Meet Paul Moomjean

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Paul Moomjean. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Paul below.

Hi Paul , thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

As a stand up comedian, I’ve found that imposter syndrome comes with the territory. When I first started, I just assumed that people were being generous with their laughter. It wasn’t until I was pulled up on stage by a headliner to do a joke in front of his fan base that I realized I can make strangers laugh who had high expectations. Over the past decade I’ve learned that imposter syndrome slowly goes away the more you practice and the more you put yourself in difficult situations. The more road gigs I do, the more bar shows, and the more times I follow a comic who bombed, the more I start to feel comfortable in my skills as a comic and performer.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am a professional stand up comedian, writer, and consultant for comics and businesses. Currently, I perform stand up all over the country, but I also write op-ed pieces on culture for various publications including the VC Reporter, Letterboxd, and my own newsletter. Though, my newest endeavor is teaching comics and corporations through in person and online classes about niche aspects of stand up comedy. I have one day workshops on getting booked more, storytelling, branding, and using improv techniques. Because I have a strong background in education (Masters degree and former college professor) I’m able to convert my knowledge into digestible pieces for upcoming comics to build their careers out. This has lead to me running team building workshops for UCLA, OSHA, and multiple conventions on using humor to create better communication methodologies. Humor can be the ultimate gateway to understanding in corporate settings, and applying humor to the workplace creates a more dynamic environment. Humor can reduce anxiety and inspire more synergy within departments and teams.

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?

The first quality is persistence. Persistence is how you get through hard times and low points, as you’ll have to be willing to ride the waves that aren’t fun. Too many people quit when the easy part becomes hard, and instead of pivoting they simply fade away. One can build their ability to persevere through daily reminders they have overcome so much already and set both small and bigger goals, so that there are little wins along the way as bigger payoffs emerge.

The second area is adaptability. Too often people think that the way things currently are is the only way they can be. But then something pops up and people can’t adapt to new rules, new best practices, and new leadership. Adapting is done best by slowing down and remembering the end goal is more important that the means in which you choose to accomplish it. As a comic, I have to adapt to audience energy and size or I’ll end up bombing. As a leader in business, I have to adapt to changes in client’s needs. Even as a writer, I adapted my style from more academic to conversational. Sixteen years later, I’m still the most popular contributor to the paper I writer for because I was able to reinvent myself without losing my essence.

The third is consistency. Consistency means doing the little things that maintain success. In comedy, it means posting on social media every day, writing new jokes, emailing bookers, getting proper rest. I’m a big believer in routines and reviewing routines. By being consistent, your work ethic grows and the rate at which you work expands. By mastering skills and being the master of your schedule, you can now choose what to add based on needs and not expectations, Start by creating a schedule where you do one thing a day each week. Whether that is writing, updating your website, etc. This will decrease anxiety, because you’ll know you only have to that task once a week. But over time, as you master that skill, you’ll find time to add things, which will increase your influence and productivity.

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

Right now I’m looking for comics or businesses looking to build their work flow and branding. With comics, I see so many who are lost in the abyss of the industry. They do open mics and write a lot of jokes, but they have no business sense. I want to help them learn how to expand their brand and become more financially successful. This comes through a proper website, emailing, marketing, show running, etc. Being funny and likable is important, but if you don’t have the tools the big venues or producers need, then you’ll lose out on a lot of opportunities.

As for small and large companies, I want to work with them on creating better teams and more synergy within the work place. We all know team building workshops and games, but what I want to do is show how the philosophies of stand up and improv can help through both “negative” and “positive” language. Many leaders don’t like “negative” language, but if employees are frustrated, then how can they share concerns? Some bosses are inherently negative, and they need positive language tools to communicate better. As a coach and speaker, I want to work with companies looking to build a better work culture through these comedic philosophies and skill sets.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.themoomabides.com
• Instagram: @themoomabides
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pauldmoomjean
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-moomjean-61b75039
• Twitter: @themoomabides
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0nWm7IBFrie3I3b8qRdT0A
• Other: https://linktr.ee/themoomabides

Image Credits

Mel Rose
Mitch Virzi