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This week on How Success Happens, I sat down with Nate Bargatze, one of the top‑selling stand-up comedians on the planet and now the star and co-writer of his first feature film, The Breadwinner, hitting theaters May 29. You’ve seen Nate everywhere: he’s sold millions of tickets on tour, hosted Saturday Night Live and the Emmys, written a book, and built a devoted audience with his clean, self-deprecating storytelling style. His first turn hosting SNL produced the now-iconic George Washington sketch, where he plays the founding father dreaming about the future of America—a bit that nearly got cut at table read before absolutely destroying in front of a live audience. Nate’s journey from handing out flyers in New York to selling out arenas, building his NateLand universe, and now launching a movie—while even pushing theaters to offer lower “Nate Rate” ticket prices—makes him a rare combo of comedy purist and powerful entrepreneur. We broke down Nate’s success insights to help you punch up your own plan for success in three, two, one!
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Three Key Insights
1. Obsession Beats Luck
When I asked Nate how he found the confidence to “launch the product” that is himself, he didn’t talk about swagger—he talked about obsession. Early in his New York days, he was handing out flyers just to get stage time and daydreaming about playing Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, a goal that took him 20 years to hit. “You’re trying to figure out the next joke… You’re thinking about it 24/7. It just doesn’t leave your mind,” he told me. Obsessive focus, more than any single big break, is what carried him from open mics to selling out arenas.
Takeaway: Be in it for the long haul — the only way to overcome self-doubt is to outwork it.
2. Fight for the Ideas You Believe In
One of my favorite moments from our conversation was Nate’s story about how his now-iconic George Washington sketch on Saturday Night Live almost didn’t happen. In the table read, the sketch fell flat—“no one’s really laughing,” as he put it—and it landed on the maybe pile. Nate knew in his gut that it would work in front of a real audience, so he spoke up and told Lorne Michaels, “I love the George Washington one,” convincing him to let it go last in the run-through with a live crowd. Once he had that audience, the sketch “destroyed,” shot up to an early slot in the show, and went on to become a fan favorite that they later brought back for a second installment.
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