Today we’d like to introduce you to John.
Hi John, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It was the Summer of 2021 and I was planning to move to Cleveland to start a new career after quitting a job at an ill-fated company. After I took a vacation, it was time to go to Cleveland, but as fate would have it, my flight was cancelled due to weather-related reasons. I was refunded by the airline in the form of a round-trip ticket, so I used this refund to book one flight to Austin and a second flight to Cleveland after spending time in Austin.
During these first few days in Austin, I started comedy, enjoying Austin and its comedy scene enough to extend my time in Austin and continue comedy. After a short time, I cancelled all plans to move to Cleveland. I wound up repurposing the free flight from Austin to Cleveland and I moved into an apartment in Austin instead of moving to Ohio.
Coming to Austin is a decision I’m grateful for at the moment. I’ve been on showcases at bars, breweries, and comedy clubs in multiple cities in Texas. I’ve also had the honor and privilege of running shows at both a comedy club and a brewery, both here in Austin. Many experiences here in Austin have taught me something and have provided ample opportunity to improve and grow.
I’ve experienced highs and lows, ups and downs, and learned a lot so far. I’ve definitely grown and matured over these past 5 years, both inside and outside the context of comedy, and there’s more to be done. It’s something to look forward to and nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Comedy continues to be a dream of mine and I never knew where or when I could begin until I arrived in Austin. I am grateful and thankful for every opportunity I’ve had thus far.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, the road is almost never smooth. Maintaining belief in yourself and your comedy career is easy when things are going well, but not during a rough patch, whether that’s mentally or otherwise. When things are going well, it is a lot easier to maintain a positive outlook, appear outwardly positive, and keep up appearances. Staying positive during the lows is a challenge and I’m not sure it can be done easily all alone. I think it is important to have a person, or people, who can act as some kind of support system, whether it’s a significant other, family, or a good group of friends. Also, balancing comedy with personal, romantic, and professional relationships is a challenging skill to learn and for myself personally that learning process is ongoing, although I continue to improve. The same can be said about balancing comedy with my interests outside of comedy. I’m still figuring that one out.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I enjoy performing on comedy shows, whether it’s as a part of a showcase or as a host. Operating as a show runner for a comedy showcase is a different animal completely, and I enjoy that equally.
The thing I’m most proud of is building up the brewery show I ran for 2 years from 2022 until 2024. The first show I ever ran, one thing that set it apart was as follows: it took place once per season rather than taking place monthly, weekly, or daily. Over a period of 2 years, editions of the show included various collaborations, including those with local brands in the food & beverage industry and the THCA industry as well as a few other types of collaborations. It was a pleasure and a privilege building the lineups, building up the show over the seasons, and creating its growth, accomplishments, and progress. Putting in quality work leading up to each edition always helped. In my experience, the more you believe in something, the harder and smarter you will work and the better results you will achieve. So far, I find there are few prouder moments than when passions go well.
Generally, what sets me apart from others is my independent, free-thinking mindset. Being an inherent skeptic, I don’t blindly follow. When being like everybody else is encouraged, I look into what the benefits are to doing something different while remaining open-minded. Three more things would be my ability to work in the present while keeping an eye on the future, my work ethic, and my ability to think on my feet and improvise.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
One thing authority figures and role models will rarely say is that a good amount of it is luck. Sure, it takes a lot of good decision-making, shrewd navigation, hard work and smart work, aptitude, skills and talents, being in the right place and frame of mind, and many more. However, luck – particularly in the form of timing – has a part to play. I remain convinced that if I had arrived in Austin sooner or later than July 2021, things would have gone differently. Countless things in the context of the city I arrived in would have been very different, and I would have been relatively the same person upon arrival. The subsequent chain of events would have been much different and everything in my life would not exist as it does currently. Luck plays more of a role than it gets credit for and my time in Austin is no exception.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnmcnair_comedy/
- Other: https://linktr.ee/johnmcnair
