Tim Ketchersid: Former pastor finds purpose in making people laugh in Episode 024

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Today I will be interviewing a former pastor who felt called into a new life of making people laugh as a standup comedian.

In 2018, Tim Ketchersid and his wife went away for the weekend to celebrate their anniversary. During that time, they created a bucket list of things they wanted to do while they still had the health to do it.

At the time, Tim was a lawyer who also worked as a campus pastor at a mid-size church in Farmer’s Branch, Texas. One of the desires of his heart was to serve as a stand-up comedian. He was 60 at the time, and the couple had both committed to being done with work by the time they were 65.

Tim hired a coach to develop a three-year plan to help him transition out of church ministry, but he was able to walk away 18 months later.

As soon as he shared his dream with his wife, Tim sought stages upon which to perform a stand-up routine. Fortunately, there are several comedy clubs as well as bars, restaurants and theaters hosting open mics in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. That made it possible for him to perform about 150 short three- to 10-minute routines in 2019 alone.

After testing some routines on various stages, Tim created a clean comedy show for a local theater. That enabled him to expand his routine from just a few minutes up to 45.  He was well received by the audience, but then COVID put an end to live performances for 18 months.

During that time, Tim continued to hone his craft by attending online classes and performing again as soon as public performances were allowed. Branding himself as The Clean Comic, Tim also started performing for corporate audiences at trade shows and other meetings.

I appreciated Tim admitting that he, too, struggled with what he was going to do with his life. That’s why he’s convinced your purpose can change several times over your life. I certainly know it did for me.

Tim’s explanation about transitions was important to understand. A transition begins with something else coming to an end. You just sense that it’s time to move on. Like he said, a transition doesn’t signal that your purpose in life is coming to an end. Rather, it’s going in a different direction.

Not only is it okay for us to desire different things at various stages of life, Tim explains that it’s important to pursue that calling. It may be uncomfortable as you venture into a new sense of purpose, and you’ll probably make mistakes while you’re trying to figure it out.

However, you’ll enjoy doing at it as you get better and people will notice. People like and appreciate when people are being authentic. Many times people treat perfection with skepticism because they can’t relate to perfect people.

It boils down to finding something you enjoy doing and staying committed to it. Tim said he feels very good about where he is today, but he also felt the same way about where he was 15 years ago.

So, if you’re over 50 and struggling with a sense of purpose and wondering if you have anything left to contribute to the world, I’m sure Tim would agree that you most certainly do. Perhaps there is a smoldering desire in your heart that’s just waiting for you to give is a little oxygen so that desire can turn into a burning passion.

To connect with Tim, visit www.timthecleancomic.com or look for his profile on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Several videos of his routines are also available on YouTube.

That’s all I have for this week’s show. If you’d like help in identifying a purpose for your life or to get help planning your next steps, I’m offering a complimentary brainstorming session to members of the Forward From 50 Facebook community. For details, connect with me on Facebook or visit www.forwardfrom50.com.

Please join me again next week for another inspiring interview on the next episode of the Forward From 50 podcast. Thanks for listening.