Comedian Stories: Recent Episodes
Jan McInnis
Unique comedy stories from an unknown comedian who’s made her living telling and selling jokes for over 2 decades. From bombing to working with celebrities, and performing in weird venues Jan tells you the inside scoop on being a true working comedian, and she does it with stories in under 5 minutes. She also talks about selling comedy material to everyone from the Tonight Show to guests on the Jerry Springer Show Each podcast ends with a “lesson learned” take-away tip that is appropriate for everyone, even if you’re not a comedian.
Today's podcast is my 150th episode. I'm doing a quick look back on some of the episodes and encouraging you to listen to them. I'm also reminding you of a second podcast I'm co-hosting with comedian Frank King titled Over Fifty and F'ing Funny - interviews with working, non-famous comedians.
This episode on "Burning Lunch" is a quick story on something that happened many moons ago and still kind of mystifies those of us involved today. It happened over a year while I was doing 40 comedy shows for one group. We asked ourselves, What makes a good lunch, and why would you not like a sandwich for lunch? As we kick off the new year, give some thought as to what things from 2020 you can burn and feel good about it.
Sure comedians remember things like their first time on stage or the first time they worked with a big star. But sometimes the firsts in comedy are things that are even bigger than those.
In my podcast this week, I talk about 3 comedy firsts that I vividly remember that impacted me and kept me excited about my new career. And they aren't firsts that you usually think about when going into comedy. Take a listen.
Yes comedians get asked weird questions. Probably because people aren't used to meeting comedians, so they just blurt out stupid questions, but also I think that people hat since we talk about ourselves on stage, people think we're okay with answering pretty much any questions off stage. But that is not really true. Here's a few of the weird questions I've been asked.
Golfing and cops usually don't mix, unless you lived in my neighborhood. The place I called home when I first move to LA was pretty dicey, and full of cops. This week I'm telling a quick story about my run in with the law when all I wanted to do was golf.
All you've got to do to get famous is get on one of those shows like Last Comic Standing, and do really well - right? Well maybe or maybe not. Here's a short story about my auditions for these kinds of shows. Yeah, this episode went over 5 minutes. . . and I could have stretched this to 2 episodes, but I didn't. Enjoy this peak into comedy competitions.
Not spending the holidays with your family because you don't want to kill them with a virus is one thing, but missing family get-togethers because you're working on the road as a comedian is totally different. In this episode, I talk about a couple of depressing, memorable times where I missed holidays with my family in order to do comedy.
This is a really short episode today but this story has just stuck with me. A lot of bar gigs were hard for me, and this one just kinda summed up all of those bar gigs. When you go through stuff like this, and still do stand-up comedy, you know that you really want to do stand up comedy.
Prop comics are entertainers who use props; anyone from stand-up comedians to magicians, hypnotists and the like can be considered prop comics if they include humor in their act along with something visual. There are good and bad things about being a prop comic, and I've worked with a few in good and bad situations. Here's a couple quick stories.
Performing comedy in front of zoom may be one of the hardest things to do. But as a comedian and keynote speaker it's something I HAVE to do now. So I've come up with 5 quick tips that have helped me do comedy on zoom SUCCESSFULLY. Hopefully these will help you regardless of if you're doing comedy or just giving a quick presentation.
Yes, I've done my comedy at a resort for gay men . . . and it went great for ME. Not so great for the other 2 acts. This week's podcast is a short story about that show and what I learned.
Writing jokes for specific audiences is so much fun because you learn about the group, and the jokes usually help you connect right away! When you're working comedy clubs, you can't interview the audience ahead of time, but you can still do a little customization. Here's a few tips I've picked up along the way for customizing a comedy show . . . or any event really.
Being live on hundreds of radio shows is a learning experience for sure, and one that has helped me even today with my virtual comedy events today. I'm not sure I learned from every show, but there were lots of strange experiences. Like the time they booked me and my clean comedy at the same time they booked a guy talking about swingers. It was too funny.
Listen to my short podcast on some of the radio shows I've been on.
Some comedians don't know when to stop with the jokes! Maybe you know someone like this who isn't even a comedian! But for me, I feel like we don't have to be "on" all the time - it's annoying. Here's a quick podcast about a couple guys I know who just can't stop with the jokes.
Our Baby Boomer Comedy Show is a hit! Or at least it is a hit give or take COVID. I'm sure we'll be performing it again in theatres soon, but this week's podcast focuses on how we got started with the show and a few of the hurdles we had to jump to get it up and running.
If you were around in the 70's and 80's you might have heard about a nifty type of programming called Cable Access. The cable companies were new, and as such they were required to allow anyone to put together a TV for free using their equipment for free.
In my podcast this week, I talk about working on a couple of these cable access shows. They were kind of goofy, but fun. And we got to use professional equipment at no charge. Can you imagine companies letting you do that today?
My podcast is produced every Thursday and is titled Comedian Stories: Tales From the Road in Under 5 Minutes." I kick it off with humor from my live comedy show, then I tell a quick story from my life as a comedian, and I end with a take-away tip of what I learned from that story.
How often does my comedy act change? That's a question that comedians get asked a lot. In this episode I talk about writing new jokes versus using the standard jokes for my act.
Should actors be comedians and comedians be actors? Well, that can happen, but just because you're one doesn't mean you can be the other. In today's podcast, comedian Jan McInnis talks about a few random acting classes and auditions she's done, and her thoughts on acting.
People go to comedy clubs all the time to celebrate, birthdays, weddings, even winning a million bucks. True! Here's a few stories of times when I've been on stage when some celebrations were taking place. I always tried to participate fully in the celebrations, even when they were annoying.
Is it better to have a small crowd or a big crowd at your comedy show? In today's podcast, Jan talks about how comics treat small crowds differently, and what her experience has been with small crowds. Listen in and see if you agree!
Being the designated driver is a nice thing to do, but sometimes you get taken advantage of! I learned this on several occasions when I showed up to the gig with a car, and the other comic needed a ride. I'm still happy to give rides, but now I put some limits on it. Here's a couple quick stories of getting and receiving rides.
Many keynote speakers and motivational people will tell you to, quote, find your passion! But that's hard to do! Sure some of us have found it, but you might not really know what your passion is. So instead, I have a couple of quick tips on how to find your passion organically, without all the searching. Enjoy today's podcast.
I've worked with some big name headliners, which has given me the opportunity to watch how they treat other comics and the audience. Some are great, and some are not so great. Here's a quick story about 2 big name headliners, and the differences I saw. One of them was great, and one of them was not-so-great.
Comedians are offered all sorts of "deals" in comedy in order to get booked. Some deals are great, and some are less-than great. Here's a quick story about a time that I was offered a GREAT deal . . .for $3500. Would you take it?
I was amazed that they even had the guts to call me with this "deal." Once I got over being stunned, I came up with a plan. Check out what I did, and no, it wasn't mean.
My podcast is produced every Thursday and includes a clip of my clean comedy live, a short story under 5 minutes, and a take-away tip of what I learned.
Everyone has fans, and even unknown comedians like me have a few. And I'm a fan of other people's work as well. But what happens when people don't appreciate having fans? Here's a short story about a few times that I've reached out to people to say I'm a fan.
Moving from doing only comedy shows to doing humor keynotes that had comedy and a message was hard. I was used to constant laughs and now I was going to add in some more serious stuff to make a keynote. I talked to my buddy Frank King and got a great transition line, and then I practiced a lot. Here's a quick story about how I went from doing only comedy shows to doing keynotes that had humor plus a message.
I've talked about comedy condos and how they, sometimes, weren't that great. But in this podcast episode, I talk about some of the things that were good about them. Many of the club owners tried to make a nice accommodation for us comedians, so that we could arrive at the comedy show fresh and ready to perform.
Today's episode is about the reasons people use to NOT book you for an event. I do understand that my keynote and comedy may not fit for everyone, but getting feedback on why it wasn't a match is sometimes really hard. Listen here for the most over-used reason for not booking a comedian or keynote speaker - it's annoying!
Corporate Comedian is not a new term or an old term. It's a made-up term that I made up. And I've been a corporate comedian for over 20 years. On today's episode, I share a quick story on how I came up with the name and why I came up with it.
. People love that joke because they can relate to it. And this week I'm talking about the reasons you should use humor in your business and personal communications. Today's tip – use humor because it gives you an instant connection with others, and it makes you approachable. Don't you love that ah ha moment when people "get" your humor? It's an instant connection, and that's what we're looking for with people– whether it's a client, coworker, new friend, or staff person, you can both get on the same page with a little humor. It also lets others know that you are approachable. Don't you feel like you can talk to someone who's using a little humor? It's usually to our advantage to let people know they can talk to you . . .and humor helps with that.
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That's it for this episode. Take care and enjoy your journey.
That joke is one of my most memorable jokes and I get a LOT of people telling me they love it. This week I'm talking about the reasons you should use humor in your personal and business life, and today's tip . . because it introduces you. Listen to the humor that people use, it'll tell you about them. If someone makes a snarky comment, then you kind of know the frame of mind they're in. And if you use humor, you can also give people information about yourself. My joke today told you right away that I'm an aunt, and I spend money on my nieces and nephews. Use humor to say things without saying them, and also listen to other people's humor. You'll get insight into their personality.
If you want to learn quick ways to put humor into your written and verbal communications, then check out my book on Amazon Finding the Funny Fast.
That's it for this episode. Take care and enjoy your journey.
I wish I could remember everything from my comedy career because I've had some fun experiences. Names and faces are the worst for me because I just don't have the knack for them. Here's a story about meeting a famous guy, having lunch with him, and now I can't remember all the details. My advice in this episode is something I wish I'd have taken long ago.
Do you have rules for your business? Regardless of whether you're self-employed or working for a big corporation, you should write rules that reflect your values and what you will or won't put up with. Having rules helps guide you when you're faced with a decision that you're not sure about. Here are four rules that I made up for my comedy business.
Having a bad show for a comedian is part of the gig because not everyone likes your humor. But my buddy comedian Frank King had someone who overreacted BIG time to not liking his jokes. So I'm turning this podcast over to him to tell the story about having a bad show.
Whenever you move into something new/different there are new/different worries that come with it. And as I went from marketing employee to comedian full-time, there were LOTS of things to worry about. Here's one thing that helped me take the sting out of the worries. Maybe it'll help you too.
Hecklers are one of the things that scares people away from trying standup comedy. They visualize being on stage and being skewered by a heckler, and yes, that happens, but not as often as you think. Most comedians have figured out how to handle hecklers and keep the show moving. I haven't had a lot of experience with hecklers, but here's a few ways that I have dealt with them.
This is a short episode about how I met my 1 international friend! LOL. I don't travel internationally much, but I'd love to do more. For the moment though, I'll have to settle for my one friend whom I've only met once but have been friends with for over 20 years.
I haven't lost my temper much in this comedy business, but when I do, it's memorable! Here's a quick story of a time that I got so angry at the LAX Hilton parking garage manager. The hotel pulled a really bad trick on me, and I was furious. I get mad just thinking about it. I hope you enjoy this story and what I learned from it. This is a useful for all of us now, during this time when clients are few and far between.
When you think of entertainers and comedy, you think of big makeup. Comedy and makeup tend to go together. But that's not my style. Sure I wear it onstage, but not so much off stage. If I ever got famous, the Tabloids would have a big scoop getting a picture of me wearing it, not without it. In this week's podcast, I'm talking of a time that I actually did need to wear a lot of makeup. I hope you enjoy it!
My main website TheWorkLady.com
My book on writing humor - it's appropriate for everyone! It's the second one down: Finding the Funny Fast
Most comedians are really nice, but with all professions, sometimes you run into some jerks! In this episode, I list a couple of the tricks that comedians have pulled on either myself or some other comedian. Thanks for listening! Check out my main website at TheWorkLady.com
Check out Jan's books here: Jan's Books
My first electronic rolodex was a big deal, but not because I could finally get rid of the scraps of paper. No, this first rolodex saved my sanity. Here's a quick story about it.
Nothing stinks more than having your car broken into. Here's a quick story of what happened to me at New York New York casino in Las Vegas years ago. And yes, I see the irony in having my car broken into at that particular casino!
The term "slow pay" in comedy is a nicer way of saying that you're not getting paid on time. Slow pay has happened to me a couple times, and it's not good. This week's episode is a quick story about a time when I avoided the dreaded slow pay!
Why should you write a book on comedy writing or on comedy travels? I had no intention of writing any books when I started out, but I just sort of fell into the book writing thing, and it worked out well. Here's a short podcast on how I became an author.
I've performed at a few country clubs, and they've been great audiences. Sometimes, though. there have been a few funny things. Here's a couple quick stories about my experiences.
I've sold comedy material to everyone on the planet, and I've done it as a freelance comedy writer. In this week's episode, I talk about how I got these comedy writing gigs, and what NOT to do. Check it out and maybe this will spur you on to get some gigs you want.
Comedy clubs have traditionally done business booking on a handshake, and that's how I did it when I worked the clubs. But nowadays I need a contract for any bookings. Comedy contracts have saved me on several occasions. Here's my weekly podcast about a couple times that having a contract has really helped.
Ghosting is the new term for being a jerk! It's when you're in a conversation with someone, either through email or phone, and then all of a sudden they stop responding. I've had this happen over the years, and it's rude. Here's a couple of quick stories about being ghosted.
We all get those clients who are just tough to work with, and many of them put out bad energy that affects us! In this week's podcast, Jan talks about two comedy events where she had to deal with clients and their bad energy. There is a good moral to the story of how we should treat others.
Headshots were a big deal in comedy and in entertainment when I started out. Now the camera on our phones is better than what we had 20 years ago, but back then headshots were expensive and you really had to find a good photographer. This week's podcast is a quick story about my first headshot and what I did wrong.
I once worked with Michael Richards, the guy who played Cramer on Seinfield, and he was great. We got along well, and he really liked my act. I also got a great education in getting permission. This week's episode reinforced something I already knew. Thanks for listening!
This is my 100th episode of my podcast titled Comedian Stories! Today I discuss the commencement address I gave at my nieces college graduation ceremony. This is my advice for surviving life, and it's how I've gotten through over 25 years of being a comedian and keynote speaker. I hope you enjoy it!
Sometimes you hit the jackpot in comedy and you wind up doing a bunch of shows for the same organization. This podcast talks about a couple of times this has happened to me. Whether it's being the master of ceremonies or a comedy show or a keynote - there are several great reasons, aside from the money, why I enjoy doing several shows for one group.
What's it like backstage in the green room? Well, it varies. It seems no two green rooms are alike, and there are pros and cons to them. I talk about a couple of my green room experiences in this episode of my weekly podcast.
One thing us comedians and keynote speakers get a lot of on the road are gifts! Over my 25 year career, I've gotten a ton of different things from the conferences - clothes, food, toys. You name it and I've probably got it. Here's a quick podcast about this stuff.
A comedy writing class should be pretty straight forward, right? But sometimes you get comedy material for the class on the way to it! Here's my short podcast on a comedy writing class I took when I was first getting into comedy.
Cell phones are great - unless you're a performer onstage and people don't turn them off. Even worse, they talk on them! I lost my temper years ago when cell phones were new and people were answering them at inappropriate times. Here's that story for this week's Comedian Stories Podcast.
My Comedian Stories Podcast this week talks about a few of the projects I've done outside of comedy, and why I do other things besides just write jokes for my act.
Stalking is real in entertainment, even if you're not a famous comedian! In this episode, I talk about my little experience with being stalked, or at least tracked. It's kind of unnerving, and makes me wonder how the big name comedians deal with it!
What can you do when your car breaks down all over the country? I had to deal with car troubles constantly, and I spent a lot of time and money in repair shops. Here's a quick story about my car in it's final days.
Ask any comedian their toughest story, and there's a good chance they'll talk about car troubles. Comedians working the road spend a ton of money on car repairs, and in this episode comedian Jan McInnis shares one of her car repair stories and what she learned from it.
My previous podcast talked about one of my biggest lessons in booking myself that I made. In this podcast, I talk about how I recovered from that lesson and was able to get back on track and get even more bookings than before. I hope you enjoy it.
Here's my comedy emcee website
A lot of comedy and comedy booking is a learning curve, and I tend to learn the hard way. I thought I had all my comedy bookings set, but then things changed. Here's a quick story about what I didn't do so well.
Comedy has many gatekeepers. Some of these people know are respectful of their positions, and some of them use their power to make other people's lives miserable. Here's my story of a gatekeeper in New York who wasn't super nice to comics trying to get passed so they could work at the club.
Comedy classes for wannabe comedians can be a great idea if you get the right classes. Here's my experience and my advice for taking a comedy class. It's not just about people saying they can teach you comedy; they need to actually be able to do it themselves.
Comedians joke about all sorts of things, so it's easy to get caught up in their show and feel like you can say ANYTHING to them. But don't! As a comedian who's been touring for over two decades, here's a few things that I don't like to hear from an audience member after the show.
As a comedian, I'm amazed that my clients occasionally don't realize the power that they have. Not the mean kind of power, but rather the kind that they can flex to make sure that they're getting what they are paying for. Here's a couple of examples.
Comedians impersonate political figures and celebrities all the time, and in this episode, comedian Jan McInnis talks about the time that she and her comedian friend Frank King impersonated Bill and Hillary Clinton at a trade show. The client had a good idea, but it was a lot of work!!
Comedians can make BIG bucks impersonating celebrities and political figures. Here's a few minutes on the process of transforming myself from comedian Jan McInnis into Hillary Clinton impersonator Jan McInnis. It was an interesting procedure and NOT like you see in the Mission Impossible movies!
There are a few prestigious comedy competitions in the country, and the San Francisco Comedy competition is one of them. Comedians compete during a week of shows around San Francisco and audiences vote each night on a winner. I was fortunate to be included in one of the competitions.
Comedians get offered trades all the time. Hey we already have an act, why won't you do it for $20 bucks, right? I think that is what some people think. And if they don't offer you a few bucks, they'll offer to trade you something. Here's a few trades I've done and not done.
We comedians go on tour, but I also like to take tours. Tours of the places where the groups I speak to work that is. If I'm offered a tour I take it, and if I don't get offered one, I ask. I love learning about industries that I'll never work in; that's one of the fun parts of my job. Here are a few of the tours I've taken.
Comedy is fun but some of the places I've stayed in are not. . . or at least they'e kind of weird. It's not always standard hotels. Here's a few of the unusual places that I've gotten to sleep in thanks to being a comedian!
Travel is great and it's part of the gig as a comedian, but you can miss a lot of things going on back home. Here's one of the biggest things I missed while i went out for a few weeks.
You're not going to like all the comedians you work with, but some of them are more than jerks. They're idiots and they're dangerous. Here's one story of a guy I had to work with who was just awful.
Running out of meals before I go onstage has happened more than once. How do you deal with it when your audience isn't too happy. Here's a few stories about miscounting meals. The biggest snafu was the group of 4400 people and they ran out of meals for 1500 people. . . and it was their employee appreciate dinner!
I haven't spent much time in New York City but I did go up to the comedy clubs a few times. Here's a quick story about visiting the clubs.
I moved to LA for my comedy career, and the drive started out pretty easy. It got a little rough part way through. Here's my quick story about driving to LA.
On the road, comics have all sorts of places we like to hang out. But sometimes we get a little grief for our choices. Here's what happened to me when I was at a bar gig and wanted to find a library!
In over 25 years in this comedy business, I think I've only once have I said I couldn't do something because I was a woman. But this time I had a good reason. Here's my story.
Jay Leno was always one of my comic idols and I finally got a chance to meet him AND submit jokes for his monologue. I was thrilled! Here's a quick story about meeting him and writing for him.
It's sad to say that there are people who will steal your jokes. There's a few things you can do to protect the jokes, but it's kind of frustrating that we comedians have to worry about that. Here's my take on joke stealing in comedy.
There's all sorts of comedy from stories to set-up punch jokes to audience work. All of them can be funny but I feel that you should do your best not to take cheap shots and make fun of people, unless you do it tastefully!
Writing jokes for the companies I do comedy shows and humor keynotes for is a lot of fun. It's a great way to connect with the audience and learn about what they are dealing with.
Performing comedy on cruise ships takes you all over the place. One thing that I don't like though, is the travel part of it because it can get a little dicey!
One of the biggest comedy clubs in Los Angeles is the Comedy Store, and to get an audition so that you can work there is a BIG deal. I got the audition, had a GREAT set, and here's what happened.
Comedians get booked in all sorts of events and sometimes those events aren't a great match! Here's my quick story about performing for a group of coal miners. It happened a long time ago, but still left a mark!
Comedy clubs have the formula for a successful comedy show, and that includes going straight through without an intermission. But sometimes, when you do comedy shows that are not comedy club shows, the clients have an idea; they want to split up your act. Here's Jan's take on it.
Performing at open mics is the usual way that comedians get started. Here's a few thoughts from Jan on doing open mics.
Taking the plunge from a regular day job in marketing to go into stand up comedy might be a little scary. I talk about when I decided to make the transition.
This podcast is the sequel to part 1 OBVIOUSLY. As I mentioned, comedy doesn't usually start smoothly. . .there are many starts and stops. Here's part 2 of my starts and stops for leaving my day job and going full-time into comedy!
A comedy career usually doesn't start smoothly; there are starts and stops and then some more starts and stops. Here's a short version how how Jan made the move from her day job into full time comedy.
Comedians aren't usually OVER paid. . it's sometimes hard to get the money that we were promised. But sometimes we do get a little extra. Here's a few times it happened to me.
Comedy Doesn't work for EVERY function! Here's Jan's story about a few events that shouldn't have had a comedy show.
Getting comedy gigs 25 years ago was a little different 25 years ago than it is today; there weren't websites and social media to spread the word. Here's how I first started getting work as a comedian.
This is a short podcast on a few comedy terms you may hear; just so you understand a little of the language of comedians. There are several other terms, but these are some of the more common ones.
I get asked a lot if I write my own comedy material. That's a weird question because most comedian should write their own material. Here's what I think on the topic of writing comedy.
Getting Star Power as a comedian can either show that you're either a jerk or a nice human being. I've worked with several big names and the way they treat their audiences tells me a lot about them.
Comedians are asked to do all sorts of weird things besides tell jokes! And Things like be an imposter where you pretend to be someone else and then make fun of the company or the boss. I've done a few of these and here's my take on doing them.