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Interview with Dr. Brian King

1) If you could go back in time and talk to your younger self what would you tell him and why?

I’ve made mistakes, but all of them have contributed to who I am now, so I wouldn’t instruct younger me to do things much differently. The one thing I would tell my younger self is, “I don’t care if you’re bored, I don’t care if you are old enough to skip school, you need to freaking graduate high school.” I dropped out knowing that I wanted to go to college, and life isn’t exactly easy for a college-bound drop-out. Had I applied myself and graduated, I probably would have qualified for scholarships and gone straight to college. Instead, I worked fast food jobs for a year, got a GED and went to community college, and busted my ass to transfer to a university—struggling and borrowing money the entire time. By the time I finished my doctorate, I had racked up a ton of student loan debt. The only career option that offered a high enough salary to potentially pay it back made me miserable.

So yeah, I’d tell that kid not to drop out. But then again, those experiences also helped make me who I am, so maybe not. I also probably could have used some fashion advice back then. The ’80s were not kind to all of us.

2)None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

As a habit, I express my gratitude every day. In my seminars on happiness and stress management, I encourage my audiences to do the same. It’s a common practice and it is very helpful in changing the way we look at the world. Even Oprah does it, and she seems pretty happy to me.

There are so many people in my life that have helped me get to where I am, and because of how I live most of them probably already know how grateful I am. However, there is one person who has changed my life in the most significant way possible who has yet to realize how much she has affected me: my two-year-old daughter, Alyssa.

Having children changes your life, that is common knowledge. But this little girl came into my world when I was at a very unhealthy point. Without knowing it, I had been suffering from sleep apnea for years and it was starting to take its toll. With fatherhood approaching, my partner, Sarah, convinced me to see a doctor and within the year I was on CPAP treatment and on the way to recovery. Having children does make people healthier, but having her may have quite literally extended the length of my life.

My new book, The Art of Taking It Easy, is dedicated to my daughter, but it was also inspired by her. If for some reason I don’t get to see her grow up, I wanted her to know how important she is to me and at the same time I wanted to give her a manual that could help her, and perhaps thousands of other people, live a better life. To this day she inspires me to live a better life.

3)How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I think my success is from bringing good things into the world. Granted not everything I have tried has worked out or been all that great, but the few successes I have enjoyed are those that have made a positive impact on others. As a comedian, I make people laugh and in the process I make them a little bit happier. That may not sound like much, but humor and laughter have a measurable impact on our health. As a public speaker, I share knowledge and insight with my audiences about how to manage stress and live a happier life, and in the process try to make them laugh. As a writer, I can only hope to do the same.

4)What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started leading my company” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

Is there a dance move that combines the robot with the running man? I could see that being a thing.

Honestly, I always feel like I am the last person at the party. I remember when Twitter started and a few of my comedian friends were taking to the platform while I didn’t see the point. I thought it was weird when people started posting to my Facebook instead of sending me an email. Later when Instagram came out, I said, “but I can already post photos to Facebook…” I don’t have a good track record with being able to recognize good ideas.

But if I have any influence at all, I hope that I can help convince people of the need to take life less seriously and, you know, take it easy. There are so many people in the world that are struggling with stress-related issues who could use a change in perspective. Reevaluate your thought processes, your reactions, and your interactions with other people. The world can be a crazy place, and there will always be conflict. So why not chill out and try not to be part of the problem?

5)How can our readers follow you on social media and where can they find your new book?

I am on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and whatever comes next at @drbrianking, and The Art of Taking It Easy is available on www.apollopublishers.com and Amazon, and in Barnes & Noble and independent bookstores around the country.