I once used to consider myself a “guys girl.”

I like sports. I drink beer. I love getting dirty. I love adventure and sponteneity. I’m a master griller. I’m not into makeup… hell I grew up farming and pissing outside any chance I got (mostly because “chance” meant lack of choice).

It was kind of a rite of passage growing up in Wisconsin to be one of the guys — easy to get along with, drama free, down to party, able to follow sports enough to go to any football or hockey game and know wtf was going on.

I was so accepted by the boys that I joined in on their poker games, I could rock two-story beer bongs no problem, I was a stat-recorder for men’s baseball season, and one of my friends and I learned to lift weights after school from the boys football coach.

Zero complaints. Me and my girls loved being “guys girls.”

Don’t get me wrong, I love me some good bro-time.

But I realized, as I got older, that women who show up for each other are exactly who you want in your corner. This goes for the men too…

We all need some bad bitches in our lives.

The Hustle

Comedy, like many other arenas I play in (martial arts, business…), is considered to be “male dominated.” And not gonna lie, it is.

Thankfully I’ve been blessed enough to grow in comedy alongside some of the most bad bitches you’ll ever meet, which helps tremendously in counter-balancing that narrative and making sure shit happens for each other.

I’ve had the greatest memories and hardest laughs of my life traveling or working with my best girlfriends, many of whom happen to be brilliant comedians.

Welcome, my friends, to The Group Chats:

Group Chat Wisconsin: Steph, Lisa, Ashley, Teddi + Carly

The women I grew up with make me feel like the luckiest person alive. Everyone is HILARIOUS, BRILLIANT, and we’ve somehow managed growing deeper as friends since childhood. (Ashley, who I surprised two weeks ago in Nashville, is the one on the floor).

This photo was taken in Vegas, celebrating my bachelorette party in 2017 before shit went south — I think I felt the undeniable demise of my relationship, so we made sure to get the girls trip in first thing.

I found a reel I made when my first special dropped, and if you watch here you can see exactly why Teddi was walking around the casino without pants, and both of us had but one shoe…

Although not comedians, honestly any of them could have been. I’m forever thankful to these women for helping shape who I’ve become, and making me piss myself laughing at every turn.

Group Chat Los Angeles: Courtney, Jaclyn, Rachel + Ariel

Apparently all roads lead back to Vegas?

These are the women who started in the LA comedy scene by my side. We all met back in 2011/2012, and often had total imposter syndrome going to shows alone, so we would crew up and ship out and go to a lot of shows together.

Many weeks we would sign up for the potluck at Comedy Store, and then walk to the Andaz hotel next door to pretend we were hotel guests and partake in their free happy hour — what can I say we were broke and hustling.

I planned an entire European comedy tour with Rachel — our first time doing shows overseas. I built an entire comedy show brand “Boss Comedy” with Courtney that had expanded from LA to New York pre-pandemic (and we were in NY together when the pandemic hit in 2020…)

This crew is special to me, and we’ve seen one another through some pretty severe traumas — which we all of course used to become better friends and artists.

I’ve gotta shout Courtney out extra hard here. We scream laugh together…

These are stories can only be retold on audio, so you’ll have to wait for the podcast drop for the full details…

And finally Group Chat Chicago: Kristen, Kellye, Maggie, Chelsea, Eunji

I couldn’t have made the move back to Chicago without these women being in my life.

Kristen and I first met back in 2006 doing Second City together, and Kellye and I met and remained friends throughout my time in Los Angeles (and of course, she just joined or STX trip this year).

Most of us were at Chelsea’s comedy special taping last week, we often meet up to write and shoot the shit, and honestly everyone has completely unique POV’s on the world and perspectives on stage.

Our group chat serves as a forum to help each other answer questions, handle business, help each other succeed, and of course laugh.

Lucky for everyone, you have the chance to catch this group chat live on Thursday…

The Chill

What was once my self prescribed tomboy identity actually became the reason I found all the right women to surround myself with.

I recall a bathroom incident back in 2013… I had moved to LA two years prior and was dragged out to a club one night. I hate clubs. So I went to the bathroom to get away from the blaring music, and behold there was girl in there crying because her dress strap had snapped. I looked around the bathroom, found a fake plant with bendy metal inside, whipped out my lighter, melted off the fake plant matter to expose the wire, and used the wire from inside to refasten her dress together. MacGyver NPH. She kept finding me the rest of the night to buy me shots for saving her from a really nasty Janet Jackson-esque nip slip.

I realized I wasn’t necessarily a “guys girl,” but one of the “girls girls” who surrounds themselves with women who actually fucking like other women and want them to succeed, whatever that might mean at the time.

…Even if it’s just to make sure a tit doesn’t fall out. (Sorry, not sorry, boys).

I can’t speak for all women of course, but there are mixed emotions in general surrounding trust with other women that come from a very real place.

We are brought up often to see other women as competition or threats; that there’s only room for so many of us in a given space. We are often deemed as “too much,” “opinionated,” “victims” or “bitches” when we are trying to speak up or get shit done.

Well, as Tina Fey once said, “bitches get stuff done.”

Hell yes, we do.

I’m thankful that the women I surround myself with are just badasses — there’s such power in being on each other’s team as women, and not competing against each other OR men.

So, to the women who ride with me and to all the group chats, thanks for giving me LIFE!

Upcoming Shows

Here are the current cities cooking 🔥 for tour — Columbus, Kansas City, Buffalo, Portland, Austin, New York, San Diego, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Charleston, Detroit, Boston, DC, San Francisco, Raleigh, Albuquerque (omg try spelling that without help), Nashville, Dallas and Arlington. You will be the first in the know when all begins to drop!

Pre-sales for Columbus and KC should drop a few days 🤪

LAST CALL FOR THE GROUP CHAT LIVE — code: “CHAT” for $20 tickets

Thursday 5/22 - Group Chat at Zanies Rosemont featuring the most hilarious group chat: Kristen Toomey, Maggie Hughes DePalo, Kellye Howard, Chelsea Hood and Eunji Kim

Sunday 5/25 - Lincoln Lodge 8pm

Weds 5/28 - CYSK Chicago (Comedians You Should Know)

Saturday 5/31 - Certified Bangers Comedy - Jake and I are launching a new BYOB monthly show that’s a total vibe. It takes place at a private members club (although for the show, it’s open to public with tickets), and features musical guests and a DJ, plus some of the best comics in the city! We are at half capacity already so limited tix left!!

Love you all and cheers to the hustle + chill. May the bitches be with you.

xx NPH