We were lucky to catch up with Michelle Cantu recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Michelle, so happy you were able to devote some time to sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our community. So, we’ve always admired how you have seemingly never let nay-sayers or haters keep you down. Can you talk to us about how to persist despite the negative energy that so often is thrown at folks trying to do something special with their lives?
Let me make one thing clear: there are ALWAYS haters. You could be the nicest person and someone would still find a reason to throw shade your way. I think one of the main reasons people hate is because something did not go the way they expected or they think you got something that they should have received. You can’t measure success by other people’s standards, just focus on your own goals and finish line. Also this may be hard for comedians because most of us are pretty narcissistic, but not everyone is going to love you and once you realize that and let it go it will make the journey with those who are your true fans that much sweeter. Don’t try to turn haters into lovers, love your lovers HARDER!
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 and what I love about my comedy journey is how many people can relate to what I am saying, whether that’s talking about my husband and kids, or growing up as a chubby Latina and ultimately finding my inner Gordita Goddess. If you ever want to check out a comedy show you can find tickets at linktr.ee/michellecantucomedy
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Write, write, write! Seriously can it be all 3? Most comedians have rituals before they go on stage (need to have a specific shot or smoke something to take the edge off) but for me I cradle all of my joke books and flip through the ones I want to use on any given night. I’m constantly writing and trust me it’s mostly crap but the more I write the deeper the well I have to draw from. Something else I noticed was the more I watched other comedians the more I realized that there are a lot of common premises out there. I’ll hear a version of a joke that I do and even if I think mines better I make a note that I need to come up with something new and fresh. That’s what is going to set you apart and help you keep some longevity in this field.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
Being a parent is hard, even without adding stand up comedy into the equation. When you have young children and a you are trying to build a career that demands time and attention away from your family you know you’re going to have to make sacrifices. I’m just now starting to see comedians who bring their kids on the road or bring them to shows so they can merge family and funny at the same time. I’m very lucky that I have an amazing support system and my parents, sisters, and friends have all offered to watch my kids so that I could travel or do a show. I hope that the comedy industry continues to be supportive of those who still have families and don’t want to sacrifice one family for the other.
Contact Info:
- Website: linktr.ee/michellecantucomedy
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/michellecantucomedy?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cantucandocomedy?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellecantu?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@michellecantucomedy?feature=shared
Image Credits
Finos Photos, Jaybird Photography, Tammy Bernal Photography, and Latinitas
