Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremy Kelley “J Ray”.
Hi Jeremy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I think my story with comedy really started with my family. Some of my best memories growing up are the times we were all together just being ourselves. My stepdad, my Uncle Sam and my grandfather were all people who could make a room feel lighter. It didn’t have to be anything special. Somebody would say something stupid, somebody would start picking on somebody else, and before you knew it, everybody was having a good time.
Those moments stayed with me. Life wasn’t always easy, but being around my family and having those moments together made things feel a little better. I think that’s where I first learned how much a little humor can mean to somebody.
As I got older, I started doing comedy and making videos. Somewhere along the way, I realized this wasn’t only something I was doing for myself anymore.
I’ve had people reach out to me and tell me that my content brought some happiness into their lives when they were going through an extremely dark time. I’ve even had people tell me they had gotten to the point where they were thinking about taking their own life, but my content gave them something to look forward to and brought some joy into a time when they didn’t have much of it.
I’ll never pretend I have the right words to explain what that feels like to hear. It means more to me than any number on a screen ever could.
That’s a big part of why I continue doing this today. I know what those moments with my family meant to me growing up, when everybody was together and nothing else seemed to matter for a little while. If I can give somebody else even a small piece of that feeling, whether they’re watching one of my videos by themselves or sitting around with their family and friends, then what I do has a purpose.
I’m proud to be a comedian from Knoxville, Tennessee, but more than anything, I’m grateful that something I started because I loved making people smile has turned into something that can genuinely mean something to somebody else.
That’s why I do this.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One of the hardest parts has been trying to figure out how to turn something I love into something that people actually want to watch. There have been plenty of times when I wondered if I was wasting my time or if what I was doing would ever really go anywhere. At times I even questioned “Am I good enough?”
Social media can be tough because you can put a lot of yourself into something and sometimes it doesn’t get the response you hoped for. You have to learn not to let one bad video or one bad day define you.
I’ve also had to learn how to deal with people judging what I do. When you’re putting yourself out there, everybody has an opinion. You have to be willing to hear the criticism without letting it change who you are.
But probably the biggest challenge has been staying consistent and continuing to create when you don’t know what’s coming next. I’ve learned that you can’t always see where something is going while you’re in the middle of it. I’ve always said “God prepares the best parts of your life behind a closed curtain. It’s up to your faith to believe that when the curtain opens, it’s going to be amazing.”
Looking back, I’m glad I kept going. I’m now able to do something I genuinely love and reach hundreds of thousands of people.
I still have a long way to go, but I’ve learned that you don’t have to have everything figured out. Sometimes you just have to keep showing up and keep doing what you believe in.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Aside from being a content creator, influencer, and comedian, I have one of the best jobs in the world. I’m a bank teller, and I get to work with some truly amazing people. I’m lucky to have great coworkers who honestly feel like my brother and sister and a boss who is genuinely the best I have ever had.
I’m proud that I get to do something creative that I love outside of work while also having a career that I truly enjoy. I think what sets me apart is that I’ve never wanted to be just one thing. I can make people laugh, connect with an audience, and still genuinely enjoy helping people in my everyday job.
I’m grateful for both sides of my life, and I think having that balance has helped shape who I am today.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I’ve never really thought of myself as a huge risk taker, but I do believe in taking chances when something means enough to you. For me, one of the biggest risks was putting myself out there with comedy and content creation. You’re putting your personality, your ideas, and a lot of yourself in front of people you don’t even know, and you have no idea how they’re going to respond.
There were plenty of times when I could have decided it was easier to just stay comfortable and not put myself out there. But I’ve always felt like you’ll never know what something could become if you’re too afraid to try.
I also think there’s a difference between taking a risk and being reckless. I’m not willing to throw away the things that are important to me just for a chance at something bigger. I’d rather take calculated chances, keep working, and see where they lead.
Looking back, taking that chance on myself has been one of the best decisions I’ve made. I never could have predicted where comedy and content creation would take me, but I’m glad I was willing to find out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/earlyretirementsq
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/papawandjray?stkn=bWJrdG40dDltMGE0&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1GqTeCr3KN/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@papawandjray?si=yJpPrtJV3E7SSl7h
- Other: https://www.threads.com/@papawandjray?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
