Today we’d like to introduce you to Zach Hesson.
Hi Zach, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I moved to Florida in 2021 for grad school, and that’s when I finally stopped putting off the creative stuff I cared about. I had played guitar and been into music for years, but I always had this itch to try stand-up comedy. When I was a kid I felt weird and awkward most of the time, but when I made people laugh that feeling went away. That stuck with me, so I decided to finally give stand-up a try.
My first time on stage was at Austin’s Coffee in Winter Park and it was… not good. I knew it wasn’t good. I got a couple of laughs and even louder silences. When I got off stage I had a couple ideas on how to make the jokes better, and the best idea was: never tell those jokes again.
It’s been a couple of years since then, and now I don’t get nearly as nervous. I do shows all around Florida as often as I can, and I couldn’t be more excited with how things have been unfolding. Starting stand-up comedy has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done… besides meeting my partner (she’s reading this right now. Is somebody going to edit this? Leave that in.)
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not entirely… but I’d also say it’s been a relatively short road so far compared to a lot of other comedians. One of the biggest challenges has been the time commitment. The amount of commuting involved can be brutal, and it’s not uncommon to drive over an hour each way just to perform for a handful of people who didn’t know there’d be comedy that night. I was used to the lifestyle a bit because of my background with music, but comedy feels very different. If I’m playing music, it doesn’t really matter how the crowd reacts. With comedy, how the audience responds to jokes is a key dynamic that I didn’t have to account for with music.
To cut down on the commuting I try to stay local when I can. Luckily, Orlando has a really strong comedy scene and you can get on stage almost every night of the week here.
That said, some things have gone surprisingly smooth. I’ve been lucky enough to do shows all over Florida, and across the United States in places like Denver, Las Vegas, and Chicago. I even got to perform in Thailand this past June, which was surreal.
So, no, it hasn’t always been smooth… but that’s part of what makes it meaningful. I don’t think comedy would be as fun or rewarding without the highs and lows. The unpredictability keeps things interesting. I expect there will be plenty more ups and downs ahead, and I’m actually excited for that. That’s part of the ride.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I primarily do stand-up comedy, but I also play guitar in a punk band called Skatter Brainz. I think that’s kind of interesting.
I try to be silly as often as possible, even when the timing may not be appropriate. I’m always looking for the funny in everyday life, even if I’m the only one that gets it. A lot of my ideas never make it to the stage, but I’m constantly texting myself jokes. Sometimes I even schedule my texts to go out later, so future me gets joke ideas from past me… is that crazy? Oh well.
One thing that I am most proud of and that may set me apart from others is I’ve been sober since 2013. and it has been such an awesome experience. When I first started going to shows in bars, it felt a little weird being the only one not drinking. Now, it doesn’t feel weird at all. It actually feels like sobriety’s becoming more normalized, especially in creative communities. I’m not sure if it still sets me apart, but I do think it’s cool to see that shift happening.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
At the risk of sounding painfully cliché, the biggest lesson I’ve learned is: don’t take yourself so seriously. It sounds funny, especially in the context of stand-up, but I think it’s a universal lesson. There have been plenty of shows where I’ve gotten off stage feeling like I didn’t do as well as I should have. Sometimes, that feeling kicks in after just one joke doesn’t land the way I expected.
I got into stand-up for fun, and I do take it seriously, but I’ve learned there’s a big difference between taking my performance seriously and taking the outcome seriously. With my performance, I know that I want to keep honing my material, writing new jokes, and getting better on stage. That is something that I have control over, and can actively work on. I’m still working on caring less about the outcome for shows. Just because a set didn’t get as many laughs as I hoped doesn’t mean I need to overthink it. I’ve known that for a while, but I’m still learning how to actually practice it.
So yeah, take the work seriously, but don’t take the outcome too seriously. That’s the lesson. I think that’s similar enough to “don’t take yourself so seriously”, right? No? Whatever.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zach.hesson/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HessonComedy
Image Credits
Preston Canavan
Travis Santo
David Martinez
