The Audacious Living Podcast

Building Yuk Yuk’s: How Mark Breslin Turned Opportunity Into a Canadian Comedy Legacy

The Audacious Living Podcast

Show Notes

What happens when you stop waiting for a master plan and start responding to the opportunities directly in front of you?Sometimes, an extraordinary life is built by having the courage to ride the next wave.Signature Quote“Living audaciously always means living authentically.”───Why This Quote MattersMark’s story is ultimately about trusting who you are, following unexpected opportunities and accepting that an authentic life will not always earn everyone’s approval.───Episode DescriptionMark Breslin did not grow up dreaming of building a comedy empire. He had no carefully developed business strategy, no grand vision and, during the earliest days of Yuk Yuk’s, not even a business bank account. He simply kept responding when opportunity appeared.In this lively and reflective conversation, Mark shares how a childhood love of Mad Magazine, a last-minute job at Toronto’s Harbourfront and a $38 community-centre rental helped create one of Canada’s most influential comedy institutions.Mark also explores what separates good comedians from unforgettable ones, why experience remains the greatest teacher and how taking chances helped him build a career spanning five decades. This is a conversation about creativity, resilience, authenticity and learning to surf the waves of life even when you cannot see where they are taking you.───This Episode Is For You If...• you are waiting for the perfect plan before getting started• you are learning to recognize and act on unexpected opportunities• you want to build something meaningful that creates pathways for others• you are developing a creative craft and learning to handle failure• you are ready to live more authentically, even when others do not understand your choices───Guest BioMark Breslin is the founder and CEO of Yuk Yuk’s, the comedy-club organization that has helped shape Canadian stand-up comedy for five decades. What began as a weekly comedy night in the basement of a Toronto community centre grew into a nationally recognized platform for developing performers.Throughout his career, Mark has worked with and helped develop generations of comedians, including Jim Carrey, Howie Mandel, Norm Macdonald and Russell Peters. He is also a comedian, author and television producer whose work has included producing The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers.Beyond the impressive résumé is someone who remains deeply interested in the craft of comedy and the people courageous enough to pursue it. Mark’s legacy is not only the institution he built, but also the opportunities he created for others to discover and develop their own voices.───Guest LinksYuk Yuk’s Websitehttps://www.yukyuks.com/Mark Breslin’s Yuk Yuk’s Profilehttps://www.yukyuks.com/about-us/executive-biosLinkedInhttps://ca.linkedin.com/in/mark-breslin-704795166───Listen on Major PlatformsListen on Major Platforms🎧 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/2jVR6V7X2kRiCCDXE0FTyl?si=IR3TsfEWR3WA6BzfBRnVXQ🍎 Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-audacious-living-podcast/id1547447345📦 Amazon Music → https://music.amazon.ca/podcasts/9f7902bb-dec8-4bd9-918d-d1fef21b7c67/the-audacious-living-podcast?ref=dm_sh_pGv57yQvAmAQVp2IIaXoDwtFt───Call To ActionEnjoying the show?Share this episode with someone who needs to hear this.⭐ Leave a review:👉 https://ratethispodcast.com/audacious

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You have an idea. Maybe you have had it for years, sketched on a napkin or sitting in a journal. The difference between you and the inventor on QVC is not talent. It is knowing the right way to move. Signature Quote "Do not share your information until the ink dries." Lisa learned the hard way that an unprotected idea is a vulnerable one. This line from her book is the rule she lives by, and the one she wants every new inventor to hear first. Lisa Ascolese, known as The Inventress, has spent decades turning everyday frustrations into products that sell. Her first invention came from being embarrassed to breastfeed in public, so she created the Bosom Buddy nursing cape. A sock she used to tie her hair into a church-ready bun became the Bun Tie, her first product on QVC. A lost pair of scissors while wrapping gifts became the Wrap and Store organizer, which sold out on QVC. In this conversation, Lisa shares what inventing the right way actually means. Do your due diligence. Build a working prototype before you ever call a patent attorney. Do not add so much to a simple product that it can never get made. And keep your idea close until it is protected, because the naysayers will talk you out of it before it has a chance. She also talks about the audacity it took to pick up the phone and call buyers and celebrities, including a 30-year relationship with Dionne Warwick that started with one cold call, and why she founded the Association of Women Inventors and Entrepreneurs to lift other women up. This is a practical, no-fluff conversation for anyone sitting on an idea. This episode is for you if... - You have an idea sketched somewhere and no clue what to do next - You have wondered whether to patent first or prototype first - You want to get a product onto QVC, HSN, or a store shelf - You have been burned before and want a trustworthy guide this time - You believe inventors should lift each other up Lisa Ascolese is known as The Inventress, a name her publicist coined years ago and one she has since trademarked. Born in London and raised in Brooklyn by West Indian parents, she was inventing as a child, taking things apart around the house and making them work for her. Her first product, the Bosom Buddy breastfeeding cape, sold nationally and internationally, and she went on to sell multiple products on QVC, including the Bun Tie, the Wrap and Store organizer, and the Perfect Pockets organizer, which she later redesigned for HSN. Today Lisa helps inventors go from a napkin idea all the way to the marketplace, teaching them to do it the right way with due diligence, working prototypes, and protected ideas. She is the founder of the Association of Women Inventors and Entrepreneurs, now celebrating its 13th year, and host of The Inventors Podcast. Her book is "The Inventress Guide to Inventing the Right Way: All or Nothing, Now or Never." Her mission is simple: lifting each other up two hands at a time. 🌐 Website: https://inventingatoz.com/ Her podcast, The Inventors Podcast, and her social channels are all linked from her website. Listen on Major Platforms 🎧 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/2jVR6V7X2kRiCCDXE0FTyl?si=IR3TsfEWR3WA6BzfBRnVXQ 🍎 Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-audacious-living-podcast/id1547447345 📦 Amazon Music → https://music.amazon.ca/podcasts/9f7902bb-dec8-4bd9-918d-d1fef21b7c67/the-audacious-living-podcast?ref=dm_sh_pGv57yQvAmAQVp2IIaXoDwtFt Enjoying the show? Share this episode with someone who needs to hear this. ⭐ Leave a review: 👉 https://ratethispodcast.com/audacious

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