Resonance – Episode 62
Verbatim Transcript
Speaker: Viktoria Levenberg
Guest Speaker: Joey Freddy Larsen
Joey Freddy Larsen: The majority of businesses, when they fail, they just fail because the business
owner decided to throw in the towel.
Is this what I’m gonna do with my life? I’m gonna just be in the corporate sales world forever.
You’re not supposed to win every time. Boring.
It’s not about what you’re saying. It’s about how you’re making the other people feel.
Magnetic presence and presence and authenticity is not something that you’re either born with
or you’re not. We are all born with it. You’re made of pure love and light.
Viktoria Levenberg: Can you imagine speaking in front of thousands of people and feeling totally
comfortable and just like yourself while you’re at it? Well, in today’s episode, you are going to
hear from Joey Freddy Larson about what it takes to magnetise the right audience, whether it’s
on stage or online, so that you can lead with purpose, get the promotion you deserve, and make
more sales. Let’s begin.
Viktoria Levenberg: Welcome to Resonance, the podcast for high performers and entrepreneurs
who wanna do life, work, and success differently. I am your host, Viktoria Levenberg, and I’m
obsessed with efficiency, productivity, and planning in a way that harnesses your energy and your
natural rhythms, while keeping you in alignment and integrity. Because I have figured out that
lasting success is not about the hustle. It is about being in resonance. Let’s begin.
Viktoria Levenberg: Quick intro to Joey, and I don’t want to give away too much because he’s got
an incredible intro that he’s just about to share with you, with a little teaser, um, to some really
personal things that he will share, which you’ll just have to hang out till the end of the episode to
receive.
But, um, Joey and I met through our digital community. He is working with Mr. James Wedmore,
just as I am. You would have heard about him on the podcast a couple of weeks ago. He has been
so influential in my life, and Joey as well, because Joey was the catalyst for, in the chain of events
that preceded a really huge life decision, which was something that then allowed for me to step
into the next quantum leaps and shifts that unfolded in my life.
And that’s really special. Um, I don’t think I’ve kind of told that to Joey enough. Um, but, you
know, by stepping into his authentic magnetic self, by sharing his story, by being of service, and
simply telling his truth, he helped me see myself in his story and make some big decisions that
maybe I wouldn’t have had the courage to make had I not had that way shower who has done it
before.
Viktoria Levenberg: Um, and Joey’s story is super interesting. I mean, Joey’s background ranges
from corporate to performance to comedy and all the things in between. Is honestly, he is such a
multifaceted being, and I don’t want to spoil it anymore. Without further ado, let’s dive into the
episode. I’ll see you in there.
Oh, Joey, thank you for joining me. I am so excited to speak with you because I think you are the
first guest I’m bringing on the podcast who’s spent more time in front of the camera than I have.
And I look forward to hearing all the tips and tricks that you’ve got up your sleeve, but also your
story, you know, your experience, and the wisdom that anyone listening today gets to receive
from you. Thank you for being here.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Thank you for having me. I’m so excited to be here, have a conversation with
you, and I’m super pumped to share with your audience how, in an AI world, their own authentic
magnetic presence is the No. 1 asset and the No. 1 advantage that they could ever double and
triple down on.
And my goal is to help your listeners become more magnetic on stage, on screen, and in life, so
that they can turn their own audiences and attention into more clients, more bookings, more
opportunities, more income, more impact, all those great things.
Viktoria Levenberg: So, hmm, amazing. Let’s do it.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Let’s do it.
Viktoria Levenberg: And look, as we dive in, you know, would you be able to just introduce
yourself, tell us a little bit more about you and, and who you are and what got you to where
you’re at today and the work that you do?
Joey Freddy Larsen: Absolutely. My name is Joey Freddy Larsen. Joey’s the first name, Freddy’s
the middle name, Larson’s the last name. And I love to start with a little game. You wanna play a
little quick game?
Viktoria Levenberg: I am so down for a game. I love a game.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Have you ever heard of the game Tooth Truths and a Lie?
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes, let’s go.
Joey Freddy Larsen: So, before I tell you the, the nutshell of my story, Tooth Truths and a Lie of
Joey Freddy Larsen. I have been bit by a boa constrictor, I’ve been stung by a stingray, and I’ve
eaten at the northernmost Denny’s in the world.
Viktoria Levenberg: Hmm, I would say the first is the lie.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Alright. Well, people will have to stick around to the end of the episode
because I’m not gonna reveal it now.
Viktoria Levenberg: I love it. That is so good.
Joey Freddy Larsen: I open the loop. Stick around and I will share the answer to two truths and a
lie.
To get back to my story, though, I was, um, I’m a dual citizen. My mom was born in New York City.
My dad’s Canadian. I was born just north of Toronto in a small little town, and I, um, my
professional start was after a degree in kinesiology, study of human movement. I didn’t use that
at all, like a lot of people who go to university, and I got into sales and ultimately a sales
management job.
I spent around 10 years with a financial services company. At the age of 23, I was hiring,
recruiting, training, and running a sales team in a sales branch, while seeing clients, sitting at
their kitchen table in their homes, talking about their financial services and how to protect their
families.
And at the ripe young age of 31, I had a, what I like to call my third life crisis. Instead of a midlife
crisis, a third life crisis, where I was realising, is this what I’m gonna do with my life? I’m gonna
just be in the corporate sales world forever? Great company, lots of commissions, lots of personal
growth. All that stuff was amazing.
So what I did next is I answered an ad on the internet that said, “So you wanna be a comedian?”
And that was an ad for, like, an amateur night. There’s a chain in Canada called Yuk Yuk’s Comedy,
and it was an ad to get new acts and new people to come up. And I’d always been a huge fan of
comedy. I’d always, from a distance, fantasised about being on stage and, and on screen myself.
Viktoria Levenberg: Wow.
Joey Freddy Larsen: So I, so I did that. That went incredible. Then stand-up LED to sketch comedy
to improv. Then I moved to Toronto, which is our film and TV hub in Canada, along with
Vancouver, but I moved to Toronto. I started doing First Student films. I was a background extra in
a bunch of TV shows and movies. Then I started doing commercials, and then eventually I’ve now
had lead roles in TV, film, and theatre, which I’ve loved.
So I’ve been an actor and stand-up comedian for the last 17 years. The last 10 of those, I’ve also
had a business where I was coaching other actors, helping them stand out in their own roles to
book their own roles in TV, film, theatre, commercials, voice-over, and running, running an online
business.
And then, just in the last six months, I had a major epiphany where now I’ve decided to take that
work that I do with actors and start working with personal brand, so experts, creators, coaches,
leaders, speakers, helping them be more magnetic on stage and screen so that they can do all
those fun things and get more opportunities, more income, and more, um, clients.
Because the thing that I noticed, the, the, the through line through all of my work, and what I
really noticed, and this has really boiled to the surface in the last six months, was that there are
so many talented people, so many experts, incredible, uh, resumes, so many certifications and
credentials, and they do amazing work, but there’s a gap often to how they show up.
And I call that the, the presence gap. So there’s so many frustrated people out there thinking,
like, I know I have more in me. I know I have more to give, more to impact, and they’re just falling
short. Not because they’re not incredible at what they do. They just haven’t, two things, they
haven’t returned to who they are as their authentic self, and they’ve got maybe some blocks, and
they haven’t been introduced to some of the skills that you can install to improve those skills and
habits.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes. Wow.
Joey Freddy Larsen: And that’s what I do now.
Viktoria Levenberg: What a journey, Joey. Like, from corporate sales to stand-up comedian turned
actor turned, you know, acting coach. I don’t know if that’s sort of the industry—
Joey Freddy Larsen: Sure. Yep.
Viktoria Levenberg: —turned, uh, you know, public speaker and, and coach for entrepreneurs,
leaders, brands. Wow. It is incredible to see just the breadth of your experience. And I can really
also see the value that you and working with you provides to all the amazing people who have
already decided to work with you, and, and all the incredible people that are, like, being
magnetised into your world.
Because that’s something that I would love to hear your take on. You know, you just mentioned
these two things being authenticity and the skill set. And from what I’m hearing you say, you
work with both.
And in my experience, we often have to have our own Dark Knight of the soul and our own little
learnings before we get to pass that on to others. So would you be able to speak to how you
were able to step into more of your authentic magnetic self, and when was that shift for you?
Joey Freddy Larsen: It’s a great question. So I’ll first, I’ll preface that by a lot of people are like,
“Oh, you’re a natural. Oh, like, energy on stage.” Like, I did that talk at BBD Live in Phoenix where,
like, standing ovation and lift, like, blew the roof off the place. Loved it. The crowd was amazing.
And people are like, “Oh, you’re a natural.”
And I’m not. In that corporate world, I remember being in meetings and, like, quarterly, like,
board of director meetings where I was, I was, I would be my representative from my office. So I
would show up, and there would be, like, moments where they would go around the horn with
the microphone to share your takeaways or to share what’s going on.
And I remember my heart starting to race, getting flushed red in the face, as I’m seeing the mic
get closer and closer to me.
Rehearse the thing in my head frantically: what am I gonna say? And then by the time I would get
the mic, it would be like a blackout experience. I would blurt something out. I would—when I was
done, I wouldn't even really remember what I even said. I have to catch my breath, and then in
my head I'm thinking, did I just—did I just say something super profound, or did I just make a fool
of myself?
Viktoria Levenberg: Mm-hmm.
Joey Freddy Larsen: So—
Viktoria Levenberg: Mm-hmm.
Joey Freddy Larsen: And my natural—I believe, like, my natural inclination and set point around
strangers or in a room of people is not, “I'm gonna be the centre of attention.” It's way more
often fly on the wall. But now it's a muscle that I can turn on.
So the first epiphany was doing stand-up comedy, and I just knew that when you're on stage, you
almost by default need to be a little bit like an elevated, heightened version of yourself, a little
more larger than life, because that's really the job, right?
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah. Well, there's nowhere to hide, you know? Instead of—it's you.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Also true. Yeah. Yeah.
Now, in the beginning, most stand-up comedians, and even most actors and performers, you're
usually emulating and really doing, like, your impression of your favourite people. So my favourite
people growing up were Saturday Night Live people, not less—less stand-up. I wasn't exposed to
as many stand-ups, but all of, like—and I'm a child of the '90s—so for me it was Chris Farley and
Adam Sandler, and then shortly after that, guys like Will Ferrell.
So for me, the, the, the thing that I was able to switch on was the energy. So I was, I was a little
bigger, a little louder, very physical on stage. And it was almost, in the beginning, it was almost
like I was being a different person or a different version of myself.
Now, and this is not what I encourage, so I'm—the reason I'm saying this is to anyone listening:
this work isn't about, “Oh, I gotta become someone else,” or, “I gotta become a comedian,” or,
“I'm a real shy, quiet, mousey introvert, and now I gotta be a clown on stage.” No.
That was my initial move into it, and then what's happened since then is I've calmed down and
been able to be a little more authentic. Like, that was, “I'm acting. I'm putting on a mask. I'm
playing the character of the big, wacky guy.” And that worked for a while.
And then now, as I've gotten older, it's like I'm more, when I'm on stage, I'm a little more like I am
around just my friends. Like, you saw me at—thank you—at BBD Live. I was more like, it's like half
TED Talk with a little bit of stand-up.
Viktoria Levenberg: It was fantastic, by the way. I mean, I had the privilege of being there and
witnessing you live, and that standing ovation was so well deserved. And I genuinely believe that
a big part of it was the authenticity and the magnetism with which you delivered.
Because, yes, there is an element of stage presence and, um, holding the room. You know, it was
1,000 people. That's no small feat. And yet, at the same time, in the story that you took us
through, there was vulnerability. There was some things that might have been really hard to
share, especially in front of a crowd full of strangers.
And you said something just then around, “I just felt more like myself, as I am with friends.” And I
was about to ask you, like, how would you define authenticity? And is that pretty much it? It's
just being you?
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah. I think it's a feeling. Yeah. It's a feeling where I don't feel like I'm putting
on. It's an energetic thing. If, if, if at the end of doing a Zoom or doing a webinar, doing a stage
talk, you're just, like, destroyed energetically, or you're like, “I don't wanna do that again,” it's
probably a sign that you're not being authentic. You're putting something extra on, and it's not
sustainable.
And, and the thing that, that I've, in my podcast, The Magnetic Presence Podcast, that I've
continually drilled in, even in just the first few episodes, was that magnetic presence and
presence and authenticity—authenticity is not something that you're either born with or you're
not. We are all born with it.
And think of a baby. There is nothing more magnetic in the world than a baby. They are
completely authentic. There's no mask. There's no filter. When they're about to cry and scream
or laugh and giggle, they're not thinking, “Oh, am I gonna be too much? Is—am I gonna be too
big?” Or, “They told—my mom said be quiet.” So they just let it out.
And you, you can see it around a baby, whether it's someone—like, someone brings a baby into a
restaurant, people flock. Or a stroller goes by and everyone's poking in, and you see those eyes
and you see those—like, have you ever looked at a baby and you're like, you, you like, “I see your
soul”? And more so, the baby sees you.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes.
Joey Freddy Larsen: “How do you know me?” Like—
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah.
I, I don't know about you, but, like, I also have that experience with my dog. Like, I don't know if
you and Luna have that same experience. I'm just like, “You—”
Same thing. You see me.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah. It's the exact same thing with dogs, because they're completely heart
on their sleeve. There's no mask.
And so the, the point is, it's, it's, it's in all of us. But then throughout childhood and the rest of
our lives, society and doubts and worry and fears and trying to fit in and trying to not do the
wrong things and getting some haters online, we start moulding and shaping and really just
layering mask upon mask upon mask upon mask. And then we wonder who the heck we really
are.
So yes, it's—the work is twofold: returning to who you are actually, authentically, and just being
you, rather than trying to be.
Viktoria Levenberg: Uh-huh.
Joey Freddy Larsen: That's it. It's like Yoda: “Do or do not. There is no try,” you know? It's like—
Viktoria Levenberg: Hahaha.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Like, “I'm trying to be. I'm trying to be. I'm trying to be.” How about you just
stop trying to be and just be? And just—
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Maybe easier said than done.
And then, like I said, doing that, and then there are also sets of skills and habits that can be
installed through repetition and through some work and rehearsal and some coaching sessions.
Like, in, in my programs, I'm often getting people live on their feet, where it's, “Let's hear your
pitch. Let's hear your webinar. Let's hear your offer. Let's hear your origin story. Let's see your
opening.”
And then a lot of it is even working before that, what I call arriving before you arrive, very much
like we did before this podcast, where we did some breathwork, we did some relaxation to get
yourself in state, in state to work on your intentions, to, to more so think about, rather than the
words.
'Cause here, here's the thing everyone defaults to. Everyone, especially in the business world,
thinks it's, “Oh, I need a new strategy. I need a new tactic, a new funnel. It's my copy. It's my
messaging. It's my slides.”
Viktoria Levenberg: Mm-hmm.
Joey Freddy Larsen: But all of that is stacked upon the human being delivering it.
Viktoria Levenberg: That's it.
Joey Freddy Larsen: So the best words in the world, the best slides in the world, don't mean a
thing if you don't deliver them with some command, some connection, some captivation, and
then, when the time comes to move into conversion, knowing how to do that as well.
And people are—look, especially with AI, they're like, “Oh, amazing. I can make AI make all this
beautiful copy, and I can make them beautiful images and all this stuff.” But it's still you as a
human being.
Viktoria Levenberg: Right. Yeah.
Joey Freddy Larsen: And, and what's happened—the, the thesis really of my work right now and
the podcast and all my programs—is, as AI becomes ubiquitous and is just a baked-in layer of
society where everyone has access to those incredible tools—
Viktoria Levenberg: Hmm.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Content is common. Knowledge is commoditised. So then what's left? The
only thing we have left after that is the human being under that. Your presence. How you show
up in rooms. How you make people feel. How you change the molecules in the room. Do people
pay attention to you? Do they listen to you? Do they—are they moved into action by you? Do
they trust you? Are they inspired by you?
And all of that is the human. And everyone is hiding behind copy and AI and tools and, “Oh,
should I do a webinar? Should I do a challenge or a live launch? Or should I do a workshop or a
retreat?” And all that stuff is great, but it's, it's the actual human being underneath.
Especially now, as there's already pushback on AI. Like, a lot of people are tired of it, or, “I don't
want to see any more AI slop,” or—huge resurgence in live events and live experiences,
interactive theatre, retreats, conferences.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Things like the Las Vegas Sphere, where people want to go see something
really cool and be in a room with 10,000 other people. Stand-up comedy too. Like, globally,
stand-up—there has never been, ever, not even close—
To the amount of stand-up comedians doing arena tours globally, really country to country. That
used to be like two people. Like, back in the day, there was probably Steve Martin was the first
one to fill up an arena or stadium, and then, like, Andrew Dice Clay, and then in the early 2 there
was, like, maybe Dane Cook. And then now there's probably a list of 30 people or 50 people
globally that are going to every major city and doing the basketball arenas and the hockey
arenas.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Overseas, they're going to every country and doing that, and that is because
people want to be with human beings in a real-life experience.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah. So we wanna be connected.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah. So my, my whole message to people is, yeah, adopt those AI things,
and, and certainly right now, if you're an early adopter of any technology, you, you can gain an
advantage. But eventually, when everyone's got it, it's gonna come back to you as a human. So
don't neglect, don't neglect working on your own humanity.
Viktoria Levenberg: Uh-huh.
Joey Freddy Larsen: I ain't getting, like, I'm just gonna default and outsource and delegate my
own humanness to a robot.
Viktoria Levenberg: That's it. That's it. Because you know what? The DNA that is within you is the
most unique code that not even any AI can replicate, right?
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah. It's, it's, we're, we're divine, and people feel it whether they realise it
or not. Everyone is feeling you subconsciously. Like, they're, they're affected by your heart rate.
They're affected by your breath, by your nervousness, your, your posture, your voice, just
everything about, before you even speak.
And we've all, we've all seen that. Like, if you've ever been to an open mic or seen a speaker, if
someone comes in and they're kind of jittery, or they're not making eye contact, or they're a little
apologetic in their voice, or they're, they're starting to talk really fast 'cause they're nervous and
they think they just gotta spit it all out, versus someone who walks out, is very grounded,
regulated, looks out at the audience, maybe with a smile, grabs the mic, and then commands the
room.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah.
Joey Freddy Larsen: That sets everyone at ease, and we have all these mirror neurons, emotional
contagion, and all these science-based things that says it's not about what you're saying. It's
about how you're making the other people feel. And often they're not even aware of it. It's just
that idea of, like, “There was just something about her.”
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah.
Joey Freddy Larsen: “Something about him.”
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah. It's like that gut feeling, right? And, like, I think we can all, um,
remember a time when we've seen someone on stage, whether it's even, like, as young as our
childhood, and they're doing what you've just described: shaky, uncomfortable. And you're like, “I
feel uncomfortable for them.” It's, like, uncomfortable watching them. Because of what you're
just describing.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yes, yes. It triggers all of our anxieties, 'cause we're like, “Oh, no.” And it's a,
it's a little bit like watching a car wreck, where you're like, “I can't look, but I can't look away.”
That's why, like, an open mic or, like, an amateur comedy night or something like the old Gong
Show is so captivating, because you're either gonna see someone—or, or even the shows like,
um, X Factor and America's Got Talent and The Voice and all that stuff—is you have the feeling,
“I'm either gonna see someone do something incredible and change their life, or, or I'm gonna
see someone shrink, collapse, and completely blow it.” And that's also, that's good television.
But you're right. And that difference is the reason the same words—like, I, you could give, you
could give, insert your favourite comedian's jokes to two different people, and one will crush and
one, they'll all fall flat. And it's not the words.
Or the same slides.
Uh, same speaker, like, or same speech.
Viktoria Levenberg: Same sales pitch.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. And that's the real—like, even when I was in sales, we
were trained on it. Like, we had a certain presentation. They actually did give us a script. We had
slides and all that. But some guys are crushing in it, making hundreds of thousands of dollars, and
then other people are struggling to make, like, low five figures.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah.
Joey Freddy Larsen: And it's not the script. It's not the, it's not the clients. It's the delivery. How
they make people feel, how they connect with people. Do people trust them? Do people, are
people moved by them? Do they feel their energy? You know, all those things.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah.
Joey Freddy Larsen: I love it. I love, I love talking about this too, by the way, if you can't tell.
Viktoria Levenberg: I can tell, because you're being authentically and magnetically yourself.
And, um, you know what I'd be so curious about? I find that, especially in areas where we tend to
become experts, and I know authenticity is a big subject, uh, where, to your point, it's less
something you become, it's more something you return to. It's not something you try harder to
be. It's something you remove, the thing standing in the way of you being.
And yet, who is the most influential, magnetic, authentic speaker, leader, or mentor that you
have seen that's really changed your life?
Joey Freddy Larsen: That, there's only one person, and you know him. James Wedmore has by far
had the largest impact on me, not only on my business, on, like, the 3D strategy, but just on, on
my own life, how I look at life.
I'm getting emotional now.
Viktoria Levenberg: And that's okay. Yeah. That's, all of it is welcome here.
Joey Freddy Larsen: I owe him a debt of gratitude. He's really changed my life. I, I, his words are
in my head so often, um, just how many little nuggets. And often it's not, like, he always jokes
with us, like, “I, uh, you came into my world to learn business, but the, the, the mind trick is now
he's teaching us personal growth and development as well.”
And, yeah, there's, there's no one that I've been more—there's, there's many, but no one single
person. And that's part of it, is because I've just, like, devoured it as well. Like, I'm at all the calls.
I'm at all the events.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mm-hmm.
Joey Freddy Larsen: And, yeah, he really has changed my life. And I love, I love that he is both the
yin and yang. Like, he can talk business strategy and get really, um, really granular about tactics.
He can go down to copy. He can look at, like, the buttons on your landing page and do all that
kind of stuff. He can crunch the numbers. And then he can also have a conversation about
ancient wisdom and, uh, universal principles and, and all of those things.
And, and the thing, the biggest thing, if there's one single thing that he's taught me that I, I think
about it on an ongoing basis is, I may, I might butcher how he explains it, but when we have,
when we have certain thoughts, they lead to certain feelings, and we would label them. There's
certain, like, thoughts and feelings that we would label as negative or low vibration: shame, guilt,
fear, worry, doubt, all that stuff.
And then the flip side to that is there's, like, love, joy, excitement, enthusiasm, magnetism, all the
positive things. And the thing that really stuck with me and has changed my life on a daily basis is
he's reminded us that when, when you're having that low-vibe feeling, the reason that you feel
low vibe is because it's not true.
Viktoria Levenberg: That's it.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Because our true nature is complete abundance. We're stardust. We're
completely limitless. We're made of love. We're made of light. All of those things. So when we're
thinking less-than thoughts, like, “Oh, who am I?” Or, “It's never gonna happen,” or, “I'm a big
piece of crap,” like, whatever, whatever negative people, whatever negative thoughts people
have, it's be—the reason that you feel bad and low is you are disconnecting from source, God,
universe. You're disconnecting from who you are.
So that reminder for me, like, anytime I've gotten a thought loop where it's—and it's very easy.
Like, you, we could all, you could have a drill, like, think a bunch of thoughts that make you feel
like crap right now, and we can all do it.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah. I don't even want to do it because it's— Yeah. It's so quick.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah. The reason is they're not true. So that reminder to me is, like, more
than any business tactic or any funnel or any landing-page audit, like, that has changed my life,
that one little nugget. And I've shared that a lot with people. It's just, like, remembering who we
really are.
Yeah. And shout-out to James Wedmore, everybody.
Viktoria Levenberg: Shout-out James Wedmore. Papa James is the best.
And I echo your sentiment 1,000%. Like, I, um, am slightly newer to James's world than you are,
and yet it was also this instant magnetism, you know? Um, and it really comes back to what
you've just shared, is this guy is not afraid to tell the hard stories, to show up as his honest,
authentic, vulnerable self. And, right, that, like, I mean, that attracts us like magnets.
Joey Freddy Larsen: And it was really fun too, right? Like, he's, he's, it's not heavy. It's light, and,
and, like, he often, to me, he feels like a stand-up comedian.
Viktoria Levenberg: Interesting.
Joey Freddy Larsen: I've seen him on stage and I'm like, “How's he funnier than me?” Hahaha.
Viktoria Levenberg: He should—he is a funny guy. Like, he does have, like, really good comebacks,
now that you say that. I've never thought about it that way. But, yeah, it's just, again, it's
presence. It's—I'll never forget, he, um, I saw him live at a, um, Kate Northrop's event. It was
Relax Money Live, and he was doing a little talk for Kate's community.
And he was talking, of course, as he does, about the 5D and the 3D, you know, and instead of
bringing back to presence. And then he mentioned, like, “How present are you right now? Like,
can you hear the hum of the air conditioner over in that corner of the room?” And I was like,
“Whoa.” Like, that is next-level presence.
And as a speaker, as a leader, as an, a figure that is influential, there is an element of this five-
senses embodiment, but also on the energetic piece of, like, being able to feel, “Ooh, someone in
the audience needs me to say this,” or, “There's something going on here that I need to address.”
And I think James does that really well.
And would you be able to speak to that and, like, how you see that translate in your work on
stage, like the presence and responsiveness to what is?
Joey Freddy Larsen: Well, first of all, it's your responsibility when you're on stage. Like, I, I, one of
my favourite things in the world to do is to MC.
Joey Freddy Larsen: And host, where I'm introducing other speakers or introducing other comics,
because what I—I take that as I'm the steward of the whole room. I mean, it's called master of
ceremonies, so it's my job to bring everyone together, to make a cohesive room, to be a
thermostat as well. Like, okay, this room is really flat. I need to bring the energy up. Or this room
is chaotic and nobody's paying attention, so I need to pull focus.
And it's, it's—that is really your, your job when you're on stage. Your responsibility is to be aware
of everything.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mm-hmm.
Joey Freddy Larsen: To be high—like, I might not, I might not address it, but I might know that,
okay, someone over there is talking, or—
Viktoria Levenberg: Mm-hmm.
Joey Freddy Larsen: That back door just opened and something's going on there. And then I'm
making—it's, it's funny. It's almost like you have two brains, where you have the brain that you're
in the moment, saying the things that you're in the moment, and then a lot of performers also
have a second brain where you're maybe analyzing things a little bit or thinking about what's
coming next, deciding if someone—someone yell—like, in a stand-up thing, sometimes someone
says something in the crowd and you do address it. Other times you're like, “I'm not gonna go
there,” because I know I'm gonna get derailed as well.
It's having that, like, um, just that live presence and awareness. But the biggest thing about it is
it's because your focus is off you. Like, I'm not thinking, “Oh my God, my words. I'm so nervous.
What if they don't like me?” I'm thinking, “Okay, I'm here to serve. I'm here to control the room.
I'm here to make sure everyone gets some value out of this. I'm here to tee up the other
speakers or the other comedians.” So, yeah, I think it's just being aware of that's part of the job.
Viktoria Levenberg: That's it. And I think there's a big difference between awareness and
hypervigilance, you know? Because you could, again, take two of the same people in the same
scenario, but one person is like, “Oh my God, someone's speaking. That's so annoying. And oh my
God, that door just crashed. It's gonna ruin the recording. Blah, blah, blah.” Versus another
person is just like, “Okay, I'm aware of all these things, and I'm still present in the moment.”
And that real shift is what you've just said. It's not about me. It's about the collective experience.
And so the hypervigilance generally tends to show up when it's just about you. Is that right?
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yes. Yeah. I think so. It's like, if you—this is, this is tough love for the
audience, for your listeners, but often, like, if you're nervous before something, you're being
selfish because you're on you. You're thinking of, “Oh, how are they gonna see me? Am I gonna
get this right? Am I gonna get it wrong? Am I gonna forget my words? Are they gonna think I'm
stupid?” All this kind of stuff, versus what are you there for? You're there to serve that audience.
You're there to lift them up, to convey a message, to enrol them in your mission, in your vision.
So the second you get off yourself, it's just way easier.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes. And, like, I instantly hear Papa James in my ear going, “Selling is a
service.”
Joey Freddy Larsen: Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And to, to address your point too, like, how—like,
does it, does it derail you? Is you also gotta think, like, which—what, what is useful too?
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes. Yeah. Or relevant. Like, there's, like, an element of discernment almost
that you're referring to here.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Of course. Yeah.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah. And again, I think, like, let me know if I'm wrong here, but, like, that
also comes from presence, because there's almost, like, a higher intelligence, energetic
alignment that occurs when you know, “Oh, this is useful. This is the thing to address,” or, “This is
the thing to let go of.”
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah. I think that is trusting yourself. Part of that is getting your 10,000 hours
in. Like, for me, I've been on so many stages in the weirdest situations. I've had things go haywire.
Like, there's not really a—okay, there's not really a venue or a scenario that you could put me in
and I'd be like, “Oh, this is weird.” Like, especially in stand-up. Like, we do—stand-up happens
everywhere, and it's so bizarre sometimes.
So—and I've, like, been in, like, dirty, dirty dive bars and, and in beautiful, beautiful conference
halls or, like, theatres. So part of that is the reps. Like, okay, I've seen it all. I've heard it all. I've
done it all. So I'm gonna be unshakable there.
Viktoria Levenberg: If the world of mindfulness has ever felt vague, overwhelming, or just, like, a
little woo-woo, you know, a little out of reach, I have created something just for you. It is Live in
Presence: 8 Days of Mindfulness. It's my free online course that gently walks you through
everything I wish I had known when I first heard the word mindfulness, without, like, the funky
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Over eight days, you will receive short, grounded lessons and simple practices that you can
literally weave into your life starting today, even if you're busy, tired, or feeling totally out of sync.
It is the perfect solution to regulating your nervous system when you don't know where to start.
The link is in the show notes below. You can sign up for free at
viktorialevenberg.com/LiveInPresence, or through the link in my bio at Viktoria Levenberg.
Because presence isn't something that you need to earn. It's something that you get to return to.
So, speaking of returning, let's get back to the episode.
Viktoria Levenberg: I actually, just before we took our little break, had a question come through,
because you were sharing that you've had so many experiences on stage. What's the weirdest,
worst experience you've ever had?
Joey Freddy Larsen: Oh, there's so many. Hahaha. I actually answered this. I recently did a show
where there was, like, a little backstage booth where they were interviewing comedians, and my
first answer was, like, “It's all weird.” Like, the life of a comedian, like, we show up to weird places
at a weird venue. We say weird things and do weird things. All of it's weird.
Um, I think one of the weirdest ones—this is, it's very memorable. I'm sure there's so many, but I
think I've also—maybe my brain has repressed some of those memories. Hahaha.
But my—the—I distinctly remember the first time I ever got paid to do stand-up, and it was
mind-blowing because, in the beginning, it's free open mics, and then eventually somebody pays
you in, in drink tickets, or you get a hamburger and fries, or they give you a little nugget of weed
or something. Like, it's like there's all kinds of weird ways you get paid. One time I got paid in
Cheesies.
Little, little cheese snacks?
You know what?
Viktoria Levenberg: Oh my God.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah.
Viktoria Levenberg: Wow. Okay.
Joey Freddy Larsen: This is all early on, like, very early on. The, the one was—it was an outdoor
show. It was at a bar, like, real country hick, like, out kind of in the sticks. And it was also kind of a
biker bar. So they were—there was a—it was like a, it was like farmers and bikers, oddly enough.
Like, country bikers.
Viktoria Levenberg: And that sounds like it could be a show.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah. They, they were outside on picnic tables, like a barbecue vibe. We were
probably 30 feet away, across, like, a gravel road that was—that ran behind the bar—
Viktoria Levenberg: Uh-huh.
Joey Freddy Larsen: On top of a farmer's wagon. Like a, like a farm, like hay wagon.
Viktoria Levenberg: Uh-huh.
Joey Freddy Larsen: So we were standing on the wagon. There was this dirt road, then a bunch of
farmers and bikers. And I got paid 20 bucks to do—I think my set might have been 15 minutes or
something like that.
And I remember getting off stage thinking, “Oh my God. I, like, I've—I've hacked life. Like, I just
got paid $20 to have the most fun in this weird situation.” I think they gave us—they probably
gave us some drink tickets and a couple hamburgers and stuff. So I was—and this is after 10 years
of a corporate career.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes.
Joey Freddy Larsen: And I'm like, “I've made it.” It's like, “This is it. I'm off to the races.”
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes. That's it. Oh my gosh.
Joey Freddy Larsen: But it's—one of the weirdest things is there's a lot of bar shows. Like, there's
no admission fee. There's just a bar or restaurant or sports bar has a comedy night. But often it's
what we call ambush comedy, where there's a lot of people in the room out, out for a dinner that
didn't know that it was a comedy night.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah, I got you.
Joey Freddy Larsen: They're out for a birthday party, or they're out to have a nice, intimate
dinner, and then all of a sudden people are talking about lewd and crude things on stage
sometimes. And it's just, like, looks like—I—ideally, when you do a show, the audience wants to
be there.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah.
And they know that it's happening.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yes.
And a lot of the times in the, in the early, like, amateur stand-up world, that happens, where it's
like some kind of open mic or just a regular comedy night where the owner of the bar or
restaurant wants to have—bring people, either bring people out or keep people in their seats.
And sometimes it causes people to leave. They're like, “I'm out of here.”
Viktoria Levenberg: Wow. I can imagine. And, I mean, I can also just really feel how much
resilience being, you know, an amateur comedian, you would have to build, being put into the
strangest types of situations. And I can also see how that has been benefited you now in the
entrepreneurial world as well. And so how has resilience played a role in, you know, the people
you work with today?
Joey Freddy Larsen: I mean, it's, it's huge for everyone. It's not—it, like, it's that Rocky quote, you
know? “It's not how many times you get knocked down. It's how many times you get back up
again.”
And in the stand-up world, not even just in the amateur world, even as people get to pros, you,
like, you have one night where you're on top of the world, and the—like, a gala event in front of
1,000 people. And then the next night's in this weird venue where nobody wants it to be
happening, and you bomb, and then you're like, “Oh, am I even good at this anymore?” And then
you just keep—you keep going.
And I, I always remind myself how lucky—like, what a gift that is. Like, people are digging ditches
and being on hot roofs, roofing, or doing, like, masonry work, which is, like, gruelling physical
work. And I'm grabbing a microphone and having fun.
Like, that's, that's a big gift. But, yeah, I think, I mean, overall, like, that's the master—that's one
of the master skills for sure, is how do you keep just going? You know, like, most, most—the
majority of businesses, when they fail, they just failed because the business owner decided to
throw in the towel.
Viktoria Levenberg: That's it.
They just didn't have what it takes anymore, or it was—it got, quote-unquote, too hard, when it's
like, well—It's choice. And, you know, we hear our mentor say this all the time as well: it'll only be
hard if you actually quit, because otherwise that's just part of playing the game, right?
Joey Freddy Larsen: And a big thing too is finding the lessons. You know, like, you either get the
results you want or the lesson that you needed. So not even seeing things as failure, just like,
“This is just—oh, that's just feedback, and that's really valuable.” Valuable business world. It
certainly applies to performers and being on stage. It's like, you can fail.
Like, yeah, yeah. One of the great things about when you're, as a stand-up and as a performer,
early on, you were like—the, the, the threat and the dread of bombing or freezing is stronger
than the feeling when it actually happens. And what I mean by that—
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah, yeah.
Joey Freddy Larsen: You go up, you go up five minutes and nobody laughs. You don't die.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mm-hmm.
Joey Freddy Larsen: You know, you don't get thrown in jail. They don't take your family away. So
it's just like—
Viktoria Levenberg: But it's the meaning.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's, it's the—it's the—it's more so the thought before, and
then the meaning that you put on it. Like, “Wow, that was fun,” oddly enough.
In a, in a perverted way, stand-up's—one of the most fun thing for comedians is watching
another comedian bomb, especially if they're your friends, 'cause then you just know, like—not,
not in a, not in a negative way, like, “I wanna see you fail.”
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Just like, “Oh, how's he gonna get out of this?”
Viktoria Levenberg: Oh gosh. Is it—it makes it more entertaining for you?
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah. And it's—you definitely learn. You mean, you do learn more from your
losses. Like, when everything goes perfect, you don't learn a ton from that. But you, you do learn
when things didn't go well, and you can start to figure out, no matter what—like, I'm—the, the
parallels between performer life and business life are, are very similar, where it's, you, you just
look, “Well, what can I learn? What could I have done different?”
You don't dwell in it. You don't ruminate on it, 'cause something's gonna come up tomorrow.
You're gonna have your next opportunity, your next sales call, your next webinar, whatever it is.
It's just, “What is there? Is there anything I could have done differently there?”
Viktoria Levenberg: Mm-hmm.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Same as, same as if you have a relationship that doesn't work out. It's like,
you can ruminate it out and, or blame and do all that stuff—blame, shame—or you can be like,
“Well, what, what could I have done differently? Is there some way I carried myself? Could I have
done that differently? Could I have been a little more discerning getting into that relationship first
time?” Like, what—to just take it to lessons.
And as long as, as long as you're growing, that's—to me, that's one of my major values in life, is
just growth. And if you're, if you're growing and learning, and even if you're taking some losses—
and nobody, you're not supposed to win every time. It's boring.
Viktoria Levenberg: Hmm.
Joey Freddy Larsen: You wouldn't watch that movie. Like, “Oh, I got a great script for you. Starts
out, the guy's killing it. He's, he's just crushing life. And then after that, he makes some more
money, and his life gets better, and he makes more money, and he gets in a great relationship,
and all his dreams come true.” It's like, well, nobody—I want to see that movie. It's like, where is
the dark night of the soul? Where's the struggle? Where's the comeback?
Like, that's why we all love—we love a comeback story. We love, uh, someone overcoming
obstacles. Like, the best stories in the world are, like, people started from nothing, or, like,
Oprah's story, where very difficult childhood, and then all of a sudden she, she makes it, you
know? Or, like, that—a rags-to-riches story, or even better, rags to riches to rags to riches again.
Like, someone who got it all, and then, “I lost it all,” and then, “I got it all.”
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah.
Joey Freddy Larsen: And I, I have some of those. I have—I, like, I think a lot of people end up—
you have your relationship stuff where you, like—
Viktoria Levenberg: Mm-hmm.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Of the world in relationship and everything's amazing, and then when one
doesn't go the way you want to, everything can feel terrible.
I had a bankruptcy earlier in my life, around the time where I transitioned from working in the
corporate world to getting into stand-up comedy. I had a bankruptcy that, that to me, I really saw
as a, as a reset opportunity. But there's a certain amount of, like, shame and guilt, and, and I
think I, for me, I carried that a little longer than I needed to, where—
Viktoria Levenberg: Mm-hmm.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Where, like, there's a dread of doing that again. Like, you don't want to—
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, repeating the past. And, um, I love the synchronicity
between us because often, as soon as something drops in, you, you already start to open that,
open that door. And I would love, if you're open, to cracking it a little bit further.
And, yeah, as you look back on your life and your multiple decades of experience, and now
bringing it to do what you do today, like, what was one of the most impactful lessons that you
had to learn, if you could give to someone else so that they don't have to learn it the hard way
for themselves?
Joey Freddy Larsen: There's, there's multiple. One big one that immediately popped to me was
I—when I learned sales, I just learned that it's a numbers game.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mm-hmm.
Joey Freddy Larsen: That served me so well. Like, the fact that I had 10 years of sales experience
where, like, you hear quotes like, “Every no leads to a yes.”
Viktoria Levenberg: Mm-hmm.
Joey Freddy Larsen: “Smile and dial.” Like, it's—I, like—and, and that was really drilled into me in
our culture, and then I got to teach that to other people as well. That is, as long as you're—we
would focus on activity quotas.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mm-hmm.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Like, “Oh, you have to make this amount of sales,” but make this amount of
phone calls, have this amount of, um, opportunities with clients, and then if you do that
consistently, the results will just come by math, two ways.
One, no matter what your close rate is and your success rate, if you're doing a little more, you're,
you're gonna do okay. But also, the more you do, the better you get as well.
Viktoria Levenberg: That's it.
Joey Freddy Larsen: You're, you're getting those reps. You're reaching your 10,000 hours. And
that served me so well in—to get to stand-up.
So, like, when I got into stand-up, you, you have good shows, you have bad shows. You're
applying to festivals and to gigs and events, and to, to crack in, and, you know, a lot. And then
certainly in the acting world, every actor doesn't book way more roles than they book. So if
you're devastated by every audition that you submit that you don't book the role, that really, that
can really affect you, rather than thinking it like, “I'm just gonna do my best. This—I'm gonna give
them my take.”
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes.
Joey Freddy Larsen: “I would—if you, if you want me for this role, this is how I'm gonna do it.
Take it or leave it,” rather than when your whole self-worth is, “Did they say yes? They accept
me?”
So it's, it's developing a little bit of a thick skin as well. I think that, when you ask the question, if
there's one thing that served me really well over my life, it's just knowing those, like, the rules of
numbers and sales.
Yes. Yes. Nos lead to yeses.
Viktoria Levenberg: Uh-huh.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Door closes, window opens.
Viktoria Levenberg: That's it.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Go to the next door. I did—before I did, before I did financial services, I did
some, like, door-to-door sales, like, right fresh out of university.
Viktoria Levenberg: Wow.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah. Like, selling, like, coupon books, or so—some of it was even, like,
charity fundraising.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mm-hmm.
Joey Freddy Larsen: And I got to—and they would always say that, like, every—a no at a door
leads to your next—or you just do the math. Like, “Okay, I need to get eight nos to get my two
yeses,” or whatever it is.
Then I just started doing—I would be like, “Well, I'm gonna start jogging between houses.”
Hahaha. So I'd be—and especially when the clock—like, I would, like, we would—they would,
like, drop us off in a neighbourhood, like five of us, and, like, “These are your streets.” And then I
would see the clock, “Okay, I got an hour left. How many houses am I gonna get to?”
And I was, like, straight-up running between houses.
Viktoria Levenberg: Wow.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Like, I run, and then, like, slow down. I didn't want to run up to their—like…
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah, I didn't want to be, like, sweaty at their door.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah. Yeah.
So, like, run in between, and then—and I just—because I just figured out, this is a numbers game.
More than—more doors I knock on, the more opportunities I knock on, the more people are
gonna say yes.
And then it was also developing skills, like, the—what am I saying at the—or am I using the—
like—and, and also getting, getting maybe shrugged off, and then having, having the, the
fortitude to not, not press or push, but ask, ask again.
Viktoria Levenberg: Mm-hmm. That's it, because you've canailed it, really. It all comes back to
these universal principles of detachment.
Viktoria Levenberg: Context, and not letting the past cloud the present moment, right? Because
otherwise you're just recreating the past.
And I was chatting to someone this morning who, um, in a relationship context, was kind of
having that same experience. And I picked up her saying multiple times in the space of five
minutes, like, “Even if it doesn't work out.” And I was like, “Did you notice that you just said that
twice in the last five minutes?”
Um, and so it's really sneaky. It's sort of easy for us to sit here on the podcast and, like, preach it,
but it does come with a strong level of self-awareness and discernment, and just, like, that 360-
degree spinning head of, “Where, where am I? Where's my ego trying to sneak up on me that I'm
not seeing?”
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah. It's so—it is sneaky. And it's funny too, because we are so connected to
the fallacy that the past really has anything to do with the present, and the present even has,
like—I mean, maybe the present has more to do with the future than the past does, but—but,
yeah, we, it, we—we need to release those expectations, especially in sales or anything, any, any
results, whether it's relationships, going on dates, or, or sales, or anything.
If you're looking at past failures or rejections, like in sales, if you're like, “Oh, great. The last 10
people said no. Probably another no,” then what does that do? That affects how you show up
because you're not, you're not thinking it's gonna go well. And nobody's—why would you show
up fully when it's not gonna go well? Or your brain and your ego is gonna protect you from
expanding that energy.
So, and then that ties back to presence. So are you a magnetic presence when you show up
expecting to lose? Or in sports, like, that's, that's why sports teams hire sports psychologists and
Olympic athletes have, have psychologists, where they gotta work through that stuff.
And a lot of the times, you be the best athlete in the world at your sport, and you go in a funk
because your brain is just—you're, you're miswired, you're misfiring, you're connecting the
wrong dots. And then you carry that into everything, and you get, like, the, the, the heebie-
jeebies kind of thing, where, like, an Olympic skier or someone who's usually the top of their
game, or a gymnast, where now they're just in their head, and then they're not committing.
They're pulling their punches. They're thinking, “Oh, what if I twist my ankle?” And they don't—
they can't go for it.
And then the hesitation is the thing that ends up killing them. Like, not, not actually killing them,
but killing their performance.
Viktoria Levenberg: That's it. That's it. And just as much as it applies to elite-level athletes, it also
really applies to high performers, to entrepreneurs, anyone who wants to achieve something
bigger than what they've previously achieved. It's—you, you gotta get your head in the game.
And, um, you know, before we, uh, do the grand reveal of what your two truths and one lie is, I
also have a signature question that I like to ask every guest on the podcast, and it's: if there was
just one thing that resonated with the listener for a long time after this episode ends, what do
you wish that one thing would be?
Joey Freddy Larsen: You're made of pure love and light. Pure love, light, abundance, limitless.
That's the truth of you.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah. Whoever needed to hear that, just let that sink in, because it is true.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah.
Viktoria Levenberg: Hmm. I'm really feeling that.
Joey Freddy Larsen: I can't think of anything that supersedes that, you know?
Viktoria Levenberg: No. Yeah. I mean, if you live from that place, if you serve from that place, if
that's what you tap into every single day, then you are sorted for the rest of your life. And, um—
and what do you want—
Joey Freddy Larsen: So, I was just gonna say, the add-on or extension to that is, and as a result of
that, you're connected to everyone. Everyone—you are everyone. Everyone is you. You're the
drop in the ocean, and you're the entire ocean.
Viktoria Levenberg: That's it. That's it. And when we all finally have that realisation, people are
slowly waking up, it's a whole new world that we get to live into and co-create together, and
that's really exciting.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah. It's hard to worry about silly, silly shit when you—
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah. Like, “Ugh, what are they gonna think of me?” None of that matters.
None of that matters. It all becomes redundant.
Joey Freddy Larsen: They are me, and I'm stardust.
Viktoria Levenberg: And I'm them, so—and I love them, and I am love, and so if they are me, I am
love. All is well.
And what do you want to do first? Do you want to share how people can find out more about
you, where they can find you and work with you, and then we'll do the grand reveal?
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah. Okay, cool. The best way is to go to my website, Joey Freddy Larsen.
That's a great way. That's my hub. You'll find everything there.
Also, my podcast just recently launched, The Magnetic Presence Podcast. You can watch and
listen on YouTube. If you're an Apple or Spotify person, it's on there as well. And I think, yeah,
that's, that's the, the best way.
If you were to go to Instagram, I'll say this for any of your listeners: I put together a, a 63-second
assessment that will show you and help you diagnose how you're showing up in live situations,
whether it's IRL or, or online, and show you where you're, where you're dropping the ball, and
also how to fix things.
The Magnetic Presence Assessment. Go to Instagram. It's @JoeyFreddyLarsen, and DM me the
word “quiz,” and you'll get the link.
Viktoria Levenberg: Perfect. And we'll put all of that in the show notes as well so that you can—
Joey Freddy Larsen: I would also love—I'll send you the link to that from BBD.
Viktoria Levenberg: Oh, cool. Is that available in the public domain?
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah, that's—I have it, and it's on my YouTube channel.
Viktoria Levenberg: Amazing.
Joey Freddy Larsen: That's just—just tease that a little bit. The—yeah. The thesis of that was
stepping from a background extra role in your own life to stepping up into the lead role of your
own life.
Viktoria Levenberg: Hmm. And let me tell you something: it is worth the watch. It is incredible.
Um, I'm actually so grateful that you put that out into the public domain, because when we were
talking about it earlier, I was like, “I wish my listeners could see this.” Um, and now they can.
There you go.
Check out the show notes. It'll be in the link below.
Joey Freddy Larsen: It's funny, I knew the second that I did that speech that I was like, “This is,
this is an asset. I gotta get this out into the world.” I knew—I had so many people come up to me.
It was such a blessing, because so many people came up to me in the days following, in the
elevator, in the coffee line, in the hallways, to tell me how that inspired them, how it moved
them, how it changed them.
Many people said it was that talk and how I moved them that gave them the courage to invest in
themselves. And again, a little teaser is I shared how, a couple years earlier, I was semi-shy. I
was—we're at a business event feeling like I didn't belong. “What the heck am I doing at a
business event with six-, seven-, and eight-figure business owners? I'm a, I'm a performer. Why
am I here?” And I was also in debt and had some troubles financially.
And so it was the story of overcoming that and—which is like we were saying—the comeback
story, or the, um, being, being in a low spot and then coming out of it. A lot of people saw
themselves in that, and it really moved people.
And I knew—I had whispers in my head while I was on stage and when I walked off stage that
were like, “Oh, this is what you're supposed to be doing.”
Yeah. And that, that moment, it was the, uh, impetus, or, like, the, uh—what's the word? Like,
um, what do you call it when you start a fire and you need, like—
Viktoria Levenberg: Spark.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah, sparks. Yeah, sparks and kindling to start it. “Can't start a fire without a
spark.” Um, and the, uh—I realised that, oh, for me to have the biggest impact in the world with
people, I need to work not only with actors. I need to work with non-actors.
So since December, I've been just in a massive action period where I've been shifting my work so
that I can work with experts, coaches, creators, uh, leaders, speakers, personal brands, who are
not necessarily actors, but can use all the things that I work with as far as presence and, and how
to, how to show up, how to change the molecules of the room.
That all started from that talk, where I was—and it just, it's—I've, I've really been on fire since
then, to, to toot my own horn.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yes, you have. And I will be the first to put my hand up that I was one of said
people who got inspired, and that was, you know, that permission slip that I needed to make the
scariest investment of my entire life. So…
Joey Freddy Larsen: I love that. And, yeah, people listening, you don't need my permission, but if
something I say helps you to realise that, then, then great. I love that.
And, by the way, when I toot my own horn, I have one of those old-school horns, one of those—
Viktoria Levenberg: That is not the kind of horn that I was visualising, so thank you for clarifying.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah. Mine's probably more like yoga cymbals or something. Ding, ding, ding,
ding. Hahaha.
So, can you give us the grand reveal?
Joey Freddy Larsen: Grand reveal. The two truths and a lie. It's all the truth. I would never lie to
you, Viktoria, and I would never lie to your listeners.
I was bit by a boa constrictor at Reptilia Reptile Zoo. I was doing summer shows for children, like
camps and birthday parties, where I was showing—I was showing animals, reptiles, lizards,
snakes. And not in front of kids, but backstage, a boa kind of jumped out and bit, bit me on my
little pinky right here.
So I survived. It bit me and then just instantly released, but it was a big—it was a big snake, and it
scared the crap out of me. I screamed alone in a room and shoved it back in its thing.
And didn't want to deal with that one.
Then, in L.A., I got stung by a stingray. My very first time ever surfing, I never got up on a wave. At
one point, I fell off my surfboard, and I must have stepped on a stingray. The most excruciating
pain I've ever felt in my life. If I were to describe it to you, it was like I stepped in a, in a bucket of
shards of glass that were also electrified.
Viktoria Levenberg: Oh, that sounds really painful.
Joey Freddy Larsen: I had no idea what it was, and, and then finally the, a, a, like, a Baywatch-
style lifeguard was like, “The way you're describing that sounds like a stingray.” That—yeah.
Luckily, it was on the bottom of my foot, so it wasn't anywhere that was fatal, obviously.
And I've eaten at the northernmost Denny's in the world. I don't know if you guys have—do you
have Denny's in—
Viktoria Levenberg: Yeah, we do.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah. Uh, and that was in Fairbanks, Alaska. For three years, I was—one of
the branches of the financial services company I was running was in Anchorage, Alaska. So for
three years, between, like, age 23 and 26—
There's a whole other podcast episode, a whole other life.
Viktoria Levenberg: Oh my God. Yeah.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah. I lived in Anchorage, Alaska, and then I basically—everywhere that you
could drive in Alaska, we would do these little road trips for two, three weeks at a time. And at
one point, we ate at Denny's, and I had a T-shirt that said, “I've eaten at the northernmost
Denny's in the world.”
Viktoria Levenberg: Wow. My goodness. I can only imagine the stories you've got from that
chapter in your life, which, yeah, definitely, um, look forward to hearing some of those. And
thank you for being so truthful with me. I appreciate it. Hahaha.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Yeah. Three, three, three truths.
Viktoria Levenberg: Three truths. The only lie was that you told me a lie. So there we go. Hahaha.
Thank you so much for coming on the podcast, Joey. This has been super, super fun. Um, and
yeah, I'm just incredibly grateful and really excited to see the incredible ripple effect that your
work is gonna have, both on your students, on the leaders, everyone who steps into your sphere,
and also the people who get inspired through you as still a comedian, an actor, and a speaker
yourself. So, yeah, thank you for being you, and keep spreading that stardust all over the world.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Will do. And, and right back at you too. You're doing incredible work, and I
know you're inspiring people on this podcast. So, yeah, right, right back at you.
Viktoria Levenberg: Thank you.
Joey Freddy Larsen: Takes one to know one.
Viktoria Levenberg: That's it. We, we are on the same wavelength, aren't we? Just—hahaha.
Doing the dance. Hahaha.
Viktoria Levenberg: And a couple of reflections from my side before we officially wrap things up.
There were some themes that really came up here where you wouldn't necessarily think about it
when you think of, you know, being on stage, or in sales, or in a leadership role, um, that yet
make all the difference. And there are so many parallels that I think any of you listening, whether
you are in corporate, or an entrepreneur, or you're at home with the family, there are these
elements that truly do apply to you.
And the three key things that landed most significantly for me from what Joey said were being
the thermostat in the room, how nervous equals selfish, and the more doors you walk through,
the more yeses you have the opportunity to receive.
What do I mean by that? When Joey spoke about his time, um, MCing, I've known this before,
but I didn't—it didn't click for me just as it did today around the master of ceremony, right? It's
sort of the mastery of bringing people together, of being the thermostat in the room, of holding
presence and energy to influence those around you.
And believe it or not, any of you listening right here, right now, can command that at your own
will in the moment. Of course, it takes practice, mastery, and a level of decisiveness and
alignment within yourself. And yet, you know, you're doing it whether you realise it or not. So,
like, you can either be the unconscious thermostat, or you can be a conscious thermostat and
make a positive difference in the world.
What do I mean by that? I mean, surely you've had that experience where someone walks
through the door, and they, like, have this dark cloud hanging over their head, and they're really
grumpy, and then that just kind of decides the trajectory of the rest of your day. Or vice versa.
Hopefully, you also have someone in your life whom you see or listen to, and it's just like this
instant ray of sunshine.
That's what I'm referring to. And that's a responsibility that all of us hold. We all, in our own lives,
are, to some degree, a master of ceremony. Now, whether that's at your office, whether that's at
your home, whether that's in your container with your students, or anything else, you are the
thermostat. The question is, what kind of thermostat are you being?
And that takes me to the next point that really stood out for me from Joey's shares around
nervous equals selfish. And it really aligns quite strongly with something that our coach and
mentor speaks about so, so much. Um, you know, because those of you who are entrepreneurs
might relate, especially when you're a personal brand. It's like all this sales stuff, and all your stuff
comes up, and all the beliefs, and all the things that we get to work through around self-worth
and value, et cetera.
And yet, the reality is, it doesn't mean anything about you, because you cannot control the
outcome anyway. And if you are doing something, or if you have—you have a story to tell, if you
have an idea, if you have teachings, experience, value to give to the world, and you are currently
not doing that because you are nervous, because you are in a state of fear, in the state of
falsehood, as we've kind of were speaking about on the episode, then that is selfish, because you
are coming from a place of self-preservation rather than service.
And I say that because there's probably something, maybe quite scary, bulge out of your comfort
zone, that you've been avoiding. Hmm. I mean, we all have it, myself included. None of us are
perfect.
But with that comes choice of: are you gonna avoid it and not do it, or are you going to step
through into the precipice, step through that additional door, and know that the more doors you
step through, the more reps you get in, the more nos you get, the more yeses that follow?
And so my invitation to you this week, as your little action step, is merely to percolate on: what is
your next action step that you have been hesitating to take, that's been outside of your comfort
zone, that's been really scary because maybe of a fear of rejection, um, or all the other meanings
that we give it? What door is calling you to walk through it?
Just do it. You've got this. You can do it. And if you want some extra support, as always, you can
reach out to me. I'm sure Joey won't mind if you reach out to him on the gram, and we will cheer
you on and be your supporters, because we all need those in life.
And so this is what we're all about. It's about supporting each other, returning to our radiant,
authentic, magnetic selves. Thank you so, so much for listening to this week's episode. It's been
an absolute honour and privilege to bring Joey to you, and I can't wait to see you next week. For
now, have a beautiful week ahead.
Viktoria Levenberg: If you're a high performer or entrepreneur who's got big dreams, and you've
developed strategies to get you closer to those dreams, but you feel like there are also parts of
you self-sabotaging your success, I built something just for you.
It is my signature Achievement Archetypes Quiz that is absolutely free, takes less than two
minutes, and it will give you instant feedback as to where your Achilles heel is. That is your
natural self-sabotaging behaviour when it comes to productivity, planning, efficiency, and
organisation, and it gives you your next right step and the solution you didn't know you needed.
You'll find the link in the show notes just below. Make sure you find your achievement archetype
and let me know what it is. As a fellow achiever, I will be the first to put my hand up that I have
now mastered my Achilles heel, and I can't wait for you to do the same.
Viktoria Levenberg: The views and opinions expressed by guests on Resonance are their own and
do not necessarily reflect the views of me, Viktoria Levenberg, LVNHealth, or anyone working
within the LVNHealth brand. This space welcomes a diversity of ideas, experiences, and stories,
and part of Resonance is learning to take what aligns and gently leaving the rest.
Also, while I am a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach and deeply passionate
about well-being, this podcast is intended for educational and inspirational purposes only.
Resonance does not substitute personalised medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. Always
seek guidance from qualified professionals for any physical, emotional, or mental health
concerns.
