Nicole Byer is a talker. 

“I fucking love chitchatting!” she said with a hearty laugh and an air of unshakable conviction. 

That confidence is earned — she’s a professional and prolific chitchatter. With four podcasts to her name and countless guest appearances on others, Byer’s voice has become one of the most recognizable in the industry. Her squeals of delight, gasps of disbelief, and signature “tee-hee-hee”s are defining factors of her shows, bringing an aural dynamism that stands out in an increasingly oversaturated medium.

But what really sets her apart from others in the industry is what she says and how she says it. She takes an unfiltered, unapologetic approach to talking about all aspects of her life, whether that’s being unfathomably giddy about Sonic the Hedgehog or openly crying at the sheer thought that her best friend might die before her. Byer can be big and loud and silly and emotional. For so many other performers, combining these qualities can feel phony. For Byer, they’re beacons of her authenticity.

“I am just genuine because I don’t know how else to be,” Byer said. “I’m not putting on a character, and honestly, if I was, I would create a more interesting character.”

According to Byer’s listenership, she is interesting exactly as she is. Her four podcasts together attract hundreds of thousands of listens each week, and she commands sold-out crowds for live episodes and has legions of social media fans. And, of course, Byer is not just a podcaster. Her star’s been steadily on the rise for years with stand-up specials, hosting gigs, and acting roles, making her a household name. She’s a bona fide multiple threat in the entertainment industry, and she’s done it by simply being herself. 

Byer’s foray into podcasting started as all good ideas do — with an edible at LAX. It was 2017, and she had been doing comedy for nearly a decade already. Sure, she had a following thanks to her stand-up career and appearances on shows like MTV’s “Girl Code” and the aptly named “Loosely Exactly Nicole.” But while she and her friend and fellow comedian Jon Gabrus (a prolific podcaster in his own right) were stoned at an airport gate, he got her thinking: What if she could reach even more people just by doing what she does best?