Meet Cait Chock | Comedian

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cait Chock and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cait, how do you think about risk?
I thrive on challenges and to me, taking a risk doesn’t feel as daunting as living with the regret of never just doing it. I’ve failed plenty in life, if I fail who really cares? My brain is weird in that I will be trapped with decision paralysis over small, inconsequential things (should I buy the pepperoni or sausage Hot Pockets lol), but as far as big, life directing decisions, I’ve always been willing to just be like, “send it!” I can’t explain that, but I think part of it is listening to your gut.

My first love and dream was running; I was a professional runner for Nike, and all I wanted was to be an Olympian. I was out running one day and was hit by a car, that ended up taking my leg off (it was able to be reattached!), abruptly ended my career, and took what, to me, felt like my entire identity and everything I cared about.

It was devastating and depressing, but in a morbid way sort of freeing in that in my mind my thought process was, “I lost my first dream. Anything that happens after this doesn’t matter.. So who cares, do whatever!” Not that I don’t care about what happens, but anything good that may happen I would view as a ‘bonus’. I felt like, and still do feel, I have literally nothing else to lose, no future loss or defeat could ever feel worse, so why the eff not take a risk?

Most every risk I’ve ever taken has been worth it, I either learned a lot or succeeded in some way.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve always relied on comedy as my coping mechanism to get through the hardest sh*t in life. I have to laugh, because if I can’t laugh at it it’s too depressing to go on. So when my running career ended I turned to laughter and got into comedy. The majority of my material is centered around mental health, oft self-deprecating, and making fun of the personal disasters I’ve found myself in. While all of our experiences are different, the emotions around dark parts of our lives are the same, and if I’m able to connect with people over that shared feeling and make them laugh, that is one of the most rewarding feelings ever.

Today I host three different live comedy shows, two of which are dark humored: Send Help! and It Gets Dark, and Conversational Lube, which is a live comedy dating show. That one is wholly unscripted and my personal favorite kind of comedy (improv! haha) highlighting the art of creating an entertaining conversation with strangers on the fly.

Challenges I overcame were getting into comedy late in life and literally having no clue about anything. When I started I didn’t even know what stand-up or improv was, I just wanted to find a way to make people laugh. So it was a big learning curve and it took me looking like a literal moron asking people the most basic questions.

Lessons I’ve learned: don’t be afraid to ask! I should add the right people. Don’t be afraid to look dumb. But then take those answers and weigh them with what speaks to you, if that makes sense. Follow what you think is funny, don’t get whiplash comparing yourself to others, and if it matters to you just keep going. Fail, fail some more, and just keep going.

I want the world to know that at the end of the day I’m just a mentally ill person using laughter to get through life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Wow…okay. First I would tell them to make sure they liked the rental car they picked out because they will be spending ample time there too!! Haha but honestly, I am such a horrible tourguide/host because I’m an OCD creature of habit and tend to do the same things every day. I would take them to a show at UCB Franklin and also spend late nights at The Clubhouse, and probably encourage them to do an improv jam.

I would take them to Echo Park and do a little walking tour of a lot of the cool street murals/art. Masa of Echo Park’s deep dish is my favorite thing in the entire world, then go to Stories and Books.

I would tell them to go to Erewhon and not tell them anything about it and wait for them to react.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My biggest supporter, advocate, and person who has always believed in me is my former Nike coach, Alberto Salazar, as well his wife, Molly. After the accident that took my leg, I was severely depressed and would not be alive today if it weren’t for them. Any success I ever achieve in this life, including the hardest battle of just being ‘happy’, is thanks to them.

Website: http://instagram.com/conversationallube

Instagram: http://instagram.com/caitchocklol

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/caitchock

Other: My other show instagrams are:
@sendhelpcomedy
@itgetsdarkcomedy

Image Credits
Emily Ulsh, Scott Fullerton, Greggory Wallace