After being a stay-at-home mom for 16 years, all the while knowing she wanted to do more, Zarna Garg was pushed to try stand-up comedy by her children. Her daughter recognized that she had a real talent, one that she herself didn’t even consider. But with the encouragement of her daughter, and the social media savvy of her son, Garg has made it big with an extremely successful second career in life. And all after the age of 40.

All jokes aside, Garg always approached her comedy career as a business. She knew that the only way to viably continue to do stand-up, would require her to dissect the business model, have a marketing plan, and grow it, just like any other startup. Her focus was on monetization, and not only the art form.

I sat down with Garg and she very candidly shared the secrets to her success, the best and toughest thing about having this new career, and how her life has changed.

The Beginning Stages

Prior to starting a comedy career, Garg had never even attended a comedy show as an audience member, let alone perform at one.

“I didn’t even know what a joke was. I had never been to a comedy club, even to watch a show. I didn’t know what you do there. You know, our community – we don’t do that. Like comedy is not a thing for us.”

The first time she took the stage at an open-mic night, she asked the woman who ran the comedy club what she should do, and the woman told her to go on stage and talk about whatever she finds funny for five minutes. “So I got up on stage and I started ripping apart my mother-in-law. And I was like, I think that’s funny. And I really didn’t realize that the whole world would find it funny with me. I just went with what came most naturally to me.”

This brought upon a realization that she may be onto something. “And then when I got off stage, the woman said to me, ‘you are so funny, but you don’t have jokes.’ So I went home and I was like Google, what is a joke? And I learned how to write a joke for the first time.”

Garg’s relentless penchant for trying new things, and learning on the job is so refreshing. It’s a lesson we can all takeaway from her story – it’s never too late to try new things, or start a new career, or simply learn a new skill.

Building A Business

“So I decided in addition to the art, I’m going to start marketing right away. Because without one, I can’t do the other. I don’t live a life where I have that luxury – if I was 25-years-old with no responsibilities, I may have done open mics for years. But I didn’t come into this world in that state. So I was very conscious,” says Garg.

She knew that marketing was key to growing her art into a viable business. She analyzed the industry and made decisions that would pay off in the long run, such as the decision to be a clean comic. “I knew that if I wanted to make money, and do a corporate gig, or be in one of these big spaces where people pay money for this kind of thing, you have to be clean.”

And it all paid off, she won Kevin Hart’s Lyft Comics competition in 2021. And she booked her first show at Caroline’s, one of New York City’s premier comedy venues at the time, within a year of doing her first open mic. But that was the same time that the pandemic hit – shutting down all in-person events. So Garg had to pivot, and that pivot came in the form of her 14-year-old son introducing her to TikTok, which led to the creation of her entire digital business.

The Power Of Storytelling

Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools – when done right, the art of storytelling can move people to take action, can create relatability between people from different walks of life, and have significant impact on an audience.

Garg also points out that people love to root for the underdog. “Everything is storytelling – everything anybody wants to get done, it’s the story behind the story that is the main story. They want the story of grit and determination, and that person that persevered – everybody wants to root for the underdog.”

She adds that it’s important to focus on your uniqueness. “Whatever is your story that makes you unique, that’s what’s going to propel everything around you. I think storytelling is a really, really important skill, especially in the world we are in today. ”

What It Takes

When I asked Garg what advice she’d give other women who don’t have the guts to switch careers at a later stage in life, she responded by saying, “First of all, you don’t need guts. You need desperation. You need to fuel yourself with your own desperation. You need to realize that you’re gonna die. We’re all gonna die. Use the time that God has given you right now.”

“Second of all, ask yourself, what exactly are you worried about? What exactly? You think people are going to judge you? They are judging you now when you’re not doing anything. The people who judge, judge everything freely, all day long. So it’s irrelevant what anybody thinks.”

“And third of all, in the world we live in right now, everybody’s obsessed with themselves. I say use that indifference. No one is paying attention to you and what you’re doing, take that chance – fail 50 times. If no one’s going to even realize, use that indifference to your advantage. I used to go to the early open mics and think, the worst that can happen is that I didn’t make anybody laugh. And maybe five people in that room, or 15 people will know that I didn’t make anybody laugh that day. But before the evening is over, there will be ten more pieces of news that will be much more important than anything I’m about to do. So I tell every woman out there that whatever is your inclination, whether it’s cooking, whether it’s organizing – social media has opened up a world of possibilities. I know people that are doing such exotic, creative things – I know women who obsess over organizing office cabinets, who are making six figures now, just because they took their obsession and they turned it into a business.”

Garg says we owe it to ourselves to live our fullest life. And before we try and make everyone else happy, we owe it ourselves to be happy. “I really believe that. That a happy person, has a ripple effect being out in the world, and it is so great – that we all have to aspire to be that.”

Garg’s latest success is her one-hour comedy special, Zarna Garg: One In A Billion, which was filmed at New York City’s Gramercy Theater, and is releasing globally on Amazon Prime on May 16th.

The Fort Myers Mural Society invites the public to join in celebrating the first in a series of murals celebrating Lee County’s unique communities. The “Greetings from Pine Island” mural will be dedicated at 4 p.m., Thursday, May 11, at the Eagles Nest Restaurant at 10880 Stringfellow Road on Pine Island.

The mural project is a partnership between the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau and the Fort Myers Mural Society and is meant to highlight the unique attributes of each neighborhood in Lee County through art. Visitors will be able to interact with the mural’s design by taking and sharing photos that will stimulate interest in visiting the destination.

Placemaking is a new priority for the VCB, the lead marketing agency for tourism to Lee County. This collaborative process strengthens the connection between people and the places they share.

The ultimate goal is to improve residents’ wellbeing, quality of life and community pride. It also helps generate sustainable tourism and supports economic development.

According to VISIT Florida, “mural art is hot in the Sunshine State, inspiring travelers to go out of their way to take in the scenes, which have become backdrops for engagement photos and Saturday night selfless.”

VISIT Florida promotes murals statewide with Florida’s Mural Trail. There are approximately 117 murals in Lee County.

The mural has been painted by artists Doug Steward and Roland Ruocco, both of whom are Pine Island residents. Ruocco has been a member of the FMMS for 5 years and is delighted to have designed and painted the mural representing Pine Island.

“As a resident and local artist, Pine Island’s unique natural beauty, wildlife and serenity are elements that I appreciate daily and are expressed through my art,” he said.

The Fort Myers Mural Society is a non-profit organization with objectives that include the revitalization, preservation and economic enhancement of the community through the painting of murals that depict the rich history of the area.

For additional information on murals in Lee County, visit www.fortmyersmuralsociety.com.

As a leadership consultant with experience in luxury real estate brokerage, recruiting, sales coaching, team consulting and leadership advising, I’ve learned a thing or two about effective marketing. One of the challenges every business owner faces is striking the right balance between cutting costs and investing in growth. Here’s what you need to know, inspired by tech’s recent cost-cutting measures:

Sweat the small stuff, but spend strategically

Google knows that to succeed, they need to pay attention to every detail of their budget while still investing in marketing. The same principle applies to real estate business owners. Keep an eye on your expenses, but don’t be afraid to spend where it counts. Where does it count? In ROI (return on investment) and ROR (return on relationship).

Root out inefficiencies in your marketing ecosystem

The marketing world can be complex and inefficient. To streamline your marketing process, focus on creating a seamless marketing experience (MX). Just as customer experience (CX) matters to your clients, MX should be a priority for your personal brand. Everything you do and everything you send either contributes to or distracts from your brand. 

Bringing dreamers and doers together: The power of collaboration

Marketing thrives on creativity and data-driven insights. To maximize results, ensure that your creative and analytical teams are in sync. By integrating ideation and execution, you’ll deliver the best performance. Encourage open communication and collaboration between your teams, which will lead to more innovative and effective marketing campaigns.

Embrace hybrid channel solutions for better engagement

Digital fatigue is real, and an overemphasis on digital channels may hinder your marketing effectiveness. Remember that your clients live both online and offline, so adopt a hybrid approach to reach them wherever they are. According to a study by the Nielsen Norman Group, consumers spend an average of 5.6 hours per day online, which means there’s ample opportunity to engage with them offline as well.

Maximize direct mail ROI with smart strategies

Research released by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) in 2022 showed that direct mail generated an average ROI of 112 percent — which is better than email (93 percent), paid search (88 percent), social media (81 percent) and digital display (79 percent).

To make the most of direct mail, print smarter, not more. Adopt a digital-style approach that emphasizes personalization, offer management, modeling and testing. 

Leverage personalization and AI for better results

Personalization is a powerful tool for increasing engagement and ROI. According to a study by Accenture, 91 percent of consumers are more likely to shop with brands that recognize, remember and provide relevant offers and recommendations.

By incorporating AI and machine learning technologies into your marketing efforts, you can deliver personalized experiences that resonate with your audience. What is right around the corner? Hyper-personalized content powered by AI.

Create compelling content to boost engagement

In today’s competitive real estate market, creating and sharing valuable content is essential for success.

A study by the Content Marketing Institute found that 82 percent of consumers perceive a brand more positively after reading custom content. Focus on crafting content that educates, inspires, and entertains your audience to build trust and credibility.

Monitor and measure your marketing efforts

It’s crucial to track the performance of your marketing campaigns to ensure they’re delivering the desired results. By monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs), you can make data-driven decisions to optimize your efforts.

According to a report by HubSpot, companies that track their marketing analytics are 12 percent more likely to increase their year-over-year ROI. Here’s a life lesson, what we track improves.

Adopt a data-driven mindset for long-term success

Take a page out of Google’s book, and use data to inform your marketing decisions. By adopting a data-driven approach, you’ll stretch your budget and optimize campaigns for success. A study by McKinsey found that companies that leverage data-driven marketing strategies are six times more likely to be profitable year over year.

Keep learning and adapting

The marketing landscape is constantly evolving, and staying informed about the latest trends and technologies is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge. Invest in ongoing learning for yourself and your team to ensure you’re always at the forefront of the industry.

The real estate world is moving faster than it has ever before. Where the industry used to lag five to 10 years behind general business trends, in a post-Covid world, we have caught up and are evolving in real-time. 

Encourage a culture of innovation

Innovation is the lifeblood of any successful business, and fostering a culture that encourages experimentation and out-of-the-box thinking is key.

By empowering your team to take risks and explore new ideas, you’ll drive growth and stay ahead of the competition. A study by Adobe found that companies that prioritize creativity are 3.5 times more likely to achieve revenue growth of 10 percent or more. We see it as so important, we placed innovation as the second of our 12 Foundations to Luxury Real Estate Mastery.

Build strong relationships with your clients

In the real estate business, cultivating strong relationships with your clients is essential for long-term success. Focus on providing exceptional customer service and personalized experiences to create lasting connections. This is our saving grace moving forward. AI can’t do connection, trust or intimacy. Double down on building the elite agents who builds loyalty.

Don’t neglect your brand’s online presence

In today’s digital world, having a strong online presence is more important than ever. Ensure your website is user-friendly, mobile-responsive and visually appealing. Additionally, maintain an active presence on social media platforms to engage with your audience and showcase your brand personality. According to a report by BrightLocal, 87 percent of consumers read online reviews for local businesses in 2020, highlighting the importance of managing your online reputation.

Finally, remember that the key to successful marketing lies in striking the right balance between cutting costs and investing in growth. By adopting a data-driven mindset, staying informed about industry trends, fostering a culture of innovation, building strong client relationships and maintaining a robust online presence, you’ll set your real estate business up for lasting success.

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