Daily Inspiration: Meet Brandi Roberts

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandi Roberts.

Hi Brandi, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
At the prime age of 27 years old, I reflect on my life and notice some patterns. From as far as I can remember, I enjoyed art and expression. Though as much as I enjoyed it most of my creative experiences as a child were touch and go. My mother initially introduced me to music and that will forever be my first love. After her death in 2001 at the age of 7 years old life changed drastically. My little sister and I moved into a home with one of my aunts who raised us. She was a schoolteacher and heavily pushed academics. She was great for teaching us a foundation but, she was not emotionally available.

As a child that went through major waves of childhood trauma such as sexual abuse, molestation, and the death of a parent all by the ripe age of 7 years old, my world outlook changed. I felt like I was made independent by default. After that, it was hard for me to open up. I didn’t feel like I could relate to my peers like I wanted to since I carried so much baggage. The only time I could find joy was in laughter. In school, I would tell jokes to my friends and plan the punchlines way before I even knew anything about setting up punchlines or comedic timing. This was an innate ability I had used to cope and heal myself.

As an adolescent, I started finding myself and realized that I was gay and I couldn’t come out to my family because they were overtly religious. So, I bit the bullet and conformed until I could execute an escape plan. I took the college route and never looked back. I think I jumped the gun on college but, I needed to be free. Eventually, all the hurt and pain of life and its responsibilities crushed me. I was forced to drop out of college due to financial hardship and lack of support. I moved to Raleigh, NC with another aunt and started making a life for myself working jobs to make ends meet. I’ll never forget my manager at Chili’s named Ronnie. He was one of the first people to really push me to chase my dream. He believed in me before I did. He was a father figure that I greatly appreciate to this day.

Shortly, after we both stopped working at Chili’s, I had suffered a major breakup with my girlfriend at the time. It crushed me. I was at a breaking point. I felt like I couldn’t lose anything else. So, I went to an open mic one night, signed up to perform, and I bombed so hard. But, it felt good and I knew I had found my forever love in stand-up comedy.

Now, fast forward to current times and I’m on the cusp of doing stand-up comedy for 5 years as of 2022. I say this often but, I mean it… stand-up comedy saved my life. Looking back over these last few years, I’m thankful for the growth in myself and how I’ve used comedy as a tool to enhance the world. I look to keep sharing my story and being authentic in my human experience because life and our experiences are all we have. I believe in using comedy constructively to help people overcome life’s troubles, to teach, and to bring us together in love.

I am committed to making great art in my own unique way.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Honestly – I believe anybody willing to chase a dream has to expect some challenges along the way. The challenges make you.

They build your character. I’ve had my share of obstacles ranging from feeling unsupported, losing money funding my own productions, attempted censorship of my own material, and is used as a token to meet diversity requirements for shows. I took all the experiences as lessons, and I am grateful for the wisdom they have afforded me.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Comedian- Producer- Writer- Host-Creator.

These are just a few words used to describe some of the roles I play in life and what I do artistically. I primarily am known for doing stand-up comedy. I started at Goodnight’s Comedy Club in downtown Raleigh. I am proud of the opportunities that comedy has given me.

I have shared the stage with some comedic geniuses. However, I am most proud of the fact that I actually committed to something and stuck with it. That simple act did wonders for my mindset and now I believe I can do anything as long as I’m passionate and committed to the process.

I think what sets me apart from others is my wit. I don’t just joke on the obvious such as my race or sexuality. I like to bond with the audience and share my world outlook. I like to show my range. I have a unique way of deconstructing the many plights of the human species, and if I can persuade an audience to go along with it, what an enjoyable experience it shall be.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love that our city is so diverse but, I wish we would collaborate more. I think we get so caught up in our own artistic communities that we forget to branch out. We all need support. The human connection still matters.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: brandiroberts.biz
• Instagram: @_beeoriginal
• Twitter: @MythicalKool94
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLojebc9pi3hb1qbmNM_Y-w

Image Credits
@8bit.photog (Dalvin Nichols), @sasss.world, and @lit_behindthe_lenz