Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

225. Ariel Elias: One Joke Every Day for a Year

Comedian Ariel Elias rose to prominence after a video of her chugging a beer that an angry heckler threw at her went viral. But the real story is more interesting, notabl

Sep 28
46 min

224. Stavros Halkias: Stavros Ex Machina

#15 trending · Comedy Interviews

Comedian, podcaster, and actor Stavros Halkias is having a moment right now but he’s been doing stand-up since he was 19 years old. Stavros talks with Mike about starting

Sep 21
57 min

223. Emmy Blotnick: Don’t Take That Deal

Mike is joined by comedian and writer Emmy Blotnick, whose new special “What’s Her Secret?” hit YouTube this summer. Emmy, a former writer for The Late Show with Stephen

Sep 14
46 min

The Working It Out Creativity Supercut

This week Mike presents a selection of some of the best bits of advice about creativity from some of his favorite episodes. Featuring: Lin-Manuel Miranda Jenny Slate KC

Sep 7
40 min

222. Joe List: How to Survive a Comedy Panic Attack

This week Mike welcomes to the podcast comedian, and fellow Massachusetts native, Joe List. Joe talks about what it’s like to be married to and raise a chid with another

Aug 31
56 min

Michael Che: An Amateur Therapy Session

(Recorded December 2025) Mike started this podcast so that one day Michael Che would come on. Today is that day. In this all-timer episode, Mike and Che work out tons of

Aug 24
1 h 10 min

221. Ron Funches: Say What You Want

This week Ron Funches joins Mike on the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about finding your comedic voice vs. faking it, Ron’s recent autism diagnosis, and Ron’s s

Aug 17
47 min

Chloe Troast and Mike Answer Your Questions About Improv and Sketch

This week, the hilarious Chloe Troast joins Mike to answer listener-submitted questions. The two discuss what to do when an improv scene goes off the rails, Chloe’s relat

Aug 10
37 min

220. Jo Firestone Returns: You Better Marry My 40-Year-Old Daughter

Working It Out favorite Jo Firestone returns for a triumphant fourth appearance, this time pregnant and rocking a Phantom of the Opera Toronto production t-shirt. Jo talk

Aug 3
56 min

John Mulaney: He's Funny and Here's Why

(Recorded January 2026) For the 200th episode of Working It Out, Mike sits down with one of his oldest friends and one of the podcast’s first ever guests, John Mulaney. T

Jul 27
1 h 09 min

219. Michelle Buteau: From TV News to Her Own TV Series

Michelle Buteau was a local TV news editor in New York until she tried stand-up for the first time, only days after 9/11. Since then she’s become an international touring

Jul 20
50 min

218. Jane Wickline and Liva Pierce Return: Comedy Duo Therapy

This week, SNL’s Jane Wickline and comedian Liva Pierce return to Working It Out to discuss the Off-Broadway debut of their two person musical comedy show, Dukes. Mike gr

Jul 13
45 min

Fred Armisen: Is He Joking?

(Recorded August 2025) Having recently toured together with John Mulaney, Mike and Fred sit down for his first in-studio appearance on Working it Out. They discuss Fred’s

Jul 6
48 min

217. Aaron Chen: High Quality Jokes from a Low Capacity Kind of Guy

Comedian Aaron Chen may be known internationally for his role on the hit Australian TV series Fisk, but he’s been a working stand-up since the age of 15. In fact, he migh

Jun 29
47 min

Jon Rudnitsky and Mike Answer Your Questions About Failure and Jokes

This week, the very funny Jon Rudnitsky joins Mike to answer listener submitted questions. The two of them discuss how long it was before they started earning money from

Jun 22
37 min

216. Wanda Sykes: Mike's Dream Guest

Wanda Sykes is one of Mike’s original dream guests for the podcast. Now, on the heels of her new Netflix special, Legacy, Wanda talks with Mike about how they both starte

Jun 15
45 min

215. Phil Lord and Chris Miller: These 2 Dorks Made Every Movie You Love

Filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s resume is a laundry list of hits: Project Hail Mary, The Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and more.

Jun 8
49 min

214. Robby Hoffman: It's a New Dawn

This week Mike and Robby Hoffman sit down for their first in-depth conversation like, as Robby puts it, two cats cautiously getting to know each other. Mike and Robby wor

Jun 1
56 min

Jenny Slate: Unafraid of Sadness

(Recorded October 2025) The great Jenny Slate joins Mike this week for a wide-ranging conversation about getting hypnotized after being fired from SNL, a graduation speec

May 25
1 h 09 min

213. Jack Antonoff Returns: Music’s Biggest Producer Records Mike’s Pizza Song

Ahead of the release of his new album “Everyone For Ten Minutes,” Jack returns to Working It Out. Mike and Jack break open why Jack has never listened to Mike’s podcast,

May 18
59 min

Chart trend

Position in the Comedy Interviews chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#18#35JunJulAugSep

all-time peak

days in the top 3 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 28, 2026).

#133 ▲ 15 Comedy US

#22 ▲ 2 Comedy Interviews US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

I started listening to this podcast after hearing Mike on Smartless, and it has become one of my favorites that I look forward to each week. If you’re looking for somewhere to start, I would especially recommend the episodes with Hasan Minhaj, Tig Notaro, and John Mulaney. Ramy Youssef suggested that there should be a Shark Tank style segment where you hear jokes that got worked out in the podcast being performed in a special, and I just wanted to add that I would absolutely subscribe to premium if that was a part of it.

QWERTYXXXXXXXXXf · Sep 2026

Growing out of Mike Birbiglia’s Instagram lives, in WIO Mike has created a one-stop shop for celebrating the minutiae of creating comedy; finding and sharing the story-behind-the-story for creatives; connecting with your fellow human beings; the beauty of collaboration and the value of committing to the long game of developing your voice; and ssooooo much more. I’ve loved Mike’s comedy since his early standup career (“My Secret Public Journal”), and his brilliant evening-length shows; but hearing him now, interviewing his comedy colleagues each episode, I’m struck anew by his generosity, his spirit of fun, and the deep respect he shows his peers. It’s fascinating to hear Mike and his guests tease apart a joke or a story to figure out what “works,” and to hear them reminisce about moments in their lives or careers that have molded them into the comedians and writers they’ve become. As an interviewer he is exceptional (and IMHO could have a second career, a la Terry Gross; he’s that good!). He’sextremely well prepared, asks fascinating questions, rarely gets sidetracked, and always laughs the hardest at the guest’s jokes. You can tell he’s researched his guests on a pretty deep level. This paragraph lists the reasons I prefer his podcast above almost all others - you come away with a real sense of who the guest is, how they become who they are, and feel eager to follow their future work! For writers and other creatives, I think WIO is essential for learning about 1. Creating structure, and 2. going deeper (notable here: episodes with Ira Glass, Seth Barrish, Tig Notaro, the Sklar Brothers, Hannah Gadsby, Stephen Colbert, Alex Adelman - but they’re all worth listening to). I’ve learned so much from Mike and the way he puts a story together. These episodes are warm, hilarious, and a beautiful glimpse into the uniquely personable and immensely entertaining world Mike has created. Listen to this and check out his live virtual comedy shows too! Both will lift your spirits during these difficult times. So grateful for you, @birbigs!

@j9gast · Jul 2026

I truly cannot pick a favorite episode, because I feel like I learn something from all of them. It’s also so inspiring, whenever I have some writer’s block, I’ll listen to an episode and it will help me work through it. Ohhh, so I’m also working it out. Thank you, Mike and team! So appreciate you!

MBudd92317 · May 2026

I’m really enjoying this series because the back and forth is so casually vulnerable and the humor is kind of layered into it. My favorite guest has to be Nathan Lane, who is such a natural storyteller and has effortless quips and melancholic honesty. I loved hearing his experience, positive and challenging, on The Birdcage, how he is one of the greats and still has his insecurities, and his throwaway line to grow up and have an affair. If family conversations usually end in loaded exchanges, repeating your boundaries, or just awkward well wishes while you feel the distance has never been greater, I imagine this is a great place to listen some fiery back and forths and thoughtful conversation between friends. It’s been especially good to listen to as we wait and see what the doomsday clock is deciding to do. 5 stars!

bananasurplus · Apr 2026

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.