Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Laura Green. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Laura, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
Have you ever quit your very stable, yet tragically repetitive, job to do something completely different with zero safety net? Great, me too. I’ve been a physical therapist for the last 13 years and a few months ago I stopped working at the hospital so I could pursue comedy content creation (specifically in the running space) full time. Sounds absolutely bonkers when I write it out like that. And so far, I’ve been successful, both financially and in creating a wildly flexible work/life balance, which is also bonkers to write out. As long as I’ve had ears, my parents have drilled into me that you need to work 40 hours a week. Get a degree. Get a job. Get a 401k and benefits. And whatever you do, don’t be your own boss. Welp! Here I am. The payout thus far as been well worth the risk and I’m so grateful for people in my corner who pushed me out of the nest (hospital) so I could fly.
Laura, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Laura Green (@lauramcgreen) and I write and produce comedy skits on social media for the run world. I work primarily with the larger run brands to essentially make fun of them and myself while promoting their shoes. When I’m not filming sponsored content, I write my own skits that poke fun at the intricacies of “what makes a runner”, in a way to hopefully help people laugh at themselves and also connect the consumer to the professional running world. I also have found myself on stages more often, mixing a little bit of stand up comedy with speaking, along with interviewing and hosting panels.
How did you build your audience on social media?
This time last year I only had 2,000 people following me on instagram. Within a year I was >135,000 and I think a large part of that was due to the fact that I kept the content in a specific category. When people try and do too much and be everything to everyone, the viewer doesn’t get a sense of who they are watching. My videos are for runners. Anyone who has ever put on a pair of running shoes. Occasionally they speak to cyclists, or other athletes, but I want it to remain a space for runners of any level to come and have a good laugh. Find a niche and stick with it. It will pay off.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My goal this year is to get more everyday runners to love track and field and professional marathoning as much as I do. There is a big gap between the casual runner and the pro, and I think showcasing different pro runner personalities through comedy will encourage more people to pay attention to these races and find new faces to cheer for. I also think overall we take ourselves far too seriously. And when a piece of content is posted, people are so quick to comment with their opinions on it (often times a negative opinion). I just want to create a corner of the internet that is silly, sarcastic, and helps people bring the laugh back to themselves. Being human is complex and nuanced and there is no way that a 90 second clip on social media is going to cover it all. So just take what’s good and if it’s not serving you, unfollow and move on! 
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lauramcgreen.com/
- Instagram: @lauramcgreen
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-green-a58a91230/
- Youtube: @lauramcgreen