I Quit My Job for Comedy (Now What?)

I Quit My Job for Comedy (Now What?)

After years in the military, a viral misinformation campaign, and a career outside entertainment, I've officially gone all in on comedy.In this episode, I talk about leaving my day job, selling my Virginia house, and betting on stand-up comedy full-time. I also share updates on my new late-night style comedy show Friendly Fire, opening for Sam Tripoli, featuring for Jason Ellis in Texas, Tony Hinchcliffe's upcoming Netflix special, the latest developments in the transgender military ban, and a UFO disclosure inspired lipstick ad that caught the attention of Christina P. Topics: * Why I quit my jobMoving to Austin and going all-in on comedy * Friendly Fire becomes a monthly show * Opening for Sam Tripoli * Featuring for Jason Ellis * Tony Hinchcliffe's Netflix special * Trans military ban court updates * Christina P cosmetics collaboration * UFO disclosure, aliens, and lipstick * New merch and website updates Subscribe for more clips, sets, and other things Join my mailing list for show dates, new things, and other updates. No spam—just occasional drops. https://joellishq.joellisreally.com Website: https://joellisreally.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/joellisreallyX: https://x.com/JoEllisReally Christina P lipstick - https://christinap.com/products/christina-ps-atomic-red-lipstick Joe DeRosa's podcast | Vile and Horrendous https://youtu.be/GAxzqXyLPDw?si=LrrWwl_SDWQDSioc #StandUpComedy #AustinComedy #TonyHinchcliffe #KillTony #TransMilitary #JasonEllis #SamTripoli #ComedyPodcast #JoEllis #FriendlyFire

Kill Tony Return of Jo Ellis

I made my second appearance on Kill Tony — Episode 762 — and this one took an unexpected turn. Host Tony Hinchcliffe brought me up as the “former Black Hawk helicopter pilot who was a man and now is a woman,” and I ran through a quick minute before jumping into the interview with the panel from Are You Garbage? — Kevin Ryan and H. Foley. We talked about everything from moving to Austin to dating and my comedy journey since my first Kill Tony appearance — including opening for national headliner Ian Lara. Then the interview got cut short for a pretty good reason: Ari Shaffir made a surprise appearance after returning from abroad, which immediately shifted the show. Even with the quick interview, it was great getting back on the stage and telling Tony how much the show has changed my life. Website: https://joellisreally.com #KillTony #StandUpComedy #AustinComedy #ComedyMothership

Jo Ellis No Kings Austin Speech | Trans Black Hawk Pilot Turned Comedian

Jo Ellis delivers a historic comedy-meets-rally speech at the No Kings protest in Austin, Texas—mixing stand-up comedy with a message about freedom, disagreement, and democracy. A former U.S. Army Black Hawk pilot with 16 years of service, Jo shares the surreal story of being fired from the military for being transgender, being falsely accused online of causing a deadly helicopter crash, and somehow ending up doing stand-up comedy in Austin. In this set, Jo blends jokes about Texas laws, religion, dating, and identity with a serious reminder of what “No Kings” means: a country where the Constitution matters, disagreements can coexist with decency, and ordinary people hold power—not kings. The result is something unusual: a protest speech that’s also a stand-up set. Topics include: Being a trans Black Hawk pilot Moving to Austin and the Texas culture shock Converting to Judaism Internet conspiracies and being falsely blamed for a crash ating, family, and coming out Why humor can still exist in serious political moments Recorded live in Austin, Texas March 28th, 2026.Jo Ellis is a former Army National Guard Black Hawk pilot turned comedian, writer, and public speaker. She uses comedy to talk about identity, service, resilience, and the strange moments where politics and real life collide. More about Jo: https://joellisreally.com No Kings 3 was organized by Hands Off Central Texas  @HandsOffCentralTexas  [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCGyLyI6_C5lkR0xFaeXuuyQ] https://www.handsoffcentraltx.org/events/nokings3

Six Months In Rogansphere: The Austin Comedy Grind, The Setbacks, The Wins

If you’re into stand-up, behind-the-scenes comedy life, or stories about resilience after going viral for all the wrong reasons — you’re in the right place. Like, subscribe, and drop a comment with what you want Jo to talk about next. In this episode, Jo Ellis reflects on a whirlwind month in Austin as she continues her transition from Black Hawk pilot to full-time stand-up comic. She opens up about audience feedback on her podcast energy, her push to bring more personality to the mic, and how comedy has become both a mission and a coping tool after the viral conspiracy that upended her life. Jo shares behind-the-scenes stories from the Austin comedy scene — including last-minute spots, barking crowds into clubs, and memorable encounters with comics at Joe Rogan & Friends at the Comedy Mothership. She recounts standing up during Rogan’s Q&A to ask about AI, misinformation, and free speech, tying it back to the online rumor that put her family in danger. The episode also dives into Jo’s creative process: experimenting with new material about trans identity, religion, and visibility; drawing inspiration from storytellers like Steve Martin, Dane Cook, and Mike Birbiglia; and balancing humor with a deeper “why” behind her comedy. Beyond the stage, Jo talks candidly about setbacks — from blowing a tire before a long-anticipated track day at Circuit of the Americas to navigating the realities of grinding in a new city — while still finding joy in the journey. A major highlight: Jo announces and details her new late-night style show, “Friendly Fire with Jo Ellis,” debuting January 26 at Creek & the Cave. She outlines the format, guest plans, and her commitment to running it professionally by paying comics, promoting hard, and building something different. The episode closes with Jo’s unfiltered take on comedy show culture — why low-attendance rooms still deserve full effort, why bad mouthing audiences kills the vibe, and why every set should be treated like there are 100 people watching. It’s a rallying cry for professionalism, hustle, and respect for the craft.

Austin Comedy Update: New Bookings, Rogan Mission, and My Big Life Changes

I’m finally back in Austin for a full three-month comedy push, and this episode is a full download of everything that has happened since I packed up my car on November 1st and drove 22 hours from Virginia.I moved to Austin to chase standup and earn my way onto the Joe Rogan Experience. New bookings, Kill Tony signups, and big steps in my journey as a trans veteran comic in the Mothership scene.In this update, I talk about:• New comedy bookings — Rozco’s Comedy Club on Dec 2nd and a 10-minute spot at Vulcan Gas Company on Dec 26th.• Grinding the Austin scene — signing up for Kill Tony and Mothership Open Mic every Monday, plus performing at Creek & The Cave and getting welcomed back by staff and comics who recognize me from Kill Tony.• Building community in Austin — new friends, other comics, and reconnecting with people like Ernest, another Army aviation veteran.• Growing my online presence — social media strategy shifts, going viral on X, fixing my Instagram visibility issues, and why follower growth matters for getting booked.• Updates to my comedy — new bits, refining the “trans grenade” opener, military stories, Chick-fil-A cow era, crash-rumor jokes, and leaning into my unique lane as a trans military comic.• Life changes — breast augmentation, hair transplant, settling into Austin routines, and focusing on health and training.• My memoir + documentary — writing the proposal, working with people who believe in the project, and why the timing with the upcoming Fighting Forward documentary could be huge.• Why the Joe Rogan seat still matters — what I hope to talk about, why I think my story resonates with his audience, and how Austin is the best place to make that connection.• The policy work I released — explaining the draft of my revised Standard of Care for gender dysphoria and the 10-point legal framework that pissed off some activists, and why I'm pushing for a middle-ground, guardrails-based approach to protect women, kids, and trans people.This episode is a big-picture snapshot of everything happening in my comedy journey, advocacy work, and life as I try to build something real here in Austin. I’m excited, terrified, motivated, and hopeful — and I can’t wait to see what happens next.#AustinComedy#AustinComedian#StandUpComedy#KillTony#KillTonyAustin#ComedyMothership#JoeRogan#joeroganexperience #RoganUniverse#VulcanGasCompany#RozcosComedyClub#AustinOpenMic#AustinStandup#TexasComedyScene#SunsetStrip#atx #transgender #transcomedian #trans