We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Linda Schwartz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Linda, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
This is such a great question, thank you. A lot of people don’t know this about me, but I was born and (mostly) raised in the south, in Savannah, GA. I believe my family, and a handful of other Lao families, were some of the first people of South East Asian descent to settle there, so I was used to not seeing faces that looked like mine. I remember feeling like a fish out of water and having an identity crisis at a very young age. I didn’t understand why I didn’t belong and why I didn’t look like any of the other kids at my school. This feeling of not belonging, coupled with the issues I had within my family, took a toll on my self confidence and self esteem and one of the things I did to cope, was to crack jokes and be silly.
As I got older, and as I became more and more independent – I “self emancipated” and moved out on my own when I was 16 – I regained some of that self confidence and self esteem by being self-sufficient and self-reliant. I didn’t have family who supported me financially, so I did it on my own. Responsibility and self-sufficiency is color blind. It doesn’t care what you look like, and when it’s thrust on you at such a young age, how you handle it will determine the outcome of your life. At least that was the case for me. I was serious about “making it” on my own and was determined to make it despite my life circumstances.
Quite often and quite literally, in my line of work (I’m a Stand Up Comic), I am the ONLY Lao-American Woman in the room or on the line up. And in the past, I probably would have let my self doubt or insecurities get me down or take me out, but what I’ve come to learn about myself is that I am capable of letting myself be seen, imperfections and all. And allowing the uniqueness of being the Only Lao American Woman in the room work FOR me instead of against me was a shift in my mindset and perspective that there is no one like me who has my story. And that makes me confident in who I am.
Also, being funny helps.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a Stand Up Comic based in San Diego and right now, I feel that it’s an exciting time to be a woman in stand up comedy. There are so many opportunities for women now that weren’t available five or ten years ago, especially for women of a certain age… *ahem* women over 40, and women of color. Since I started doing comedy consistently two years ago, I’ve been able to perform on some major stages and festivals around the country, and it’s been quite a fun ride. I’ve also managed to land a commercial and theatrical agent, so things are moving and shaking in that world. My focus in 2024 is to be seen by all the right people for all of the right opportunities that are meant for me. And to learn something new about myself in the process. My show schedule can be found at www.sheshedcomedy.com
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?
This section is going to be filled with quotes. I love quotes, they get me through everything in LIFE, especially when life is life-ing.
Firstly, I’m going to quote one of my favorite people on the planet, Dolly Parton. She said, “I don’t give advice, I give information.”
First piece of information, and this is going to sound counterintuitive, but I once had a mentor say to me “you need to work harder on yourself than you do on your business”, and it’s something that I apply to everything I take on, because any blocks or obstacles I encounter usually isn’t resolved by working harder or grinding more; it’s being able to look at the situation and say, “who do I need to become to resolve this block and move through this obstacle?”. Personal development has been an enormous contributing factor to everything I touch and everything I do, and one of the reasons I love stand up comedy so much. I’ve always said, doing Stand Up comedy is like a personal development course in action. To get on stage, you have to get out of your own way and step out of your comfort zone. So read more books on the topic you’re trying to master, get a mentor or a coach, and go learn from people who have done what you’re doing.
Secondly, give up caring what other people think about you and start working on how you feel about yourself. One of my favorite quotes is, “It’s none of my business what other people think about me.” Self confidence and being certain about who you are is something no one can take away from you with their opinion about you. Start building your self confidence by trying new things, things you typically wouldn’t do. Take the class you’ve been wanting to take. Do the thing people say you can’t do.
Lastly, be discerning and listen to your intuition. This one was a hard lesson for me to come by and I went against my own intuition about trusting certain people who were only out to use me. I lost a friend in the process but I gained discernment and reinforced my capacity to lean into my intuition. “Let your light be your guide”.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
I read a lot and there are quite a few books that I attribute to helping me transform my life, but I’ll share my three favorite.
1) The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron – This was one of the first personal development books I picked up over twenty years ago and it helped me re-shape my self image about who I was/am as an artist. The exercises in the book got me to put my dreams in motion and they haven’t stopped since.
2) The Power of Intention by Dr. Wayne Dyer – This book, coupled with The Artist’s Way, helped me see myself for who I really am. The Faces of Intention altered the way I looked at myself and life.
3) The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho – When you read the story of this Shephard’s adventure that leads to his Self discovery, it’s hard not to see yourself in him. It instilled a new found sense of self belief that I’ve not gotten from any book since. This is the book I gift the most often.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sheshedcomedy.com
- Instagram: @audaciousl11 & @sheshedcomedy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/audaciousl11
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lindaschwartzcomedy
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@sheshedcomedy
Image Credits
Cam Rice Photography Zach Arch
