We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rochelle McConico. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rochelle below.
Rochelle , first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Did I overcome it? Or do I just treat it when it flairs up? Is imposter syndrome the herpes of mental illness? You have it for life but you’ve just got to manage the outbreaks?
Yeah. I have had to treat many outbreaks of imposter syndrome. I do that by looking at the data. I think sometimes when we feel like we are not good enough or a phony, we needn’t look much farther than our output. I look at the pros and cons and realize that in general the pros of what I am doing outweighs the cons and therefore, I’m not just lucky, I worked for this.
I have also found that if I look at myself through the eyes of the people who love and support me, and try to see myself as they see me, I can see the truth about myself. Then I take those thoughts and start to internalize them so that I do not need as much external validation to see my strengths. Through positive affirmations, I remind myself of who I am and my value.
And then I remind myself that imposter syndrome does not live in a vacuum. It is conditioning – societal programming designed to make me feel less than so that my talents can build wealth for others. So I remember that I am enough and I deserve to thrive even in an inequitable system.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
The Lysistrata Comedy Festival is a festival that celebrates the collective power of womxn. We bring womxn and nonbinary performers from across the country to perform in Austin for a 4-day comedy bonanza! We put on varied shows with a mix of sass, silliness and in-your-face comedy. From an opening ceremony inspired by the running of the bulls in Pamplona (but with male comics and roller derby girls), to Jasmine Ellis’s live taping of her 3rd comedy special, to raunchy comedy that will make you whoot and blush, we’re a little of everything. Just like the womxn we represent!
This festival started as a lark. We read Lysistrata, an ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes, where womxn stop war by denying their men sex, and thought that’s amazing! Not the no sex part, because ummm….but the unity between womxn. The whole story wouldn’t work if womxn didn’t band together to create change. Their dedication to their cause was what stuck with us. So we decided to create something where every year womxn could come together in unity and comedy.
We understand implicitly that we as womxn are in a fight for our right to exist as equals. So for 4 days we come together to remember our greatness and shore ourselves up for the fight ahead. And we do it through laughter!
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?
Build bridges. No woman is an island. So go out and network with other womxn. Not just in your field either but across different industries. You never know how you will be inspired or who you’ll wind up working with.
For team leaders, trust your team. Be clear about your expectations, but understand that you can’t do it all and even if you could, you couldn’t do it all well. Your team is there to make sure that things are executed at a high level so give them the freedom to do so.
Rest. We have been trained that hard work is the key and if we just keep working harder and harder, pushing ourselves, then we will reach our goals. But it’s not all about working hard, it is about knowing when to work hard. Sometimes you do have to push yourself to grind and get things done. But equally as important is understanding when to rest. Rest is an essential element of success and the elusive work-life balance.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
We are always looking for partners and collaborators for the festival. We think of this event as similar to a community potluck – everyone puts in something and we all feast. The performers bring their comedy stylings and absurd view of the world, and we create the space.
However, it would be impossible to make this happen without our marketing partners like Comedy Wham and Carolyn Kelleher of Fried Hustle who beat the drum to make sure people know we exist. Our venue partners: Coldtowne Theater, Rozco’s Comedy Club, and Hideout Theater who gave us space at a discount to make sure we could make this festival work. And all our local sponsors like Dripping Springs Vodka, Lazy Daze, Book People, Casa Anica, and Kellie’s Baking Company – just to name a few – that have given us in-kind donations to make sure we can create a unique and inviting experience for performers and audiences alike.
So we are always looking for mission aligned folks! People who want to celebrate and elevate the voices of womxn and nonbinary performers. Something we have seen a real need for is a housing partner who can provide discounted accommodations for performers. Many womxn have had to drop out of the festival because of the high cost of accommodations in Austin. As we know, womxn are paid less, so economic support for travel and lodging would be a big help in making sure all the voices who deserve to be heard in this space are.
AND we know we can always do better with inclusivity. That there are womxn’s stories out there that need to be told, so we’re always down for a partnerships with organizations that work with womxn from all walks of life. Everyone is welcome!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lyscomedyfest.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lyscomedyfest/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lyscomedyfest/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LysistrataComedyFest
Image Credits
Pictures by Nkechi Chibueze, Happy Black Chick Photography Logo by Alyssa Spatola
