Let us get you acquainted with Ravishing Raconteur’s 7 Questions series, where we conduct Q&A style interviews with Authors, Comedians, Poets, Rappers, and Screenwriters. Our first guest: Carol J. Castillo, aka Your Favorite Grandmother, a New York-based actress, and comedian who you may recognize from HBO’s Ballers, Housewives of New York, and Housewives of Beverly Hills!
We at RR have a soft spot for comedians. They are creatives who package their vulnerabilities into funny bite-sized moments. Honestly, that’s the hardest job ever. But she shares that her method for creating material is not that difficult. Castillo says, “if it makes me laugh or provokes a thought, I share it.”
We are led to believe that Castillo’s life never has a dull moment. Not only is she a comedian writer and producer, but she also owns and operates a mobile beauty business, and is a sex coach! Indulge in her advice on comedy, sex, and life:
Ravishing Raconteur: You have hundreds of funny memes. How much of it is original content vs. repost?
Carol J. Castillo: 90% of my posts are DEFINITELY reposts.
RR: Describe your writing process. How do you come up with memes and stand up material?
CJC: My process is simple if it makes me laugh or provokes a thought, I share it. Nothing is off-limits. In my stand up, I share my true stories about dating, my sex life, being a young grandma, and smoking weed. Smoking weed was one of my biggest secrets, and so coming out on stage was a BIG deal for me.
I remember my set at Carolina’s Comedy Club in Time Square. My son was in the audience, and before going on stage, I panicked knowing him along with my family, which included my uncle, who’s a dad to me, would now know my big secret. That’s our job as comedians to laugh at ourselves and share our truth. They still love me, and life went on. Most freeing moment to date.
RR: When did you realize that you wanted to be a comedian?
CJC: In my early 20’s, I realized I had a gift of taking serious situations and finding the funny in them. It was something I naturally used for myself (at times not fully aware I was doing this) to get through hard times in my life.
In 2016 I FINALLY decided to give it a try, so I took comedy classes, and the rest is history. Being much older helped because I have stories for days between dating and being a grandma.
RR: Based on your Instagram page, you don’t shy away from the topic of sex. When did you decide to take the limits off and openly discuss sexual topics that most people only think about or keep behind closed doors?
CJC: Growing up in a Latin family, we didn’t discuss sex at all. I became a teenage mom at 17 years old and didn’t have my first conversation about sex until I was 27!!!! This bugged me out, and in that moment I decided that I had to make the topic mainstream so that other young ladies and ALL woman could see that someone that looks like me/us could not only talk about sex, but could also admit that we LOVE SEX! That’s why I decided to become a Sex Coach. Our bodies know what to do once in the bedroom. What we fail to realize is that GREAT sex happens outside the bedroom and WITHIN ourselves. Many people are raised to believe sex is awful due to many factors like religion, etc. Through my journey, finding out women were in their late 20’s and beyond are living without ever reaching climate terrified me, so I had to take action to change this immediately.
RR: Out of all your careers, what gratifies you the most, and why?
CJC: Everything I do is with the intention to help shift people’s perspective. Those tiny shifts can be life-changing; however, the most gratifying part of my career comes from my mobile beauty & spa business @CSpaByCarolJCastillo for over 15 years I have been working with terminally ill clients and seniors citizens.
85% of the time I am gifted by family and friends to provide manicures, pedicures. Sounds simple; however, these clients cannot leave their homes, hospitals, or rehab centers. I come in and for 2 or 3 hours pamper them in the comfort of their space… It’s definitely God’s work because I haven’t been sick in YEARS… If I get sick, I cannot comfort my clients… There have been moments when I am literally in bed with them doing their nails or massage. It’s something so personal that I am truly humbled each time that I have been chosen to bring a moment of humanity and beauty during such hard times. I will forever be grateful to have been assigned this very very special assignment here on earth. There are no limits as to where I will travel to pamper a client in need. My senior clients are also so dear and wise to me… They always share the wisdom that would take a lifetime to learn. For my seniors, I offer baths, grooming, massages in bed (as we age our bodies are fragile, and the massage tables are just not comfortable), make meals, watch movies, go-to dinners, etc. My friends make fun of me for always wearing black and leggings, now they will know my secret as to why 🙂
RR: What upcoming projects are you working on?
CJC: The one project I am always working on is MYSELF. Many many years ago, I made a choice to surrender to God’s plans for my life…
Nothing I have shared did I plan or seek out. Our job is to SHOW UP just by showing up; you allow your true calling and destiny to unfold. People laugh, saying I do it ALL, and I laugh back, thinking, God knows that without a testimony, we cannot be the light at the end of the tunnel for anyone. With that said, I’m making sure I am aligned within and always keeping it real … Together we will all see what God has in store. I’m just as excited to find out.
RR: Any tips for upcoming stand-up comedians?
CJC: People love REAL people & transparency. The moment I decided to become a comedian, I stopped watching comedy because I found myself wanting to tell their jokes. Which is illegal BTW … I started to carry a notebook and jot down funny things I said, experienced or witnessed.
To date, I haven’t been boo’d, which brings me to my next point … YOU WILL BE BOO’D, and it’s OK. My day is coming, and you know what this too shall pass. Everyone will confess how they also want to be a comedian and actually criticize you because without having done it they know what you should do. LOL
The best thing I read that helped me so much was said by Chris Rock, He said, “When my car would breakdown on the highway I would get out and wave for help. No one would stop… Until one day, I decided to push my car, and people actually stopped got out of their cars to help me push mine.” The lesson here is you have to do the work, and the success will follow. Remember, your journey and destination cannot be compared to anyone else. Take a comedy class and go bring laughter to this world. WE NEED YOU!
Get updates on Carol here:
instagram.com/caroljcastillo
instagram.com/cspabycaroljcastillo
If you’d like to be featured in 7 Questions, please email me at nicole@ravishingraconteur.com.
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