We were lucky to catch up with Pedro Franco recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Pedro, thanks for joining us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

I believe when you commit yourself to go on the journey of perusing a creative passion you will find that kindness of strangers comes a long way. The kindest thing someone has ever done for me was allowing me to live with them rent free when I was between jobs. When I moved to Austin I first had a full time job and a worker’s visa. Things started going well with Stand Up as far as results on stage, but when my Visa expired I couldn’t work anymore, and before I got approved for my artist’s visa which allowed me to legally work again, my friend Eddie, who I met in the street when we both signed up for mic let me live with him. And in his own words “I wouldn’t let you live with me if you weren’t funny”. Having someone believe in you who you don’t know really well can go a long way.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a Brazilian born Stand up comedian based in Austin Texas. I had a very harsh heartbreak right after college. One of my good friends decided to take his own life, and the girl I was dating at the time, who I thought I was going to marry me abandoned me. About a month later she showed back up and did a grand showing saying she immensely regrated her actions and convinced me to jump back in yo the relationship. So I moved to North Dakota, where she lived, only to be told upon arrival (4 day drive) that she had changed her mind again. I was devasted, I didn’t know anyone, but I had done stand up once in college and really enjoyed. I found out by asking around that there were open mics in Bismarck, I started to hit them up and really stand out. Pretty soon I realized I should move to a bigger scene, I headed to Austin and found success very fast. And once I got on Kill Tony I was showcased to a broad audience and got the opportunity to open for one of Brazil’s biggest comedians. That gave me the boost to keep perusing comedy and eventually earning my artist’s Visa.

I believe entertainment is a very necessary outlet. Most people find themselves earning a living in careers that may or may not pay their bills, but most of the time they don’t find enjoyment in those careers. I believe entertainment provides a much needed decompression for people. A break from their tasks and responsibilities, and for a few hours they can simply enjoy themselves and get a boost to go back into their 9-5.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

After moving from North Dakota, I was completely heart broken. Alone and I knew absolutely no one in Austin. I kept showing up to Mics, asking producers to be on shows. They would offer me money if I handed out flyers to promote the show and I would tell them “Don’t pay me, instead give me 5 minutes of stage time” They would say okay and give me a chance and when I did good they would invite me back. I believe a lot of people sink in their pain. I can’t think of a better time to try something new as to when you are completely broken. Because if you fail you already handling pain, so it wont be as impactful. I just kept going and breaks started to happen. If I learned anything is that using adversity or emotional numbness to put yourself out there is one of the best things you can do.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Seeing the joy you bring out of other people on stage. Or when people come up to you after a good set and let you know how much they enjoyed it. That to me is priceless.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: pedrofrancocomedy