When does pushing for what you want become pushing too far? Jay sits down with comedian, writer, performer, and Valley Heat creator Christian Duguay for a conversation about boundaries, bad decisions, creative confidence, and knowing when to make the call and when to leave something alone. At the center of Valley Heat is Doug Duguay, a fictional character who keeps finding himself in increasingly ridiculous situations. He suspects his pool guy is dealing drugs. He worries about his wife's yoga instructor. He obsesses over a mysterious car parked outside his house. And somehow, almost every questionable decision Doug makes seems perfectly reasonable…at least to Doug. Christian admits there's more of himself in Doug than you might expect. That leads Jay and Christian into a bigger question: How do you know when you're being persistent and when you're just being pushy? Jay has always believed in making the phone call, asking for the opportunity, and fighting for what you want—even if that occasionally means annoying someone. Christian has traditionally been more cautious. He didn't even show Valley Heat to his manager until he'd made ten episodes and knew he believed in it.  But by the end of their conversation, the two find some common ground: sometimes the phone call you're afraid to make is exactly the one you should make. As Christian puts it, most of us have needed someone to give us advice, open a door, or push us in the right direction—and sometimes getting what you want requires having the nerve to ask.  They also talk about Christian's years at The Groundlings, abandoning stand-up, struggling with creative confidence, making music, building the bizarre world of Valley Heat, and why sometimes the best thing a creative person can do is make something they like and put it into the world. So where's the line? When should you push and when should you back off? Follow Christian Duguay: Socials: https://www.instagram.com/csduguay/  Podcast: https://valleyheatpodcast.com/  Subscribe to Don't Be Alone with Jay Kogen for more conversations with writers, comedians, actors, creators, and thought leaders exploring life, creativity, politics, and the human experience. Website: https://www.dontbealonewjk.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dontbealonewithjaykogen/ https://www.instagram.com/jaykogen/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dont.be.alone.wit Substack: https://substack.com/@jaykogen Merch: https://shop.app/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices