Meet Dr. Holly Sawyer

We were lucky to catch up with Dr. Holly Sawyer recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Holly, thank you so much for agreeing to open up about a sensitive and personal topic like being fired or laid-off. Unfortunately, there has been a rise in layoffs recently and so your insight and experience with overcoming being let go is relevant to so many in the community.

August 31, 2024, I was laid off. I was told I would have at least another year. Initially, it was a blow. It was done over zoom in a very sterile, unprofessional, tacky and disrespectful way with no notice or heads up after many meetings and queries about my position with my supervisor. I was not upset about the layoff, but definitely how and when it was done.

In July 2025, 300k+ Black women lost their jobs. By that time, I was near to my one year of being laid off. I am a PhD, double-masters, licensed and certified. Knowing that Black women are the highest demographic for job loss while White, Asian and Hispanic populations declined, can be a hard pill to swallow and even harder joke to crack, but I find humor in everything. Through many of my life’s pain points, laughter has to enter the room, it doesn’t matter when, it just has to happen.

Being laid off especially for over a year can bring about shame and self-blame with a lot of questions. What did I do wrong? What’s next for me? How do I pivot/transition? What does that even look like? It is a lot going on at once while trying to wrap your head around the layoff. Then, there’s some aspect of grief and loss of your job and identity/self-worth. So the question then becomes, “who am I now?” since so many people identity as their “title” or “job” and have no other identity. It was truly important to not blame myself for the malicious way they layoff happened. It was crucial to pause, reset and have an outlet. For me, that was writing and comedy. I also made self-care an even bigger priority. Anyone that is experiencing being laid off, give yourself grace for not knowing what’s next, pace yourself and please, try to get creative with life.

I had already been doing stand-up, however after being laid off, I was able to lean fully into my comedy career. I traveled more, wrote more, connected with more comedians, and focused on building and honing my comedy unlike before. Being a comedian can involve making jokes about your personal trials and tribulations. My jokes are that way because I want someone who’s also going through the same thing to know they are not alone and you have to laugh at the messy parts of life, especially, although crying is cool too, you definitely have to laugh.

I overcame being laid off by leaning heavy into family, friends and comedy. My two teenagers keep me on my toes and full of laughter from the silly things they do and say. In May 2025, My son graduated high school and was awarded a full scholarship to study engineering at the University of his choice. During the layoff, preparing him for college kept me busy and distracted in a good way. My daughter loves to garden so we spend a lot of time outdoors, in nature. On a daily basis, she keeps me grounded. My close friends made time to text, call and hang out. They listened when I needed them most and made space for me without centering themselves.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Dr. Holly Sawyer, affectionately known as Dr. Holly, is an author, licensed clinical therapist, international mental health public speaker and consultant who has been featured in USA Today, on Philadelphia’s Fox News 29 and more. In addition to being a licensed clinical therapist, Dr. Holly is a dynamic Philly-based comedian who brings her sharp wit and unapologetic humor to the stage. Known for her smart and sassy take on life, she tackles everything from hot-button social issues to the unique experiences of being a Black hockey mom. With a fearless approach to comedy, Dr. Holly captivates audiences with her politically incorrect yet thought-provoking material. Her impressive resume includes performances at the prestigious New York Comedy Fest and Don’t Tell Comedy in Minneapolis and New Orleans. She has also hosted and showcased her talents at the San Francisco Sketch Fest, as well as opening for the talented T. Murph at the Detroit House of Comedy. Dr. Holly’s ability to blend humor with real-life experiences makes her a standout in the comedy scene, leaving audiences both laughing and reflecting long after the show ends. She travels throughout the country performing stand-up comedy. Dr. Holly is also an award-winning screenwriter and actress. She trained extensively at Comedy Cellar, Peoples Improv Theater New York, Comedy Sports Philadelphia, Helium Comedy Academy, and Philadelphia Comedy College. She enjoys vodka, chicken wing flats, traveling and naps.

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?

One, don’t waste time. The longer you wait or keep pondering over “when” or “how” – the more you prolong what you are supposed to be doing. Hate to sound like a cliche, but just do it! Two, take everything one day at a time. Think of living life like eating your favorite meal – you savor it one bite at a time so you can really taste its greatness and bold flavor. Often times, not slowing down, being mindful or too busy to recognize things can later show up as not knowing what you had until it’s gone. No one is promised tomorrow, so take advantage of the day as it comes. Third, try not to compare what you’re doing to what someone else is doing. Doing this will kill your focus. It is amazing to witness the great things someone else has accomplished and use that as a frame of reference for where you want to be, but allow your unique journey and experience to take shape for you – your talents, gifts, and skills.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Yes, I am always looking for folks to partner and collaborate with. I am also a screenwriter of a short film and several TV series centering women voices and characters. I’m enamored with writing dramedy TV on smart, messy women who make the wrong decisions for the right reasons. Women over 45, especially Black writers, are not afforded a lot of opportunities in writing rooms or spaces alike. If our stories are going to be told, we must be the ones doing it and not monolithically. I show a different cultural view where people can connect with real characters, see themselves and not feel alone. I am committed to writing TV that merges quality content with social justice themes that support &/or advance issues impacting marginalized communities.

I would love to partner and collaborate with other writers, producers and directors. I am looking to take any of my scripts from paper to screen. That screen can be YouTube, Tubi or any network that is open to progressive art and supporting marginalized voices, perspectives and characters. If this sounds like something you are interested in collaborating with me, please connect me [email protected] and/or IG @drhollysfunny

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.drhollysfunny.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drhollysfunny/

Image Credits

Reality on to Something Poster photo by: Sabriaya Shipley