Jess Rodriguez

My first stage performance was singing "Girls with Guitars" (a Wynonna Judd classic) at a local talent show when I was eight years old. I spent weeks preparing and practiced until I had every word and dance move memorized. This was - what I thought to be - my big moment!

From that performance forward, I took every opportunity to entertain people: singing at karaoke, performing in school plays, and telling jokes to anyone who would listen. However, it wasn't until high school that I discovered my passion and skill for improv comedy.

While working as a ghost tour guide (I'm serious), I met someone who managed an improv company. He invited me to audition for a spot in the troupe and I joined a few weeks later. It wasn't long until improv became my absolute favorite art form.

 "It was like stepping into a world where my only limits were the depths of my imagination and the courage to let it out."

When it came time for college, I moved to New York City to train professionally at The New York Academy for Dramatic Arts. I studied acting and comedy under some of the industry’s top instructors, performed in shows, worked multiple jobs, and even landed an off-Broadway role. My path was set—until life threw me a curveball. A health condition forced me to pivot, pushing me into the ever-evolving world of sales.

At first, it felt like a hard stop. But I quickly realized that my improv training had prepared me for something much bigger than performing—it had given me the tools to navigate change.

My career has spanned multiple roles across various industries, each one reinforcing a powerful truth: people don’t resist change because they can’t handle it—they resist it because they don’t feel equipped for it.

Today, I use my experience in sales, training, and improv comedy to equip leaders and teams to empower people, elevate strategies, and embrace change.