COMING UP ON "BEHIND THE WOMAN."

>> Juhanna: ON TONIGHT'S EPISODE, I WILL BE TALKING WITH A VERY SPECIAL GUEST.

>> MY NAME IS KIMBERLY CLARK.

I'M A WRITER AND A COMEDIAN.

WHEN I LEFT THE LAUGH FACTORY, THE BUZZ WAS IN ME, THE COMEDY BUZZ BECAUSE I WAS EXPOSED TO SO MANY GREAT COMEDIANS.

>> I HAVE BEEN SO EXCITED TO TALK WITH YOU BECAUSE THIS IS OUR FIRST NETFLIX GUEST.

>> I WAS EXPOSED TO TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS IN SYRACUSE, AND I CAN TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING FROM MIGOS TO MOZART.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ YEAH I'M UP ON A CLOUD AIN'T COMING BACK DOWN ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> HI, WELCOME TO THIS WEEK'S EPISODE OF "BEHIND THE WOMAN."

THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN.

ON TONIGHT'S EPISODE, I, JUHANNA ROGERS, YOUR HOST, WILL BE TALKING WITH A VERY SPECIAL GUEST.

OUR SYRACUSE NATIVE WRITER, COMEDIENNE, KIMBERLY CLARK, WHO WAS RECENTLY FEATURED ON NETFLIX'S TIFFANY HADDISH'S PRESENTS READY SEASON 2.

BEFORE WE JUMP INTO A CONVERSATION WITH KIMBERLY, LET'S TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND LEARN MORE ABOUT HER JOURNEY TO STARDOM.

>> MY NAME IS KIMBERLY CLARK.

I'M A WRITER AND COMEDIENNE.

I GREW UP IN CENTRAL NEW YORK, IN SYRACUSE, IN A TOWN CALLED LIN COURT, PREDOMINANTLY ITALIAN NEIGHBORHOOD.

THERE WERE A COUPLE OF BLACK FAMILIES SPRINKLED IN THERE.

I WAS ALSO THE DAUGHTER OF A PREACHER.

I WAS EXPOSED TO TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS IN SYRACUSE.

PREDOMINANTLY WHITE NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, GOING TO CHURCH.

IT KIND OF GIVES ME THIS WORLD VIEW, YOU KNOW, OF EVERYBODY AND I CAN TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING FROM MIGOS TO MOZART.

PEOPLE WERE SHOCKED WHEN I CAME OUT AS A COMEDIENNE BECAUSE THEY WERE LIKE KIM?

I DIDN'T REALLY CONNECT THE DOTS UNTIL I GOT TO L.A. AND I WORKED AT THE LAUGH FACTORY IN HOLLYWOOD.

I WORKED BEHIND THE SCENES WITH THE OWNER AND THEN WHEN I LEFT THE LAUGH FACTORY, IT WAS LIKE THE BUZZ WAS IN ME, THE COMEDY BUZZ BECAUSE I WAS EXPOSED TO SO MANY GREAT NEEDIENS, I WAS-- COMEDIENNES.

I WAS ON A NETFLIX SPECIAL, TIFFANY HADDISH'S SEASON 2.

WHAT IS BEAUTIFUL ABOUT WHAT TIFFANY IS DOING, SHE COULD HAVE TAKEN ALL OTHER NETFLIX MONEY AND KEPT IT FOR HERSELF AND JUST PUT OUT SPECIALS CONSISTENTLY, BUT SHE DECIDED TO SPLIT IT UP AND HELP OTHER PEOPLE.

BEING A WOMAN IN COMEDY, TOO, A LOT OF TIMES, THEY ARE IN A POSITION WHERE PEOPLE TRY TO PIT US AGAINST ONE ANOTHER.

THERE IS MORE STRENGTH IN US WORKING TOGETHER THAN TRYING TO CLAW OUR WAY TO THE TOP FOR ONE PERSON TO HAVE IT.

IT'S LIKE WHY CAN'T WE ALL HAVE IT.

I JUST WANT TO CONTINUE THAT TRADITION.

THAT'S WHAT I HOPE TO DO IN MY CAREER.

>> Juhanna: WELCOME KIMBERLY.

>> THANK YOU Dr. ROGERS.

[LAUGHTER] >> Juhanna: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME WHILE YOU WERE HERE AT HOME IN SYRACUSE AND SITTING DOWN WITH US.

>> OF COURSE.

>> Juhanna: I HAVE BEEN SO EXCITED TO TALK WITH YOU BECAUSE I'M LIKE THIS IS OUR FIRST NETFLIX GUEST.

[LAUGHTER] >> THE FIRST-- >> Juhanna: AS SOMEONE WHO IS LIVING OUT HER DREAM ON A TELEVISION SET AND DOING SHOWS AND WORKING WITH WOMEN IN THE COMMUNITY TO TELL THOSE STORIES.

I THINK ABOUT FOLKS LIKE YOURSELF WHO MADE IT FROM SYRACUSE TO L.A., SPECIFICALLY INTO THE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT AND PRODUCTION.

WHY DON'T YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY THERE.

AND MAYBE A SPECIFIC CHALLENGE THAT YOU HAD ON YOUR WAY.

>> ALL RIGHT.

I THINK I TOLD YOU PRIOR TO COMING OR LEAVING SYRACUSE, I INTERNED AT WTVH-5.

>> Juhanna: RIGHT.

>> DURING THE TIME OF RON CURTIS, WHEN HE WAS ALIVE, WHO IS LIKE A SYRACUSE ICON.

I REMEMBER GROWING UP AND WATCHING JACKIE ROBINSON TO CHANNEL 3 WHO IS LIKE THE RIVAL NEWS STATION, BUT YOU KNOW, SHE WAS LIKE AN INSPIRATION TO ME, YOU KNOW, SEEING A BLACK WOMAN ON TELEVISION, DELIVERING THE NEWS KIND OF REALLY SPARKED A SEED IN ME AND, YOU KNOW, MADE ME WANT TO BE A JOURNALISM MAJOR.

SO IT'S REALLY COOL TO COME BACK HERE AND DO THIS INTERVIEW WITH YOU.

IT'S LIKE FULL CIRCLE MOMENT FOR ME.

BUT, YEAH, THOSE ARE SOME OF MY INSPIRATIONS BUT I WENT TO ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY TO WALTER CRONKITE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM, TOOK THE JOURNALISM CLASSES, ENJOYED THEM BUT ALSO DECIDED THAT THAT WAS NOT THE LANE THAT I WANTED TO GO INTO SPECIFICALLY JOURNALISM BECAUSE IT WAS SO SERIOUS, YOU KNOW.

AND I WAS MORE OF A CREATIVE PERSON.

>> Juhanna: OKAY.

>> AND SO WHILE I WAS IN COLLEGE, I WAS IN A SPOKEN WORD POETRY GROUP, AND SO MY WRITING WAS MORE ON THE CREATIVE SIDE VERSUS, YOU KNOW, THE SERIOUS JOURNALISTIC... >> Juhanna: LIKE THESE ARE THE FACTS, UNBIASED OPINION SORT OF MEAT AND POTATOES.

>> WHICH I ENJOYED, BUT I ENJOYED THE CREATIVE SIDE OF WRITING MORE.

>> Juhanna: GOT IT.

>> AND WHEN I DID SPOKEN WORD POETRY, A LOT OF MY PEERS, THEY HAVE VERY SERIOUS, YOU KNOW, VERY MILITANT TYPE POEMS.

AND MY POEMS ALWAYS CAME OUT FUNNY.

SO THAT WAS KIND OF LIKE MY FIRST INKLING THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING WITH COMEDY.

>> Juhanna: TIME TO BE SNAPPING AT THE END AND PEOPLE WOULD BE HOLDING THEIR STOMACHS.

>> LIKE LAUGHING, YEAH, AT THE POEMS I WAS SAYING AND THEY JUST CAME OUT THAT WAY AND IT REALLY WASN'T ANYTHING INTENTIONAL THAT I WAS DOING, BUT IT JUST CAME OUT THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LIKE HOW DID YOU END UP IN COMEDY?

AND IT'S LIKE, I WAS ALWAYS FUNNY, BUT I WAS LIKE ON A QUIET SIDE OF IT, YOU KNOW.

LIKE PEOPLE WHO WERE CLOSE TO ME WOULD KNOW.

>> Juhanna: BUT YOU WEREN'T THE CLASS CLOWN.

>> I WASN'T THE CLASS CLOWN.

>> Juhanna: STARTING IN JOURNALISM AND RECOGNIZING THAT IT WASN'T FOR YOU, BUT YOU FINISHED.

>> UH-HUH.

>> Juhanna: AND THEN BY EXPLORING ANOTHER ASPECT OF YOUR CREATIVITY, THE POETRY, YOU FOUND ANOTHER LANE.

SOMETIMES IT SEEMS LIKE WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE ARE WATCHING ADULTS, IT'S LIKE WE ALWAYS KNEW WHAT WE WANTED TO DO.

BUT IT SEEMS LIKE YOU REALLY EXPLORED VARIOUS ASPECTS OF WRITING OR PERFORMANCE BEFORE YOU FOUND COMEDY.

>> FOR SURE.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT?

A LOT OF THOSE CLASSES THAT I TOOK?

JOURNALISM DEFINITELY BENEFITED ME FOR STANDUP BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF RESEARCH THAT GOES INTO-- I MEAN I RESEARCH SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, FOR THE MATERIAL THAT I TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I THINK THAT ENHANCES IT.

OR JUST REALLY HAVING A WIDE SCOPE AND KNOWLEDGE OF DIFFERENT SUBJECTS, I THINK, HELPS YOUR STANDUP FOR SURE.

>> Juhanna: ESPECIALLY AT A TIME-- I WATCHED YOUR STANDUP YESTERDAY MORNING WHILE I WAS HIKING OR GOING FOR A WALK IN THE WOODS.

>> THAT'S A WEIRD WAY TO... >> Juhanna: IT WAS SATURDAY MORNING.

>> I LIKE THAT.

>> Juhanna: I WAS LISTENING TO IT AND I FOUND MYSELF LAUGHING QUITE A BIT ON MY WALK.

I LAUGHED QUITE A BIT ON MY WALK BUT IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE-- IT APPEARS AND I'M NOT A COMEDIAN-- THAT THERE IS SOMETHING SPECIFICALLY AS A COMEDIAN OF COLOR THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO SAY.

AND OFTEN TIMES THE JOKES ARE THE POINTS OF THESE STORIES, WHILE THEY MAKE US LAUGH, THERE IS A BIT OF AN EARNEST TRUTH ABOUT THEM.

>> FOR SURE.

>> Juhanna: AND AS I WAS LISTENING TO YOUR SPECIAL, I WAS JUST LIKE SO EXCITED TO SIT DOWN AND TALK WITH HER BECAUSE WHAT IS IT WHEN FOLKS LISTEN TO YOUR COMEDY THAT YOU REALLY WANT THEM TO HEAR?

>> YOU KNOW RG, SPECIFICALLY IN THE SPECIAL, I REALLY TOUCHED ON A LOT OF LIKE REAL ISSUES, YOU KNOW.

THE BUTTERFLY JOKE, ON THE SURFACE, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LIKE I LOVE THAT JOKE.

IT'S SO FUNNY.

BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT COLORISM AND, YOU KNOW, BEAUTY PRIVILEGE, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS LIKE A HUGE THING FOR WOMEN AND PARTICULARLY WOMEN OF COLOR, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE SUCCUMBED TO.

SO LIKE I DON'T LIKE TO LIKE JAM POINTS DOWN-- LIKE THERE ARE SOME COMEDIANS THAT THEY DO THE WHOLE RANTING THING WHICH I THINK IS COOL, AND I LOVE CHRIS ROCK AND, YOU KNOW, BILL BURR AND ALL THEM.

THEY'RE REALLY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO.

THAT'S NOT REALLY MY APPROACH.

MY APPROACH IS A LITTLE MORE WHIMSICAL.

>> Juhanna: RIGHT.

>> AND FUN.

>> Juhanna: RIGHT.

>> BUT I STILL HAVE THE GUT PUNCH IN THERE.

>> Juhanna: AS I WAS LISTENING TO THE BUTTERFLY JOKE AND IT'S FOR OUR AUDIENCE THAT'S LISTENING, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN HER SPECIAL ON NETFLIX.

YOU THE MADE ME THINK ABOUT WHAT IT SYMBOLIZED.

HOW, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUTTERFLIES OR THE MOTHS CAN BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY BASED ON THEIR PERCEPTION.

AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY POWERFUL.

IT CAME ACROSS AND IT WAS LIKE THAT WAS DOPE.

>> WHICH I HAD TO DO SOME RESEARCH FOR.

>> Juhanna: HOW DO YOU KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT BUTTERFLIES?

>> I ONLY KNEW ABOUT MONARCHS BECAUSE THAT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S-- >> Juhanna: WHICH ONE IS THAT.

>> THE ORANGE AND BLACK ONE.

>> Juhanna: I GOT IT.

>> BUT LIKE FOR A WHILE IN THE JOKE, I WAS SAYING-- BECAUSE IN THE JOKE I SAY SWALLOW TAIL WHICH IS A TYPE OF BUTTERFLY, BUT BEFORE I WAS SAYING YELLOW TAIL WHICH IS A TYPE OF SUSHI SO I WAS SAYING THE JOKE WRONG FOR A WHILE AND I HAD TO REALLY-- I WAS LIKE-- THAT'S WHERE THE RESEARCH COMES IN.

LET ME LOOK UP YELLOW TAIL.

THAT'S SOMETHING I'VE EATEN.

THAT'S NOT A BITTER FLY.

-- THAT'S NOT A BUTTERFLY.

>> Juhanna: THAT IS TOO FUNNY.

>> THAT'S WHERE THE RESEARCH COMES IN.

>> Juhanna: THAT'S WHERE THE RESEARCH COMES IN.

>> FOR SURE.

>> Juhanna: THINKING ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE NOW, NOT WHO YOU ARE BACK IN SYRACUSE.

AND YOU SAID THIS WAS A FULL CIRCLE MOMENT, BUT IN COMING BACK, HAVE YOU HAD MOMENTS WHERE YOU FLASH BACK TO GIRLHOOD?

>> OH MY GOSH.

JUST BEING HOME, I MEAN, HONESTLY, I'M IN FULL DAUGHTER MODE.

I DON'T EVEN FEEL LIKE A COMEDIAN RIGHT NOW.

>> Juhanna: YOU ARE BACK AT HOME WITH YOUR MOM.

>> I AM HOME WITH MY MOTHER.

FOLLOWING COMMANDS, WHICH I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, YOU KNOW.

IT'S GREAT.

IT'S GROUNDING, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT OLD PLACES I USED TO HANG OUT AT, YOU KNOW, DRIVING BY SHOPPING TOWN.

I WORKED AT CAROUSEL BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS BUILT.

I WORKED AT CHAPELS.

Y'ALL PROBABLY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT CHAPELS IS.

IT WAS LIKE A LOCAL DEPARTMENT STORE.

BUT I WORKED THERE WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.

YOU KNOW, JUST ALL THE MEMORIES, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST GREAT TO COME BACK AND JUST REVISIT THAT, YOU KNOW.

IT'S VERY GROUNDING.

>> Juhanna: IT'S IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS TO KNOW THAT YOUR ROOTS STARTED HERE IN SYRACUSE.

>> TAKING THE CENTRO BUS.

>> Juhanna: YOU TOOK THE CENTRO, OKAY.

♪ I GOT MORE GOING THAN A CAR CAN TAKE ME THERE ♪ >> Juhanna: WAS THAT THE JINGLE?

>> THEY HAD A COMMERCIAL FOR CENTRO BUS.

I GOT MORE THAN A BUS, I GOT CENTRO BUS.

>> Juhanna: OH WOW.

>> I DON'T KNOW WHY I REMEMBER THAT.

>> Juhanna: BUT IT'S SO GOOD BECAUSE I SEE YOU SITTING HERE AND THERE IS JOY IN YOUR EYES ABOUT IT AND I CAME TO THIS COMMUNITY FIVE YEARS AGO AND THE SHOW STARTED BECAUSE WE REALLY WANTED TO FIND WAYS TO INSPIRE, ESPECIALLY YOUNG WOMEN IN THE COMMUNITY THAT LOOK LIKE US; BUT MEN, TOO.

AND BOYS.

SO AS YOU SIT HERE REFLECTING, SHE IS EXCITED ABOUT BEING HERE AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE YOUTH TO SEE, YOU KNOW.

AND SO IF THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU WANTED TO SAY TO A YOUNG BROTHER OR SISTER THAT IS ASPIRING TO MOVE BEYOND THIS SPACE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HOME?

>> I WOULD SAY TAKE EVERYTHING IN, YOU KNOW.

THE PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE AROUND, YOUR TEACHERS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, YOU KNOW.

THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE HERE FROM THIS AREA THAT INSPIRED ME AS A KID.

YOU KNOW, I'M EVEN THINKING OF LINDA BROWN ROBINSON.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW HER OR NOT.

>> Juhanna: I KNOW HER WELL.

>> WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, I WAS IN A PROGRAM CALLED AXSO THROUGH THE NAACP AND I WAS PART OF THE YOUTH CHAPTER.

AND YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO THE AXSO CONVENTION.

I THINK ONE WAS IN NASHVILLE AND ANOTHER ONE WAS IN INDIANAPOLIS AND I GOT TO SEE OTHER BLACK KIDS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, YOU KNOW, PERFORM IN THE ARTS AND SCIENCES AND STUFF THAT WERE LIKE ME THAT HAD THE SAME INTERESTS THAT I HAD.

BUT LINDA BROWN ROBINSON WAS THE ONE WHO GOT US TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, AND GOT THAT PROGRAM GOING, YOU KNOW.

SO IT'S LIKE WHAT I WOULD SAY TO THE LOCAL YOUNG PEOPLE HERE IS TO REALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, YOU KNOW, THOSE PEOPLE THAT YOU SEE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING FOR YOU, YOU KNOW BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, AS KIDS, YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, ADULTS TRYING TO GET YOU INVOLVED IN DIFFERENT THINGS.

LIKE I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.

I GOT OTHER THINGS TO DO.

I'M TRYING TO BE CUTE.

I'M TRYING TO KEEP THESE NAILS DONE AND MY LASHES AND WHAT NOT.

BUT IT'S REALLY GOOD TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOME OF THOSE THINGS BECAUSE THEY DEFINITELY MADE A DIFFERENCE IN MY LIFE.

>> Juhanna: AND IT'S THE POWER OF THOSE CONNECTIONS.

>> YES.

>> Juhanna: THAT YOU MADE.

>> YES.

>> Juhanna: THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF DYNAMIC HEROES HERE IN THE CENTRAL NEW YORK COMMUNITY, THIS SHOW IS HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF THEM BUT THERE ARE MORE AND MORE.

AND SO I KNOW LINDA BROWN ROBINSON REALLY WELL, ONE OF THE WOMEN I MET FIRST IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT DEFINITELY GOT ME INTRODUCED TO OTHER PEOPLE.

AND THERE IS A DEFINITE SKILL THAT COMES FROM KNOWING HOW TO JOIN THOSE PROGRAMS AND PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES THAT THEY EXPOSE YOU TO I COULD SAY THE SAME THING ABOUT MYSELF.

GROWING UP IN NEW YORK MY MOM HAD ME INVOLVED IN SO MANY THINGS, THE FRIENDSHIPS YOU MAKE IN THOSE SPACES.

YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT IT THEN, BUT IT REALLY DOES... >> IT HAS AN IMPACT.

I WOULD BE REMISS TO NOT MENTION MY GROWING UP IN THE CHURCH AS WELL, YOU KNOW.

MY FATHER WAS A PASTOR OF A CHURCH.

AND EVEN IN THAT ENVIRONMENT, YOU KNOW, I WAS ALWAYS DOING EASTER SPEECHES, CHRISTMAS, SPEECHES AND DOING CHURCH PLAYS AND STUFF.

THAT REALLY HAD AN IMPACT ON, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T HAVE FEAR-- I MEAN I STILL FEEL FEARFUL WHEN I GET ON STAGE OR WHATEVER.

>> Juhanna: YOU DO?

>> OH YEAH I FEEL IT.

BUT I MEAN I WAS ALREADY USED TO BEING IN FRONT OF PEOPLE AT AN EARLY AGE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I WAS ALREADY DOING THINGS IN CHURCH AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

>> Juhanna: SO AS YOU MENTIONED FEAR-- AND I CAN ATTEST TO DOING THOSE THINGS, TOO.

I THINK MANY KIDS HERE HAVE, AND UNDERSTANDING THOSE ARE VALUABLE LESSONS, VALUABLE MOMENTS, BUT AS YOU MENTIONED FEAR, I THINK ABOUT GOING FROM THE KIMBERLY THEN TO STANDING ON STAGE NEXT TO TIFFANY HADDISH AND SOME OF THE OTHER COMEDIANS THAT TOOK PART IN THIS SERIES THAT SHE PUT TOGETHER IN THE MIDST OF COVID.

>> YEAH.

>> Juhanna: WE CAN'T FORGET ABOUT THAT PART.

>> YEAH, THAT WAS A MAJOR PART.

>> Juhanna: YEAH, LIKE WHAT FEARS DID YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME?

>> YEAH, A BIG ONE WAS THE FACT THAT I FELT ILL-PREPARED TO BE HONEST WITH YOU BECAUSE ALL THE CLUBS WERE CLOSED.

I MEAN BASICALLY THE WORLD STOPPED, YOU KNOW, AND PEOPLE WEREN'T PERFORMING.

THE OPPORTUNITIES WEREN'T THERE.

USUALLY IF YOU ARE GOING TO SHOOT A SPECIAL, YOU ARE TRAVELING EVERYWHERE, RUNNING THAT 30 MINUTES OR HOWEVER MUCH TIME YOU ARE DOING.

>> Juhanna: OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

>> OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

>> Juhanna: LIKE A PRACTICE.

>> YEAH SO I GET THIS CALL FROM TIFFANY LIKE I DID ONE SHOW-- IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE THEY STARTED TO DO OUTDOOR SHOWS IN LOS ANGELES.

>> Juhanna: OKAY.

>> I DID THIS OUTDOOR SHOW AT UCLA AND IT HAD BEEN MONTHS SINCE I HAD DONE ANYTHING.

IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE SUMMER AND I'M LIKE, I'M GOING TO DO THIS SHOW.

AND IT WAS FUN.

AND HAD A GREAT SET.

THE NEXT WEEK I GET A CALL FROM TIFFANY LIKE I'M DOING SEASON 2.

>> Juhanna: AND WHEN YOU SAY TIFFANY?

>> TIFFANY HADDISH.

>> Juhanna: YOU SAY HER NAME LIKE SHE IS YOUR GIRLFRIEND.

I FEEL SO CONNECTED TO HER.

YOU ARE PREFER REFERRING TO TIFFANY HADDISH.

>> TO GIVE YOU BACKSTORY, I HAD WROTE ON A PROJECT WITH HER A COUPLE YEARS PRIOR AND SHE LIKED THE WORK THAT I PRODUCED AND SHE TOLD ME, SHE WAS LIKE, I LOVE YOUR WORK.

I LOVE HOW YOU WRITE AND SHE WAS LIKE, WE ABOUT TO MAKE SOME MONEY TOGETHER.

I WAS LOOKING AT HER LIKE OKAY.

OKAY.

BECAUSE PEOPLE SAY THINGS IN SHOW BUSINESS AND I KNOW YOU'VE PROBABLY EXPERIENCED IT WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIKE, YEAH, I WANT TO DO THIS WITH YOU.

>> Juhanna: I'MA CALL YOU.

>> LET'S DO LUNCH.

ALL THAT STUFF AND I'M LIKE OKAY, TIFFANY.

ALL RIGHT.

AND LO AND BEHOLD SHE CALLED ME.

I WAS LIKE, OH YOU WERE NOT PLAYING?

SHE WAS NOT PLAYING.

>> Juhanna: SHE CAME BACK.

SHE WAS SERIOUS.

>> SHE DID, YES.

>> Juhanna: AND OUR CONVERSATION, SHE IS NOT THE ONLY COMEDIENNE OR WOMAN IN THE INDUSTRY THAT BROUGHT YOU INTO OTHER PROJECTS.

YOU ALSO-- WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER... >> WHO CONNECTED ME TO TIFFANY INITIALLY WAS WANDA SYKES AND HER PRODUCING PARTNER PAGE SO THEY WERE ALREADY LIKE PRODUCING TV SHOWS AND COMEDY SPECIALS AND STUFF, AND THEY WERE ONE OF THE PRODUCERS OF TIFFANY'S LAST COMEDY SPECIAL.

SO THEY CONNECTED ME WITH HER AND KIND OF BROUGHT ME INTO THE FOLD WITH THAT.

AND ALSO THEY STAFFED ME ON A BET SHOW THAT THEY WERE PRODUCING, WHICH I CAN'T SAY THE TITLE OF THE PROJECT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S NOT OUT OFFICIALLY.

BUT YOU KNOW, I JUST FINISHED WRITING ON A BET SHOW.

YEAH.

>> Juhanna: SO GOING FROM SYRACUSE TO ARIZONA STATE-- SYRACUSE ALL THE EXPERIENCES WITH MISS ROBINSON AND THE FAMILY'S CHURCH.

>> AND THE SNOW.

>> Juhanna: CAN'T FORGET THAT.

THE SNOW.

THE PROGRAM, YOU TRAVELED TO ARIZONA STATE AND MAJORED IN JOURNALISM.

BUT YOU ALSO ARE A PART OF YOUR CREATIVE WRITING GROUP.

YOU ARE DOING SPOKEN WORD.

YOU END UP IN L.A. >> L.A. >> Juhanna: OH MY GOSH AND HERE YOU ARE SITTING WITH US TALKING ABOUT HOW YOU ARE NOT JUST A COMEDIENNE BUT I HEAR YOU ARE A WRITER?

>> YES.

I DO WRITE, YEAH I HAVE WRITTEN ESSAYS.

I MEAN I DO ALL TYPES OF WRITING WORKING ON A SCRIPT RIGHT NOW, YEAH.

>> Juhanna: AND SO ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO A YOUNG PERSON OR A PERSON THAT IS SIT SITTING AT HOME RIGHT NOW LISTENING TO YOUR STORY.

AND IT'S LIKE, I THINK I COULD DO THIS.

>> A HUGE PIECE IS TO BE PERSISTENT, YOU KNOW, BE DILIGENT IN THE SMALL THINGS, YOU KNOW.

I DID A LOT OF SMALL THINGS IN L.A., I KNOW.

I WAS A P.A.

I WAS AN ASSISTANT.

I HAD A GAZILLION JOBS.

I MEAN I COULD JUST GO ON AND ON WITH ALL THE JOBS I HAD.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS HAD THE PERSISTENCE TO, YOU KNOW, SHOW UP.

I THINK I GET IT FROM MY DAD, TOO, BECAUSE WHEN MY DAD WAS PASTORING THE CHURCH, HE WAS WORKING AT CROSS HYNES IN THE IRON FOUNDRY AND SO I USED TO SEE HIM LIKE DO THIS REALLY DIRTY, GREASY JOB AND COME HOME AND HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, GET A BATH AND THEN, YOU KNOW, DRESS UP AND GO TO CHURCH AND PREACH OR TEACH BIBLE STUDY, YOU KNOW.

SO I DON'T KNOW.

I WAS JUST TAUGHT TO REALLY HAVE A GOOD WORK ETHIC AND I HAD A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, LIVING EXAMPLE BEFORE ME THROUGH MY FATHER, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS GREAT TO HAVE.

TO ANY YOUNG PERSON, I WOULD SAY BE PERSISTENT.

WORK HARD, PERSISTENCE, IT WILL TAKE YOU A LONG WAY.

YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE TALENT IN THE WORLD BUT IF YOU ARE NOT PUTTING THE WORK IN AND BEING PERSISTENT, YOU KNOW,.

>> Juhanna: WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO MAKE TIME TO STOP OVER AND TO BE HERE WITH US ON "BEHIND THE WOMAN."

>> FOR SURE.

CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU, TOO.

YOU ARE DOING JUST WONDERFUL THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY.

I LOVE IT!

I'M HERE FOR IT.

>> Juhanna: THANK YOU.

>> I'M JUST SO GLAD THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CONNECTED.

>> Juhanna: ABSOLUTELY.

HERE'S TO WORK ETHIC AND PERSISTENCE.

>> YES.

>> Juhanna: I WANT TO THANK OUR GUEST KIMBERLY CLARK FOR REMINDING US ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSISTENCE IN DEVELOPING A WORK ETHIC.

THAT WAS DEFINITELY AN ENLIGHTENING PART OF OUR CONVERSATION HERE THIS EVENING.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VIEW THE SHOW AGAIN, YOU CAN VIEW IT ONLINE AT WCNY.ORG/"BEHIND THE WOMAN."

MY NAME IS Dr. JUHANNA ROGERS AND ON BEHALF OF "BEHIND THE WOMAN" AND OUR TEAM, THANK YOU AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪