Joe Begley would be sitting at his computer thinking about the comedy gig he had that night. He had built a career in tech while developing his stand-up, but the two were taking more of the same hours. After losing a job in 2023, he decided it was time to give comedy more of his working life.
He tells Tab how he arrived at that decision through a series of interests that kept opening new directions. College took him from business studies into economics and Chinese, including a year living in China. Reading about Steve Jobs led to a coding bootcamp and work with companies including Apple and Walmart. Alongside that career, he kept getting onstage.
Austin gave him a place to do more of it. Joe had considered New York, but he was weighing the cost of living against how much time he could devote to performing. A visit to Austin helped him see another possibility. He describes finding opportunities to get onstage regularly and becoming part of a comedy scene where he could keep developing his work.
The conversation moves easily between career decisions and the haircut happening in front of him. Joe arrives with long hair and a readiness for a change, then keeps discovering how the shorter shape feels as Tab works. They talk about attention, creative interests, and the experience of trying to stay focused on one task while another one is occupying your thoughts.
When Tab asks what he wants from comedy, Joe begins with something practical: an income that can pay his bills. They discuss the work involved in making a creative profession sustainable and the opportunities that can come with becoming better established. Tab shares how he chose projects and relationships that interested him through his own years in hairdressing.
Joe is clear about wanting the life around the work, too. Getting away from a computer and into rooms with other people gives him experiences to bring back to the stage. The gig that kept pulling at his attention is now the thing he is making room to pursue.
