"The Connect w/ Johnny Mitchell" Live Podcast ft. Ian Bick Presented by the New York Comedy Festival
Johnny Mitchell is a stand-up comedian, host, and podcaster based in Los Angeles. He shot to internet stardom in 2022, with his hit podcast series "The Connect," where he talks about his days as a drug trafficker and the time he spent in prison. Now he travels the world interviewing retired criminals of all types-- (and some not-so retired) bank robbers, drug kingpins, cartel members, mafia dons, and everyone in between. In one year, "The Connect" has amassed 900,000 subscribers and over 500 million views on YouTube, and gained a worldwide audience on Tik Tok.
Johnny continues to punish himself nightly in stand-up comedy clubs, and is now a headlining comic on tour across the U.S.
Johnny's guest, Ian Bick, was a nightclub owner at 18, federal inmate at 21, grocery store department manager at
25, and successful podcast host at 28.
After turning a penchant for throwing parties into a booming business, Ian found himself in over
his head. He was in debt, had a gambling addiction, and needed to answer to his investors. At age
21, he was charged with wire fraud and money laundering and sentenced to 36 months in federal
prison.
When he got out, he tried to live a normal life for a while. But ambition still lived inside of Ian.
Now older and wiser, Ian put himself on the line and used the pieces of his life to build
something magnificent. Rather than try to hide from the last decade, Ian wanted to bare it all.
Using social media as his incubator, he grew a brand centered around telling stories like his.
After creating content on TikTok, Ian launched the “Locked In with Ian Bick” podcast in 2023.
He interviews former prison inmates, law enforcement officers, lawyers, and others who have
been impacted by the criminal justice system.
Ian put everything on the line to produce a high-quality, in-person podcast. In less than one year
and over 50 episodes, Ian has amassed hundreds of thousands of podcast downloads and millions
of views on his short-form content.
Ian is dedicated to helping people like himself and like his guests. He’s a board member of the
National Association for Re-Entry Professionals and has presented at conferences dedicated to
reforming the criminal justice system in the United States.
