Greeen Means GO!!!
Tags: stand-up comedy, stand-up diaries, standup diaries, The Stand-Up Diaries, trevor dean, Trevor Dean comedian, trevor dean saskatoonWhen I quit my aspiring radio career about 25 years ago, I figured that I was done with radio. It was a decision I was at peace with given the circumstances at the time. But it’s funny how things can come full circle when you venture into new territory.
Yes, the radio show idea I proposed to the community radio station in Saskatoon has been given the green light. Having said that, there are several things one needs to keep in mind.
First of all, and most importantly, the situation is fluid and ever evolving in regards to building the show. I started this process back in November, and it’s taken lots of e-mails back and forth to get a basic framework of the show in place. There are many details still to be worked out, so for me to comment on them publicly at this moment would not only be premature, but muddle the process.
There has been no start date given to me and no timeframe. This is okay, because of the extensive social media package my team and I are preparing. There will be the following:
- website (host bio, guest bio, show archives and links to various comedians/comedy calendars)
- Instagram account
- Facebook fan page
- Twitter handle
- GMail account for e-mails to the show
- professionally created promo teaser video for the first episode
On top of job hunting, creating Christian material (as well as my own clean material), attending church twice a week and volunteering, things have become busy for me. I will need to take my time, prioritize and organize things. I hope to complete the social media pages within the next couple of weeks, in addition to the website.
Some may see all this and wonder why I am going all out like this? Why so much social media? Why all the hype for something new with no track record? Well, it all has to do with the way God wired me.
I don’t do “what-ifs” very well, if at all. If the show is a flop, I will gladly fall on my sword but I shall do so knowing that I did everything possible to make it work. I feel like I have always had to be a bit more creative, show more ingenuity and creativity than the rest just to be considered on equal footing. At times it can be a burden, especially when nobody else shares your vision, but that’s okay. I’ve always dreamed big, risked big and sometimes I fail big. But failing is a drop in the bucket compared to not trying at all.
Take my trip to Los Angeles in the summer of 2017. I had plans to attend the Comedy Machine competition in Oakland, a 5.5 hour drive from L.A., with a guarantee of a minimum 4 minutes, and not even be assured of prize money when I leave. Then, my connections in L.A. could have lined me up a spot at the Comedy Store in Hollywood. That was on the same night as the competition. I turned the Comedy Store opportunity down without giving it a second thought. No disrespect intended towards the Comedy Store, but I felt that I had much more to learn from going to the comedy competition. Judging from the failure that ensued that night, I would say I made the right choice. I learned valuable lessons that night that the Comedy Store stage could not have taught me. I’m a better person and comedian for it.
I don’t like taking the easy way out and love to think outside of the box to assist me in accomplishing my dreams, plans or goals. Like I said before, all I ever needed in these last six months was one break. Just one good break was all I asked for. Now, if you want to see the talents and ability that God put inside of me, just sit back and watch. The promotional campaign leading up to the shows debut will be so extensive and polished, that hopefully you will come away with an appreciation of the process or at least of the work I undertook to make it all happen.
I have waited for over seven years for my chance to do something that other comics are excited about and want to be a part of. They say that preparation + opportunity = success. I’m going all in and betting on myself that this equation will be a winner.
Stay tuned, more details to follow in the coming weeks……