Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amber Autry. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Amber , thanks for joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Artists deserve to get paid for their work. I talk to so many Comedians who have been doing comedy for a year or more who say “Well, I can’t ask for money yet.” Says who? If you are consistently putting in the effort and time you deserve to get paid. I remember the first time I responded to a show offer with “What is the payment?” The guy was taken aback but he paid me. From that moment on I made sure I stood up for myself and my worth.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My joy and self-love surprise a great deal of people. At the same time, this is what attracts people to me. On the stage and off I bring an energy that is loving, warm, and electric. The two compliments I get the most from people are “I love how unapologetically yourself you are” and “You remind me of my best friend.” I want to encourage everyone to be more themselves and love making my fans feel they are hanging out with their best friend. People will ask how I got to a place of such self love and joy- it took work. I’ve been a Comedian since I was young- charging my family a quarter to come see shows in the living room. So when I got older and found myself in a cycle of self-loathing and saw how it was affecting doing what I love, I went to therapy and worked on myself to get to where I am now. As a Comedian I provide my audience with an example of how self-love and vulnerability can be positive. I have a podcast called I’m Fine, It’s Fine where myself and my cohost, trauma therapist Melanie Reese, talk to artists about how their struggles influence their art. I am proud of who I am- silly, smart, a great performer, a kind person, and someone who truly roots for themselves and others. I have no doubt that I will continue to grow and gain more followers. I look forward to sharing joy, love, and growth with those people!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Building a social media following takes time! But let this give you permission to not stress so much over what content you put out. Once I started posting more, I cared less about the like count because I knew tomorrow I would post another one and it’d be a different story. I definitely struggle with obsessing over my follower count- it’s part of the job as a Comedian to have a large social media presence. The top ways I have noticed a steady increase in my following is to post often (at LEAST twice a week, more if you have the mental capacity and time), and after shows I deliberately ask the audience to follow me. If you’re a non-Comedian reading this- FOLLOW COMEDIANS. Having followers is a key component of success for Comedians and it’s not always easy to focus on followers while taking care of every other aspect of the job; if you liked a Comedian make a point to get their social handles from them. As a Comedian, above all else, take care of your mental health. The followers WILL come, be kind to yourself in the process.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Not everyone is going to be cool with you. I am naturally a friendly person who roots for other Comedians. I truly believe there is room for everyone. When I feel jealous of someone I let that emotion guide me. I ask that person how they got the thing I am jealous of and 9 times out of 10 they are happy to share. Unfortunately- not everyone operates like this. When things first started to pop off for me I had people I thought were friends turn on me publicly in extremely nasty ways. It was so painful to experience. But it was a good lesson- not everyone is going to choose the path to success and when they don’t, that has nothing to do with me. Those people later came back and acted like nothing happened/we were best friends. I wish the best for them but our relationship is done. Overall lesson- focus on you. That is how you get to where you want to go.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://amberautrycomedy.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amberautrycomedy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmberAutryComedy/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/amberautrycomedy
• Other: Subscribe and listen to my podcast I’m Fine, It’s Fine wherever you get podcasts! It’s a feel good podcast that will have you laughing, tearing up, learning, and coming back for more. Be sure to leave a 5 star rating and review! It’s free and helps so much. https://im-fine-its-fine.captivate.fm/listen

Image Credits
Sam McNaughton