Meet Caitlin Peluffo | Comedian

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

Hi Caitlin, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?

I’m in therapy for this very subject. In the beginning of my career, I was 100% obsessed. I got up every single night I could and performed at open mics 20-30x week. That’s insane. I’m so glad I was able to do that though, it helped me become a stronger comedian quickly, however my romantic relationships and my mental health suffered. We have a sickness in that we feel if we’re not performing, we’re not improving; whoever grinds the hardest will make it. That mentality it the fastest way to get to burnout. Now I’m at a place in my life where I don’t want to sacrifice my relationships and mental health for a show in a seedy bar for 6 people. When you do this long enough, you learn what is worth your time and what is not. Now I’m trying to take one day off a week to play with my cats, watch bad TV, and go to broadway shows with my fiance. It’s helped my creativity tremendously. I’m happier. Who knew happiness could make you a better comic?
What don’t people know about comedy? One thing that people don’t understand about the comedy world is that we do it all ourselves. People assume in show business that we have managers and agents booking all of our gigs, promoting our shows, and posting our videos. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Sure, once you get to mega stardom levels, that might be how it works, but up until you’re Kevin Hart status, we do everything ourselves. I’ve been doing comedy for almost 10 years and and up until a few months ago I’ve booked every gig, posted every reel, and negotiated every TV appearance. It is a true grind. We’re not just entertainers, were small business owners. I probably spend the same amount of time sending emails as I do writing jokes and performing. We now have to be video editors, podcast hosts, travel agents, social media gurus, and business managers. Gone are the days of “just be funny.”

Risk Taking:
Stand up comedy is probably the most risky of all the performative arts. You’re literally on a stage, alone, charged with the task of entertaining 200 people with your words. Its so vulnerable. If anything goes wrong, you only have yourself to fall back on. It took me a long time to gain the courage to start doing open mics. Its one of those art forms were you KNOW you will fail. Bombing is the biggest part of the process and it must happen in order for you to get better. How shitty. Once you become a better comedian, you learn how to handle those bombs, but they still happen at every level. I’m at the point where I no longer think its risky to get onstage, I’m now focused on what I’m saying. So the risk aspect shifts from the act of stand up to what you’re trying to achieve. Telling jokes about the supreme court is a bigger risk in Kentucky than it might be in New York.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Ive been a stand up comedian for almost 10 years. My biggest achievement is that I am able to do this as a job. Comedy has been my sole source of income for the past 2 years and I am really grateful. I used to have 3 different day jobs and then I would perform 3-5 times at night. I get tired just remembering those days. What i realize now is how lucky I was to have had the opportunities that led me to my current position. I have a long way to go, but just reaching this point is a major milestone that I never thought was possible when I started. I heard a saying soon after I started doing comedy that has really informed my mentality; “the harder you work, the luckier you get.” Luck has a lot to do with this business, but that can’t be the only factor. You’d lose your mind if having a career in comedy was the same as winning the lottery. You have to focus on the things you can control, like getting up, submitting to festivals, writing new jokes. Getting on the Late Show is lucky, submitting the tape is the hard work.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When I’m in LA I love going to the beach! I live in NYC and getting to the ocean is quite a trek. The last time I was in LA I went to Hermosa Beach and had a ball. I also love going to the Grove. I love all the little shops and food stands. Recently I stayed with a friend in Sherman Oaks and LOVED it. Every morning I went to Sweet Butter Kitchen, then took a cycling class at Sweat Cycle or went thrift shopping in NoHo. The comedy scene in LA is also killer. At night I would go to as many shows as possible. I loved doing Hot Tub at the Virgil and any of the Don’t Tell Comedy shows around the city.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to dedicate this to my partner, Steven Rogers. He’s supportive, patient, and a silly goose.

Website: caitlinpeluffo.com

Instagram: @caitlinpeluffo

Twitter: @caitlinpeluffo

Facebook: facebook.com/caitlinpeluffo

Youtube: @caitlin-peluffo

Other: tiktok: @caitlinpeluffo

Image Credits
All portraits by Mindy Tucker. Punchline Photo (all black outfit onstage): Jim McCambridge