Business Awards Preview: Matt Billon

The Newsy Neighbour
January Issue #111
www.thenewsyneighbour.com
Article provided by: Kyle Penn

Do It Because You Love Doing It

The 2^nd Annual Reader’s Choice Best in Business Awards Night is taking place on January 21^st, and there’s a lot to be excited about. Not only will this be THE business event of the year – celebrating business excellence from Strathmore, Langdon, and Chestermere – but it will also feature the hilarious stylings of Canadian comic Matt Billon. I got the chance to talk with Billon leading up to the awards show, and couldn’t be more excited to see him perform at the Strathmore Civic Centre later this month.

Growing up in Nelson, BC, Billon was bit by the comic bug early. The story is simple: one day, a comedy show came through town, and Billon was hooked. He stuck around after the show, bought the comedians drinks, talked to them about breaking into the scene, and knew that he had discovered something special. Following that evening, Billon made it a point to be at every monthly comedy show that visited Nelson, getting tips and guidance from each of the comics that came through, until he followed their advice to move to a bigger city and make a go of it. Heading out to Calgary late one autumn, it took Billon months to convince himself to get up in front of a crowd. Finally, that following January, he went to the Blackfoot Inn on amateur night and performed his set. “I knew then that I was hooked for life,” he told me.

From there, Billon’s comedy career soared to some pretty fantastic heights. He’s been on Much Music’s Video On Trial, performed at the revered Just for Laughs festival in Montreal, written for CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and had an hour-long special on the Comedy Network. He’s had the chance to work with comedic greats and childhood idols, including Rob Schneider, Tommy Chong, Doug Stanhope, Tom Green, and many more. Currently, Billon is focussed on his newest project, a pilot episode he wrote for and performed in called Kitchen Kids featuring Billon, fellow comedian Kevin Stobo, and Bob and Clint Moffatt (yes, that Bob and Clint, from the 90’s Canadian teen idol band The Moffatts). Airing on Shaw this February, Kitchen Kids is all about teaching children the basics of cooking and healthy eating, while keeping them entertained and having fun.

While chatting with Billon about his career, I was struck by how much he’s accomplished. Sure, he’s been performing comedy for a fair while now (“When people ask me how long I’ve been doing it, I tell them: long enough that I used to be able to smoke on stage!” he quipped), but regardless of how long he’s been at it, that’s a pretty jam-packed CV Billon’s created for himself.

“I don’t know where I’d be without comedy,” he said in a moment of self-reflection, “or whether I’d even still be around.” He went on to tell me how his dad passed away just three months after Billon had started performing. “He was my biggest fan. I was going to quit comedy, but a good friend forced me back on stage, and it was the only time I was free from grieving…[comedy] is who I am. It’s my hobby, my love, my passion.” Powerful stuff, to be sure.

Billon’s story also ties into several of the themes that we’ve discussed throughout this issue and will be honouring at the Business Awards. He found greatness in his career not because he set out to be successful, but because he embraced doing something he loved and pursued it as fervently as he knew how. Not only that, but he stayed true to himself and his values the whole time: “I’ve walked away from things that seemed like they might have been good for my career, but didn’t feel great to do” he mentioned. “You’re never done. There’s always more.”

It’s this relentless pursuit of vision and passion coupled with an unwillingness to compromise on important values and goals that come together to create a textbook recipe for achieving excellence in business. We can’t wait to experience Matt Billon’s comedy and to honour deserving local businesses at our 2^nd Annual Reader’s Choice Best in Business Awards Night, happening on January 21^st at the Strathmore Civic Centre. See you there!