This is a story about one of the most influential people in my performing life…and what it means for you.
***
Feeling anxious as my blood sugar
was dropping off a cliff
from a non-stop schedule
at the Aspen Comedy Festival,
I made my way up to the hotel bar
and asked the bartender for a small snack–
olives, nuts…anything?
Seated nearby,
looking like a backstage crew member,
was a guy wearing jeans and a sweatshirt.
He studied me, then the bartender,
and then with the force of a panther
protecting a cub said,
“Get her some orange slices.”
The bartender moved into high gear.
It turned out this guy wasn’t a crew member;
he was in fact the manager for
Robin Williams & Billy Crystal:
David Steinberg of MBST Entertainment.
And he was at that bar because
he’d just missed a ride to a party.
Lucky me. Lucky blood sugar drop.
Lucky missed ride.
Between orange slices,
David asked about my work
and after listening intently,
said he’d like to see my material.
True to his word, months later
when the HBO Workspace Theater
in LA produced my one-woman show,
David showed up.
All the other managers and agents arrived in suits;
David came in a brightly colored print shirt
and worn out leather shoes with no socks.
He was iconic, a rascal,
vastly connected and deeply loyal
…and I later learned,
one of the few people in Hollywood
who kept his word.
In the years following,
David submitted me for auditions
for Saturday Night Live and MadTV;
he landed me a spot in NYC’s Toyota Comedy Festival;
he invited me to the taping of
Robin’s show “Live on Broadway”
and out to dinner
afterwards with his wife, Brynn Thayer,
and the creative team.
He took my calls,
he offered me perspective,
and held me to high standards.
David & I crossed paths again in 2019
at the Chautauqua Institution during a
National Comedy Center event.
It had been years and
we were so happy to reconnect.
On August 16, 2025
he left this earth,
and while my eyes well up with tears
to write this post,
I am so profoundly grateful
for the kindness he showed me
over so many years, even into
my speaking & coaching career.
David believed in me,
and his belief in me
helped me believe in myself.
The words of encouragement you offer
someone who is just starting out,
and how you show up for them,
include them in special invitations,
and honor your word
mean more than you may ever know.
Godspeed David.
Risk Forward & Rise On,
