Today we’d like to introduce you to Austin Hines.
Austin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
We all originally met through Senseless Acts of Comedy, the improv comedy troupe at TCU. It’s a great troupe, and we would perform weekly for audiences of 100-200 people. Upon graduating, we didn’t want to stop performing, so we decided to form a new troupe – Curtis Needs A Ride (CNAR, “see-nar”) was born.
We spent a few years performing at clubs wherever we could. The scene in Austin was growing fast at the time, and we would perform at a theater called The Hideout 4 or 5 times a year. The biggest comedy show in DFW, Four Day Weekend, has always been a significant influence, and for two years they let us perform a Thursday night show in their Ft. Worth theater.
Eventually, we started to get old and boring, having kids and getting married, so we needed to shift our focus on corporate events and things that brought income. We’ve built connections with all sorts of businesses and Independent School Districts. We’ve turned our “show” into a keynote presentation, a professional development workshop, corporate training, and even custom game shows.
Performing, for us, has evolved from being on stage and making people laugh to partnering with groups and organizations to bring value to what they do.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
A smooth road? I don’t think they make those. Let’s do this in bullet point fashion. Struggles:
– Booking shows
– Getting people to come to the shows you book
– Troupe members moving
– Accepting a bad show
– Money (not making any)
– Children (having them)
– Children (performing for them)
– “Real jobs.”
– Bombing
– Being recognized everywhere you go
– Taxes
– The pressures of fame
– Laundering all this cash
okay. I’ve said too much.
Curtis Needs A Ride – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Curtis Needs A Ride is a comedy troupe that specializes in improvisation and professional development. Our roots are in improv. But as these CNAR roots spread through the soil of comedy, a huge Acacia was sprouting up with branches growing in many, wild directions. While one branch is making people laugh at a Christmas party, another branch is leading a corporate workshop on improving office culture. And what’s that? An Acacia tree that can produce apples? You bet we can, and those apples are called Keynote Presentations. Hosting, Acting, Education, and so many forms of entertainment it’ll make you sick. From laughter. These are the branches this Acacia is Rockin.
So, what sets us apart? Probably our spot-on analogies. What can I say, we paint pictures with words. But I suppose the variety of ways we use our talent is the real answer. When the goal is partnering for a purpose – making someone else look good or making someone’s event, training, or business a success, it adds value to what we do and allows us (sometimes FORCES us) to be creative with our approach.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success for us is defined by achieving our goals. We have internal, company goals that mostly revolve around making gobs of money, but the success that really drives us is the win we get at each show. When we perform an improv show, giving the audience a memorable night, creating “you had to be there” moments that are unforgettable, seeing people leave the venue smiling wider than when they arrived – this is a success.
When we lead a 3-hour professional development course on reaching students with learning difficulties and teachers in the audience ask us meaningful questions that let us know they’re taking our tips back to the classroom – this is a success.
When we give a keynote presentation and are immediately asked to do another one because those attending enjoyed it so much, they want others to experience it as well – this is a success. When we hold up the line at the bank because the teller has never cashed a check so large – this is a success. Being able to impact someone’s life in a positive way (hopefully a full room someones) is what’s most important to us, and most rewarding.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.curtisneedsaride.com
- Phone: 817-938-3244
- Email: austin@curtisneedsaride.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CurtisNeedsaRide/
Image Credit:
Austin Hines, Ricky Anderson II, Michael Flusche
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