from Wyoming. So I was just watching everything they did - and then again, they were millionaires, so I'd never been to a mansion or like rode in a Mercedes, or, they had swimming pools. And so I was just like starstruck.
And I was smart enough to just keep my mouth shut and just keep my ears open and eyes open and just learn as much as I can. And I ended up learning. You know, still, like I said, he's the most important person that has ever been in my life. And I learned so much from him about everything in life. Stuff that you just can't really learn at Laramie County Community Colelge.
Wendy Corr:
So, a surrogate dad, probably.
Brandt Tobler:
And when everything bad happened with my dad - I think there was a little jealousy, that my dad could tell that I enjoyed spending more time with him, with my boss than him. And then luckily, when my dad stole that money and everything, he was much more lenient with me, because he knew I wouldn't do anything. He knew I would never do anything to let him down. I was so scared to tell him what happened. I sat outside his house, just crying, opening my door, shutting the door, opening my door, I was scared to go in and tell him - because you don't want to tell somebody that you don't have $80,000. And then I told him, and he was like I just started crying. I was like, ‘I'm so sorry. My dad stole the money, and then we tried to kill my dad…’ And then he's like, ‘Wait, what?’ And he was like, ‘If you have a problem, you come to me. I'm the problem solver.’ He was just like, ‘You know, desperate people do desperate things. We can always make more money.’ He was just so good about handling it.
But it was just, the one guy I didn't want to let down - and again, also, it’s just safety reasons. Like, you just can't be $80,000 short, but luckily, they knew my reputation, they knew I didn't do it. Because in that world, people stole a lot of money. A lot of bad stuff happened, but they knew I wouldn't... I just had a bad dad.
Wendy Corr:
So do you still have those contacts? Do you still have those friends in Las Vegas?
Brandt Tobler:
Yeah, a little bit. You know, it ended bad. It's just a weird world. We’ve reconnected now a little bit, but not like it was. It’s too long to go into, but that's the one thing about Vegas - like, LA was just fake. And then Vegas was just, everyone just kind of worries about themselves. So just a lot of stuff happened, and we were able to fix it, but that's kind of the reason I just wanted to come back home, I just miss like, regular life.
Wendy Corr:
Real people.
Brandt Tobler:
Yeah, you know, I just like to go to a barbecue or go to my friend's kids soccer game, or just stuff like that that you don't do in LA and in Vegas. Vegas is just a different place.
Wendy Corr:
Yes. But you're back closer to home now, and we're so glad to have you. We've talked about where we can find your work, we’ve talked about when you're going to be on on the road - are you going to hit the road again, real soon?
Brandt Tobler:
I'll probably hit the road in the fall. I'm finishing another book, and I'll probably go to promote that. But I'm just kind of enjoying the summer. I just booked a trip to Costa Rica this morning, so I'm gonna go to Costa Rica for a while. And I'm just gonna relax, I just want to enjoy the summer. I was on the road a lot this last nine months. And like I said, it just gets boring. It seems glamorous and fun. People are like, ‘It's got to be so fun.’ I’m like, ah, it's not. there's no place like home.
Wendy Corr:
It’s a job.
Brandt Tobler:
So yeah, and I always do Frontier Days. And then one of my closest friends is getting married up in Jackson Hole in August, and then I do a charity event in Cody. So we spent a lot of time in Wyoming and the beautiful summer in Wyoming, is what I'm looking forward to. And a little Costa Rica.
Wendy Corr:
And a little Costa Rica. Brandt, this has been just a really fun conversation. Thank you for saying yes, thanks for not flaking out, you know.
Brandt Tobler:
I would never do that! We’ve gotta take care of our own. But yeah, no, I enjoyed talking to you. Thank you so much for having me. And it sounds like you guys are doing big things up there. That's awesome.
Wendy Corr
We are! We're just having a grand time here at Cowboy State Daily, especially being able to talk to people like you, Brandt, who is just taking Wyoming to the world.
Brandt Tobler:
Yeah, well, everybody watching, just tell your friends about this. Share it. I mean, I know how you have to plug your own podcast, and that's annoying. So I'll plug it for you. If you're watching this, share it with your friends - like subscribe, do all that, give five star ratings. It's free and it takes like 30 seconds and you'd be surprised how much it helps. And the more you do that, the better guests you can get. Way better guests than me. You can get Chancey Williams!
Wendy Corr:
This has been great. Thank you for your time today! Good luck, we're all rooting for you, getting out there, and getting that success that we are just so proud of. Folks, thanks for tuning in today to Cowboy State Daily’s, The Roundup! We have just really enjoyed our time with Brandt. Stay tuned, come back next week, we're going to have another fantastic guest that you can share with your friends and your family - because this iss all about Wyoming people, and being proud of our state and the people that are coming from our state. So thanks for tuning in. I've been your host, Wendy Corr. I've had a fantastic guest in Brandt Tobler. Follow him. You'll laugh, I promise! And don't forget, get his book! Take care, folks.
