In this episode of Put Your Funny Where Your Mouth Is, Vince Carone and Dobie Maxwell dive into one of the most frustrating realities of show business: being funny isn’t enough—you have to sell it. From reels to newsletters to shouting into the algorithm void, the guys peel back the curtain on the constant pressure to self-promote, even when you just want to write jokes and hit the stage.

Vince opens up about the emotional toll of being your own marketing department—scripting, editing, posting, and pushing a brand while still trying to create meaningful comedy. Dobie weighs in with his veteran perspective on how things used to work (hint: you had a manager) and how performers now have to do it all themselves—like it or not.

Together, they tackle the uncomfortable truth that if you’re not seen, you’re not booked. But at what cost?

Key Points Discussed:

• Why being funny isn’t enough to succeed anymore
• The exhausting reality of managing your own marketing as a comedian
• The myth of “going viral” and how it poisons expectations
• Why people with less talent often rise faster—if they’re better marketers
• How marketing is often the full-time job behind your side hustle
• Balancing artistic integrity with algorithmic strategy
• What makes someone a brand—and why it’s both a blessing and a burden

In this emotional conclusion to Put Your Funny Where Your Mouth Is: Gambling Addiction Part 2, Vince Carone shares the harrowing next chapter of his battle with gambling—where the highs were higher, the losses were deeper, and the consequences finally caught up.

Picking up where Part 1 left off, Vince opens up about the spiral of deception, desperation, and denial that led him to his personal rock bottom. From secret online poker to five-figure debts, from hiding the truth to finally coming clean, this episode dives into what it really takes to break the cycle of addiction. Co-host Dobie Maxwell walks alongside Vince with heartfelt curiosity and support, offering perspective and hard-hitting questions that help reveal the depth of the struggle.

This isn’t just a story about gambling—it’s about identity, marriage, fatherhood, accountability, and choosing to fight for something more. Whether you’ve faced addiction yourself or know someone who has, Vince’s journey offers both caution and hope.

Key Points Discussed:

• How gambling addiction escalated even after early warning signs

• The moment Vince recognized he’d hit rock bottom—and what made it different this time

• The emotional toll on marriage, family, and self-esteem

• The importance of therapy, Gamblers Anonymous, and accountability

• How Vince rebuilt his life, his comedy, and his identity without gambling

• Why addiction isn’t about money—it’s about control, compulsion, and secrecy

• • The redemptive power of honesty, humility, and humor in healing

  
  

  Leave us a comment and share your questions or story.

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Put Your Funny Where Your Mouth Is, Vince Carone opens up about his years-long battle with gambling addiction. From childhood trips to Las Vegas to high-stakes blackjack tables as an adult, Vince walks us through the early seeds of his obsession, the thrill of the win, and the crushing weight of the loss.

Alongside co-host Dobie Maxwell, the duo balances heartfelt honesty with humor, showing how addiction can take hold when you least expect it—and how it weaves its way into careers, relationships, and identity. Vince shares vivid stories, from winning $13,500 at a Vegas table to giving half of it back in the same night, revealing how the illusion of control fuels the cycle.

Key Points Discussed:

• • How Vince’s family trips to Vegas and childhood games planted the early seeds of gambling

• • The emotional highs of winning—and the psychological spiral of chasing losses

  • Why addiction often hides behind “fun” until it takes over

  • The role of control, ego, and rationalization in fueling the behavior

• • The moment Vince started to realize he had a problem—and the early steps toward recovery

  
  

  This is part one of a two-part series where laughter, vulnerability, and life collide. Whether you’ve battled demons of your own or just want a peek behind the curtain, this conversation reminds us that every high has a cost—and that help is always possible.

  
  

  Leave us a comment with your thoughts or your story.