I’ve been doing stand-up comedy professionally for almost 15 years, but for 13 of those years, I was doing it wrong. Maybe not necessarily from the performance or writing perspective, but from the marketing end.
While I was driving 7 hours to gigs in the middle of nowhere for less than stellar pay, week in and week out, I thought getting more gigs, booked in more rooms and in front of the right influential people, that I would end up going places. And that I did – going to more low pay one-nighter gigs at bars and clubs. Still barely able to make rent. Still driving the same beat-up car. Still struggling to keep my schedule full so I can get by.
Until I got connected.
Through this blog, creating online content, conversations on Twitter and Facebook, guest writing on other sites, attending or speaking at conferences, participating in webinars and joint venturing with other people on creative projects online – I’ve made more advancement in my comedy career in 2 years than I have the 13 years previously.
I went from doing 30-35 weeks on the road to hand-picking only the gigs I want to do, eliminating much of the grueling travel and opting to stay close to home more often. I went from taking any and every booking that came my way, regardless of pay, to now declining more gigs than I actually do. I’m performing on stage less, but I’m making way more money. I no longer have to just “get by”.
That’s why I don’t want my fellow creative performers to get stuck in the same rut as I was in. As comedians, you have a very unique gift that can be applied in many different ways across the board. It’s not just about standing on stage at a comedy club and making 150 drunks laugh at a few jokes. You’re a content creator, no matter what platform it’s on. Utilize them all, especially when the internet makes it so fucking easy to get it out there to so many people – more than the 40 rednecks who you’re bombing in front of at a dive bar in Tennessee on a Tuesday night.
Recently, I spoke with Josh Spector of Connected Comedy on how comedians need to approach their career from 2011 onward. Take a listen above.
Don’t be one of those washed-up dinosaur headliners who let their career slip right by them. Get connected or die.