Happy Tuesday, and welcome to the second weekly addition of Hustle + Chill w/ NPH.

Last week I performed in Charlotte, and it was KILLER. We were just a few seats shy of sellout at Comedy Zone Charlotte, and over $10,000 was raised for the Dottie Rose Foundation! If you missed last week’s newsletter, you can read it here. (Each edition will live on this page for you to go back and read, forever and ever, Amen.)

I had the pleasure of meeting the founder of Dottie Rose after the show on the 26th, and she’s a total force of nature. I’ll be sharing more about her work down below. 😎

Some weeks I’m reminded just how blessed I am, and this was one of them. I had a week of banger shows, but on top of that, I got to spend this past weekend hanging with my besties Steph and Lisa (pictured above - and a really great photo, I might add 😂) for my final 40th birthday celebration of the month. We’ve all been friends since grade school, and I can’t help but feel like we won the lottery with our friendship.

See, I’m an only kid and grew up with no money, so I was spoiled in quality time. I spent all my time with my family and my friends, and my friends became my sisters and my extended family. Nothing makes me happier than getting rowdy with these gals, and nothing makes me even happier than seeing them win.

I hope Steph doesn’t mind me sharing this, but she left her very successful career recently to launch an in-home senior care company, Senior Helpers, inspired after her late grandma. She was as close to her grams as I am to mine, and it became her mission to aid in the quality and longevity of life for seniors by building a business that focuses on just that. She launches next month, and I am so fucking proud of her!!

I include my Grandma Mo heavily in my comedy - she’s toured with me, put her life story on my podcast, she was featured in my first comedy special (with Steph and my mom 🤪 ), she’s a big part of my standup, I have a TV series I co-created with one of my favorite directors/show runners in LA about us (and I’m selling it this year mark my words), and nearly a decade ago when my grandpa passed I took her memoir, published it as a book and held a surprise book signing for my grams in LA - so she’s a published author! I promise you, this all has given her purpose and kept her alive. Even though she’s constantly joking about dying…

We need more love for the old people in this country! So thank you to my best pal for seeing a need and doing something about it. We need more of that too.

Let’s get to it.

The Hustle

When I meet people while touring, a common question when they find out I’m a comedian is “Do you do comedy full time?” OR as a founder, people will say “Oh, how are you a full time comedian AND a full time founder?”

I don’t understand this full time 9-5 mentality because I’ve never worked in it. It’s never made sense to me. I don’t think or operate in “full time,” because everything I touch is an extension of myself, who I am, full time. It’s like asking someone if they live in their house full time - like… yes, I LIVE in my house, but I also leave it, and redecorate… but it’s still my house? You get it.

My mind is built somewhat like a spider web, and I’ve always seen comedy as my through-line while knowing I would build multiple brands and businesses that stem from my lived experiences. I function more like a multi-lane highway than I do a single lane; same direction, same speed - some asshole cuts you off, just shift a lane. Whatevs.

I’ll give you a little anecdote. In 2019 I decided I wanted to do a tour in Europe, and I straight up cold called and emailed venues across six countries to make it happen. My dear friend Rachel O’Brien and I pulled off the entire co-headlining tour with a mix of small venues, brand partnerships, and hotel collabs (yes, we stayed in suites in every city for FREE.) I got back from that trip and decided I just… wanted to have a show in Vegas too. I was living in LA “full time” 🥴 at that point, and again, cold called a hotel and made a weekly deal for a Vegas show. I was able to bring in multiple brand partners for the launch who were looking for exposure in the Vegas scene; getting them billboard placement with our show, mentioning them in my podcast filmed on property each week, and even getting a few liquor brands highly sought after drink menu placement. I was able to make enough money to fly to Vegas weekly, put up a great show, pay talent, and provide value for multiple partners in multiple spaces. The show was bumpin’ until the pandemic hit… was it still comedy? Of course. But a lot more went into it to make it a success. All the things, all at once.

There is never just one straight path to making the things you want happen. Multiple interests is what makes you interestinggg as an artist, creator or builder. So, never get thrown off by narrow-minded questions and just make shit happen, your way.

Building a brand for yourself and a career is not linear.

The Chill

This week’s “chill” is for the comedians - and will also give everyone else a little behind-the-scenes insight.

It’s that time of year where every comedian in every city is either very silently or very publicly losing their shit about an upcoming annual festival. THE comedy festival. If you know, you know.

I went to this festival in 2018. I wasn’t on new faces doing standup, but I was invited because a series I wrote and submitted to the Standup and Pitch competition almost made it to the final five. I was extended artist passes, and was able to bring two producers from New York with me who I was working on another TV project with.

Not gonna lie, the festival is awesome. Party after party, network exec after network exec… it is truly an experience.

I notice at times, up-and-coming comedians feel that they have to get an audition for this festival to get in front of the “right” people. By the way, comedians… you can self-submit with one of your best tapes RIGHT HERE for this festival too. 😇

I didn’t get asked to audition this year, or even try. I’ve got a few really big goals for this year, and as much as this festival once felt like the only opportunity, I now know that’s entirely untrue. There is no singular opportunity, but rather a series of them throughout your entire career. Hell, Nikki Glaser JUST blew up and she’s been “blowing up” for nine years. Gotta trust the timing.

One of my favorite quotes from Jim Carrey states, “Something magical is going to happen. I don’t know how it’s going to happen, but if there’s no way in, a new way will be created.”

For many years, especially the early days of comedy, I hustled to prove my place in this career, to prove myself to my colleagues, or to prove myself to “the industry.” I don’t feel this pressure anymore. I have a trust now that everything aligns at the right time, and everything that’s meant for me is on it’s way. My only job is to simply be ready for it when it does.

So, to any comedians feeling like they may be missing their shot at something big, I’ll put a list at the very bottom of all the other festivals that the same industry attends that aren’t as overcrowded. 🤓

Chill. Everything’s working out for you. There truly is space for everyone here.

Charlotte Shoutouts

In Charlotte, I met the founder of the Dottie Rose Foundation, Sharon Jones. We clicked immediately, and I asked her to share with me more about the foundation to pass along:

“The Dottie Rose Foundation is closing the gender gap in technology by creating a supportive algorithm that connects academics, business, and community. Through innovative curriculum and hands-on experiences, we empower girls to see the real-world applications of technology across all subjects—math, science, English, art, and more. As technology becomes central to our daily lives, we emphasize its integration into every field, proving that if you can write a good sentence, you can write a line of code.

Our approach nurtures the whole child, creating an environment where girls feel inspired to explore computer science beyond traditional stereotypes. By providing opportunities to apply tech skills in meaningful ways, we help shift perceptions and increase female participation in STEM. Women want to use technology to solve real-world problems and create impact—and that is why we exist. We are changing the conversation about what it means to be a woman in technology, one girl at a time.”

I’m such a sucker for impact. Comedy itself is impactful, but I’m also grateful for the people it allows me to meet who are doing incredible work that I can share through my platforms.

Also while in Charlotte, I was introduced to Charlotte Rescue Mission through my friend, Todd Buelow, at Dual Boot Partners. It’s an addiction recovery and rehab facility that offers FREE programs, housing, and job placement for graduates of the program. Please share this information if you know anyone who needs help, especially ones that can’t afford expensive rehab programs. Countless people I love in the comedy world would still be here today if they had found this program. ❤️ Thank you for the work you’re doing.

Shows This Week in Chicago:

Friday March 7th, I’ll be on Best Night Ever! at Lincoln Lodge at 11pm

Saturday March 8th, I’ll be on both the 7 + 9pm shows at Laugh Factory Chicago

Tuesday March 11th, Jake Snell headlines Zanies for the first time and I’ll be featuring!! I’m so excited for him and we want to push this out like a motherfucker - here’s the tix: https://chicago.zanies.com/show/jake-snell/zanies-comedy-club-chicago/chicago-illinois/

Wednesday March 12th, I’ll be on Comedy Royalty at 9pm at Lincoln Lodge

Love you all and cheers to the hustle + chill.

xx NPH

…And as promised, here’s a list of all the comedy festivals you can submit for that will get you in front of “the right” 😉 people:

SLO in San Luis Obispo, CA (late Feb to early March) - I was featured in this festival in 2017 I think? It’s still creating work.

SxSW in Austin, TX March - happening now! I was there in 2011 and 2018 - it’s even worth going just to hang!

Bergamont @ The Crow in Santa Monica, CA - I love Nicole, the founder of the Crow, and she’s a badass working to create so much education and opportunity for comics.

Boston Comedy Festival in Boston, MA (early April)

RIOT in Houston, TX (early April)

Big Pine in Chandler, AZ (early April)

Moontower in Austin TX (mid April)

Limestone in Bloomington, IN (late May)

Laughing Skull in Atlanta, GA (mid Sept)

Big Diamond in Bentonville, AK (early Oct)

Big Sky in Billings, MT (early Oct) - I was featured on this festival in like 2016/2017? And then I became a producer on it for a few years to follow. I met the best people on the planet through this fest.

Prize in Shreveport, LA (mid Oct)

10,000 Laughs in Minneapolis, MN (late Oct)

Laugh After Dark in Las Vegas, NV (late Oct)

NYCF in New York, NY (early Nov)

Skankfest in New Orleans, LA (mid Nov)