For many people, being self employed is an ideal career goal. It can also be a truly rewarding experience when doing what you love can help other people. Our next guest share his story of his love of making people laugh as a comedian…
Can you please introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Jim Dailakis.
Can you tell us what company you work for?
SELF EMPLOYED Sponsored by Step Forward Entertainment.
What is your title there?
I am a Comedian.
What are the exact responsibilities of your job?
Making people laugh. Catalyst for laughter.
What is it about your job that makes you love it?
Now, not only do I make people laugh, get to see the world, stay in nice hotels, have become self-employed, have plenty of free time to do other creative projects; I also get to do a lot of fundraisers and major events for charities like the Wounded Warrior Project and The Make-A-Wish Foundation. Healing with laughter and making people laugh is a very noble job to have and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
One night when I was performing at a club in Chicago, I was making a woman laugh to the point where she was so enthusiastic she’d give me a standing ovation and one of the most hysterically funny and annoying laughs on the planet after every one of my jokes. I thought she was a little drunk. I didn’t say anything. Most comedians would’ve probably vilified her. Not me. I’m a comedian, she’s laughing and that’s how it’s supposed to work.
At the end of the show, she came over to give me a hug and whispered in my ear, “I have stage IV stomach cancer and you just gave me five years. Thank you.” I certainly wasn’t expecting to hear that. I just held her, locked in that embrace and told her that she had just given me an extra 10 years. I’ll never forget Lynn and how monumentally life altering that moment was for me.
What particular skills or talents are most essential to completing your tasks?
Being funny helps. Socially aware, being able to see the humor in everything, telling the truth in the funniest way possible.
What level of education would you say is required to perform your role?
Self-education makes great men and women. It also makes better comedians.
Do you find that you bring your work home with you? (And is that a good or bad thing?)
When you do what you love, your “job” is your love so yes, I bring it home, with me on a plane, train, in the car, in the shower, in bed, you name it. I’d say it’s definitely a good thing.
How does this job compare to other jobs you’ve held in the past?
It doesn’t feel like a job. I look forward to it. I have plenty of downtime which allows me to creatively explore other avenues. Even though I spend an hour on stage most times, there’s a lot of in between stuff which can get monotonous but at the same time, I enjoy that as well because I get to travel.Truth be told, most of the jobs I’ve had have never felt like that because I’ve always chosen to do that which brings me the greatest joy. There was a time when I was a bellhop at a five-star hotel and then a little later, I was a registry clerk at a consulate in New York City.. I was very young and I knew that this would be the last job I would do that I didn’t enjoy. It lasted 12 weeks.
Did I ever think that I would travel from Perth, Australia all the way to New York City and end up living here for 20 years traveling the world, performing in 45 of the United States, all across Canada, the UK and the Cayman islands making people laugh? Definitely not. I had other plans. I originally came here with the intention of being an actor. Becoming a comedian was what I would call a very pleasant accident. At first, it was all about ego and the glory of being on stage. It was all about me.
What is your favorite food?
I like just about everything that’s healthful. Mango and pineapple would have to be way up there though.
Thanks for sharing Jim! Be sure to follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Google+, and YouTube.