Meet Mimi Hayes

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mimi Hayes. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Mimi, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

This is one of those things that took me a VERY long time to develop, and I still struggle with it at times. Being a performer, I can sometimes give off the impression that I’m confident and full of energy when the reality can be very different. I am an extrovert and middle child, so being around people comes naturally to me, but sometimes I get in my own head and withdraw in groups. When I first started writing, I really had no idea if anything I was putting on the page was any good. I also assumed that because my book wasn’t published (yet), it wasn’t worthy of talking about.

I made an impulsive decision to leave my career as a high school teacher and move to NYC to pursue writing and comedy in 2017. I didn’t have any friends there, and had no idea what I was doing! I had such low confidence at the time and was fully convinced I wouldn’t last a month in The Big Apple.

One night I mustered the courage to go to an improv show and chat with the performers afterward. They invited me to go the bar to hang out with them! New friends! I sheepishly followed them and started chatting with a guy who asked me what I did. I told him I was a “writer” which I’d never said in my life. He asked me what I wrote and I told him about my manuscript, which I was sure was boring and terrible and would never be published. For some reason, he saw through my awkwardness and listened intently to my story. “Do you want to talk to a publisher?” He asked. “I know one and can email him for you!” I couldn’t believe it. That one little moment changed my life. My book would go on to be published by that publisher I was introduced to and I would jumpstart my career as an author and touring stand-up comedian.

So the lesson here is do it before you’re ready. Call yourself what you really are: an artist, a performer, a dancer, a writer—even if you don’t feel “qualified.” You’d be surprised who is looking for you and excited to help you achieve your big dreams.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am one of those people who has their hands in a million different industries and projects. I am just over a year into my new business “Writing With Mimi” as a writing coach which has been an incredible process. I get to work with amazing people telling amazing stories! It’s literally my dream job!

I’m also a touring stand-up comedian, so if you don’t find me at my computer typing away, chances are I’m on stage somewhere!

Another really exciting thing I’m up to right now is working on a feature-length documentary about invisible disability. After having two, count ’em two, brain hemorrhages and looking totally “normal,” I wanted to share not just my story but the stories of others like me. My brain injury community is my family, and I’m thrilled to get this out on the big screen in the next year.

Oh, one more thing…I’m working on my second book! This one is a book of essays about my 20s and the odd twists and turns it took. So stay on the lookout for that soon!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1) Delusion—this sounds silly, but as an artist, you must be delusional with your work. You have to have this blind faith that everything you want to happen will happen; that your dreams will become reality when the time is right. At the end of the day, you are your biggest champion for your work, so don’t give up on yourself!

2) Community—find your people. What separates the successful from the not-so-successful has a lot to do with the circles you run in. Do you have a clan of people to lift you up when you’re having doubts? Do you have a friend to workshop a chapter or a poem or a screenplay? Finding like-minded artists and friends has made a massive difference for me in my career and in my life.

3) Don’t compare—comparison is the thief of joy! Do not go looking on Instagram or social media for all the ways you don’t match up with other people. Your journey is your journey, and it’s not going to look like anyone else’s!

Advice: Trust the timing of the universe. I know you want to be a best-seller yesterday or have your career skyrocket a la Chappell Roan, but even Chappell was playing to empty rooms just a little while ago! Stay the course. You’re moving faster in the direction of your dreams than you realize just by not giving up!

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Right now I’m on the hunt for a literary agent to represent my next book! As mentioned, I was able to get traditionally published without one last time (thanks to a kind stranger), but this time around I’d love to snag an agent who can shop my manuscript to bigger publishers. If you know anybody, don’t be shy!

I’m also always taking on new clients for my business, so if you’re a writer with a big idea, come say hi!

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Vanessa Samuel
Jessica Christie
TEDxCherryCreekWomen

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