Meet Drew Davis

We recently connected with Drew Davis and have shared our conversation below.

Drew, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I think everyone has a purpose, but sometimes it takes a while before we figure out what our purpose truly is. The best way to figure it out, is to live life and see how things stack up. The longer you live, the more you see the patterns that appear in your own life. You gravitate to certain jobs, certain kinds of people, specific interests. You learn the things you really love, and the parts of life that you’re truly passionate about. The longer you exist the more you realize what issues and unjust things in the world really tick you off…you learn what you truly want to stand up for, and you also learn what you could care less about. These are all things that shape how we find our purpose.

For me, making sure individuals feel seen, heard, and valued, has always been of top tier importance. At a very early age, I did not grow up in a household where I felt valued. I was alone at home and school, and it truly shook me as a child. A bit later, I was blessed to find an amazing community at youth group and church and they helped fill the needs that were not being filled at home and in my social circles. This was where I first felt seen and valued, and from that point forward I worked to try to be as intentionally inclusive to everyone I met. I hate the idea that someone near me feels left out.

My first job as a teenager was working in customer service. The company I worked for very much valued “premiere customer service” and harped frequently on treating humans like humans. I was a bit of a stuck up high schooler so being put in a situation where I was forced to treat people well actually was a really good thing for me! Flash forward a few years later and I was a pastor, and that work is all about working to help people value themselves and others as God values all of us. In this job too, I interacted with many people that felt like outsiders and my heart still gravitated towards helping them feel accepted and loved (As I know God loves and accepts them, and so should whatever church I was working at.)

Flash forward to a couple of years ago when I transitioned from ministry to full time entertainment. As a comedian I felt like my time of caring for others was over, and it was time to really focus on myself. “Comedy comes first” is something I’ve said a lot over the past two years to justify something selfish I was about to do….I grinded very hard for my job working hard for every opportunity that has come my way, and that’s not inherently bad but not to long ago I realized that something was missing.

I realized that by forcing myself to only look out for number 1, thinking it was the best thing I could do for my career, I was neglecting one of my biggest purposes…which is helping others see their intrinsic value as a human. I looked around my life and realized that the something that was missing was me trying to fulfill my purpose of shining lights on others and encouraging them to be their best possible versions of themselves.

The way I realized this is I took a look at my life up till this point and saw what I had in common in every stage of my life. When I noticed that the common factor was me uplifting others, in whatever job or capacity I could, I began asking how can I do that as an entertainer?

My answer is to work with newer talent and share the wisdom I have. Or teach comedy classes and create a safe space for people to create humor. Or produce shows in a way that’s a little different then what we usually see in the comedy industry. Sure, it’s not for everyone, but it’s for someone. One of my deepest God given purposes is helping people feel valued, and I found it just by living life and realizing what common factors keep popping up in my trajectory.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My name is Drew Davis and I recently created a brand called Quarter Mile Entertainment. Basically, I found myself doing a ton of different “comedy related things” so I decided to put it under one label. I am a standup comedian, I regularly produce shows with some amazing friends, I have a super fun movie rewatch podcast, I teach standup comedy classes, and I do career consulting with upcoming comedians. I also am a freelance writer too!

The name “Quarter Mile Entertainment” comes from a Fast & Furious quote that talks about “living your life a quarter mile at a time.”. During that quarter mile, you aren’t thinking about your stresses or problems…you are free! As an entertainer, I feel it’s my job to create “Quarter Mile Moments” where my audience is free, and able to love life. So whether it’s me performing, us talking about random movie nonsense on the podcast, or a comedy show that we produce, the goal is the same….to create space for people to enjoy themselves and be free. I should also note, in those same spaces as the entertainer, I have found my Quarter Mile Moment as well.

So I’m an entertainer, and I like to make people’s life better with the entertainment I create. It’s usually comedy related! I also like to work with other performers and creatives and create a positive space for them to create Quarter Mile Moments as well.

As a comedian, I’d love for people to check out my work (type in Drew Davis Comedy in anything and I’ll pop up!) I also would love more people to check out my podcast, The Quarter Mile Podcast. If you like clean comedy shows, please check out the Clean Comedy Collective and come to one of our shows! Lastly if you’re a comedian, or interested in becoming a comedian, check out the services I provide with Quarter Mile Entertainment and lets make your dream your reality.

Here’s a link to all my online platforms!
https://linktr.ee/drewdaviscomedy

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

For anyone wanting a job in any kind of entertainment, if you want to succeed, you HAVE to have a good work ethic. Sure, sometimes a “once in a lifetime” opportunity may come your way, but when it does you have to be ready to shine like the star you are…and if it comes and you haven’t put the work in, in the long run that opportunity won’t do you any favors. To me it’s so important to put the work in to whatever we’re doing. Anything worthwhile will not come easy, and that’s just the way it is! I was blessed to develop a good work ethic because of how I was raised and the jobs I had. And if you DON’T have a good work ethic, it’s never to late to start developing one!

Secondly, it’s so important to “Not be a jerk.” Treat people like people. Value every human you interact with, even if you don’t like or agree with them. Respecting everyone, no matter what, is key to success, because then no matter what, at the end of the day, you can take pride in how you handled those interactions, even the bad ones. Please note, respecting someone’s humanity does not mean you have to be best friends or business partners with everyone. Some people are super toxic and don’t need to be part of your life or career! But you can still respect them as a fellow human.

Lastly maybe one of the best and hardest things we can do as creatives is give ourselves grace to fail and learn to be better. When you start anything, you’re going to probably be bad at it! But please don’t let the fear of being bad stop you from starting, because you may miss out on something wonderful. (And we may miss out on you eventually creating something wonderful!) Failure is part of life and often it can lead us to getting better and doing something greater. So if you mess up or do poorly at something, it’s fine…just do better next time!

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

Whenever I get overwhelmed by everything I have going on either professionally, or often emotionally, I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and ask myself “What do I need Right Now?”

It’s a simple question, and often time you already know the answer to it! Sometimes it helps with an immediate need. The answer could be as simple as a nap, or lunch. Or maybe as you’ve quieted down for a moment, the most important task on your to do list flies to the front of your thoughts….and you go in get it done. Perhaps what you really need, is a break and time out with a friend. I’ve learned that most people are to busy living their own lives and dealing with their own stuff, that everyone else rarely asks you what you need…so don’t be shy about asking yourself that question!

There’s been times asking myself “What do I need right now” has actually given me a deeper answer that has set up the trajectory of what I am doing career-wise. Maybe the answer is “To move”, in which case I think, “Well to do that i need to make more money” which leads to, “Well then I need to take less traveling gigs, and increase my remote workload”….The question “What do I need right now” can really help you adjust your priorities in a way that can make your life less overwhelming.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

N/A

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Leadership Development
Empathy Unlocked: Understanding how to Develop Emotional Intelligence

“Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It’s the impetus

Productivity
Where do you get your work ethic from?

We’ve all heard the phrase “work hard, play hard,” but where does our work ethic

Productivity
Boosting Productivity Through Self-Care

When you have a never-ending to-do list it can feel irresponsible to engage in self-care,