An Inspired Chat with Brian Kohatsu

We recently had the chance to connect with Brian Kohatsu and have shared our conversation below.

Brian, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
The older I get, the more people ask me for advice and request that I teach a class. I’ve never seen myself as a teacher, but I find myself now teaching improv and stand up as a regular part of my life. I didn’t think I would like it, but I actually love it. I’m grateful to work with people of all ages who want to get out of their comfort zone and follow their dreams. Some just want to have fun and try something new and others just want to improve their comedy skills. My youngest student was a teenager and the oldest was 82 years old. It’s been great fun to work working with all these wonderful people from different walks of life. Each has a story and a different sense of humor. It’s great fun. I even taught a film class at a university for a couple years too. Teaching has been far more rewarding than I ever expected.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Brian Kohatsu and I was born and raised in Glendale, Arizona. In 1989, I started my first business Kohatsu Video Productions, providing production services to a variety of corporations and charities. In early 2003, I was asked to host a nationally syndicated radio show and that began a new creative stage in my life. I did radio for a couple of years, then joined an improv troupe for a few years, and finally started doing stand up comedy in 2009. In addition to traveling around the country doing stand up comedy, I teach improv and stand up at Stir Crazy Comedy Club (of which I am an investor). I provide video services to the club, providing recordings of comedian sets for their social media and for them to evaluate their sets. Recently, I was able to merge both my production passion and my comedy passion as I produced my own comedy special, Brian Kohatsu WHAM!! Not only did I perform, I wrote, directed, edited the special and self-produced. The special was recently picked up by a distribution company and now can be seen at DisruptorComedy.com and will later be released on Amazon, YouTube and many other streaming platforms. Basically, I’m in the comedy business. On stage, behind the curtain, behind the camera, in front of the camera, teaching a class, working the club, helping comics find their way…I’m a comedy Swiss Army Knife!

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My father was a Japanese farmer. To be clear, he was Japanese and a farmer. He didn’t grow Japanese people. That’s a joke from my set, but it’s all true. He was the hardest-working man I’ve ever known. He was a farmer his entire life, working the fields day and night. Being Japanese, he came from a culture that is known for working hard and then working harder. This was modeled to me every day. Work hard and take care of your family. That’s what I believed and that’s what I was going to do.

I was a funny kid and would make my parents laugh. My father would always say to me, “I’m going to take you to clown school and drop you off.” I heard this so many times growing up, but shrugged it off and kept moving forward. I started my business with my father’s help. I worked hard sun up to sun down to make him proud. I had a great relationship with my dad and we would laugh a lot. I knew he was proud of me, but he would still bring up, “I should have taken you to that clown school.” I was starting to realize he was serious! He thought I should be doing something with my humor, but I thought that was pure fantasy. Again, work hard, take care of your family. I grew up a shy kid. I was never a performer, but my father kept putting that idea in my head over and over.

In 2003, my wife was pregnant with our first child and my father was in failing health. Because I was funny, I was asked to host a radio show, having never done it before. Completely out of my comfort zone. Again, shy kid, not a performer. I took the chance and soon I was writing sketches, performing celebrity impressions, and providing a lot of laughs, bantering with my co-host. I was coming out of my shell and being the performer my father always knew I could be. My comedy career had started and I didn’t even know it. A month into the radio show, my father died. It was devastating, but with a little comedic success, the birth of my son and a new perspective on life, I started following my dream. If you’ve seen my stand up, he’s definitely part of the act as Japanese Bedtime Story is my signature bit. My father was right. He was always right.

When did you last change your mind about something important?
I love playing basketball. In my junior year of high school, I was cut from the team. Not that I was a terrible player, but I think it had something to do with imitating my coach during the last game of my sophomore year. Foreshadowing clues anyone? I say all that to say that I still love basketball and continued to play into my late 40s until my Achilles ruptured. Why did I play? Because it was fun. I didn’t let the fact that I didn’t go to the NBA stop the fact that I liked to play basketball.

I came to comedy later in my life. I’m in my 40s when I started stand up and playing catch up to a lot of brilliant comedians in the world. Will I ever get a Netflix special? Will I ever get a sitcom? Will I be a household name? Probably not for one major reason, none of those things are goals for me. Would I turn them down? No, but I know how I define success. I’m very happy with the success I had in an industry I never thought I would be a part of. I get to travel, I’ve had 2 comedy specials, 2 comedy albums, I get to teach comedy, I’m part-owner in a comedy club, I’ve worked and met some of my favorite comedians, I have close friends all over the country, and I manage to provide for my family and my ungrateful dog. Life is pretty good. I struggle like everyone. We all have our ups and downs, but you need to figure out what defines success for you. Not everyone has the same goals. Once you figure out what is important to you, the work you put into your passion will always be fulfilling. This will make more sense the older you get. Follow your passion and set your own goals.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
“Smart people” tend to believe they are right all the time. Not all of them, but a lot of them. I would consider my father a smart person because he did something many people do not do…he listened. He asked questions. He tried to understand your opinion and where you came from. We live in a world where everyone has a podcast, social media account, and shares their “expert” opinions with the world every day. A truly smart person admits when they are wrong, continues to learn, and talks with you, not at you.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
If you are asking this question, you have never been married. Ha! I think we all give it our best most of the time and we don’t expect praise or a thank you. I try and give 100% in everything I do and feel good that I did my best. When I was in film school, my teacher said, “Nobody is going to know how much time and effort you put into your work. How many problems occurred during production and how much sleep did you lose on this project? Nobody will care as long as it looks good.” Harsh, but true. Do the job expected of you. Case in point, I told my wife once that I did the dishes and put them away. Her response was, “What do you want? A medal?” Ha! Harsh, but true! I’ve been married 34 year, just do the best you can and keep smiling!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.briankohatsu.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kohatsucomedy
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankohatsu
• Twitter: https://x.com/BrianKohatsu
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briankohatsucomedy
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@comedianbriankohatsu
• Other: https://www.disruptorcomedy.com/products/brian-hohatsu-wham