Michelle Buteau

“Creatives need to remember that we don't stop growing just because we get older. We can still do hard things, and we're better for it.”

“Get yourself friends that support you.”

“It's so important to treat your relationships the way you would treat your career. So yes, I am very ambitious in comedy and the industry and acting, but I'm also very ambitious when it comes to having a good relationship with my husband and my kids.”

“I try to make time for my friends, but why are my single friends always late? Like, what are they doing? Trying on shoes to take a picture? Just hurry up!”

“I've been using the St. Ives Apricot Scrub since I was, like, 12 - I think it was in my Caboodles. I've just been using it forever, and I've always liked it. I don't use a lot of it, just a tiny bit.”

“Everyone kept telling me I should go into standup, and I was like, 'They look broke and sad, I'm not sad and I like money!'”

“If you want something done, give it to a busy person.”

“Comedy has helped me as a Black woman speak up for myself and not apologize right after, whether it's more money or more ketchup at a diner. It helped me stand in my truth and my power.”

“I started thinking of myself as an ambitious person when I graduated college. But when I hear stories about myself as a child, I guess I was pretty ambitious then, too.”

“I love Caribbean food.”

“I think people over-think things sometimes and give too much power to words.”

“If something's going on with your kid, it doesn't necessarily mean it's your fault. They're their own person. Let's talk about it.”

“To mention people by name in your stand-up routine is not necessarily the best.”

“Most of my DMs used to be 'Are you my cousin?' But now it's 'How can I get on 'The Circle?'”

“The worst question people can ask me is, 'How would I describe my brand of comedy?' I just go, 'Funny.' I like to let other people describe me, because you never know what they see.”

“My husband and I always tell each other, 'Good morning, I love you,' no matter what happened the night before. Then we all lay in bed and talk about what dreams we've had.”

“The age 38 or anything approaching your 40s, men and women, we're just like, 'Am I gonna stay in this job? Am I gonna stay in this relationship? Am I still gonna be in this neighborhood?' It feels like a crossroads of sorts - like, 'Am I going to try to have children? Am I not?'”

“I have little comedy notebooks, and I also have notes in my phone, and I'll write on my laptop for longer stories.”

“The Netherlands is a really cool place where you could be a doctor or a DJ and they're like, 'It's the same kind of job. You're serving people.' They're weirdly liberal and fine with things. Or maybe they're dead inside and don't have any feelings left. I can't tell which.”