Artwork for podcast I Am Northwest Arkansas®
Laughing and Learning with Francisco Valencia: The Frisco Kid Returns to I Am Northwest Arkansas®
Episode 334 • 3rd November 2025 • I Am Northwest Arkansas® • Randy Wilburn
00:00:00 00:38:25

Share Episode

Shownotes

About the Show:

"Smile. A smile will break any entrance to any door. It doesn’t matter what’s going on—if you smile, you give someone the comfort zone to engage.”

       – Francisco Valencia “The Frisco Kid”

On this episode of I am Northwest Arkansas®, host Randy Wilburn welcomes back comedian Francisco Valencia—aka the Frisco Kid—for a heartfelt and hilarious conversation about embracing dreams, building a vibrant local comedy scene, and using humor to connect cultures and spark well-being in the Ozarks.

Two years since his first appearance, Francisco’s comedic journey has taken him from open mics in Rogers to opening for big names and hosting packed shows at the Music Depot. But beyond the laughs, Francisco discusses the deeper purpose of comedy—educating audiences, sharing messages of hope, and weaving diverse stories that resonate for all. Whether through clean sets for corporate events or by nurturing a team of up-and-coming comics, Francisco’s story is a testament to persistence, positivity, and the value of community support.

Tune in for Francisco’s behind-the-scenes tales, reflections on cultural identity in Northwest Arkansas, and actionable advice on finding joy and connection. Whether you’re an aspiring comic, long-time resident, or recent transplant, this episode is a celebration of the power of bringing people together—one laugh at a time.

Key Takeaways:

  • Comedy as Community: Francisco’s journey shows that stand-up is much more than laughs—it’s about building bridges across cultures and connecting people in the Ozarks.
  • Dreams & Perseverance: Success in comedy (and life) requires courage, resilience, and the right support group—acknowledging that “no one is truly self-made.”
  • Clean Laughter, Real Impact: Performing clean comedy has opened doors to corporate, church, and family-friendly events, helping break stereotypes and reach broader audiences.
  • Storytelling Power: The most memorable routines come from authentic storytelling, bringing together diverse backgrounds and shared experiences.
  • Lifting Others Up: Francisco invests in fellow comics and artists, proving that a rising tide lifts all ships—mentoring, collaboration, and rooting for each other are central to his philosophy.

All this and more on this episode of the I Am Northwest Arkansas® podcast.

Important Links and Mentions on the Show*

Mentioned Resources & Organizations:

This episode is sponsored by*

Signature Bank of Arkansas "Community Banking at its Best!"

Try ONBoardNWA.com Today!

*Note: some of the resources mentioned may be affiliate links. This means we get paid a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you use that link to make a purchase.

Connect more with I am Northwest Arkansas:

Thank you for listening to this I am Northwest Arkansas podcast episode. We showcase businesses, culture, entrepreneurship, and life in the Ozarks. 

Consider donating to our production team to keep this podcast running smoothly. Donate to I Am Northwest Arkansas

Mentioned in this episode:

FindItNWA.com

Looking to discover the best local businesses in Northwest Arkansas? 🌟 From cozy cafes to essential services, FindItNWA.com has got you covered. Connect with your local community with just one click and explore something great. Visit finditnwa.com today! #LocalBusiness #CommunitySupport"

FindItNWA.com

NWA Daily Version 2

Try NWA Daily Today!

Transcripts

Speaker:

It's time for another episode of I Am Northwest

Speaker:

Arkansas, the podcast covering the intersection of

Speaker:

business, culture, entrepreneurship, and life in

Speaker:

general here in the Ozarks. Whether you are considering a

Speaker:

move to this area or trying to learn more about the place you call

Speaker:

home, we've got something special for you. Here's

Speaker:

our host, Randy Wilburn. Hey,

Speaker:

folks, and welcome back to the I Am Northwest Arkansas Podcast.

Speaker:

I'm your host, Randy Wilburn, and today we're catching up with a familiar

Speaker:

voice and a familiar laugh. If you've been listening for a while,

Speaker:

you might remember episode 253, when we sat down with

Speaker:

Francisco Valencia, better known as the Frisco

Speaker:

Kid, to talk about the power of comedy in Northwest

Speaker:

Arkansas. Francisco is back with us today, and we're diving

Speaker:

into how he's continuing to use comedy not just to

Speaker:

entertain, but also to educate and inspire the

Speaker:

audiences he connects with. From live shows to community

Speaker:

engagement, Francisco has been making people laugh

Speaker:

while shining a light on the important stories and lessons

Speaker:

that resonate both here in Northwest Arkansas and and beyond.

Speaker:

So get ready to laugh, learn, and catch up with one of the

Speaker:

funniest and most insightful voices in our community,

Speaker:

the Frisco Kid. Francisco, how are you doing, man? I am

Speaker:

pretty good. Thank you for that lovely introduction, Randy. It was awesome. Got

Speaker:

me hyped. Absolutely, man, absolutely. Well, you know, like I said when

Speaker:

I reached out to you, I said I really wanted to catch up. And, you

Speaker:

know, I think in the current times that we're in, it's important to.

Speaker:

To have, you know, a grounding, right? And I think

Speaker:

comedy is one of those places where no matter what side of the aisle

Speaker:

you're on, you can find some humor and you can laugh. And I

Speaker:

think we all are overdue for a good laugh, a good chuckle,

Speaker:

a good story that reminds us of our humanity.

Speaker:

And one of the things that I've seen with a lot of the comedy

Speaker:

shows that I watch, and I'm a serial comedy guy, like, if I turn on

Speaker:

Netflix, I'm watching Chappelle, obviously. I've seen all

Speaker:

of his shows over and over and over again, as I'm sure as a

Speaker:

comedian you have too. But I mean, I watch so many different

Speaker:

comedians, and I love gleaning from their first

Speaker:

person perspective on the world. And I know that there's so many

Speaker:

of us that are in the audience that are, you know, have our own

Speaker:

thoughts about things, both from a humorous perspective, but then

Speaker:

also from just the reality of the lives that we live every day. And so

Speaker:

I thought it would really be good just to kind of check in with you

Speaker:

because of the work that you're doing both in our community here locally as

Speaker:

well as beyond. I mean, you. You are moving around. Every time I look up,

Speaker:

you're doing a show somewhere. I think you. You had just recently done a big

Speaker:

show down in Fort Smith where I think maybe you opened for Pauly Shore.

Speaker:

I saw that. I was like, yo, this brother is blowing up. I got.

Speaker:

I got to get him back on my podcast. Folks, I'm going to tell you,

Speaker:

the joke that I had with Francisco was that, man, I said, you

Speaker:

know, I just want to connect with him and rub shoulders with him before Netflix

Speaker:

comes calling, because once that happens, the gloves are off and

Speaker:

it's game over. But no, seriously, though, you know, every

Speaker:

great comedian has started somewhere, and I think when we last spoke,

Speaker:

we talked a little bit about just the simple fact of the grind of

Speaker:

comedy. But I would love to know how your

Speaker:

journey in comedy has continued to evolve since we last

Speaker:

spoke with you almost two years ago. Man, it's just been a grind,

Speaker:

you know, and you get a saying in comedy, and I get told this a

Speaker:

lot. Most people don't make it past two years, you know, and they. They

Speaker:

usually give up. Or. When I first started, I had all those people

Speaker:

around me, and the first thing they told me was, don't worry, man, these people

Speaker:

are not going to be around in two years. And fair enough. That

Speaker:

it's true. A lot of people don't see the success, and everybody wants to

Speaker:

see something, and the climb is there. You just gotta. Right now,

Speaker:

everyone's, hey, you're lucky, you know, like, you can't. This is all happening for you.

Speaker:

And I was like, yeah, it feels good to finally be at a point where,

Speaker:

you know, I'm able to really, really just

Speaker:

pour out everything. But at first, it was a grind, and it was hard, and

Speaker:

the hard work, everything. No, nobody usually sees that, but

Speaker:

it was a grind. It was a grind, and I stuck to it and stuck

Speaker:

to my guns and had the right support group, had the right people involved,

Speaker:

had, you know, I had to pick who I wanted there. And

Speaker:

it's mostly because of them that I'm able to get this far. And

Speaker:

how everyone's excited for me is the same people that supported me when,

Speaker:

you know, when I'm like, man, this is worth it. It kind of

Speaker:

sucks sometimes. And. And not everybody. Everybody said, man, the way

Speaker:

the talent, the way you do things, the way you keep the crowd

Speaker:

on the grip is something that not a lot of people can do. So if

Speaker:

you give up now, it's going to be a waste. So they kept me on

Speaker:

check and basically put gas in the fuel when I needed it. So,

Speaker:

no, I, I mean, I. That makes a whole lot of sense. I mean, and

Speaker:

certainly for those that have. Have not heard the previous

Speaker:

episode, I would love for you just to share a little bit about your

Speaker:

background and where you came from and. And actually what propelled

Speaker:

you into comedy. And then I certainly want to encourage people to go back

Speaker:

and listen to that episode because it was fire. It was a really good episode.

Speaker:

And I've gotten comments on it since then, even two years

Speaker:

later. But just give a quick cliff note version of your

Speaker:

superhero origin story, and then I want to jump back into what you were just

Speaker:

talking about. When I first got into comedy, I've always wanted to do it. You

Speaker:

know, I've always wanted to do it. And just like any growing up, I saw

Speaker:

when I was little and I've always wanted to do it, and I just didn't

Speaker:

know, you know, when, when you play soccer, you play football, baseball,

Speaker:

there's camps, there's places you can go. But you know, when you tell your parent

Speaker:

that, where do they take you? You know, there's. There's not a school, there's not

Speaker:

a, you know, there's not something that you can go do. But when I started

Speaker:

comedy, there was an open mic and I said, you know what? I just felt

Speaker:

like, you know, when Thor reaches for his hammer or just put the hand up,

Speaker:

that's what the mic felt like to me. I felt like the mic was just

Speaker:

gonna, like it just. I'm so attracted to it that when I look down at

Speaker:

it, it feel like it's part of my hand. Like if it. It sounds crazy,

Speaker:

but, like, I did a show the other day and I had. And I was

Speaker:

warming up and I had the mic in my hand, I just, like, I looked

Speaker:

at for a second, I was like, this feels like I'm making my living off

Speaker:

of this. I'm going to continue to push forward. And

Speaker:

that's basically how. That's how I got into it. Man. Is just willing to take

Speaker:

the chance whether it's going to fail or not, and not being not really caring

Speaker:

what people had to say or, you know, that fear that just grounds you

Speaker:

so much sometimes that, oh, I got to prepare more or I got to go

Speaker:

do it or something like that. So just having the courage to just

Speaker:

to move forward and be happy because it's one of the best decisions I ever

Speaker:

made. So coming from a place of fear to

Speaker:

now fearless all day, give me any stage, any part of the city,

Speaker:

you name it. I've been down in the Memphis. I've been down in New York,

Speaker:

Florida, Louisiana, Texas. You know, I got fans in

Speaker:

Wisconsin. One asking me, when am I going to go to Wisconsin? I've never been

Speaker:

to Wisconsin. Right, right, right. Well, and I've noticed that

Speaker:

your social media following has grown considerably since

Speaker:

we last spoke, which certainly is a testament to the. The work that

Speaker:

you're putting into this now. You're originally. Correct me if I'm wrong, you're originally from

Speaker:

Southern Cal. Yes, sir. How did you end up here in Northwest

Speaker:

Arkansas again? J.B. hunt. That's right. That's right.

Speaker:

Okay, okay. They wanted everybody. Well, this place was growing so

Speaker:

much that they wanted everybody to come home and work from nwa.

Speaker:

So when I was out there, I didn't even know what Arkansas was. You know,

Speaker:

they told me that Arkansas. And I was like, what's Arkansas? And fair enough, they're

Speaker:

like, you know what? It's. The trip is paid for. You can stay in nice

Speaker:

hotel. They're going to pay for. They're going to pay for everything. Just go and

Speaker:

have a good time. And fair enough, I came and I fell in love

Speaker:

with it. And I was like, this is where it's at. So I bought a

Speaker:

house. Yeah. Never looked back. I love that. I love

Speaker:

that. Well, and I certainly. I'm always telling people that northwest Arkansas is

Speaker:

a very mean. Would you agree that this is one of the. A very inviting

Speaker:

place, even for somebody that's new here. I mean, I tell people that all

Speaker:

the time. They don't believe me. And then I'm like, anybody that you've talked to,

Speaker:

that I've talked to on my podcast has all said the same thing about how

Speaker:

inviting northwest Arkansas is. And I get it. No place is

Speaker:

perfect and nor is northwest Arkansas, but they do a pretty

Speaker:

good job of leaving the light on and the welcome mat out for people

Speaker:

when they come here. So. I mean, am I lying?

Speaker:

Goosebumps. Goosebumps, right? Yeah.

Speaker:

Ex. Not. Like, when I. When I. When I first thought about this place, I.

Speaker:

I didn't know what to think. You know, I had like, all my cows country.

Speaker:

I didn't. I didn't really process it right until I came. And.

Speaker:

And like I said, I didn't look back. You know, I. I love to hear

Speaker:

everybody's welcoming. I didn't. There's rarely a chance. I mean, just like

Speaker:

Anywhere. If you want trouble, you're going to find it, you know what I'm saying?

Speaker:

Like, it's just one of those things that what your intentions are in life or

Speaker:

what you're trying to do. Like I always tell people, like this is the place

Speaker:

to move if you want to make something happen because there's so opportunities and people

Speaker:

are so like wanting to invest in people. And I feel like that's what I

Speaker:

did with my comedy and with people. I let people into my dream because not

Speaker:

a lot of people share that. A lot of people don't go out there and

Speaker:

post their dream. And this is like, there's a lot of fear in it when

Speaker:

people will say, oh, I'm going to say something about my dream because some people

Speaker:

just hold it in and, and don't say anything to it. So when I started

Speaker:

doing comedy, I would let people know this is my dream, this is what I

Speaker:

want to do. And fair enough, people invested in it. So like I

Speaker:

said right now, the I'm rolling, I'm going. And I think just

Speaker:

inviting people to your dream, especially in a welcoming area like this, people get

Speaker:

excited about it and when you put results then they really invest in

Speaker:

you, you know. So yeah, that's what. Well, and I think it speaks

Speaker:

volumes. I know when we last spoke, I mean, you almost have like a comedy

Speaker:

troop, right? Like you have enlisted people around you

Speaker:

and you've basically not necessarily brought them, what kind of brought them

Speaker:

under your wing and they're taking the journey with you, right? So it's

Speaker:

like, and like I tell people all the time, you can always lead and

Speaker:

there'll be people that'll be one or two steps right behind you that are going

Speaker:

to follow and you know, they'll do what you're doing. And that's, you know, that's

Speaker:

the beauty of when you kind of build up a community

Speaker:

of comedians especially. And every time I look up and when

Speaker:

I see you posting, you're never posting just about yourself, but you're

Speaker:

also posting about those on your team and those that you participate with,

Speaker:

like at the Music Depot and other places that you go out. And so it's

Speaker:

not just the Frisco kid, but you've got this whole crew of folks

Speaker:

that are all kind of in their own places and at their own

Speaker:

degree of understanding and ability within the comedy world

Speaker:

are out there trying things as well. Yeah, no, I mean, I

Speaker:

had to. You know, everybody that says they're self made, I don't believe in that.

Speaker:

I mean, I came from Having nothing to, you know, anything I

Speaker:

decide to do, it's gonna happen, and I have the proper backup. I

Speaker:

have all these things, and I can't do it alone. And I always tell

Speaker:

them I was like, one of us just has to get in the door. And

Speaker:

whether they're looking for this, you know, I have variety of

Speaker:

comedy, but I have also different people that people vibe with or, you

Speaker:

know, may like them better, you know, so I want them to. I care more

Speaker:

about the experience with people so when they come to the show and they can

Speaker:

relate to a different comic, I don't care if they like my set or not,

Speaker:

as long as they're able to get that connection. I'm not selfish, and I want

Speaker:

to be able to share, like, everything that happens with me. And I tell my

Speaker:

team, one of us is going to make it. And when that wave comes, I

Speaker:

want everybody to be able to surf it, you know, and. And ride along. And.

Speaker:

No, I just feel like. Like I have so much to offer. And people will

Speaker:

do, too, is just exploring, poking at them, asking what they want to do,

Speaker:

who they want to be in life, and. And see how I can help. Because

Speaker:

at the end of the day, I mean, one of us just got to make

Speaker:

it. Yeah, absolutely. Well, you know, like I always say, a rising

Speaker:

tide lifts all ships. And so whether you rise or

Speaker:

somebody else in your crew rises, it ultimately impacts

Speaker:

all of you guys, you know, and you look at. Like, I always talk about

Speaker:

this documentary that I saw called Comedian and Jerry Seinfeld,

Speaker:

and a bunch of those guys are in that documentary. If you haven't seen it,

Speaker:

it's excellent. But they talked about just the grind and the. And, you

Speaker:

know, having to do this over and over again. But one of the things that

Speaker:

the through line through that documentary was that all of the

Speaker:

comedians would encourage each other. Now, you had a few that might be.

Speaker:

That didn't want to see others succeed, but overall, you know, there

Speaker:

were always people rooting for all the other comedians. Like, Chris Rock would talk

Speaker:

about how Jerry Seinfeld would encourage him and root for him, and, you know, the

Speaker:

list goes on and on. And Eddie Murphy said some of the same things about

Speaker:

how he, you know, and this is things like, you would. You would think, like,

Speaker:

man, these comedians are so wildly different, but yet. And still

Speaker:

behind the scenes, they're rooting for each other. They're rooting for their success.

Speaker:

They're rooting to see them succeed and to grow. And I always thought

Speaker:

that was really interesting about, you know, what it takes For a comedian

Speaker:

to make it. Yeah, no, I. That's very, very true

Speaker:

because I have sometimes, you know, you see a crowd and there's just like the

Speaker:

overwhelming of, like, sometimes different cultures, who's in the

Speaker:

audience. And sometimes you see it and it just kind of like, it's

Speaker:

overwhelming. So I'm always trying to get in the back of my ears, my. Of

Speaker:

my team. This is nothing. Yeah, this is nothing, bro. We

Speaker:

practice. We do this all the time. This. All you got to do is be

Speaker:

yourself. They pay to see you. They didn't pay to see Chris Rock. They didn't

Speaker:

pay to see these people. They pay. They're here to see you, so give them

Speaker:

what you got. We go through us over line. We have writing sessions. We. We

Speaker:

try to make sure that we go. We polish our lines. Like, we'll get together

Speaker:

and we'll tell our jokes and we see it, the painting, but

Speaker:

there's somebody else from the side that sees a bigger picture. And they're able to

Speaker:

go in there and fix it up, tune it up and deliver it how

Speaker:

it's meant to be delivered. And when everyone's laughing in the group, you know it's

Speaker:

going to be funny when you spread it out. So, you know. Yeah. Makes a

Speaker:

big difference. So talk about some of the new opportunities or

Speaker:

stages that you have found yourself on in these last two years. And.

Speaker:

And I know it's a lot. Just give us a cliff note understanding

Speaker:

of, you know, how things have continued to evolve for you. As I mentioned earlier,

Speaker:

right at the top of the show, I talked a little bit about Paulie Shore

Speaker:

and you opening for him down in Fort Smith, but how have

Speaker:

things. How have things changed for you since we last spoke? And I know you

Speaker:

guys have a regular show at the Music Depot in downtown Rogers, which

Speaker:

I want to give a shout out to. We had Reggie and Anthony on

Speaker:

the podcast a while back, and so I certainly want

Speaker:

to encourage folks to get down to the Music Depot and DTR

Speaker:

Downtown Rogers, as a cool kids like to say, to check it out.

Speaker:

But you guys have a regular standing show there now,

Speaker:

right? Yes, we do it every, I think the second week

Speaker:

of every month. So we're trying to make sure that the first week you pay

Speaker:

your rent. Right, Right.

Speaker:

We're making more contest like the second just because I know. I mean,

Speaker:

just finances, you know, growing up and figuring out the real world. We're able

Speaker:

to come out four day the second week of every month. And I'm bringing different

Speaker:

comics out. You know, everyone's. I'M blowing it out to a way where people are

Speaker:

curiosity. So they're starting to hit me up left and right. Hey, when can I

Speaker:

come to the Music Depot? When's the, you know, availability and

Speaker:

all that stuff? So I just trying to get everybody to line

Speaker:

them up to just to bring it here because I want it. Yeah. You know,

Speaker:

it's a boiling pot, you know, and right now is so many different cultures.

Speaker:

Our last show had the most diversity on any other

Speaker:

show that's ever been done here. So that was awesome. You know, so just

Speaker:

having. Just looking onto the crowd, just seeing different faces, being brought to one spot

Speaker:

is that's probably like the best feeling that I can have. Or as an entertainer,

Speaker:

just not just 1% of people, but just multiple

Speaker:

people in the crowd, you know, so that's. That's awesome. And now the

Speaker:

stages. The stages keep getting bigger. You know, people are calling, people are asking

Speaker:

me, and the question I get asked a lot is, hey, man, you know, what

Speaker:

time can you get here? I was like, where's the venue? It's like downtown la.

Speaker:

I was like, I live in Arkansas, bro. And the best

Speaker:

compliment I got it was that your name's popping off out here, like if you

Speaker:

live here. Right, right. So this is just. I mean,

Speaker:

I'm putting in work and. And just pushing forward. So, like, the

Speaker:

opportunities have. Have opened up. I'm people like the Voice, so

Speaker:

I'm hosting events now too, as well. I'm doing weddings. I'm

Speaker:

emceeing fashion shows. Next month, I'll be doing the fashion show.

Speaker:

So, I mean, a lot of opportunities, a lot of those are

Speaker:

opening up and taking full advantage of them. And yeah, I mean, something's

Speaker:

got to happen. Something's going to happen at that point where I'm

Speaker:

just. Which. Where's it? You know, I have dreams about it. And sometimes they used

Speaker:

to feel like, man, that seems so far, that seems

Speaker:

untouchable. And now I'm at that point where I'm like, I feel like I'm just.

Speaker:

I'm waiting for my name to be called. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.

Speaker:

Well, I think that's good, man. And, you know, everybody has their moment,

Speaker:

right, where they're able to kind of step through the darkness

Speaker:

and shine. And so I think you're experiencing that right now

Speaker:

and. And it sounds like you're ready for it and that you're

Speaker:

also going to carry some people with you on this journey, which I'm really excited

Speaker:

about. I wanted to ask you a question, and this is along

Speaker:

the idea of the role of comedy today in our society.

Speaker:

You've talked in the past before about how comedy as

Speaker:

both entertainment and education. Right. How are you balancing

Speaker:

those two roles right now when you think of it like being funny,

Speaker:

but then also there's an undercurrent of a message there that you're

Speaker:

trying to share with people. How do you balance that?

Speaker:

Well, I didn't used to think there was. I thought it was. I used to

Speaker:

think it was just straight comedy until I went to Dallas

Speaker:

and they had booked me for a poetry night. But

Speaker:

they said, hey man, you're performing here and we're right down the blog. Would

Speaker:

you want to come over and you know, like, people that couldn't get into the

Speaker:

show, you know, they're going to be over here and they really want. Everyone's been

Speaker:

asking if we can find a way to get you over here. And I was

Speaker:

really going to. Hour and a half time, but I was like, man, you know

Speaker:

what, let's go, you know, let's go see what this poetry. I've never done poetry.

Speaker:

Let's go see what it's about. And I end up going to this poetry night

Speaker:

and I've never seen raw talent and truth

Speaker:

spoken the way these kids were just banging it out there.

Speaker:

So that changed the way I do comedy as well. Because now,

Speaker:

you know, it just, I guess I just have to be real and have to

Speaker:

be really considerate of people's opinions and just

Speaker:

like wanting to touch the heart, stuff like that. So it's just

Speaker:

like balancing it out of like giving. I always like to give a message and

Speaker:

I always like to. Now I give messages during my show, you know, like, I

Speaker:

just don't do comedy anymore. I do comedy and then I'll be like, hey, you

Speaker:

know, if you're out here struggling with some kind, reach out to somebody and don't

Speaker:

be scared to ask for help. And there's just been a lot

Speaker:

of processing of like trying to put like God, politics and

Speaker:

just wrap it up where it doesn't explode on people's faces or feel some type

Speaker:

of way, feel attacked. So I think just responsibility of what you say. So

Speaker:

just kind of doing your homework. Yeah. So doing your homework and

Speaker:

really going over stuff that represent those,

Speaker:

you know, comedy usually has a bad rap that, oh, you know, I don't. We

Speaker:

don't want that greediness here. You know, it's just a lot. So I, the first

Speaker:

year that I started, I had to break that wall. I had to go do

Speaker:

free shows. I had a, you know, For a whole year. So I didn't see

Speaker:

payment for a whole year because I was trying to. Let me show you what

Speaker:

well my team can do. Yeah, yeah. That's called priming the pump.

Speaker:

You just gotta keep priming it. You gotta keep priming it and then eventually that

Speaker:

water starts coming, so. Oh, yeah, yeah. We, I mean, we knew, we knew we

Speaker:

had the right product. We knew what we wanted to deliver, and I knew as

Speaker:

a, as an entertainer that I wanted to put on a production. So

Speaker:

we have a 30 minute slot where music displays in the background. So I

Speaker:

opened that up and I started giving artist performers to come out

Speaker:

and sing before the show or rap or do anything they want to do to

Speaker:

give them stage time to, you know, help another person. You know,

Speaker:

what's. That's an avenue that was just like, we have a 30 minute slot. We're

Speaker:

just playing background music. Like, let's get a singer in here. Let's get. Opening

Speaker:

up an opportunity for someone else to, you know, get their pictures, get their

Speaker:

videos, get some stage time and help them out, you know, so. Yeah,

Speaker:

yeah, yeah. I mean, the grind is real for sure. So.

Speaker:

And if I remember correctly, you guys do a

Speaker:

fairly clean show. Right? So that's the one difference.

Speaker:

And I know. And, and again, there's nothing because obviously I listen to Dave Chappelle

Speaker:

and so Dave Chappelle is not, I'm using air quotes now, a clean show when

Speaker:

it comes to language. Right? So not, not everybody can listen to that. Like,

Speaker:

I mean, you know, if you have young kids, you're not going to sit them

Speaker:

in front of the tv. At least I hope not to listen to a Dave

Speaker:

Chappelle standup show or, you know, any of a lot

Speaker:

of comedians, but there are quite a few comedians out there

Speaker:

that, you know, don't use bad language. And, you know,

Speaker:

Jim Gaffigan comes to mind. And there, there are some amazing

Speaker:

comics out there that are wordsmiths and use

Speaker:

the English language in a powerful way to deliver

Speaker:

comedy. And you guys are kind of doing that. Oh, that's, that's what's getting

Speaker:

me booked. That's what's getting me booked. That's what people are, are feeling

Speaker:

comfortable with. And I've already put my reputation out there that I'm a clean

Speaker:

comic. Yeah. Put it out there heavily. Like, I've done shows for

Speaker:

Tyson, I've done shows for Sam's, I've done shows for corporate companies

Speaker:

that want that one comedy but just don't want to risk it. But now I've

Speaker:

Pushed it so much that people know already that I do clean comedy. So we're

Speaker:

aiming for churches next. You know, I mean, anyone. We got.

Speaker:

We got it, you know, we got the product, we got. We got what? What

Speaker:

I want to represent, you know, when people think about me, that's what I want

Speaker:

people to represent as that I'm trustworthy and able to put on a good show

Speaker:

and not just have. Be calm and enjoy the show. Because

Speaker:

watching owners and just watching people do my set, they're like, so tensed up,

Speaker:

they're like, oh, what are you gonna say? You know? Right, right, right.

Speaker:

And it's gone to the point where when I did the force this show,

Speaker:

all the people were working, and when I got on stage, they told me like,

Speaker:

oh, when you got on stage, everybody ran. Everybody was going into the trying

Speaker:

to watch you. When I walked in, I was like, hey, I'm Frisco

Speaker:

and know. Performing, like, oh, trust me, we know who you are, man. Everyone's excited

Speaker:

for you to be here. And I was like, that just felt good, you know?

Speaker:

Yeah. And they told me like, yeah, man, when you went on stage, like, the

Speaker:

staff, everybody, we gave them like a. We were giving them turns to go in

Speaker:

there and watch you. So that felt good. And that's always

Speaker:

just. Like I said, it's a grind. And like I said, if you stick with

Speaker:

it and you pursue it. So it seems like since we last

Speaker:

spoke that the northwest Arkansas comedy

Speaker:

scene has grown, that there are more venues,

Speaker:

there are more shows. Can you talk a little bit about

Speaker:

from your perspective, how has the local audience changed

Speaker:

or grown over the past couple of years? People more interested

Speaker:

now. People want. People want it. It's out there. It's a grown idea. And

Speaker:

people are, like, wanting to go to the comedy shows. They're wanting to attend the

Speaker:

shows. It's heavy online, how everything's putting out there. So

Speaker:

it's grown massively. There's one festival, Diamond State. It starts

Speaker:

in October. It's a lot happening and a lot of it's growing.

Speaker:

Obviously, a lot of people are hitting me up, trying to get me to go

Speaker:

to their venues, and, hey, what's going to take for you to do a show

Speaker:

here? And it's just everybody wants a piece of the cake right now

Speaker:

because, I mean, that's when my team grows. And I send one of my teams,

Speaker:

like, hey, man, this venue wants to do something. Go over there, get your name

Speaker:

in there and just grow the seed. Because when people think of comedy and nwa,

Speaker:

I want them to think of me, you know? Yeah, yeah. Jokes on us.

Speaker:

I want my team to be the. Tip of the spear. So I guess you're

Speaker:

starting to see familiar faces at multiple venues,

Speaker:

which means that people are following you from one place to the next.

Speaker:

Yes. It's crazy. How does that feel? It's just. I

Speaker:

love when I get a rise out of people and get them excited, I feel.

Speaker:

Because once you get excited, I feel like it just diminishes everything that

Speaker:

you got going on in the world. Yeah, Like, I feel like that's

Speaker:

when you get excited. Like, it's just like your elevate, your heart

Speaker:

races. Can't put up. I don't think there's any better experience than being

Speaker:

excited. Yeah. So, yeah, it's good to.

Speaker:

It's good to get them there for a little bit and show them some light,

Speaker:

you know, bring them. And then, like I said, when you open up a light,

Speaker:

you open up a door. That's when you throw a message at them, you know,

Speaker:

and you let them know, like, hey, you know, like, we're all here. When I

Speaker:

get on stage, I represent everybody. Everybody supports. I represent. You guys are on stage

Speaker:

with me. So it's just one of those things that I take serious, you know,

Speaker:

And I don't know, like, I feel like when I'm stage, I don't feel alone.

Speaker:

Does that make sense? Yeah, it makes a lot of sense. And, you know, and

Speaker:

actually, that's. That dovetails nicely into the next question I had for

Speaker:

you, which was, you know, you've used comedy to touch on

Speaker:

cultural identity, family, community. Right. Which,

Speaker:

like, what you're talking about, what topics are you leaning into

Speaker:

these days that you see resonate most with your

Speaker:

audiences? Where. What are you, like, where you're like. After you look back

Speaker:

and you review a set that you've done, you're like, man, they loved X

Speaker:

or they loved Y. What are the topics that you're seeing that resonate

Speaker:

the most with audiences right now? From a comedic perspective?

Speaker:

When I think about stuff like that, I think about just. I

Speaker:

storytell a lot. And the best ones is always when there's

Speaker:

multiple people that have no business being there, you

Speaker:

know, just like, different cultures or. Or people that you would think, like, what was

Speaker:

that person even doing there? It's like life. Life brought him there. Like, he

Speaker:

was there in that moment, and we lived it together. And it just. It doesn't

Speaker:

have to be the same color as me. It's just. I mean, people.

Speaker:

And it's always. It's never just one Culture, it's never, you know, like I said,

Speaker:

I've done shows in Memphis where people were like, dude, can you handle a black

Speaker:

crowd? I was like, was that supposed to be like, yeah, I got it, dude.

Speaker:

Right? And then I went to Little Rock, and they said the same thing. Hey,

Speaker:

man, it's a black room and not a lot of comics can hang. And I

Speaker:

was like, give me the mic. Yeah. And, like, I've always

Speaker:

gotten the same feedback, you know, people after the show. And like

Speaker:

I said, my comedy, it just is not just for one culture. It's not just

Speaker:

for it. It resonates. So, you know, like, thinking

Speaker:

back with, like, story, like, what makes them laugh. It's never been like,

Speaker:

oh, me, me, me, me. It's always been me,

Speaker:

this other person, just different people. My stories involve everybody, and it's just

Speaker:

whoever's in the room. And I don't know, like, right now that you said that,

Speaker:

I think about it, it's like, none of my stories have a specific race. No.

Speaker:

It's like just common people that were there at the moment, and it's just

Speaker:

as fun. Yeah, well. And I think, you know,

Speaker:

storytelling, as I like to say, I was. I was responding the other day that

Speaker:

storytelling is. Is a powerful thing. And I remember this

Speaker:

quote from Steve Jobs. He said that the most powerful person in the

Speaker:

world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the

Speaker:

vision, values, and agenda of an entire

Speaker:

generation that is to come. That's a powerful statement. Right?

Speaker:

And so that kind of lends itself to what you just said a few seconds

Speaker:

ago about how you just kind of get into a crowd and an audience. You

Speaker:

don't care whether it's blue, whether it's brown, whether it's white.

Speaker:

It doesn't really matter. People all throughout the

Speaker:

human race gravitate towards a good story.

Speaker:

Bags. No, I. My storytelling is very. I mean, I've.

Speaker:

I've had a John Chris. He's a Christian comedian, and

Speaker:

he's very. He's very big. And he was at a show, and he sent

Speaker:

me a message. He sent me a message. Talk to me in person. And said,

Speaker:

man, your storytelling is. That's. That's.

Speaker:

That's what's gonna make it. He's like, yeah, get those 30 minutes and make

Speaker:

them shorter. So when the time comes and. And you're in front of a TV

Speaker:

and you're in front of a live crowd, you bang, bang, bang, bang. You know,

Speaker:

you can go from this to this, but, like, send the same amount of damage

Speaker:

to the crowd. You know? Yeah, well, you've heard. I mean, even

Speaker:

like when I look at Chappelle, and Chappelle is so masterful

Speaker:

at how he'll tell a story and he'll weave so many disparate pieces

Speaker:

together and you wonder, well, where is he going with this? And then all of

Speaker:

a sudden he just brings it all back full circle and you're like,

Speaker:

wow, that was genius the way that he did that. And there are a lot

Speaker:

of people that are really good at storytelling from that

Speaker:

perspective and some give it in really small, bite sized pieces. And

Speaker:

other comedians are able to kind of weave a lot of disparate

Speaker:

ideas together and make it a cohesive story so that at the end

Speaker:

you feel like, oh my gosh, that was amazing. And I think, you know,

Speaker:

we, we've been moved by stories for millennia, right? I mean,

Speaker:

that's, you know, when you think about Joseph Campbell and the hero's journey and, and

Speaker:

the story and the power of the hero's journey, every

Speaker:

comedian has utilized that story model

Speaker:

to tell a story of, of something that they've overcome and

Speaker:

how they found their way. And, and so I think it's important for people to

Speaker:

understand how powerful storytelling is, especially

Speaker:

within the concept of being a comedian and what that

Speaker:

entails. Oh man, when I set up that punchline and I set up that story

Speaker:

and what it is, man, when I bring it up at the end, when

Speaker:

I hit him with the hard punchline on the way there, I'm always like, oh,

Speaker:

you guys love that. Wait till you hear the punchline. You know, it's like setting

Speaker:

up the story. And I was, I always build the story and I always built

Speaker:

the punchline within the story. When I started off my set and once I see

Speaker:

the crowd laughing and giggling, having a good time, I'm like, man, that

Speaker:

punchline is going to hit so good. And I can't. Like, it's just a build

Speaker:

up and they never see it coming. I mean, it's just like I said, not

Speaker:

a lot of comedians do it. But I grew up on storytelling and I grew

Speaker:

up on like a punchlines and just callbacks and just

Speaker:

hitting it heavy. So yeah, like that made me happy because like when I think

Speaker:

about my set and I think when I'm on stage and once I plan it,

Speaker:

I can't wait to like to get to it because it's like, it's always

Speaker:

so good and just watching people be like, oh, you get excited

Speaker:

or like, like this guy. So just tying all my stories

Speaker:

into one huge punchline that's that's probably. That's what I do best.

Speaker:

Yeah. Okay, Looking ahead, what's next for the Frisco kid?

Speaker:

Like, are there any projects, tours, or new material that you're especially

Speaker:

excited about? Yeah, I want to. I'm going to shoot my. My special.

Speaker:

Okay. My next project is I'm going to want to shoot a live

Speaker:

special and try to sell it to Hulu. You know where

Speaker:

that's next step? Because now I'm at that point where I'm prepared.

Speaker:

And like I said, any. And he stays that, hey, we need you.

Speaker:

I'm never going to say, well, how much time do I got? That's all I'm

Speaker:

going to ask for. And that everyone's been telling me this. Every

Speaker:

comic that's, you know, all the ones I've opened for, they've all told me the

Speaker:

same thing, is like, hey, man, now. Now that you got them on lock, now

Speaker:

it's time. Now they got Arkansas unlock. It's time to start spreading out. And the

Speaker:

way you're going to do that is video social media. So I hired a guy

Speaker:

and we're going to get to work and we're going to shoot the special and

Speaker:

put it out and. And yeah, that's. That's

Speaker:

exciting, man. Well, and I think that's the beauty, right? I mean, I'm holding up

Speaker:

my phone because most people are listening to this via audio, but I'm holding

Speaker:

up my phone and honestly, if you put this thing on a tripod, it shoots

Speaker:

in 4K. You can put a good microphone and connect it to it, and you

Speaker:

could get up and just go to town. So it doesn't take much for you

Speaker:

to be able to get your content out there for the world to

Speaker:

see and hear. Francisco, for people listening who might

Speaker:

want to use humor in their own work, whether in teaching

Speaker:

leadership or just daily life, what advice would you give

Speaker:

them about finding their funny side?

Speaker:

Smile. I feel like you got a smile. A smile will break

Speaker:

any entrance to any door. It doesn't matter

Speaker:

what's going on. If you smile, you give someone the comfort zone to engage,

Speaker:

to feel open, to be. Hey, what's going on over there? You know, people always

Speaker:

gravitate to something just

Speaker:

positive. You know, like if you're doing positive and you get around another

Speaker:

positive person, it's just makes us. It just causes an explosion. But

Speaker:

when you have someone that's going through something or, or not not feeling well,

Speaker:

something when they see you smile, it just. You want to

Speaker:

gravitate to it because you want to the best compliment I ever got is some

Speaker:

lady came up to me after the show and, you know, she waited in line

Speaker:

and everybody was talking to me. I'm taking pictures, doing my thing. And she finally

Speaker:

came up to me and said I was going through some things in life, and

Speaker:

you just made me forget about them. And I haven't been able to laugh in

Speaker:

a minute. So I just wanted to say thank you for that. And I just

Speaker:

almost made me want to cry because I was like, I don't. I never thought

Speaker:

about stuff like that, you know, I never thought about what people. That's why I

Speaker:

always try to stay positive. And I always try to. I mean, obviously, I'm going

Speaker:

to go through life and I'm going to go through things and. And I just

Speaker:

feel like, I don't know, I lived a hard life, so for me not to

Speaker:

smile is kind of hard, you know. And, yeah, I. I always try to. If

Speaker:

I see somebody down, I'm always going to try to, you know, extend my hand

Speaker:

and, you know, what do you need? Like, let's. Let's get to work. Let's. What

Speaker:

can I do for you? Or I always, you know, it's just hard sometimes it's

Speaker:

hard for people, sometimes hard for me, and. And having to put a smile on

Speaker:

and go out there and do it. But I feel like with all people support

Speaker:

me, all the investments I have is I'll take a knee at best, but I

Speaker:

ain't falling down. I'll fall down, I'll get right back up. And I feel like

Speaker:

that just shows what kind of team I have, because no one ever knows, like,

Speaker:

hey, man, why are you feeling. You know, people know when something's wrong with me.

Speaker:

And I know, I know myself, so I feel like my support group,

Speaker:

people that. That I invested in, and it just shows that

Speaker:

with the right people, you're able to take a knee and when you get back

Speaker:

up, you know, they didn't do nothing for. They just covered the waves and keep

Speaker:

moving forward. So, yeah, absolutely. That's my new hashtag. My

Speaker:

hashtag is keep going, right? It's like, don't stop. Keep going.

Speaker:

So keep going sometimes. Yeah, man.

Speaker:

Well, listen, this has been amazing. For anybody listening to this that

Speaker:

isn't familiar with you, of course, we'll put in the show notes a link to

Speaker:

the original episode 253 that we did with you, But I want

Speaker:

to make sure people have a way to connect with you, to start following you.

Speaker:

What's the best way for people to do that? On Instagram. The

Speaker:

Frisco Kid Live. Okay. Frisco Kid Live.

Speaker:

Okay. Yeah, we'll put that. We'll make sure we put that on the

Speaker:

show notes. So, folks, just go to the Frisco Kid Live, all

Speaker:

one word on Instagram and start following the

Speaker:

Frisco Kid and see what he's up to. You can also check

Speaker:

him out at the Music Depot. It's the second Friday of every month. Is

Speaker:

that. Yes, sir. Okay. So. And I'm going to get up there to check you

Speaker:

guys out, too. So I'm going to make myself be seen because I'd like to.

Speaker:

I mean, I have found I love storytelling. I also love

Speaker:

storytelling when I can bring some humor to the equation. Because again, like

Speaker:

you said, a smile is disarming. And. And if you can make people laugh,

Speaker:

you know, you can get past a lot of the challenges that you might be

Speaker:

dealing with when it comes to engaging other people. And sometimes

Speaker:

a disarming smile, a well placed, a well timed joke here or

Speaker:

there can make all the difference in the world. So I certainly would encourage folks

Speaker:

to take advantage of that. But, Francisco, man, I wish you nothing

Speaker:

but continued success in your journey. I've got my

Speaker:

popcorn. I am watching it. I'm following you. And I

Speaker:

cannot wait, as I said before, and maybe it's prophetic, I don't know,

Speaker:

but I can't wait to see your special on Netflix. And, you

Speaker:

know, I'll be like, I remember that, brother. When. And look at what, look,

Speaker:

look at what he's doing now. So. And so. It's gonna happen. It's

Speaker:

gonna happen, man. It's gonna happen. I put it in the air. I put it

Speaker:

in the air. I put in the atmosphere. I put it. I pray every day.

Speaker:

And. And like I said, all my challenges have prepared me for this. So

Speaker:

I felt like I was ready two years ago and. And now I'm

Speaker:

locked in. Now I've proven it. Now I've proven I can do it. So

Speaker:

ready. I'm ready. I love it. I love it. Well, folks, he is

Speaker:

Francisco Valencia, the Frisco Kid. Please

Speaker:

support this brother. Please go to one of his comedy shows. Just reach

Speaker:

out to him. Let him know that you heard about him first here on the

Speaker:

I Am Northwest Arkansas podcast. He's doing great things here in northwest

Speaker:

Arkansas and beyond, and he's a great representative of what this

Speaker:

area is all about. So, Francisco, thank you so much for joining us

Speaker:

today. Oh, thank you, Randy. Thank you for having me, man. Absolutely. Well, folks,

Speaker:

that's it for today's. Episode of the I Am Northwest Arkansas Podcast.

Speaker:

Again, a big thank you to Francisco Valencia, the Frisco

Speaker:

Kid, for joining us once again and sharing how he continues to

Speaker:

blend humor and heart to make a real impact in our

Speaker:

community. If you've enjoyed this conversation, be sure to check out

Speaker:

Francisco's work and catch him live whenever you can.

Speaker:

I'll drop links in the show notes so you can stay connected with him. And

Speaker:

if you missed our first conversation back in episode 253,

Speaker:

I highly recommend going back and giving it a listen for even more

Speaker:

laughs and insights. As always, thank you for tuning in

Speaker:

and for supporting the stories that make Northwest Arkansas

Speaker:

such a special place. Until next time, keep laughing,

Speaker:

keep learning, and keep building community right here in the

Speaker:

Ozarks. I'm Randy Wilburn and we'll see you back here next week with

Speaker:

another new episode of the I Am

Speaker:

Northwest Arkansas Podcast. Peace.

Speaker:

We hope you enjoyed this episode of I Am Northwest

Speaker:

Arkansas. Check us out each and every week, available

Speaker:

anywhere that great podcasts can be found. For show

Speaker:

notes or more information on becoming a guest, visit

Speaker:

imnorthwestarkansas. Com. We'll

Speaker:

see you next week on IM Northwest

Speaker:

Arkansas.

Chapters

Video

More from YouTube