As most of you can tell by now, I am buds with a lot of Brown Shoe folks due to my friendship with Geoff Green, their VP of Talent. Geoff introduced me to Erin Conroy who is their fabulous Public Relations Manager knowing that we would hit it off…..well it made so much more sense when we found out our birthdays are one day apart! Holla! Of course we are going to get along, plus we are both what I like to call “ICAC’s” which stands for Independent Cool Ass Chicks. lol I met Erin first out in Vegas last February during WSA at one of the industry cocktail parties. I just loved the humor coming out of this woman! She had a whole group of us cracking up over who knows what, but I remember it was funny at the time! Anyway, I came to find out through a random string of emails that she has a little side stint as a standup comedian. Well of course, now it all made sense….

I decided before my last trip to NYC that I wanted to do a feature on Erin because I just find it refreshing that she can find humor in the day to day work place and not take everything too seriously. I sat down with her in the Brown Shoe showroom and we talked all about her job and her comedy. First off, let me tell you a little about what she does. Erin is responsible for telling the consumer about how great all the Brown Shoe brands are, including placements with magazines, daily papers, with fashion editors, on television, bloggers and new media. She has been working with Brown for 7 years starting in St. Louis where she was introduced through a former boss. She comes from the agency side of PR with experience in everything from high-tech to non-profit, but never shoes. She was drawn to the position at Brown because of the brand Naturalizer….I won’t disclose her shoe size (11), but it was always hard for her to find a good fit. Naturalizer was a brand she could always go to and she had been wearing them since she was in high school…..She loved the job and 2 years ago relocated to New York where she now works out of the Brown Shoe showroom.

So this leads me to the comedy thing…Erin has always been funny (or so she says) and had a friend who introduced her to Helen Hong who has a comedy club called Showcase Comix. She spoke with Erin and had a spot open on a Thursday night at Ochi’s Lounge (downstairs at Comix), so she asked her to take a go at it. Erin couldn’t resist and next thing you know she was standing on stage telling jokes. I asked her what encouraged her to get up there and she said, “I love things that make people laugh and people that love to laugh. I am just a natural ham.”   She did great her first time on stage! She was relieved when the audience actually thought she was funny! Her routine is basically making fun of the single girl living in NYC coming from the Mid-West. Every day she gains a new perspective and a new experience and I am sure many single ladies who have moved to the city can relate. She also compares life in the Big Apple to life away at college….I won’t give away too much so you will have to check her out yourself  on YouTube by clicking HERE. I loved it!!

I asked Erin how comedy ties in to the PR world and she said “With PR, you have to feel comfortable talking to a lot of people. You have to be persuasive. You can’t teach personality. It’s about making fun out of a tough conversation.” I also asked her what she loved about comedy and she said, “In essence it’s connecting with people. That’s what I love about PR…connecting and meeting with people. The audience interaction gives me that same connection.”

Me and Erin goofing around in the showroom.

In spending time with Erin, I realized that comedy is an art. She carries it with her just like any other artist carries their art with them. Erin has a journal with her everywhere she goes and is constantly tuned into what could be her next line. She is always thinking funny and says it is the most fun hobby she could have….unless that is, she gets discovered and starts making the big bucks then the hobby will turn into a career!! I recommend you take the time to meet Erin if you ever have the chance. I love positive, motivated, fearless, confident, fun individuals and she is certainly all of that rolled up into one awesome girl!! I can’t wait to see her perform live one of these days….hopefully I am invited!!