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Jay Shetty PodcastJimmy Kimmel REVEALS: I Got Fired So Many Times Because of My Behavior..
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At a glance
WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT
Jimmy Kimmel on pranks, firings, anxiety, and emotional growth lessons
- Kimmel explains why putting yourself out there is difficult, and how starting in radio let him take “baby steps” into bigger public roles while luck and preparedness played major parts.
- He recounts a long pattern of prank-driven workplace conflict—often targeting bosses—that repeatedly got him fired, creating real financial and family stress despite the stories being funny in hindsight.
- He describes anxiety as evolving from scarcity worries to the pressures and relational complications that come with success, including navigating money requests and shifting social dynamics.
- Kimmel credits his wife and therapy with helping him mature emotionally, move from inward to outward focus, and use his platform for advocacy (notably around children’s healthcare).
- He offers practical principles: listen more than you advise, avoid lashing out by pausing before speaking, and when feeling low, help someone else to regain purpose and perspective.
IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING
5 ideasLower-stakes exposure can make bold goals achievable.
Kimmel notes radio let him be “half hidden,” reducing the fear of visible failure and enabling gradual moves to bigger stages; designing smaller steps can help others attempt what they’d otherwise avoid.
Being “right” about your creative instincts isn’t enough—timing and context matter.
His pranks felt funny to him and the audience, but bosses didn’t experience them that way; creative ideas still need alignment with the people who control the environment.
Repeated failure can build empathy and better leadership behavior.
Having been fired many times made him hate firing others, and it sensitized him to the human cost behind “funny” stories—especially when livelihoods and families are involved.
Success can intensify anxiety by increasing responsibility and changing relationships.
Kimmel contrasts anxiety about buying lunch with anxiety about being the person others rely on, fielding serious requests, and realizing some relationships are transactional.
Money requests reveal relationship priorities—often painfully.
He describes how people may value access or financial help over the bond itself, and that realization sometimes forces a reevaluation of who is genuinely close.
WORDS WORTH SAVING
5 quotesPutting yourself out there is hard. I started in radio. You're already halfway hidden, and nobody sees you. You don't have an audience there to not laugh if you're not funny.
— Jimmy Kimmel
Pure delusion.
— Jimmy Kimmel
I have to say, to this day, I, I hate firing people. It crushes me to fire somebody, even if they deserve it, even if they've done something bad, because I've been fired so many times.
— Jimmy Kimmel
It's hard to figure out how to be happy. I mean, there's by, there's no logical reason why we should, should be happy. It doesn't make sense.
— Jimmy Kimmel
When you're really down, when you're, when you're feeling low, and when you're looking for answers, helping other people is always a help. It always makes you feel better.
— Jimmy Kimmel
SPEAKERS
Jimmy Kimmel
guestComedian and late-night television host, known for hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
Jay Shetty
hostPodcast host and author focused on personal growth and well-being, host of the Jay Shetty Podcast.
High quality AI-generated summary created from speaker-labeled transcript.
