Meet Selena Martinez

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Selena Martinez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Selena, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I found my purpose by complete chance.
I moved to Lubbock in the winter of 2016, and after about a year of struggling to find my footing in a new city, I came across an open mic comedy night at a local bar. Watching the local performers, I thought “well I could probably be funnier than that guy.” Spoiler alert: at first I definitely wasn’t, but over time through dedication and hard work, I eventually found my voice and became one of the best comedians in my city.
I’ve been performing stand-up comedy for about six and a half years, and it has had an enormous impact. It’s just silly jokes but I’ve seen how comedy changes people, and when someone comes up to me after a show and says “that was so funny, I really needed to laugh tonight,” I feel so honored to have helped them forget their troubles, even if just for a couple minutes.

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

I’m a stand-up comedian. Basically I embarrass myself in front of strangers in bars, breweries, comedy clubs, and occasionally iPhone repair stores, on a weekly basis. Live comedy is an exciting experience I think for the audience and the performers (especially in unexpected venues) because it’s all about the exchanging of energy. Sharing a little piece of my life with a room full of strangers, a life that isn’t exactly conventional, and getting them to understand me or empathize with me, and laugh with me is a very special kind of magic. I’ve been to hundreds of comedy shows in my life at this point, from professional to open mic and some of the best performances have been at random bars on a Wednesday night. So if at all possible in one’s area, I encourage people to support local comedy. Right now I am on tour with the Galapalooza Comedy group, it’s a fem-powered comedy tour with Big Spring’s Adrienne Green and Midland’s Stephanie “Shonuf” Spencer. We have performed together in almost a dozen cities and 2 states (soon to be 3). And in my hometown of Lubbock I host a couple open mics and produce shows with Laugh Hub City. I’ve also been accepted into 3 comedy festivals this year.

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?

My formal education, the support of my family, and my general stubbornness have all helped me get to where I am today in my comedy journey. In college I studied psychology, and even though I don’t use that education in a formal setting, I do use the tools and information I gained to understand people and figure out how to make them laugh. My immediate and extended family have been very supportive, both emotionally and sometimes financially when it comes to my dream of being a professional comedian. And my hard-headedness has kept me from giving up.
My main piece of advice for stand up comedians is be yourself and hold the microphone close to your face. But also: be your own biggest fan, be your own biggest advocate. If you don’t believe in yourself, why would anyone else? Learn as much as you can, lean on your supporters when you need to, and keep going especially in the face of rejection.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

My mom always taught me to stand up for myself and to speak my mind. She raised me to be smart, strong-willed, independent, and hardworking. She has been my biggest champion since the beginning.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @selenawhateverz
• Facebook: selenacommonlastname
• Twitter: selenawhateverz
• Youtube: selenawhateverz
• Other: tiktok: selenawhateverz

Image Credits

The Moment by P.Mills (just for the first one)