Jimmy leaves the office life and goes all in on stand-up

After years of combining his career as a restaurant owner with stand-up comedy, Jimmy takes a definitive step forward in his career as a comedian. This Friday, June 20th, at 10 p.m. at La Casa de Óscar Burgos, he will present his show "Altas Expectativas" in Guadalajara.

“This is the first date of this full show; it will be a one-hour show,” he said in an interview with EL INFORMADOR . “I performed it in February, I think, but it was a booked show at a bar, so we don't count it as part of the tour. But this is now officially the show of the Altas Expectativas tour here in Guadalajara.”

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To get to this point, El Jimmy had to make some important decisions. Until a few months ago, he held an office job, but in February 2024, he left that position to dedicate himself fully to stand-up comedy.

The decision to resign wasn't impulsive, but rather an act of conviction and confidence. The universe seemed to respond immediately. “The day I was about to sign my resignation, I was about to arrive at the office when I received a message. I saw the notification on Instagram: Alex Fernández inviting me to open for his show at the Teatro Diana. I took that as a sign that yes, I was making the right decision.”

The guild's support was also evident. "I spoke to him at the show, told him all this, and he said that me quitting my office job and dedicating myself fully to stand-up comedy indicated that I was serious about this. Both he and the guild would take me more seriously; it implied that I would treat it as a profession."

Since then, El Jimmy's career has accelerated. Opportunities have come in the form of shows, collaborations, and content creation. The comedian acknowledges that the stability of his former job offered him a certain comfort, but also limitations. “It was easy to combine my work with stand-up comedy, but everything had to happen on the weekends. There was always that feeling of not being fully engaged in either. In the office, I'd think about stand-up comedy, and while I was at it, I'd think about things to do at the office. Once you're free, you put all your energy into this wonderful profession.”

One of the most notable projects that boosted her visibility was her participation in the seventh season of Amazon Prime's LOL: Last One Laughing Mexico. "That time I do remember going to my boss and telling her they were offering me to participate. I told her I was going to go whether they gave me permission or not, I couldn't miss it," she recalls with a laugh.

The company understood the value of that opportunity. "They gave me a chance; they knew it was a great opportunity and made it easy for me. I had to use my vacation time and unpaid days, but it was worth it."

The invitation to LOL came unexpectedly and, according to El Jimmy, remains a mystery. “It was Easter Thursday or Friday. A girl, the show's talent coordinator, spoke to me. She told me she'd given her my contact, Alexa Zuart, and that they were interested in having me join LOL Mexico Season 7. I thought it was as a writer or as a supporter in some kind of dynamic, but she told me no, as one of the talents, one of the contestants.”

Although he acknowledges that at the time he didn't have the experience of his colleagues, his participation was well received. "I think and I've seen that people liked it. So, I'm sticking with that."

In addition to the stage, El Jimmy has begun to build a solid social media presence. Since September 2023, he has collaborated with Frank, a college friend who is a master of content creation. Together, they developed a work schedule with fixed recording days to maintain a steady stream of posts.

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"We've made a work plan. Right now we want to try new things; we're experimenting with blogs, vlogs, and longer sketches. We want to diversify our content, offering a variety of offerings without, of course, abandoning stand-up," he explains.

One of his goals is for the public to identify him not only for his viral appearances, but also for his work as a comedian. “People on the street recognized me a bit and associated me with the videos, or the one I was on La Cotorrisa, or the one I was on LOL, but they didn't know I did stand-up. I want to upload related content again so people can relate to that aspect of me as well.”

In his show "High Expectations," Jimmy avoids politically incorrect topics or necessarily transgressive discourse. His approach is different. "People are curious to know what life is like for a short person. My goal has always been for people to experience short stature from a different perspective, not as seen in reports or motivational talks, but in a more human way, with a sense of humor."

The routine includes autobiographical fragments, reflections on his departure from the office world, personal experiences, emotional relationships, and the challenges of making decisions in midlife. "The truth is, this is a show I've been working on for the past few years, but it also has new and improved aspects, and it's had a good response."

The show has already been presented in cities such as Mexicali, Tijuana, Ensenada, León, Toluca, and Mexico City. In each location, the audience reaction has been positive. "We wanted to test these cities to see if we could continue the tour in other cities like Puebla, Querétaro, Monterrey, etc., in the next half of the year."

Tickets for this Friday's show in Guadalajara are available, with prices ranging from 450 to 550 pesos.

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