Build Your Network

Too often comedians take a lone wolf approach to their stand up career (or career in general). They think they can make it on their own without having to rely on others. And while being on stage can feel like an isolating experience, the in-between-moments are where your career is truly made. Your network is always going to be your strongest resource in creating and taking advantage of opportunities. When starting out, your network is simply friends, family, and co-workers. But over time you have to create a circle of comics you can engage with. Don't be afraid to reach out and see who is able to connect. Here are a few pointers in building that network - for comics or anyone looking for an edge. 
Build a Group at Your Level 
One big mistake younger comics make is trying to jump into an established comic circle. They want to join a group that already made it, hoping that success can rub off on them. That is the wrong attitude because it doesn't include the primary element of a strong comic circle network: Trust. 
You have to build your network based on people more or less at the same level as you. Come up together. Build a network of people you can trust. If you join a group that is way ahead of you on the social ladder, they might dump you because there is no foundation. You never went through the battles together. By finding people at your speed and level, you will match energies and be able to support each other.
If you are doing open mics, connect with open micers. If you are featuring and headlining B clubs, then find other comics at that level who can recommend you to similar venues. You just don't want to be in a place where your circle isn't able to help you because the gigs they do are too small or too big for where you are in your career. 
Get a Mentor 
I write this knowing that a lot of people confuse what a mentor's purpose is. Mentor's are NOT people who just give you access to what they built. They help guide you through the steps. Maybe they keep you accountable. Maybe they suggest a few venues for you to reach out to. But it is NOT their job to book your year of shows. I've talked to a lot of headliners who have comics call them up saying, "When you going to book some shows so we can get back on the road?" That is not the right attitude, by the way. 
Mentors should be just a little a head of you too. Too often comics try to get mentors who are way ahead of them, and they really cannot help them. The advice becomes too general or impossible to execute correctly. A good comedy mentor should be where you want to be within 5 years. They can take you on the road, but in reality, they should be more of a coffee and dinner pal. And do not ask someone to be your mentor. It might put too much pressure on them. Just see if you can hang out with them. Support their shows. Give some value, even if its just friendship. Then feel free to ask a few questions. But once it looks like you are trying to just copy them, they will see you as a palmer, just trying to get what you can, instead of building a real relationship built on mutual interests and trust. 
Hang Out After the Show
The best way to build a network is to enjoy "the hang" before and after a show. The comics who come late and leave early tend to be the same ones who stay in the same place years later, begging for guest spots on unpaid shows. It's in the hanging out you start to see which comics you vibe with. Sometimes you'll see a comic on stage and you will assume you two will get along well. Then you hang out and its awkward from the start. But had you just hung out at the comic's table, you would have realized that you make great "co-workers" but not exactly great "hang-outers." By the way, I just made up a word. You're Welcome. 
Engage with Fans 
I get it. You're an introvert. You don't want to talk to "those people." You don't want them to say "Here' a joke you can use..." or "put that in your little skits." But just know that your best network is your fan base. It is your fan base that will create your financial success as well. If you just have relationships with comics and bookers, you limit earning potential. But when you build a fan base, you can create door deals and not rely on the clubs. You can produce your own shows and do your thing. 
This also applies to social media. Find time to engage by liking comments and responding to DM's. Once you get too many, you can back off, but I promise you - a little fan engagement can be what builds your brand faster than you expect. 
Final Thoughts 
Regardless of where you are in your journey, you need a support system and network. This goes for acting, writing, sports, etc. No man or woman is an island. So maybe in 2024 you take the biggest leap of vulnerability yet, reach out, and build an inner circle.