Life & Work with Martin Rizo of Los angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Martin Rizo.

Hi Martin, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m a stand-up comedian born and raised (and still proudly rooted) in East Los Angeles, California. I first caught the comedy bug back in my last year of high school, when I started looking up open mics around town. My very first was at the Laugh Factory on a Tuesday night, and from there, the rest is history. I started hitting up open mics all over Hollywood, L.A. County, and even down in San Diego. Along the way, I met some of my lifelong comedy friends—people who are still my close buddies after all these years.

In those early days, I was hustling, sometimes not even old enough to get into certain clubs like the Comedy Store, where I’d have to wait outside. But eventually, I started going on the road, met amazing comics like Felipe Esparza, who was one of the first to take me on the Road. Since then, I’ve opened for big names like Gabriel Iglesias, Joey Diaz, Jo Koy, and more.

Comedy has taken me places I never imagined. I’ve been in a few TV commercials, got to be part of the Netflix Is A Joke comedy festival, and even landed on a Tubi show called “Hot Kitchen.” I’m also co-hosting a couple of podcasts, and I’m always cooking up new projects.

It hasn’t always been easy—there were times I had just enough cash to either put gas in the car to get to an open mic or buy food, and comedy always won out. But those sacrifices were worth it, because now I’m doing this full-time and hoping to keep leveling up. Every year, I’m aiming to make it better than the last, and right now, I’m exactly where I once dreamed I’d be.

So keep an eye out—there’s a lot more to come! Thanks for being along for the ride.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
So yeah, it hasn’t been a smooth ride—trust me, I wish it was. There’s been a lot of tough times trying to make a living doing stand-up, or just making a living off your creative hustle in general. It took years before I saw any real money from it. Honestly, at the start, I was just doing it for the fun. I’d drive hours just to do five minutes at some bar, not even caring about getting paid.

There were definitely ups and downs—like one time some shady agents took 20 grand from a McDonald’s commercial I did, and I had to go to court to get it back. I lost some relationships because not everyone believed in the dream. And man, I’ve done my share of “hell gigs”—like shows where the crowd’s wild or someone wants to pick a fight because they’re not feeling the jokes.

But at the end of the day, things are finally working out, and I’m in a better spot now. It’s been a rough road, but I’m grateful for how it’s turning out.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Im knwon for being a stand-up comic, and I’m pretty surprised at how I’ve rolled with the times. When I started out, it was all about getting that tight five minutes of stand up ready for a late-night spot like jimmy fallon or conan. But the game changed, and now it’s all about creating your own stuff on social media, YouTube, all that. I’ve had a blast making videos—some went viral, some didn’t, but I’m proud of all of them because they’re part of my journey. Bottom line, as a stand-up, you learn to adapt to the trends and just keep rolling with it.

What makes you happy?
What makes me happy? Stand up comedy, Tacos and writing A new Bit.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fire-tix.com/martin-rizo/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/comicmartinrizo?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martinrizocomedy?mibextid=ZbWKwL