Ebbs and Flows

I was having lunch with a friend yesterday who was trying to figure out her next career moves as she recently quit her corporate job. As I checked my phone, I received a rejection email from a comedy club that my comedian friend calls the coldest email he has ever seen. Essentially the email from this booker said I will never work as a headliner for his club but in a less diplomatic way.

Not only was it upsetting to receive the email as I had worked the club for years as a feature, but the manner in which it was sent was clearly sent from a person seeking to harm me emotionally and mentally. Perhaps my emails were annoying or he just didn’t think I was funny. My friend sitting with me was taken aback at how casually I was taking it. I have to admit it was painful to receive that message and I think about it every minute still.

Within literal minutes of the rejection email being received and discussed with my friend, a suited man with a laminated name tag approached our table and said “Paul?”

I looked up and assumed it was a lawyer from a formal life as I was in downtown Chicago not far from the courthouse. “I am sorry, you don’t know me but I am huge fan of your work and have followed your career for some time online and would love to have you at a theater I now work at. Would you be interested?” 

The club that rejected me is a big named club in a small town. The guy who approached me runs a theater 6x the size in a similarly sized city. I told him I would be honored to work there and he said he will reach out with details.

I often say there is ups and downs in comedy and it happens quickly. But this was somewhat poetic. Hopefully I can book that theater show soon!  #formerlawyer #careerchange #comedy #standup