No doubt about it, at some point in your comedy journey you will be invited to – or thrown in the middle of – a comedy contest. In response to a listener question (thanks Brent!) we spend this episode weighing the pros and cons of participating in comedy competitions.
My first inadvertent night onstage, I found myself the lowest ranking comic in an ongoing contest. Looking back, it was hard to lose since I didn’t know I was even playing. Now, with 23 years under my belt I have some strong opinions on what makes one of these events worthwhile. We talk specifically about:
- Challenging the idea of even judging an art form in the first place
- Weighing the results of “audience response” based contests
- Potential benefits of a night judged by industry folk (bookers, agents, etc.,)
- Why having only one goal can set you up for failure
- The benefits of having to prepare “your best set”
- Leveraging that seven minutes onstage for other opportunities
- Why the green room may not be the best place to hang during the show
- How a contest can help raise your profile
- Why you should choose to focus on things that you can control
- Using a contest to “set a stake in the ground” to mark your progress
- How the contest may pay off several years down the line
- Off stage goals you can set to help propel your career
- One mindset to help you far beyond winning a contest
And much more!
I hope this episode gives you plenty to think about when you sing up for a competition. I would love to hear you success stories!
Best wishes!
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