How To Get Started as a Stand-up Comedian - Grace Victoria

SPEAKER_00 0:04

This is the Beyond the Story Podcast, a show that goes way beyond the story. And now, Sebastian Frost. Grace Victoria, what's up, girl?

SPEAKER_02 0:26

Hi. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00 0:29

Thanks for being here. You and I met on Instagram. I was one of those guys that slid into the DMs. I was like, hey, funny lady. Got a couple questions for you.

SPEAKER_01 0:38

Um said hard emoji, heart emoji, heart emoji. I was like, who is this?

SPEAKER_00 0:44

I was gonna do one four three, but I didn't know if you were like we're down with the beepers back in the day. I wasn't I wasn't sure.

SPEAKER_02 0:50

I never had one, but my dad did. So you definitely give me dad vibes.

SPEAKER_00 0:54

Oh, thank you. I I don't know if that I don't know if that's good or or bad, but um I'll I'll I'll take it.

SPEAKER_01 1:01

I am a dad, so well then so then, so then there you go. I pinned you. There you go. That's it.

SPEAKER_00 1:05

There's a start. So you've uh created a pretty good uh hobby of becoming a local stand-up comic. I call it a hobby because it really is. It's an art to do. Uh it takes a tremendous amount of fear to be able to conquer that, uh, but it also is a tremendous outlet outside of life in general. Now, you've got a what I would call a big girl job. You've got a nine to five uh that that you that that occupies the majority of your time. Uh, but after hours and weekends, you've you've really found a space specifically here in the Miami comedy scene. So I want to first start talking about that, and then we'll segue into how you and I connected because I had a couple of questions, because I myself am an aspiring stand-up comic too. So, how did this, let's let's back up and add some context to the story. How'd this whole thing start? When did you wake up one day and go, you know what? I think I'm funny. I think I've got jokes, and I'm gonna go stand up in front of complete strangers, roll the dice, and tell those jokes. How'd that happen?

SPEAKER_02 1:57

Well, I mean, I I feel like I I've always felt that I was funny. I just never thought about the idea of getting some kind of um like my family always thought I was funny, but they also picked on me a lot. So I felt that um I started stand-up comedy.

SPEAKER_03 2:15

I didn't I woke up one day facing a wall. Literally, my desk was facing a wall. And at the same time, I was facing a wall in every other aspect of my life.

SPEAKER_02 2:27

So I made a bet with a couple of friends that I had started improv with, and we went to our first open mic, and um I had five minutes to talk about whatever it was that I was going through at the moment, and I was like, wow, these people are really laughing at my pain. This is kind of addicting. So ever since then, it's just one of those things that I chase. Um, and not necessarily to seek validation from anyone, it's more for myself because it's so healing to go through something, talk about it, and then people laugh, and you realize, you know what, it's really not that bad if we're laughing about it.

SPEAKER_00 3:02

So I love that.

SPEAKER_02 3:03

It's pretty much the long short of it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:06

Okay. So so it started as a group effort. You and I chatted a little bit about this because I have not, I've only done one open mic in my life, and it was several years ago. So I've been looking to reinitiate um my my new interest and actually conquering that fear um of of of getting up and and doing a five-minute bit, which it seems simple. I've been speaking for well over a decade, but comedy terrifies me. But having some some some some moral and and group support, you guys, so you put a bet together every and everybody wanted to do stand-up, or how did that whole thing work?

SPEAKER_02 3:35

It was so a few of us started improv at just the funny, right? And then about a handful of us decided that we wanted to, you know, we just didn't want our funny to depend on anybody else. We wanted to see what we could do on our own. And so we made a pact. We said, you know what, we're gonna do an open mic together. At least we're just gonna, we're gonna pop that cherry together. And that was um, and just like anything that you do in a group, you know, you keep each other accountable. And, you know, I I was the day of, I was Googling how do I get out of a bet, you know, legally. Like, is anyone gonna hold me to this legally if I just back out of this? And I spent the entire day not doing any of my work, just stressed, looking at the computer, like I have to be there by eight o'clock and I have to do this, and I can't back out, and I can't die between now and then. So um it was five minutes of like you really do think you're going to die. And then you get off stage and you realize you didn't it. You're like, okay, well, if I just approach life this way, everything that I feared, if I just did it, let's see what you know, God knows what can happen. And two and a half years later, I'm I'm doing it and actually getting paid for gigs.

SPEAKER_00 4:46

So that's so great. Okay, so it all started at just the funny.

SPEAKER_02 4:50

It started there. That's where I I lost my my stage virginity, I would say.

SPEAKER_00 4:56

I've heard incredible things about that program. I I don't know where you guys are tuning in from, but locally down here in Miami, there's a uh there's a there's a company called Just the Funny that uh does improv classes, stand-up classes, acting classes, anything you're inspiring to that you may be fearful for. They've got a nine or twelve week program that they run you through that I've I've looked at several times. So uh that's a great starting point, just as a side note if you're wondering where to get started.

SPEAKER_02 5:18

Really gets you out of your comfort zone. You know, it's just a bunch of adults playing. And the idea of that is so foreign because we're not used to playing as adults. You know?

unknown 5:28

Right.

SPEAKER_02 5:29

Aside from like, you know, all the sexual stuff. But you know, uh aside from that, we don't usually play together. You know, we're too old to play. And um, you know, you're you're sometimes have this mindset of you're gonna fail, you're not gonna be good at it. And that's the whole point. It's not being good at it and laughing at yourself for it. And moving on.

SPEAKER_00 5:48

Yeah, some of the greats still write new material and it'll just show up at the club and try it out. I mean, there's no other way to be able to figure out whether or not the the con the content or material is going to work unless you actually try. And I thought about that a lot. I'm like, we're talking about comedy greats that will randomly just show up at a club just just to work on some material. It's part of the actual process.

SPEAKER_02 6:09

Yeah, and you never you you never see them bomb, right? But you know it happens because no one's recording it, right? So, and they themselves will tell you. I mean, I feel I've seen so much of uh Chappelle on TV and he said, you know, I've I've bombed so much, and you're like, how is this even possible? You're the great, but that's how he became great, right?

SPEAKER_00 6:29

But I but I don't think because you're great, that doesn't mean you're never gonna bomb. I think that that just comes with the territory.

SPEAKER_02 6:34

No, it comes with the territory. What I'm saying is that even the greats, you don't you don't see that process. You don't see them going through that process until you yourself are going through that process. And I feel like open mics, um, I was having this conversation with uh with a comedian um in another state, and he was like, Oh, it's the open mic. I don't I don't do open mics and better than that. And I was like, okay, you know, I'm that's cool.

SPEAKER_00 6:58

I've heard somebody else say that.

SPEAKER_02 7:00

Right. So I mean, I'm like, that's cool. That that's that's that's your thing. I don't go to an open mic every night, but when I want to try something out, I want to low key just kind of get some insight on what I'm talking about and how I can reword things. Yeah, I'll definitely dive into an open mic and realize I'm just gonna dust it off if it doesn't go well and try it again next time. But I'm definitely gonna learn something from that night.

SPEAKER_00 7:21

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 7:21

And you know, it's just professional development.

SPEAKER_00 7:24

It sure is. It's it it's certain it's certainly at it at its at its finest.

SPEAKER_01 7:29

At its finest.

SPEAKER_00 7:32

In its finest form. I had a friend tell me a long time ago, Sebastian comedy's easy when it's not expected. And that's so, is that vodka?

SPEAKER_02 7:39

Right.

SPEAKER_00 7:40

Is that vodka?

SPEAKER_02 7:41

No, I just spent coffee. It's in a yeti. Are you kidding? Vodka at 1147 in the morning.

SPEAKER_00 7:48

No, sir. You're a comedian, don't they drink on Wednesdays at noon? Only twice a month.

SPEAKER_02 7:53

I I'm trying to, I'm I'm on a different path. I'm on a different path.

SPEAKER_00 7:57

That's good. That's good. Absolutely. I think I got a text from yesterday who said you were meditating, so I'm I'm I'm here for it. Do you come up with jokes in the in in the midst of meditation at all?

SPEAKER_02 8:08

Do I come up with jokes? Probably on how I'm feeling about it. Not necessarily um, because I don't really think about my jokes. I dive so deep into my consciousness that it's not that's jokes I feel like are very surface level to a certain extent in my life right now, that I'm I'm just diving deeper than that. Um I'm sure jokes are gonna come out eventually, but just not right now.

SPEAKER_00 8:31

You told me one time you get you get inspired in the car and in the shower.

SPEAKER_02 8:35

That's it. That's usually where I'm the funniest, too.

SPEAKER_00 8:39

No one's there to hear anything, but I crushed. I absolutely crushed.

SPEAKER_01 8:45

I always say that like that crushed in the shower the other night, guys. And you know, it works. It works.

SPEAKER_00 8:50

It's kind of like my singing.

SPEAKER_02 8:52

Yeah, yeah. That's where I that's that's I feel like I've been an artist for for a long time. Just the world hasn't known it until now.

SPEAKER_00 9:00

So you told me, you also told me, you told me a bunch of things the other day, which was literally the other day. You said um the the fear is never going to leave. And it's never it's never gonna go away. You you you will confront it every single time. Open mic night, showcase, whatever it might be, it it will be there. And I can relate to that. There's not a time that I step on stage where my knees aren't knocking, my palms aren't sweaty, but when your name is called and the music's playing, there's there is no pausing. It is absolute go time. Most of the time I get off stage and I'm like, what did I just say?

SPEAKER_03 9:34

Right. Right.

SPEAKER_00 9:35

Have you ever done a set when you're like, what were my jokes about? What did I just say? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:39

Kind of that happened to me the other night. I'm actually editing the video, and it's it, you know, it's it sucks not to be able to put all of your material out there, even though um, you know, you've you had a really good set because you don't want to burn your material and then it's like, oh now I not to say that I don't want to continue to write and think of new things, but I want to perfect what I already have.

SPEAKER_03 9:59

And so um the entire I wouldn't say like, I don't know, a good 10 minutes was just me riffing with the crowd.

SPEAKER_02 10:10

And I I got off stage, I'm like, what just happened? I went into this other realm, you know, once they called my name and I was just like spit back out. And I was like, what just happened? That was the most amazing experience I have had in a long time. You know, where in unison it was just the universe was working in my favor. You know, it was about 50, 60 people in the room and all of them laughing at the same time at one thing you said that you wrote, you know, in the car and in the shower, like it blurred me every time. And if you if you today as a comedian don't get nervous and your knees don't buckle, then I don't feel that that it's for you because you're not gonna be able to do that. You're a psychopath. Right. You're a you're a psychopath. I mean, it's just a normal fight or flight reaction to have when the spotlight is on you.

SPEAKER_00 10:57

Let's talk about that that audience engagement for a second. Because I can only I I know what it does for my for my speaking game. Uh in my in my in my MC game, it really helps me connect with the audience. It also gives me material on the fly, and it also is a great diversion to you know, cut time and save time. But in the realm of comedy, there isn't really saving time and cutting time unless you're the host of the show and that's you're coming out to do an opening bid, et cetera. But when you're interacting with the audience, how how do you find it's my job to interact and get a response back from the audience? As a comedian, I would see that it's not your job to get someone to respond back unless it's a simple question. Like, how are you doing tonight, sir? Good. I like your shirt. Nice shirt, buddy. Thanks. And then for I'm gonna acknowledge it because there's always one jackass that wants to come in and engage in some sort of conversation. So how do you mitigate that and shut them up?

SPEAKER_02 11:47

Ah, in in the only way that any good comedian knows how, you make them a part of it, but you also don't turn the crowd. You at first, for me, I personally do not try to turn the crowd against them. Because then that kind of gives us like like this power trip. And I'm I I would rather engage them and make them a part of the show. Like if you're brave enough, let's see. Let's let's let's volley a couple thoughts here and there, right? If I see that they're heckling to a point where they're just obnoxious because you know they've been drinking or they're you know they're on something, um, or maybe they just have something personal against me by my the way that I look, you know, that happens too.

SPEAKER_00 12:24

Um or their dad didn't hug them.

SPEAKER_02 12:27

Or their dad didn't hug them, or something that I said that might have triggered them, and they are just, you know, I'm gonna tell this, you know, this bitch right now what I think. Then then at that point um I resort to the Bronx girl in me, where I'm just like, okay, let's let's have at it. Let's let's make this about it. Right. And I just I am an opportunist. So any moment that I get to just shut them out, I do. And that's when I usually get the crowd with me.

SPEAKER_00 12:54

I would yeah, I would like to think there's there'd be a couple, you know, a couple tricks in in your bag to to be able to mitigate through all of that and be able to help, you know, again, the prime example. I I apologize for your childhood, sir. You know, to to be able to segue out out of that, to be able to have if you've got a heckler, you know, because I've seen some pretty, I mean, I've some I've seen some some pretty incredible uh comics handle some hecklers in in some some pretty amazing ways. And they're and you can't plan for that stuff. So that that's where your art really comes out because you you can't insult them and you can't really drag them out. I mean, I guess you technically could, um, but you're trying to shut them up and silence them and then be able to move on and divert them.

SPEAKER_02 13:32

Right, but in a way that's not, you know, combative or you know, that's gonna create this like hostility, you know, you don't want that energy in there, you know. So that I mean that's just that's just my opinion. And that's as far as I've gotten in comedy, it's just where I'm at. But I've had I've had, you know, disgruntled old men and women and hot girls and uh fuck boys, you know, for lack of a better word, um, you know, to just to to want to just be a part of it. And they, you know, uh nine times out of ten, it they they shut up on their own. They realize they just can't.

SPEAKER_00 14:11

It's too much. It's too much. Do you really want to go there, sir? Is today the day? Public humiliation. How do you feel about public humiliation, sir? So um, so how long do you do open mic nights before you started to get what what happens? You do open mics, then you get phone calls, and people are like, hey, you were pretty funny at the open mic. We're doing a showcase, we'd love to feature you in it. It pays no one million dollars.

SPEAKER_02 14:31

Yeah, pretty much. Pretty much. We'll we'll we'll throw in some gas money for you. How about that?

SPEAKER_00 14:37

Right. You may be able to get a beer or two.

SPEAKER_02 14:39

Um, usually drink tickets are included um in some places, and you know, Miami's becoming more of a of a space where they're paying comedians, you know, 20, 20 bucks, $25, 50 bucks, $75, $100. I've I've gotten paid up to $150. So you know, so for five minutes or seven minutes or ten minutes for hosting, you know, like it's not big money, but you start to add value to what you're doing. You know, it gives you like a starting point.

SPEAKER_00 15:07

Sure. And how long are your bits when it's not open mic? I know open mics are usually kept.

SPEAKER_02 15:12

Open mics are three to five minutes. Um on a show.

SPEAKER_00 15:16

Is there like a timer in the back, or how do you know?

SPEAKER_02 15:18

Yeah, somebody somebody lights you, someone's timing you.

SPEAKER_00 15:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 15:21

And they'll flash a light at you. And you know, it's just bad juju if you run the light. So you have to be aware. They'll usually uh give you the light a minute before you're showing you.

SPEAKER_00 15:30

That'd be cool if everyone just started clapping. You got a light in your face and everyone's just like Well, usually the audience is not even in on it.

SPEAKER_02 15:37

They don't know, they're so enthralled, they're so focused on you that the person who's lighting you is way in the back. And it's just like a quick, hey, get off stage. You have a minute.

SPEAKER_00 15:48

Since you you're my uh you're my um uh what's the word I'm looking for? I've um delegated you to be my stand-up or my open mic coach. So there's a couple things that you gotta know, right, coach. So put me in, coach. There's a couple things you gotta know. And and one of the things was, well, first of all, speaking of moral support, uh, you you so kindly volunteered to to go with the newbie to an open mic, but you also had a few tips. You're like, listen, you need to get there early because you gotta get on the list. You gotta put your name down. So if the show starts at eight, you probably need to be there an hour or more beforehand to get yourself on the list because you're not the only person that may think you're funny and trying comedy.

SPEAKER_02 16:28

It's almost like they're passing out government cheats. Like every the line and the list on that line on the list on uh uh for the open mic is sometimes there's like 30 people.

SPEAKER_00 16:40

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_02 16:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:42

Wow. Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_02 16:43

Because the showcase is only four or five comedians. And then, you know, sometimes the open mic can go till I don't know, one o'clock in the morning. Depends on the location. So 30 people can sign up between 10 and 1.5 minutes.

SPEAKER_00 16:57

Got it. So if you get there early, there's not gonna be 30 people in the sort. At least there shouldn't be.

SPEAKER_02 17:01

No, there might there might be there might be 10 by the time you get by the time you get there early because everyone is operating on the same pretense.

SPEAKER_00 17:07

Like so you can't call ahead of time?

SPEAKER_02 17:09

No, no, you have to be there.

SPEAKER_00 17:11

Duh. That's why they call it an open mic because it's an open opportunity. So uh I didn't know that. So I actually I did know that because the first time I ever did it um was at a place down by the falls, and it was in a warehouse. It used to be called, I don't know what it was called. It was like creative something. Anyway, I went and did it, and I and I put my name on the list. I was the last jackass to go up after everyone was nice and nice and and and well lubricated after the main showcase and then open mics. Um, so it was a I I I saw the direct benefit of being able to make sure that you went up right after the show went on. Right after the show was done and they and the open mic began. Because when you're towards the end of the show, you're losing people. They've drank even more than they were already drinking to. So rowdier. Correct. Correct. I told five jokes, got three laughs. I'll take it. That's good, right?

SPEAKER_02 18:03

It's a good average.

unknown 18:04

Okay, good.

SPEAKER_00 18:05

Excellent. But I I handled it like a speaker, so which doesn't work. Coming out and asking the crowd. I mean, you could ask the crowd how they're doing, but like to bring energy of like I would normally do, that was the biggest shift for me. So we're gonna have to work on that coach.

SPEAKER_02 18:19

I mean, we're we're we're learning together. Let's just let's just do it that way. Let's just say that.

SPEAKER_00 18:25

Hey. With your looks and my jokes, we're going places. All right, all right. Well, listen, uh, our first conversation, I had been following you for a while. I was like, who's this little hot local comedian? I gotta connect with her. So I connected with you, and I'm like, what is some dumb shit I can talk about that doesn't make her think that I want to take her out? So uh I was like, hey, so how do you overcome fear with comedy? And you're like, listen, the fear, and it actually became a productive conversation. It was.

SPEAKER_02 18:49

And you and you and I end up being uh most of my conversations are productive, I would say.

SPEAKER_00 18:53

I I mine are too. Mine are too. Um most of the time. As long as you're not answering random DMs, they're they're they're productive conversations uh on there. But that really initiated things. Uh, you and I got a chance to hang out last week. We went to a breathwork class. We got our we got our woo-woo on. We we we we went in and found our part.

SPEAKER_01 19:14

I was like, why did I meet this person?

SPEAKER_00 19:17

Right. You would never you'd I'm a complete stranger. I'm like, let's go hyperventilate for an hour over in Wynwood. How's that sound?

SPEAKER_01 19:23

You're like somewhere with random strangers.

SPEAKER_00 19:26

Random. It turned into random dinner and conversation after that, where they like closed the restaurant. They were like filling salt shakers. We were still there asking for more pita bread.

SPEAKER_01 19:36

Um I think I'm still feeling the Turkish food we had.

SPEAKER_00 19:38

That's that was a good time. I was thinking about that yesterday. I was like, that may be me and Coach uh open mic's like spot where we go and like run through material.

SPEAKER_02 19:48

Beautiful space though. I'm down to like go discover other, you know, other areas in that in that plaza.

SPEAKER_00 19:54

For sure. We're talking about Upper Buena Vista uh here in uh Miami. So if you're local to Miami, Upper Buena Vista up on the Upper East Side, north of the design district in Wynwood and Midtown, funky little part of town, up and coming, but this place is really cool. The place we went to was Modern Home, where we did breath work. Um, and then there's shops and restaurants and a very good Turkish restaurant that we uh had the pleasure of indulging in. So, well, listen, Grace, I wanted to encourage you to keep keep up the great work. I tell you this all the time. Uh, you're you're a you're a funny lady and you're you're going places uh with what you're doing on here. I think that uh comedy is gonna become more and more and more and more and more part of your life even more than it already is. So I I I'm grateful for um for being able to connect with you and now that we're friends and you're my coach and you know I'm gonna make your podcasting dreams come true. You're gonna make my open mic fear, well, you're not gonna make it go away, but we're gonna plow right through it like the Kool-Aid man.

SPEAKER_02 20:48

Right.

SPEAKER_00 20:49

So um if you want to connect with Grace, she's very funny. You need to follow her on Instagram. She puts her, she puts some of the clips up from some of her sets, not all of them, because you know the material is a work in progress. It is. You can find her link's gonna be in the in the show notes. That's the description of this podcast episode. Get your work. That's not my shirt.

SPEAKER_02 21:05

OG comedy.

SPEAKER_00 21:07

OG comedy, right there. So very O H O G comedy. This is a family-friendly show, Grace. Uh uh on Instagram. The link will be available in the show notes on here. Make sure you connect with her, Grace. I look forward to I look forward to doing a showcase with you. Okay, let's just swing for the fences. And hey, we got to think anyway, so why not think big on here? Hey, we may just host a showcase together.

SPEAKER_02 21:30

We might.

SPEAKER_00 21:31

With Breathwork after. We bring your Kleenex. Bring your Kleenex. We are. We're gonna crack you, we're gonna crack you up, and we're also going to crack you wide open. Yeah, right. I'm gonna go crack you up and make you cry. Absolutely. Well, listen, I I have a feeling that you're gonna come back sometime soon to the show. Are you down for that?

SPEAKER_02 21:54

Of course. Of course. I'm down anytime.

SPEAKER_00 21:56

Absolutely. Ladies and gentlemen, Grace Victoria, very funny comic. Make sure you follow and connect with her and stay tuned. I'm doing an open mic. I'm coming for you, comedy world. I'm coming for you. Be good, Grace. I'll see you soon.

SPEAKER_02 22:07

All right, bye. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 22:10

Thanks so much for tuning into this episode of the Beyond the Story Podcast. Be sure to appreciate it. If you haven't done so already, make sure you subscribe to the show. This way you'll get updates as new episodes become available. If you feel so inclined, please leave us a review. Be sure to appreciate it. Signing off from the podcast, Launchlab.com studios. I'll talk to you next time.