In this biweekly series, WeWork’s director of digital community selects a WeWork member to get to know better, sharing her fun findings with the rest of the community.
When I saw Naomi Westwater Weekes’ post on the WeWork member network about Pretty Good Friends‘ comedy night, I was so intrigued I had to reach out! Pretty Good Friends, a WeWork South Station member, was co-founded in 2006 by Eugene Mirman and Julie Smith Clem, beginning as a weekly comedy show in the basement of Union Hall. Since then, Pretty Good Friends has grown to do anything and everything: producing “StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson,” the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival, web series, live comedy nights, and more. Read on to learn all about the executive assistant’s favorite comedians and what she loves most about her job.
So how did you get involved with Pretty Good Friends?
Just a big coincidence, really! I was freelancing with WBUR (local NPR station) and working some other jobs, and I was introduced to Julie, the creator of PGF. Then I did some work for her, and I was offered a job! So it fell into my lap—I didn’t really even know such a job existed.
How would you describe Pretty Good Friends to someone who is not familiar with the company?
It is a production company specifically for comedy. We produce a variety of things—everything from TV shows to podcasts, radio, video, live shows, and comedy festivals.
What’s your personal fave project that you’ve worked on so far?
Definitely the comedy festivals. We do the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival—one in Boston and one in New York City—every year, and it is a crazy long weekend of all these different shows that we’ve been working for months to prepare with amazing, talented comedians and musicians. Just really cool people. And it’s a huge adrenaline rush for those few days—you get to see some great material. So festivals are my favorite, because it’s a combination of the things we do in a few days.
If you were stranded on a desert island, what comedians (and comedies) would you bring with you?
Oh man! I’ve always really enjoyed independent comedians, and I also enjoy comedy that makes fun of society a bit more. I absolutely love Chris Rock. I love comedians that tackle race and gender issues, where it’s funny, but they’re also talking about real stuff. I don’t know if I would want that on a desert island!
In terms of TV shows, I love the Mindy Project and New Girl—I think those are my favorite TV shows out right now. For comedy specials, John Mulaney’s I thought was really funny, Amy Schumer’s comedy special, and we work a lot with Eugene Mirman’s I’m Sorry (You’re Welcome)—he came out with a nine-volume album, and it’s so wacky and out there and hilarious. He has a whole volume in the CD that’s him making up fake ringtones! I think some of my favorite comedians are people who don’t filter out the stuff that you or I would be embarrassed to think about. They just go with it. Wanda Sykes also has some great comedy specials. So I’d bring those.
What’s your favorite thing about being a part of WeWork?
I just like the vibe here! It’s really cool that there’s so much going on in such a small space, and such a variety. I just met a guy down the hall who’s going to be sending me some music that we might end up using! And there are things that I never even considered that could be a career. People near me are working on a fitness app for disabled people—just a lot of really cool stuff.
Anything else we should know?
I love my job! I don’t have “Sunday doom” anymore—I don’t mind waking up early to go into work on Monday because work is really fun. And we’re a small company, which I enjoy because it means I get to do a lot of everything—whether that’s learning about the financial and legal side of running a small business, or brainstorming some fun projects, and then putting on the actual events and live shows. The adrenaline rush of meeting all these amazing comedians and artists and doing a show in front of thousands of people— it’s a really fun job!
Photos: Pretty Instant