We recently connected with Jay Flats and have shared our conversation below.

Jay , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

In the year 2000 I took the biggest risk of my life. I hopped on a train from Orlando with 2 duffle bags and made the move to Hollywood. My best friend Canyon Prince had already made the move and provided me a place to crash and motivation to enter ‘THE BIZ’. As an spiring actor I wanted to jump right into the movies. Reality hits hard and fast when you realize you don’t have the money to attend acting school, take classes or workshops to begin building relationships which are key to starting your career. Your resources and early skill sets are forced into action and my biggest skill has always been… no stage fright. I gravitated towards the production side and used my abilities to start working with TV Audiences and quickly found the ‘audience warm-up’ position was within my reach. I began hosting, MC and crowd work mixed with standup comedy and I was off and running. When most people are fighting for the acting role… I decided I could pay the bills and get momentum as an Entertainment Personality. From small town to the most competitive city… big risk… big reward. I have now been a Union Performer for over 100 TV shows and counting…

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have spent the past 23 years saying yes to opportunities and I have spent the night and worked in all 50 states. I work primarily as a warm-up comedian for TV shows like Dancing with The Stars, Ridiculousness, Kelly Clarkson Show and more. I have been blessed to work up close with some of the best hosts in TV. One of my current projects is hosting Live Events for a unique company called Hitkor. This streaming event company allows you to control your experience while enjoying concerts and events from your laptop, smartphone or tablet from anywhere. My career has a wide and wild range. I’ve hosted a gameshow on real airline flights, been in 2 Stanley Cup Parade celebrations and have cameos on TV shows like Hell’s Kitchen. I am always excited for new chapters and building new relationships!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Since I was really young I have always been inspired by the best TV hosts. Watching Bob Barker with my grandma while pretending to be sick to miss school , staying up late to sneak a peek at Johhny Carson or hearing John Madden relive football stories inspired me to embrace the extrovert in myself. I enjoy making people smile and laugh. I am most likely addicted to applause. A lot of Entertainment Success surprisingly come from ‘right place – right time’. I feel I am inn the right place. I surround myself with positive people and I always arrive on time. I learned early on… It takes no talent…to be on time.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

It’s a little cheesy, but If you love what you do… you don’t work a day in your life. I love the joy of an audience that made the right choice to be a part of my world for a day, an hour or even just a few minutes. Sometimes I forget, I don’t have to do this… I get to do this. One of the most rewarding things I hear often is… ‘You have the coolest job’ and you know what…sometimers I forget that… ‘I do have the coolest job’

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @jayflats

Image Credits
Steven Khan Photography