Meet Stacy Dymalski | writer, author, and standup comic

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

Hi Stacy, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I work in the entertainment industry as an independent story consultant. I help anyone from studio executives to retired people find, write, and share their stories in the form of books and movies. I also am a standup comic in Los Angeles, and I’m onstage somewhere (either in a show or an open mic) at least five nights a week. Taking risks is at the very heart of what I do. I could get a 9-to-5 job working in an office, in return for a steady paycheck. But then I wouldn’t have the energy or time to pursue what I really want to do, which is screenwriting and standup comedy. I have faith in myself that I will figure out a way to making a living doing only what I love. And so far, it’s working.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
First and foremost, I’m a storyteller. And I have woven that into a multi-faceted career that includes screenwriting, ghostwriting, stand-up comedy, and being an author. I always knew I was a writer, and I just took small steps (and a few side trips) along the way to get to this point in my life. The biggest challenges I’ve faced are people telling me that I can’t do what I do; that it can’t be done; that the “responsible” thing to do is get a steady job, and then write as a hobby. To me, that would be soul-crushing. It wasn’t easy telling people that I respect that I appreciate their advice, but I’m going to go ahead on my own path. And if the path ends with me falling off a cliff, then I’ll figure out how to land safely on the way down. And then I’ll pick a new path.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Living in L.A. I always like showing people the crown jewels of our city. For out-of-town visitors, I always like taking them to a concert at the Hollywood Bowl in the summer or the Disney Concert Hall in the winter. I also love showing off the new Academy Museum in the old May Company Dept. store building. I’m a museum member, so quite often my guests and I get small perks when we visit. I also like hiking the Palisades for sweeping views of the coastline and the L.A. basin. And if my guests are fans of thrifting, some of the best thrift stores in the country are in Hollywood and Santa Monica.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I couldn’t do what I do without the trust my clients put in me to help them bring out their stories. Quite often I work with someone who has an inspiring, yet painful, story to share. I’m always very honored when they allow me to help them get to the heart of their story, which usually means (for them) reliving it. Which takes a lot of courage to do. Every time I work as a story editor on someone’s project, I always come away from it a little better for having experienced such personal stories. My participation in these projects widens my compassion for people tenfold.

Website: https://www.thememoirmidwife.com/

Instagram: @stacy_dymalski

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacydymalski/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/StacyWriteNow

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stacy.dymalski

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgi-axWOqJHuPGdj9UKj1ww

Other: TikTok: @StacyDymalski_comic

Image Credits
Headshot image: Justin Gill Image with me holding books: Liz Barlak Image of me with my arms crossed: Liz Barlak The rest are from my iPhone.