amy schumer

My First Stand-Up Experience

September 24, 2017

My first stand-up experience was in a church basement at a talent show to raise money for a catholic teen conference... and no, that wasn't a joke in my set. It was my reality.

Everyone has to start somewhere. I just have a hard time believing that Amy Schumer got her big start in a church basement and ended it with a prayer. It's still weird for me to even say this is my "start", however, since stand up comedy and comedy writing has always been a latent dream of mine that has only recently floated to the surface of my consciousness. I wonder what other kinds of crazy stuff I have repressed. 


It wasn't until I saw this gem of a picture of me doing my set in the church bulletin (bottom, dead center), that I could actually envision this dream becoming a reality. Side note - why do all pictures of comics portray them as somewhat leaning into the crowd and shrugging. It's like their body language is saying "just please laugh at this joke so I don't hate myself as much later."

I decided to do this set on a whim - how I usually make all of the big decisions in my life. I've decided to switch majors, break up with past exes, start a blog (ha..haha..haahaa..HA), interview for an internship in Seattle, and many more huge life decisions on a whim! At the same time, catch me at your local Starbucks going back and forth between a green tea latte and a white mocha for an hour.

It was a great whim decision, however. After doing the set, I felt like I had just done something I really loved. Hearing the audience actually laugh at my uncomfortable and self deprecating humor made me feel so good. My friend's little sister actually said "Nikki, I think you found your calling". Never being sure of myself (ie the green tea vs. white mocha crisis), I took her outsider opinion very seriously.

So began the presumptively tumultuous senior year of college, where I took final steps towards a degree that I love, and loosely related to comedy writing and entertainment, and seeing how I could fit my passions for being both behind and in front of the scenes into one job post-graduation. 

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TALK SHOP: WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A BLOGGER NETWORK?

July 07, 2015

It's time for another series! I don't have many blog-help based posts, because although I've been around for quite a few years, I'm still learning myself. I thought, who better to learn from than my peers and colleagues? Through this experience, we can learn and grow together.

What exactly is this experience? In this series, I put out surveys on several blogger networks and kindly ask them to give their opinions about several behind-the-scenes facets of the blogosphere. My Research Methods in Communications professor would be so happy with me conducting field research on my own. If you're reading this Mia, heyyyyyy.

My first topic is blogger networks! Blogger networks are like men, there are soooo many out there, you have to know what you want and sift through the muck to find the good ones. I wanted to know exactly what people looked for in a blogger network. So, I'll share my results with you all, after I share my own opinions first!



What do I look for in a blogger network? The main component I look for in blogger networks is post shares, obviously. Second comes sponsorship opportunities, then of course networking and friendship-making. In my survey, I asked if people like daily post threads or category threads. I personally like daily post threads, because they require less thinking for me, however, I appreciate networks that do category threads. It can be very useful. Through networks I have had amazing opportunities - event appearances, sponsorship opportunities, collaborations, and more. If anyone asks me how to get started blogging, I tell them to join a network.

What did my peers say?


Most bloggers are in the 1-3 range. 22.2% are in the moderate 3-5 range, and 22.2% are in the 8-12% range. This may be bias considering what you consider "being part of" a blogger network. There are many Facebook groups I am inactive on, however I'm still a part of. I am definitely active on at least 3, it seems like a good number.



Across the board, networks give social media shares and networking opportunities. Almost all have post share opportunities. However, skill building opportunities are not as common. 


It appears my peers agree with me, that they overwhelmingly prefer general, daily post shares.
This graph is scarcely skewed left, by 11.1%. (I think I just used some stats terms, wow! If I got it wrong, don't harp on me too bad, math nerds). My sample was small, however they seem split. Yes, blogger networks definitely do help them. However, it's almost a tie between 3-5 and 7-9. 

I also asked my participants two open response questions:

What do you look for in a blogger network?

My participants highlighted networking opportunities, working with like-minded people with similar interests, an organized platform, friendliness, and good workshops and webinars.

What's your favorite part of blogger networks?


They highlighted community, interacting with other bloggers, getting to know others, and reading other blogs.

THANKS to my awesome participants!
Caroline creatingshe.com

How many blogger networks are you a part of?
What do you look for in a blogger network?



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MONTHLY LINK-UP: MAY GOALS

May 06, 2015

Monthly Goals

This is part of the monthly link-up at mysocalledchaos.com

Goals definitely aren't my top priority right now. I just finished two huge projects and papers, another paper, and another project. I just have one final left. Basically, everything is wrapping up for the school year and I'm what you would call "burnt out." I've been focusing on relaxing and rejuvenating myself this weekend. I'm mentally checked out, however I'm content with myself for picking up my grades from earlier in the semester and finishing strong.
However, now when one door closes, a window opens. This window is summer. I plan on relaxing, running, working, blogging, traveling, and catching up with all of my friends this summer. I've definitely noticed that my blog has not been my main focus these past few weeks, however, I'm ready to focus on it again. Here are my goals based around all of that!

 How This works:
  1. Follow your hosts My So-Called Chaos and A Peek at Karen's World to keep up with this link-up.
  2. Write up a post recapping last month's goals and setting goals for next month.
  3.  Make sure to include the button in your post by grabbing the code above.
  4. Link up your goals post with the monthly linky which goes live on the first Thursday of the month.
  5. Visit other links in the party to show support and offer advice for other goal setters.
  6. Have fun and make some new friends!


April Goals

  • Don't fall off of good eating habits just because lent is over Success
  • Make the transition for the new PRSSA e-board smooth and welcome them wholeheartedly Success, great mixer dinner on Monday.
  • Learn about your role as VP of PRSSA In progress
  • Conduct all your research for both of your research projects SUCCESS! FINALLY!
  • Pass in your World Music paper research paper early YESSSSSS
  • Keep posting twice a week Fail...
  • Run outside twice a week Success

May Goals

  • Run outside twice a week
  • Get a story ran from a press release at my internship
  • Start renovating my room  - move my bed and buy storage bins
  • Get a sponsored post posted
  • Write the vegan reflection post
  • Present at Undergrad Research Symposium
Let's hope May is as promising as April was!





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I'm Inspired By... (12x30 Love Yourself January Challenge)

January 17, 2015


12X30 Challenge January: The Love Yourself Challenge

I think the New Year is a great time to remind yourself to love yourself. Making resolutions can come with a connotation to hate something about yourself so much that you want to change it. I've seen this show negative on others' self-esteem way too many times year-round. Instead of self-depreciating, we should just love ourselves. Love yourself like someone who loves you, well, loves you.

I got this challenge from My So-Called Chaos, and I knew I had to do it! The challenge this month is to do things that promote looking at yourself in a loving light. One step was to use one of the blogging prompts "I'm inspired by.."

I felt a bit of lack of inspiration lately in my writing, so I figured this prompt would be a great way to rev that back up.

image credit

Seeing how others live
When I travel, even if its a few towns over, just seeing how others live inspires me. Where is there local grocery store? What is the biggest, closest city? What do people do for work? I put myself in their place, and compare my life and theirs. It puts my own life in perspective.

Dreaming
Don Draper on Mad Men said, "If you need an idea, just stop thinking about it, then after a while, think about it again." The same works for me with dreaming. My best notions and ideas come to me from my dreams.

Nature
Hikes, walking, running, sightseeing, kayaking, canoeing, you name it. I'm inspired that God and science put in place such a natural, beautiful cycle that has created wonders for us to feast our eyes on. In nature, no one worries. Something is destroyed so in a few million more years, something even more beautiful can spring up in its place.

Music lyrics
I like to listen to lyrics that are sad and deep. I'm not sure why, but sad music makes me happy. It lifts me up. 

Listening to others' stories
Just listening to someone telling either a story or of a problem they're having inspires me. Like above, it puts my life in perspective. 

My dreams
This time, by dreams, I mean goals. Sometimes I think about where I want my life to go, mostly in the shower, and then I get this little fire burning inside of me. The fire wants me to do this and this and this and that and this just to get my life on track.

That's what inspires me. What inspires you? Here's a list from Angie of ways to truly love yourself this year:

  • Compliment yourself.  
  • Practice your passion.  
  • Pamper yourself. 
  • Stop comparing yourself to others. 
  • Reward yourself for your accomplishments.  
  • Take a little extra time on your appearance.  
  • Start a Self-Love journal. 
  • Take your daily vitamins.
  • Exercise.  
  • Let go of the past and focus on the future.  
  • Give yourself a pep talk and believe in yourself. 
  • Laugh at yourself. 
  • Be less judgmental of others. 
  • Stop being a people pleaser.  

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bean boots

TAG: "THANKS-A-BUNCH" TAG

December 28, 2014

Christmas DAY might have passed, but I think it's still time to spread the cheer before we dive headfirst into NYE or even Valentines Day. Technically, the Christmas season has just begun in the church. I'm not only still dreaming of my outfits and the great food I have on Christmas, but I'm still excited about my gifts. It's good to be thankful for the gifts you received. That's why I made up this tag (my first tag)! It's called the "Thanks-A-Bunch" tag, and here are the rules:


Hre are my top three favorite gifts I received on Christmas morning:


 1. Bean Boots!
I'm so thankful for these because I heard that they were backordered, so I'm thankful my mother went to the outlet to find these. I love that they tie any fall or winter outfit together. I will use it to trudge through the mud, rain, and snow on campus. My school is near the water and closer to sea level, so puddles are everywhere!


2. My Husband Pillow

I am SO thankful for this pillow! I hate leaning over my computer and ruining my posture, so this is a comfy and fashionable way to save my back. It adds to my new zen vibe in my room. I can just imagine lounging in this, with a few candles going, my lamp, and my space heater warming up the place.  I'll use it to lounge and go on my computer. I hate doing work at my desk.


3. Sentimental Gifts

Sometimes the cheapest gifts are the ones that make the best impressions. This framed picture of Jackie, this calendar with pictures of my parents and I, and my mother and I's matching bracelets will keep them with me while I'm at school and in Greece this spring break. I love these gifts because they're so thoughtful. I'll use them to fill my dorm with my loving family. 


Now for YOUR TURN! I tag:
1. YOU
2. Jacquie of My Confessions
3. Wendy of A Day In The Life On The Farm
4. Paige of Paige by Paige
5. Sharon of Paleo Fondue 
6. Cassie of Packages, Boxes, and Bags 
7. Yadira of The Two Riveras
8. Jessica of Beyoutiful Beauty
9. Jessica of Stumbling Along Through Life
10. Hannah of By Hannah Joy
11. Ana of Figuring Out My Ever After
12. Alayna of The Girl Who Does Everything
13. Alana of Adventure Spices
14. Richa of Let's Doll Up
15. Laura from Cook, Wine, and Thinker  www.cookwineandthinker.com

It's your turn ladies! Can't wait to see your posts. Comment your post or tweet me @n_vergak. I hope you all had a wonderful year, and have high hopes for 2015.



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LINK-UP: DECEMBER GOALS

December 07, 2014



It's officially the most wonderful time of the year! Being in college is bittersweet because we only get to be here for the first week or two of December. Part of of me wants to stay and have "squad" Christmas parties with my friends, but the other part of me wants to go home, eat home cooked meals, and play with Jackie. The christmas decorations have just up in my room, last night my roommate and I had an adorable trip to Wal Mart and bought ourself a 3-foot tree. It's like we're a real family!
A photo posted by nikki vergakes (@n_vergak) on 

December Goals
  • Get 1,700 unique visitors on my blog this month
  • Fix my iPod screen
  • Keep up with my weekly workout routine
  • Get good grades on my finals and final presentation
  • Make the deans list
  • Make a lot of money working at WHBM
    November Goals

    • Get a time of 27:52 or better at the ECAC 6K race - Fail, but it was cold and snowing, so...
    • Get a good chunk of Christmas shopping done - Suuccceesss!
    • ACQUIRE BOYFRIEND JEANS  - SUCCESS! FINALLY
    • Lift/abs 2 times a week - Success, more like 4 times a week!
    • Plan out holiday blog posts - SUCCESS!
    • Make a presentation at a PRSSA meeting as an e-board member - SUCCESS
    • Email about spring/summer internships - Success
    Check out the original post  from Angie of My So-Called Chaos here.

    How it works:
    The link-up goes live on the first Wednesday of each month.
    • Follow all three hosts: My So-Called Chaos, A Peek at Karen's World, & Jenee Thompson
    • Write up a post recapping previous goals & setting goals for the next month. The post needs to include the Monthly Goals button, use the code above!
    • Link-up your Monthly Goals post in the linky below!
    • Visit other blogs in the linky to show support!
    Link Up Your Goals:

    Please link up your Goals post!  The post must include either a link back or the button!


    Monthly Goals



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    Our Bios Are Shrinking, But Our Characters Are Growing

    July 23, 2014


    It seems like every website nowadays is making us describe ourselves in 300 characters or less. All of our little quirks, favorite books or movies, deepest thoughts, and aspirations are now being cut down from being sprawled out in our journals to being small enough to fit our twitter bios. Prime examples of this are Twitter bios. Just like any biography section on a social media account, they’re short, powerful, and have room for some humor. Mari Smith, a social media strategist and marketing expert kept hers more straightforward:

    Mari-Smith-Twitter-bio

    However some people, including Kevin Spacey, decided to make theirs more humorous:

    kevinspacey
    Doing a once-over on these bios is like a first impression on the street: you only have one shot at them. Even if someone goes back and changes your bio, people will never forget the first time they saw it. Every aspect of this first impression is similar to a street glance: if someone is verified that they are an influential person, it’s like if they’re carrying a nice Prada bag; if someone has influential co-workers tagged in their bio, that’s the cool posse they’d be walking down the street with. In this way, first impressions in real life and in social media are now equally important. However, this is old news. This doesn’t mean added pressure; it means added growth. Having another place for people to define themselves, such as social media, may increase their self-worth and self-confidence, which may increase the quality of work they produce. This is very important for Millenials.

    The Dailyesque stated, “being attached to social media is actually okay, and could even be better for you, because the most criticized aspect of Millennial culture is also the most important aspect for Millennial growth.” Dailyesque makes another point about adapting quickly. Think about the revolution of social media from the last fifteen years: Friendster to AIM to Myspace to Facebook to Twitter to Pinterest to Vine and more. If Milenials can adapt to this change, they might adapt to workplace change easier. . Dailyesque also states that by having to create shorter messages or bios, people are becoming better communicators. Words with more punch, less fluff!Screen shot 2014-07-20 at 7.14.14 PMSocial media are altogether empowering. People now have a channel to say what they want, when they want! People also have a place to “brand” themselves however they want. If there are people that disagree with their image, they can choose to address it or overlook it. That’s called freedom. They can paint a picture of what they really think they are deep down, and show others what they want them to have seen. That’s called growth and development.

    image credit:
    http://www.real-dating.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Social-media-for-public-relations.jpg
    sources:
    http://www.dailyesque.com/us/posts/6-ways-social-media-is-helping-millennials

    Want a chance to win a summer essentials beauty box?

    Then you should enter the giveaway run by itsemmaelise.com, me, and a bunch of other bloggers! Follow the directions to enter to win these must-have beauty products below:


    Summer Beauty Haul



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    ain't it fun

    LINKUP: MUSIC MONDAYS WITH "My So-Called Chaos"

    July 14, 2014


    Link-ups are a fabulous way in the bloggersphere for us bloggers to interact and mingle. It's like happy hour but with blog posts! This monday I thought I'd join in on Angie of mysocalledchaos.com's Music Monday link-up!


    Every summer I make a new playlist. It can consist of songs that remind me of that summer, songs that I discovered that summer, and songs that just sound summer-y. For example "Summer" by Calvin Harris, duh! My music listening habits depend on who I see in concert. So far I've seen Paramore, Fall Out Boy, New Politics, The Front Bottoms, and Say Anything. I've been jamming to new and old Fall Out Boy and Paramore, and The Front Bottoms.
    Here's a screenshot of my current Summer 2k14 playlist:

    As you can see it's a mix of pop-punk, indie, folk, country, pop, and a favorite genre of mine I like to call "The Fault In Our Stars Soundtrack". 

    However the link-up wants me to choose one song I'm feeling specifically.. ahh this is so hard. I choose....

    Thunder Clatter by Wild Cub 

    I chose this song because it's a little folk-y and a little dance-y. That's how I like my music (i.e. Two Door Cinema Club/The Wombats). I'm a sucker for more than one voices singing at the same time. Any song that I can imagine driving around on a summer night to, I'm all for it.


    Stay tuned for a blog post about my trip to London!

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    Social Media Frenzy!

    February 19, 2014

    If you're reading this right now, you can probably relate in me saying that I'm a social media freak. As a PR student, I have to be. However this brand "dollar store diva" already has a YouTube, and this blog, obviously. They say the best way to grow your brand is to 1. be genuine (a real representative from a YouTube networking company told me this) and 2. Have a huge social influence! As you can see, I'm trying to make banners and logos for this site, so they can be associated with it. Do you like my logo?
    How do you like my logo? Cute? No? Okay.

    So, where am I on on this social media web? I have my own personal twitter, facebook, instagram, google plus, and pinterest. For this blog, there is a blog and youtube, and now.... FACEBOOK!

    I finally launched a Facebook Page for this blog! Please like it so I know who actually reads this, and you can get updates! I'd love to grow my brand so that I can create a community and also eventually merch! Imagine cute little workout tank tops, and t shirt with Dollar Store Diva on them. Imagine it and love it.
    Some people dream of being pop stars, I just dream of having my blog known.

    So yeah, follow that facebook page and also find me on twitter and instagram under the handle of n_vergak!

    I have a few posts and videos planned for the upcoming weeks, and hopefully an exciting feature post. Stay tuned!

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    Lifestyle: Stop Body Negativity, Spread Body Positivity!

    January 15, 2014


    It's been drilled into our minds since we could read and understand language that we must be this pristine, skinny, virginal princesses with flowing dead-end free hair, non-oily skin, minimal pores, the perfect sculpted-puppy-saving boyfriend, a great career but also have time to do all the chores and the cooking. Oh, don't forget to find time to work out so you can have the perfect bod, too. No wonder all we hear from girls these days is "fat talk." Even on some of my favorite TV shows, mostly reality ones, I'm shocked by the self-defaming words that come from the already skinny girls.


    We blame these notions from the "media." However, the generation that grew up with this, is either college-age, graduating from high school, or are just starting off in the work force. Therefore, we ARE the media. Not only if you work on TV or the press, but just with social media at its peak, we are all journalists in a sense. If we see a tweet from a girl saying how guilty she feels about that cinnamon bun #fatty4life, or a girl in a tight dress in instagram with a caption complaining about how fat she feels, we are taking in those thoughts and thinking about ourselves compared to them. If you think about it that way, we're the only ones to blame for body negativity in the "media", not the latest Gucci ad in InStyle.
    Not to get all Karma crazy, but if you put out good vibes, good vibes will come back to you. Write down five things you love about yourself and post it on twitter, instagram, tumblr, or pinterest. They may even be bad, quirky qualities but they make you, you! 

    So, when we want to act on what's bothering about us in our bodies, we should be doing them for the right reasons. Make our New Years resolutions for the RIGHT reasons, like I mentioned in my resolution post. Don't work out to be a Victorias Secret Model. Even Victorias Secret Models don't looks like VS Models. Work out because you LOVE your body, not because you hate it! Think of a part of your body you love. Maybe your booty. Do some squats to loovee it even more1 Maybe you hate your arms. Do some push-ups or bicep curls so you can learn to love them. Every time we take the time to exercise a muscle we are giving it love. When we're sweating and in the zone, we're not worrying about deadlines or drama. We're not near the phone or the computer. Bring yourself to that happy place.

    Just like Jennifer Lawrence believes, wouldn't you want to look up to someone who's fit than someone who's flat?
    picture from Women's Rights News

    I love her and everything she stands for. Shes funny, beautiful, outspoken, and looks great. There's nothing wrong with enjoying some non-clean foods now and again. Yes, we want to best for our bodies but sometimes we must feed our soul. Say things with a positive light in the media you put out there. You are in total control of what you say, not a big wig behind a computer with six-figure salary.
    I LOVE what special K is putting out there "stop fat talk." Yes I'm a fan of Special K's oatmeals and cereals. I never joined their "eating plans" because I like to do my own thing. But their latest ad campaign just feels right.



    Follow my blog with Bloglovin 93% of women do this. More like 100%. Including myself, we've all been guilty of this at times. Some people are skeptical about Kellog's angle with this - however I'm hoping that they mean eat our low-fat/sugar/calorie foods to love and nourish yourself, and love your body. Instead of fat talk, we should be talking positively. Think of that next time you fat tweet.