We’re looking forward to introducing you to Janet Roth. Check out our conversation below.
Janet, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
i’m chasing perfection, in a good sense of this word. would it be with comedy or being more compassionate, helping people or being a good member of community. I think it’s really important to be constantly improving because we don’t stay in one spot, we either grow get better or we decline. It’s important to me that I perfect myself in a way that makes me a better person and a more effective member of society, so my contribution to this world is even more significant.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Janet Roth and I’m a comedian. I was born in Ukraine and came here in my late teens. Throughout life, I felt like I’ve been doing a good job assimilating and becoming an American, yet as the Ukraine war began, I have gone through a lot of change and realization. I realize that, despite the fact that I’ve lived in this country for almost 20 years, I am indeed very Ukrainian and the environment where I grew up is deeply rooted in my heart and soul. Being a product of the post Soviet world, I have connected with my roots even deeper in 2023 and a year later I came up with a character that has allowed me to liberate myself and be as expressive as I always wanted to be without suppressing who I am. My character Valentina Brainova is a Soviet Karen, who was born as a result of therapy, who has a distinct voice of my mother that used to criticize me as a child. Not only was I able to separate myself from this internal negative radio station, I was able to create a persona that I access on queue and able to express a certain side of me that will always be there, but is no longer in control. Valentina is what allows me to feel extremely full on stage and alive, she is as brave as she gets and she’s definitely not Janet. Every time I do comedy now, I am able to access all sides of me that wouldn’t be able to come out in a performance if I were performing as Janet. Valentina is very opinionated, and her presence makes me feel alive. In fact, whenever I have to be Valentina, I feel extremely alive as a performer. Which is exactly why I perform – to be authentic, relatable and entertaining
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
having grown up in Ukraine, I was exposed to the post Soviet way of being raised as a child – suppressed, scolded and constantly undervalued. I was told to believe that I had flaws and limitations, that I had to work hard just to be tolerable and that i had very little value unless i was of service. this kind of thinking created a lot of turmoil, uncertainly, and of course, depression. I didn’t know who I was until I started to express myself and go with the flow of my desires, in particular entertaining people and making them laugh.
throughout life, I realized that everything I learned as a child about myself was a lie, and the only truth is what I wanna do for people and that is what defines me. I love people and making them laugh has always made me happy. And that’s when I found out who i really was. I learned that we’re not with people tell us what we are, but our actions. We are what we do and that is what defines us. The impact would bring into this world is who we truly are. And that’s how I found out who I had to be.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
this happened to me twice, he had my pursuit was always stronger. The journey has always won, despite the fact that I thought things were over. I am a very strong person, but sometimes self direction and being in charge of your own destiny in the entertainment world can be destabilizing. I’ve almost given up twice and at that time it felt real. But each time I came out of that state of depression, I realized that my journey is stronger and my calling will prevail.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The biggest trap in my industry is that you start out having no credits, and that defines you in the beginning of your journey. People judge you based on what you achieved, and if you are new, their judgment of your past achievements within the scope of what’s understood for them can be very detrimental to your growth and development. It took me some time to get up on my feet every time I got knocked out by being defined by my credits. At times, it felt like things would never get to a place where I want them to be because of the chicken or the egg. But then the journey prevailed again. And what I love doing has started to define me. It started to build the image and the persona that I was projecting into the world and people took notice. It was impossible not to notice that. And I’m still a part of this process but at least now I know that it’s not the credits that defined me, it’s my actions and what I believe in. It’s what truly pushes me forward and is effortless in a way that is the truth, and I should never deviate from that
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
when I’m gone i want people to know that the most important thing in life is to follow their heart and serve their community. Those are the two most important things that I find out matter in life. We’re all powerful as individuals, we can all foster or save a dog from a shelter, and as a collective it will reflect on a community. Id want people to know that a strong desire will overcome any obstacles and will put you in the place that God determined for you. A strong sense of purpose will save people from a lot of trouble and pave the path. It will protect them from a lot of little troubles, push to accomplish bigger things. and serve as a light at the end of the tunnel that will lead to the end goal, which was always the goal, but we wouldn’t know it until the journey is done.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.janetroth.com
- Instagram: @thejanetroth
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@valentina_brainova?si=8i2Tfr15MpDSAVQC
Image Credits
Arthur Vardanian
