Welcome to Trailblazers! I’m Simi Shah, and in this newsletter, I dive deep into the journeys of trailblazing South Asian leaders. Listen to our podcast on Apple, Spotify, or any major podcast platform and discover more exciting content on our Instagram and LinkedIn.
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🗓️ Our Events: Thank you to everyone who joined our South Asian CPG Founders Breakfast!
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Community events hosted by trusted friends. Reply if you want yours featured!
Sat 6/3 | MOR Collections Trunk Show | Los Angeles
See the South Asian-inspired clothing brand’s new collection
Sun 6/4 | Kutti Gang Comedy Show | New York
A live comedy show hosted by the popular comedic duo
Tues 6/6 | Annual Impact Summit & Gala | Washington D.C.
Annual Summit hosted by an org working to ensure equitable South Asian representation at every level of government.
Latest Episode 😂 Zarna Garg, Stand-Up Comedian
You’ve likely heard of Zarna Garg — the Indian immigrant mom and comedy sensation cracking mom jokes on Instagram, opening for Tina Fey, and most recently, making headlines for her comedy special, Zarna Garg: One in a Billion, which debuted on Amazon Prime a few weeks ago.
But do you know what came before?
Born and raised in India, Zarna Garg immigrated to the U.S. as a teenager to escape her father's plans for an arranged marriage. She landed in Akron, Ohio, where she pursued her B.S. at the University of Akron and a J.D. at Case Western Reserve's School of Law. After practicing law for some time, she left the workforce to become a stay-at-home mom for 16 years — until 2018, when she unexpectedly launched a career in... comedy.
Today, Zarna is a regular at New York’s iconic Comedy Cellar and Caroline's on Broadway. She has toured nationally at historic venues like the Kennedy Center; opened for the likes of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler; and starred in Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton’s new show, Gutsy. Her comedy special marks just the latest milestone in a growing list of accolades, which include another national tour and a film she’ll soon star in alongside Deadpool's Karan Soni.
Interested yet? Read episode excerpts below 👇
Simi: Zarna, huge congrats on the success of your recently-released comedy special, Zarna Garg: One in A Billion. You’ve been deep in comedy for 5 years — which relatively speaking, is not that long to have a special on a major streaming platform. Talk to me about the inciting moment when you thought, “Should I consider a career in comedy?”
Zarna: Of course, this is no Indian woman's dream. I didn't even know what stand-up comedy was. I have three kids who were all born and raised right here in Manhattan, and they knew I was struggling with re-entering the workforce. I was a stay-at-home mom for 16 years. I really wanted to get back to work. I was dying. I was having a really hard time finding my footing.
If you've given up a decade plus of your life to raising kids, you feel like the world has moved past you, and you're never gonna catch up. I was very frustrated and upset. And my kids said, ‘Mom, you're so funny. Why don't you do stand up comedy?’ And when you're a mom, and your kids say something like that, your first reaction is, ‘What do you know?’
But then the three of them ganged up on me, because for 15 to 16 years, I had made them do everything they didn't want to do. I made them eat things they didn't want to eat. I made them take violin and piano lessons. They said, ‘Oh, now look who's scared.’ So I thought, ‘I have to try it and just go one time, so I can tell these kids that I tried it, and they're dumb, and they're wrong.’ And then I went to an open mic in the basement of a Mexican restaurant in Manhattan. And that open mic changed my life.
Simi: In your daughter Zoya’s college essay (which got her into Stanford!), she writes about how she observed how you — having been a stay-at-home mom for so long — craved the opportunity to pursue your passions and personal financial freedom. Today, you're a professional comedian, you have numerous awards and accolades, a comedy special, and an upcoming tour under your belt. What words of encouragement do you have for stay-at-home moms who yearn for the same?
Zarna: I’ll say a couple of things. A lot of women say, ‘I want to do something, but I don't know what to do.’ And I get that feeling entirely, because not everybody's dream is so clearly defined. There are many of us who think, ‘I want to do something, but I don't know what it is.’ In my case, what led to this journey was actually a reflection of what I was already doing: making people laugh. I tell people, if you don't know what to do, you need to reflect on what you're already doing. What do you do in your free time? What brings you joy? The beauty of the world we live in right now is that everything can be monetized. I have friends who are professional closet organizers making six figures. I have friends who love vegan cooking, and they have a thriving business doing that. I have friends who style people's wardrobes, because all their lives, they’ve loved clothes.
In the world I came from, there were three jobs: doctor, accountant, lawyer. Today, I say to everybody, whatever it is that you actually already like doing, go into that space and ask, ‘How can I do more of this and do it for other people and charge them money?’ Everybody's got something. I mean, look at Marie Kondo — she became a global sensation telling people throw stuff out!
Join us for an episode full of funny as we hear how Zarna went from one open mic to full-fledged comedian, her encouraging advice for moms and creatives yearning for their turn, and what’s next for the rising star. Full episode out now on Apple, Spotify, or our website!