May 30, 2019
Announcements
- This is the last episode of season 1. Season 2 will start in September. Thank you for joining me every week for the past 34 weeks! I have loved the feedback, the reviews, and most of all the listens! Please keep the feedback coming, as I want to make season 2 bigger and better!
- What I’ve learned - podcast is a lot of work! It does not provide the instant gratification that comedy does.
- Thank you all for sending in your goals! And for joining our Facebook group! If you haven’t joined our FB group it’s com/groups/creativebreakthroughcommunity or via the link on funnybrowngirl.com! Regarding your goals, A lot of you wrote in you want to submit a TV pilot, finish your book, or get casted. We can all help each other meet these goals and provide inspiration and new ways of attaining them in the Facebook group! So please head over there … http://facebook.com/groups/creativebreakthroughcommunity
Today’s episode is supposed to be a solo episode, but I felt this interview with comedian Tissa Hami is a better way to end season 1. We talk about finding your passion, pursing your passion full-time, the pros and cons of pursuing your passion, leaving your passion, the challenges of being a women of color, and lots more – all in 60 minutes! Listen to the end, because this story has a wonderful ending!
Activist. Idealist. Smartass. In fall 2002, just a year after 9/11, Tissa Hami dared to do something that no one in America had ever done -- step onstage veiled and tell jokes. At a time when Muslim-Americans were advised to keep a low profile, she chose to stand up.
Tissa's groundbreaking humor quickly caught the attention of audiences, bookers, and the media. She earned a reputation for making people think as well as laugh.
Due to increased demand for her voice and perspective, Tissa branched out into speaking engagements, classroom workshops, and writing. She has traveled to 25 states, bringing her show to diverse audiences. From prominent universities like Harvard and Yale, to small towns where she's been told that she's "the first Muslim they've ever seen," Tissa has connected with audiences across the country.
Tissa grew up in a traditional Iranian family in a predominantly white suburb of Boston. The daughter of a pediatric dentist and a software engineer, she earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Ivy League universities. Her parents were "thrilled" that she wanted to pursue a career in comedy.
Tissa has been featured in media around the world including the PBS documentary “Stand Up,” ABC's "The View," NPR, BBC, and the Washington Post. The San Francisco Chronicle named her one of the Top 11 female comedians in the country.
Tissa Hami is now a Diversity & Inclusion Consultant and Trainer. She works with corporate clients on creative ideas to advance D&I in their organizations, including training programs that feature interactive theater, stand-up comedy, and storytelling. She regularly speaks and performs at D&I conferences nationwide. This is a great story of how Tissa was able to pivot her creative passion and combine her passion for comedy and activism. And with that, I say goodbye until September. Now go Flex Your Creative Muscle, and Keep Winning!
Key Questions answered by Tissa Hami
- How did your creative journey begin?
- How do you balance a full-time job and a creative side hustle?
- Why she left a well-paying job on Wall Street to pursue stand-up comedy
- Why Tissa decided to stop performing comedy
- What resources she recommends to creatives
Tissa Hami Discusses:
- Her parents’ reaction to her new found career
- How she addresses issues through humor
- How she made the jump in to comedy full-time
- How she created success in her comedy career
- Highlights in her comedy career (and lows)
- Which is harder in entertainment – being a woman or a Muslim?
- Challenges to being a full-time creative
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Announcements
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Social Media Info
Connect on Instagram:
Shereen Kassam – @funnybrowngirl
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Tissa Hami - https://www.facebook.com/tissacomedy/
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Creative Breakthrough Community
Connect on Twitter:
Tissa Hami – www.twitter.com/tissahami
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Connect via Email
Shereen Kassam – info@funnybrowngirl.com