First Mic

Talk about cold-blooded: The trucking company Steven Hobson worked for made employees wait outside in winter, brought them in one by one AFTER clocking in, then fired them. That corporate cruelty pushed him into comedy - and Columbus is better for it. In just 10 months, Steven went from his first terrifying open mic at Hashtag (where only 3 comics showed up) to becoming what many call a "Columbus...

Depression brought Tia Santamaria to comedy, but what she found was so much more - an acting career, a community, and some hard truths about being a woman in a male-dominated scene. From sneaking downstairs to listen to Comic View as a kid to bombing with an abortion joke on Mother's Day, Tia's journey is refreshingly honest. In this conversation, she breaks down the reality of "pretty privilege"...

Sometimes quitting is exactly what your comedy career needs. Dusty Estepp spent four years trying stand-up before admitting what David Letterman did: "I was terrible at it." But that's not where his story ends - it's where it actually begins. At 35, it took his friend with cystic fibrosis literally dragging him to Surly Girl's open mic to finally pursue the dream he'd written about in 6th grade. A...

Comedian Josh Albert gets brutally honest about the comedy journey, from sitting in his car for 30 minutes after his first open mic to performing 5-6 nights a week. A military veteran who started comedy at 28, Josh breaks down the difference between Kansas City and Columbus comedy scenes, why you need "the right amount of delusion," and how to know when people are lying about your "great set." Abo...

Comedian and Vicious Vixens producer August Ulrey gets brutally honest about navigating comedy as a woman in Columbus. From Taylor Tomlinson inspiring her journey to confronting sexual harassment off stage, she breaks down why it takes 2 years to earn respect, why dating comics is a mistake, and how women can find their power in male-dominated rooms. About August Ulrey: Stand-up comedian and produ...

Comedian Jason Banks reveals his unconventional path from telling jokes to Target coworkers to pitching shows to Netflix, Fox, and Apple. From winning his first competition on day one to creating viral content stolen by every meme page, this raw conversation covers the reality of comedy success - including the controversial joke that almost ended his career before it started. Got a comedy disaster...

Tyson Colson shares his unconventional journey from SoundCloud rapper to stand-up comic, including building a fake comedy stage in his bedroom where he performed to nobody for 2 years. From failing so badly the host turned off the camera to finding his voice in Columbus comedy, this raw conversation explores what it really takes to become yourself on stage. About Tyson Colson: Stand-up comedian ba...