Conversations with Samuel Greenberg

Today we’d like to introduce you to Samuel Greenberg.

Hi Samuel, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Comedy has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I started improv comedy at 10 years old, began performing stand-up at 14, and later graduated from the Laugh Factory Comedy Camp in 2016. From an early age, comedy wasn’t just an interest—it was the foundation of how I understood storytelling, collaboration, and audience connection.

At 18, I entered the entertainment industry as a production assistant, working across television shows, commercials, and live events. Alongside that work, from 2014 to 2020, I was deeply embedded in the comedy world as a show producer and booker, while also performing myself. During that time, I had the opportunity to perform at iconic venues such as The Laugh Factory and The Improv, and even opened for comedians like Fred Armisen and Jeff Garlin. Comedy wasn’t just something I did on the side—it was central to my professional identity.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, production shut down and comedy alone was no longer financially sustainable. I made the decision to return to school and complete my college education, ultimately graduating Summa Cum Laude from Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film and Television with a degree in Screenwriting. While at LMU, I interned at The Exchange, an international film sales company, where I gained exposure to the business side of entertainment and worked closely with a team that was deeply supportive of my long-term goals.

It was through this team that I first learned about the Comedy Touring department at UTA and was encouraged to apply. I didn’t get in the first time. Months later, I applied again—and was rejected again. On my third attempt, I made it through four rounds of interviews, only to be declined once more. Still, I refused to walk away. I continued following up, expressing interest, and staying visible. That persistence led to an opportunity to join UTA’s externship program, where I gained firsthand insight into agency life and further confirmed that this was exactly where I belonged.
At the same time, I was working as an executive assistant to a CPA. While tax work couldn’t be more different from entertainment on the surface, the workflow—managing deadlines, prioritizing clients, handling sensitive information, and staying organized under pressure—mirrored the skill set required of an agent’s assistant. Without realizing it, I was already training for my future role.

A few months later, while still working for the CPA and producing comedy shows when I could, I received a call from UTA HR: a spot had unexpectedly opened in Comedy Touring, and I was invited to join the Agent Training Program. After completing the program and passing all required courses and exams, I applied to several comedy touring desks before finally landing on the desk I’m on today—one that, in hindsight, I wouldn’t trade for any other.

Every rejection, delay, and detour led me exactly where I was meant to be. My journey is proof that persistence matters, that clear goals create momentum, and that there is value in trusting the long game. Comedy has always been the through-line in my life—and now, I get to support it from the inside

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I mention some challenges m in the previous question. But some other challenges were being entirely independent from parents since age 18 – which as included paying for all of my bills and getting myself through college. My mother is also an immigrant from Brazil and growing up a child we had some really tough financial times.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I work as an assistant to a Comedy Touring Agent at UTA, specializing in the comedy club space. My boss books a significant number of UTA’s clients into comedy clubs across the country, creating opportunities for audiences nationwide to see both emerging and established comedians in an intimate, live setting.

Much of the access audiences have to major comedy talent in the club space is the result of the day-to-day work my boss and I do behind the scenes. Our responsibilities include tour routing, contract management, deal tracking, negotiations, and overall coordination to ensure tours run smoothly and efficiently.

What sets our work apart is our understanding that no matter how big a comic becomes, the club space remains essential. Every comedian wants to play clubs at some point—and we make that happen. We bring arena- and theater-level talent into clubs, making top-tier comedy more accessible while preserving the craft and immediacy that only clubs can offer.

At the same time, we focus heavily on development. We help build club comics into touring acts by routing them through clubs across the country, allowing them to grow their audiences, sharpen their material, and gain the experience needed to graduate to theaters and, eventually, arenas.

Every major comedy career starts somewhere—and more often than not, it starts in the clubs.

How do you think about luck?
I don’t believe luck had anything to do with this.

My success has entirely been based on consistency and the right timing.

Contact Info:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-greenberg-b0b098291