Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Isabella Taylor. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Isabella, 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?
That’s a great question. Sometimes I wonder if I should be more insecure- and I don’t mean that in a cocky way. I definitely have my moments but from a young age I was unusually comfortable in my skin, but I attribute that to my mother. I was raised to put on red lipstick religiously and I think if you can wear red lipstick starting in like 8th grade with confidence, you can do anything. I would cut off my hair, wear crazy things, was involved in a lot of activities so it allowed me to be friends with everyone- I also think I learned from a young age that humor saves most things, people won’t really pick on you if you can make them laugh. And they won’t really question your confidence if you can make them laugh. think humor is really like currency and allows people to feel at ease around you because it expresses your point of view of the world and it might reassure other people that they’re “normal” if they think and empathize with the same things. Jesus, I hope I don’t sound overly-confident talking about confidence. I will say, when I do stand-up, especially in a room of men, I have a really hard time getting out of my head. Because the perception of what they see vs what they hear makes a lot of people want to spontaneously combust. As humans, we naturally want to categorize people because it makes us uncomfortable if we can’t and that’s the fun and traumatic part of being a woman doing standup. Or maybe just a woman. We never fit into the “version” that’s “perceived” as correct, and so it becomes isolating. But with that comes freedom, because you may disappoint them, but you begin building yourself.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
The dreaded ABOUT ME.
I’m a little paranoid I’m a jack fo all trades and master of none, if I’m being honest. I’m definitely left brained, I know that much, so I think I can at least identify as an ‘artist’.
I have a BFA from Drake University in Musical Theatre but then decided to move to LA because I realized all the good roles on Broadway were taken by the MOVIE stars. So I wanted to save myself the misery of playing ensemble to Roxie Hart and figure out how to become ROXIE.
I grew up playing drums, violin piano and singing and left all of that behind because this city is kind of ~expensive~ to have hobbies. Part of the reason I chose LA though was because of the improv scene- that I could do for free- and I had been since I was in 8th grade.
When I moved out here, I started out at Groundlings and worked my way up to advanced where I was struggling to pass because the teacher said that I needed to be more “selfish” on stage- and at that point I was like “I’m reading a lot about female stand ups, maybe I should actually do standup…”
From there I started in 2019 and took a class and got to it. Started booking shows then my skin broke out and I got insecure. AH! There! Insecure! So I didn’t really want to make jokes about my dating life when I didn’t feel spectacular. And then the pandemic happened and I wasn’t depressed enough to do zoom comedy.
As an actor- during the pandemic it was very hard to work, so I focused on content creation, UGC and brand deals which was such a blessing because it got me by. Fast forward to now- I am a full time fit model/actor/content creator/comedian. Ultimately, I’d love have my own talk show or host and be able to get paid to play with people and ~gently~ harass them. Wait that sounds bad. A la Joan Rivers, a la Chelsea Handler. BIG DREAMS.
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?
I think routine and structure is the biggest thing that’s helped me. Getting back into class at Lesly Kahn has reminded me what I want and inspired me by being surrounded by people that are doing their damndest to get it. When I was not in class, I wasn’t being challenged because I was mostly isolated and didn’t have a mirror to reflect how much others were booking and what the reality of the success of my peers looked like up close. And yes comparison can be the thief of joy, but it can also light a fire under your ass, so I’ll take it.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I absolutely am looking for people to collaborate with- whether it be for sketches, content or standup. I ideally would want to have a group like Judd Apatow and Co. that we could constantly be creating and helping each other up. And honestly, I just want to have fun. Life is too short and we all need a laugh. And an orgasm, but that’s a separate group*
*orgy.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isabellajeantaylor/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@isabellajeantaylor
Image Credits
Full body pic- Anastasiya Sazhina Standup Pic- Jose Maestas 8th grade pic- ME
