Impending doom. How did you get yourself into this? Worse yet, it was your idea.
Sure, Chuck said he’d do the Stand Up Comedy Class if you’d do it. But you signed up your sorry-self. It’s your fault. The razor tooth jaws of an audience waiting to laugh is knifing through the water – straight for your terrified face.
We’ve all been there. A comedian gets up but he’s not funny. You feel for the guy. Your empathetic bones ache. The drunk at he back left his filter in a bottle of Jack. “Get off the stage you moron,” he drawls. 
Compared to being a professional motivational keynote speaker, stand-up has more differences than similarities. You might be funny in person and as a keynote speaker, but in stand-up you’d better know an ocean of do's and don'ts. Make your bits tight to get a laugh every 15 seconds. With four laughs a minute you have to memorize each bit, with act-outs and comedic finesse. Start with an emotion. Don’t tell a story but make it seem like a story. Turn the mundane into something knee slapping. Be specific. Never say “people.” Practice until you ‘nail it’ 10 times in a row. By the way, you won’t know it’s truly funny until you’re on stage. Comedians are morbid. If you’re funny – you killed. If you’re bad – you died. Jerry Seinfeld documented his efforts to resurrect his stand-up routine with all new material. He died a lot before he ever killed. Ugh!
Chuck emailed his nervousness. (Hum the haunting soundtrack to the Jaws while you read this.)
Hey Vince,
Man I start to panic. I worked in a corporate environment for 30 years and only knew one person, a sales rep from southern California, who did stand up comedy. I look at how tough this is and the easy solution is to tell myself I can go through the workshops but I don't have to do the Showcase. What a cheap way out. That is probably why most speakers don't make it to the top. As you say, do what the competition isn't willing to do.
Just venting but I will be there for the occasion.
Chuck
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Chuck,
I have the exact same thoughts. But I actually snap out of that cesspool of fear and jump to a platform technique.
When they don’t think its funny – I still do. The fact they don’t ‘get it’ makes me laugh. Easier to do with familiar material. That’s why I’ll be practicing my ass off to make the new stuff more familiar.
This is one self-development course we can’t slide through on. Here’s to putting one’s nether regions on the line.
Vince
And here’s to you, dear reader. In waters unknown, with all those imaginary sharks, growth awaits. Think about what scares you most and jump in the middle. You don’t need a reason. You don’t need a specific goal. The end result is a stronger, more aware person.
Oh, and Jaws was just a movie.
So jump in!
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