We recently connected with Matt Ruby and have shared our conversation below.
Appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
I think we often have the wrong idea about risk. We associate it with stepping out on some ledge, quitting your job, leaving where you’re from, etc. But sometimes the biggest risk is doing nothing and just continuing along the path you’re already on, even if you’re not feeling it. Inertia is the most powerful force in the universe. Just doing the same old thing day after day may feel “safe,” but it can be a fool’s path. I mean, I could tell you about moving from Chicago to NYC (my live-in girlfriend dumped me and the bass player in my band quit in the same week so I split town a month later). Was that a risky move? Eh, I feel like the bigger risk would have been to just stay put and not make a change. It felt like the universe sending me a message: If not now, when? So I left. Sometimes not leaping can be the most dangerous move.
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?
Sure, here’s stuff to make you think I matter…
Rubesletter: Over 15,000 subscribers
Comedy specials: 2 standup specials on YouTube
Albums: 2 standup albums (top 10 at iTunes, regular rotation at SiriusXM)
TV: Filmed by Comedy Central, MTV, NBC/Seeso, and FOX
Press: NY Times, CNN, New York magazine, Time Out, Huffington Post, and more
Filmmaker: Creator of Vooza web series (millions of views)
Music: Former frontman for indie rock band Plastics Hi-Fi
Book: Co-author of the NY Times bestseller REWORK
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Well, I have different “clients” for my different pursuits. (Related: Not sure if I consider audience members or newsletter subscribers “clients,” but I guess they are in a way.) I do writing and video production for clients (usually tech companies) and I’ve found the best way to attract people is to keep putting stuff out into the world that shows your voice and resonates with others. Nowadays you need to be pushing out a steady drip of content (ugh, hate the word) in order to stay on people’s radars. I’ve found my newsletter to be a great way to do that. I just try to keep making the sort of things I’d like to get paid to make. When it works, you get to work with clients who know your voice and get what you do. The result is a much smoother process than what happens when you try to do “cold” calls or emails. If someone’s already a fan, it’s like <dating analogy ahead> being set up by a trusted friend instead of swiping on strangers on an app.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Guess you could say my entire standup comedy career is a story of resilience. In the early years, you face constant rejection, perform on terrible shows, and learn by repeatedly failing in front of strangers. It gets better after a while, but it’s definitely a calling (i.e. if you can do something else, you should). I try to find satisfaction in constantly learning and getting better instead of focusing on things others are doing. As long as I can say I’m better than I was, say, two years ago, I count that as a win. FYI: I wrote more about this journey, jokes, jealousy, Jews, and being a comedian here.
Contact Information:
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattrubycomedy/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mattruby
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/mattruby
Image Credit:
Matthew Salacuse
Mike Monti