Meet Kay Goutos

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

Kay, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us today. We’re excited to dive into your story and your work, but first let’s start with a broader topic that might be stopping many of our readers from pursuing their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. How have you managed to persist despite haters and nay-sayers that inevitably follow folks who are doing something unique, special or off the beaten path?

Being in the Comedy industry, I have come across many haters in different forms.
All of my jokes are written about my life & personal experiences, so even though I don’t use any names on stage, I have most certainly ruffled some feathers (to say the very least). This can be a very uncomfortable situation to navigate. I never want someone to feel as if I’m punching down on them, I only ever try to find inspiration within the good & bad times of life. I know a lot of people talk bad about me & make fun of me for my work. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bother me sometimes. Mostly I use it to fuel my fire. The wonderful people who do believe in me & my vision wholeheartedly make up for the haters.
Friends & family who have been around well before I got into comedy are supportive & understanding that my intentions are not just to go on stage & talk smack, but to work through my experiences in a healthy way. For new people I’ve met since getting into stand up, I’ve had to set a hard boundary early on that they are subject to being talked about on stage (within reason), if they want to be in my life. I understand & respect that it’s not for everyone!
Other types of haters I’ve encountered are within the comedy world itself. It’s an extremely tough industry, for women in particular, & there’s a lot of gatekeeping that goes on. I came into the scene hot & messy & it rubbed a lot of seasoned vets the wrong way. The ones who don’t believe in me make me want to prove them wrong & the ones that do inspire me to never give up. I’ve met some really special people in the comedy community that help me feel supported regularly
Internet trash talkers have started to surface for me as well. That comes with the territory, but at first it really cut deep. It made me question why I was doing what I was doing. It takes a lot of self soothing to work through it, but it really feels like I’m overcoming a lot when I do. I see my future & others may not, but I won’t give up on my dreams!

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?

I’m a stand up comedian in the North Country of NYS! I started writing jokes a year & a half ago after an incredibly traumatizing & messy break up. I had always been into creative writing & my therapist had encouraged me to write about what I had been through. When I would try to, it would all be too heavy for me to relive. One day, I had an idea that I could try to write them in joke form instead. Once I started, I truly couldn’t stop! Not long after that, I asked my boss at the time if I could do a stand up show at his taproom, The Trap. He was really supportive & I started doing open mics to prepare for my debut show. I planned it on my 29th birthday & I was blown away by the amount of support my small community showed me that night. Over 70 smiling faces in the crowd inspired me immensely & gave me the drive to keep persevering & follow my dreams!
I’m forever grateful for how much I’ve been able to work through via stand up. Writing jokes about my life & then getting on stage & sharing them has been the most profound & empowering thing to ever happen to me. I’ve had people reach out to me to thank me for sharing the hard stuff & that’s what truly keeps me going. It’s so much deeper to me that just making people laugh, which in itself is a powerful thing.
I’m now booking shows regularly around the NE & have been able to facilitate open mics for other aspiring comedians. Being able to hold space for other creatives to get on stage has been beyond rewarding & it means the world to me to be a part of such a special community.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

There’s a few skillsets that I have that help me stand out a bit in my work. Firstly, I have some background in theater from my high school days. I also was always in choir. I think being exposed to being on stage back then & in front of people has given me an advantage with performing stand up comedy. I’m so grateful for those days giving me the stepping stones to where I am now.
Creative writing has always been a passion of mine, too. I loved it in my days in school & continue to write poetry into my adulthood. I truly love it! Comedy is the ultimate creative writing in my opinion so to be able to use it as a positive outlet has been so great.
The business aspect of being a comedian has come naturally to me in a lot of ways. My family is full of entrepreneurs so I swear it runs in my blood. I actually run my own business, “Kay G, Healing Artist”, so everything I’ve learned from that has translated quite well to marketing myself & networking in the comedy world. It gives me an edge for sure!
My advice to anyone exploring their passions is to lean into their strengths. At the same time, don’t be afraid to be bad at something new. So many things can be self taught these days. There’s so much info out in the world that’s just waiting for you to absorb!

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I am absolutely always looking for new people to collaborate with! Comedians, podcasters, comedy clubs, musicians, photographers, etc- I’d love to connect with you all. Reach out via my socials or my website Kaygoutoscomedy.com , I look forward to hearing from you.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Kayla Chetney
Rachael Leigh
Chris Capaci

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