Today we’d like to introduce you to Shereen Kassam.
Hi Shereen, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My family emigrated from East Africa to America when I was a child. Their dream was to provide me and my twin sister with a better life and ensure we both became doctors. I didn’t even know pursuing the arts was an option until I attended my first live comedy show in my mid-twenties. That’s when my story begins. Comedy helped me find my voice, as well as my confidence as a brown, Muslim woman navigating the world. I love sharing my story on stage, as well as breaking down stereotypes and making people laugh. I talk about everything from bad dates (is there any other kind?) to stories about my parents. I’ve had the opportunity to work with Arsenio Hall and Carlos Mencia and have been named Florida’s Funniest Female. You can hear more of my story in my TEDx talk – Chicken Wings Make Me Unstoppable. I share how to become unstoppable by embracing the lesson of the chicken wing – the ability to re-sauce yourself! It will have you laughing, thinking, and craving a good chicken wing!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of my biggest challenges has been sharing my story as a brown, Muslim stand-up comedian. At shows, while I’m on stage, I’ve had hecklers shout, “get her out of here” or “terrorist.”.
A few years ago, a group of patrons not only walked out of the show during my set but also protested that the owner of the club ban me for being Muslim. At the time, I had my own radio show, and my co-hosts gave me an ultimatum – apologize to the patrons, rather than damage our relationship with the club, or leave the show.
I refused to apologize and walked away from my radio show. I had worked for years to solidify my spot on the radio, and overnight all my hard work was overturned.
However, I didn’t let it get me down. When I walked away from the radio, I vowed to keep sharing my voice. I re-sauced myself and started a podcast – Creative Breakthrough – which is now trending in over 50 countries. I won’t let hate and ignorance derail my dreams. In 2021, Creative Breakthrough was honored as the Best Business Advice podcast at the International Women in Podcasting Awards.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am an internationally touring stand-up comedian, award-winning podcast host, and actor. I have performed worldwide on stages from New York to Saigon, as well as appeared on HBO and NBC. In addition, I’m also a keynote speaker and have presented on topics including imposter syndrome and creativity. In 2022, I gave my first TEDx talk “Chicken Wings Made Me Unstoppable” where in 12-minutes I share how to shift your mindsight, find your inner peace, and overcome your past. I also host a podcast called Creative Breakthrough where I have conversations with creatives who share their strategies to win. Past guests include Ali Velshi (journalist), Maz Jobrani (comedian), Tina Mabry (producer/director), and Jazmin Darznik (author). I also enjoy acting and have appeared in commercials, web series, and short films. If you are working on a project, need a comedian/speaker/host, or just want to bounce ideas – let’s collaborate!
How do you define success?
Success to me is inspiring others to pursue their best life. Whether it be through my stand-up, my podcast, or even my TEDx talk. After giving my TEDx talk, many people approached me to share how my talk positively impacted them. There was one woman in particular, who was in tears – like legit ugly tears. At first, I thought – were my jokes that bad? In all seriousness, one of my stories resonated with her. Hearing me talk about how I overcame challenges gave her the courage to do the same. That to me is success – inspiring others to discover their passions, overcome their challenges, and live their best life. You can check out my TEDx talk here: www.funnybrowngirl.com/tedx
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: funnybrowngirl.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/funnybrowngirl
- Facebook: Facebook.com/funnybrowngirl
- Twitter: twitter.com/funnybrowngirl
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FunnyBrownGirl
- Other: funnybrowngirl.com/tedx
