When the Law of Attraction Collides with the World of Stand Up Comedy

I am a big fan of The Secret.  Ever since my first viewing of the tremendous video of the same name, I always seem to have a bit of "universal attraction" floating in the back of my mind.  If nothing else, it's just plain fun.  I tend to have strong focus (sometimes more than I'd like judging by the number of rescued dogs in my house) and a clear picture in my mind of the goal I am trying to attain.

     A couple of weeks ago, I had one of those "secret" moments which really caused my jaw to drop!  As I drove in my car from errand to errand throughout the northwest suburbs of Chicago, I listened to WGN Radio.  I am fascinated by the humor and interaction of Bill Leff and Wendy Snyder.

     As I listened to the two co-hosts interact I imagined how absolutely wonderful it would be to co-host a show on WGN Radio.   I absolutely love being a guest comedian on WGN Radio and whenever I leave the Chicago radio station after an interview, I feel like the kid who has to leave the birthday party early.  To me, being a guest on the radio is very much like having an endless conversation with a girlfriend on the phone.  Chat, chat, laugh, chat and laugh.  What's not to like?!  Let's just say I was basically consumed by these thoughts of co-hosting on WGN Radio as I ran errands this afternoon and could not let them go.

     When I came home from running my errands I sat down at my computer and there was an email from Rick Geiser who is the publicist for Zanies Comedy Clubs.  Right there in front of me in black and white was an inquiry as to whether I would like to co-host an hour home improvement show called The Down and Dirty Show with Frank Fontana!  Would I?!

     Have you ever had the Universe work so diligently for you?

Christian Comedy - 90 Year Old Grandma Dances to Stage and Diapers Baby Pig

This is the reason why I love performing as a female Christian Comedian.  Here is a video of a 90-year old grandma who was sitting in the audience at my Christian Comedy show in Louisville, KY.  I don't think she ever expected to be the star of the comedy show that night. When I pulled her from the audience to come on stage to diaper a stuffed pig, she grabbed her cane and danced little steps to the stage.  She then diapered that baby stuffed animal like a pro! This senior lady had a positive attitude and lit up the room.

Some Christian women would never see a comedy show unless a Christian Comedian came their church.  I am so happy to be able to share my funny world and laugh with them.

Christian Comedy - Performed Near Louisville, KY

ComedyBySally.com

Christian Comedian Jokes About Her Husband

Female Christian Comedian Sally Edwards

My husband is always claiming that I'm going deaf.  I proved him wrong!
(Female Christian Comedian performs clean comedy at St. John's United Methodist Church in Louisville, KY)

http://comedybysally.com

The Down and Dirty Show - Frank Fontana Welcomes Clean Comedian Sally Edwards - Home Improvement News

I was honored to co-host the "Down and Dirty" Show with Home Improvement Guru Frank Fontana this week.  In addition to being a wonderfully nice person, his radio persona is very engaging and he has the talent to allow a comedian to set up a joke and deliver it well!

And - he takes a nice picture.  Thanks Frank!

Click Here to go to The Down and Dirty Show with Frank Fontana

Also on the Show were two Incredible Women!

Jill Paider - Jill travels the world and specializes in photographing food, people and architecture.  Photos on her web site are nothing short of stunning!

Kelly Rizzo - Kelly is hosting a new television show based in Chicago called "Food Junkie" in which she visits restaurants and discovers all sorts of tricks-of-the-trade from a back door perspective.

Stand-up Comedians and Marketing - Know Your Value

Zanies Comedy Club

Young comedians are eager to please comedy club owners and they know the importance of writing new material on a regular basis.  However, this is only one element in the larger picture of comedy as a business and career.  It is equally important to develop business skills and good marketing habits. Surprisingly "being the funniest" will not necessarily propel you to a headline spot.  There is something much more important that will make you shine and get you booked often and for increasingly good pay.

Comedy Club owners are interested in headline comedians who fill their seats.  Ultimately, that is what will keep the comedy club open and thriving.  To recognize this is a new talent is invaluable.  Building a mailing list and a successful social media campaign will connect you to friends, family and fans.  If a club owner sees that you are motivated to bring patrons to his door, your value has increased tenfold.

Because comedians are prone to creativity, they generally focus on "funny."  The reasoning is that "funny" brings rewards.  "Funny" gets the emcees spot.  "Funnier" gets the feature spot.  "Funniest" gets the headliner spot.  I have performed as a stand up comedian for over 20 years and I have seen some of the "funniest" never quite make it.  The brilliant comedians can fall by the wayside, appreciated for their genius only by other admiring comedians.  This occurs when business sense does not quite catch up to creative sense.

Last year, I booked a small comedy room and I experienced first-hand what comedy club owners see as "value" in a comedian.  The comedy room was new and desperately needed patrons.  I initially made efforts to create the funniest show possible.  With a limited budget for advertising, I was reliant upon word of mouth and basic internet social media to get the word out in a very short amount of time.  Ironically, the "funniest" no longer had the same value to me when I was on the other side of the booking fence.

The comedians who were most valuable to me were the ones making an all-around effort.  They were contacting friends, making mentions on Facebook and Twitter and writing blogs.  My most valuable act of the year was a new comedian who did a great guest set and invited thirty friends.  He did his homework, created a buzz and got the laughs.  The club had a great night and made me understand the true value of a working comedian.