Fringe Comedian Kurt Sterling Ditched 500K Job For Comedy Career

Aussie comedian Kurt Sterling, 35, is making his Ed Fringe debut with 'Corporate Chronicles,' about swapping corporate boardrooms for the comedy circuit.

He shares how working up to 18 hour days seven days a week and jet setting for meetings in all corners of the world took over his life for more than a decade.

He said: "After nearly twelve years of high stress, highly paid and all-consuming work I felt disconnected and dissatisfied. I felt like I had no common experiences with friends or family, my twenties were given over to a corporate world

Kurt Sterling

"Now I am finally making decisions based on how I want to build my life going forward. I have found success in entertaining and making people laugh, and this is what makes me truly happy”

"So many people strive for the type of job I had but it was isolating. In the end all I wanted was to go back to living a normal life where you find connection, shared experiences and joy. That's what comedy is about too - making connections with people."

Kurt is still adjusting to budgeting while he builds his comedy career with considerably less income, after years of luxury accommodation and experiences.

He said: "In my corporate role they would put us in luxury hotels in fancy places all around the world. Through that job I was able to live in a Sydney apartment with 270 degree views of the harbour.

"I got married in Morocco in 2018 but the relationship fell apart due to the huge demands of my work.

"The breakdown of that marriage cost me everything I had worked for over a decade. It was hard to come to terms with but ultimately it did start the process of me reflecting on my life and the things I wanted to change.

"Now I rent a small flat in the suburbsthat I affectionately call 'the mould cave' but my life feels like my own and I'm really proud of that.

"My savings are keeping me going, comedy is tough to make a living from but I’m really proud to say I’m on the right path to building a great career in the comedy world."Kurt still works seven days a week but he says the difference now is he is enjoying it.

He added: "For 12 years I felt like I was along for the ride in my own life. I fell into a great role after landing a scholarship that led to a graduate job. It all just sort of happened to me.

"I'd always been good at maths in school and that's what propelled me forward in work."

Once he finished training Kurt was sent to work on projects in Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and other foreign destinations - often with only two days notice.

He said: "I used my skills to problem solve for huge businesses to look at their systems, their profit and their issues. Working and travelling to work was my whole life. The company was set up so that I could be available to them 24/7.

"Now I gig every night if I can. There is also a lot of admin - booking, running festival shows, entering comedy competitions plus writing and creating online content but I'm fulfilled and working on myself. It feels good.

"Any pressure is internal ambition instead of outside stress."

Kurt grew up in a small rural town on the Central Coast in New South Wales, Australia with parents who worked multiple jobs to take care of the family,

"At first the idea of travelling the world and feeling important was really appealing butnow I have a bigger appreciation for the simple life and not needing a lot of stuff or prestige to be happy.After working flat out for 12 years Kurt quit in 2022, despite having even more lucrative job offers on the table he decided to pivot away from the corporate world.

He said: "In all that time I never questioned whether I was satisfied or what direction I was moving in because I did not see an alternative way of making a living – They paid us very well, I was always being promoted and from the outside I should have been happy.

"But when covid hit and the travel paused I suddenly I realised how alone I was, working on zoom for 18 hours a day. It was eye opening."

After quitting in March 2022 he started to rebuild his social life and friendships. He tried salsa dancing, boxing and stand up comedy.

By June 2022 he had decided to pursue a career as a comedian.He said: "My first gigs went well, it was encouraging. I realised people enjoy hearing these type of stories and I should double down and pursue a career here.”

Now Kurt has over 2,600 followers on his instagram @kurt.sterlingcomedy where he shares sketches about politics, office culture and living in a capital city.

Now Kurt is performing his hilarious comedy show Corporate Chronicles at Ed Fringe.

Kurt added: "The show takes the audience on a journey from working class rural Australia to the top of the elite corporate world and back again. This show is taking the corporate world down, make no mistake about it. People won't look at the office the same way again."

You can buy tickets here

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/kurt-sterling-corporate-chronicles