By Chris Penrose

When, in 2004, Fatima Mohamed worked a summer job as a waitress in an open mic comedy dive, she had no plans to climb through the ranks of the funny business. As the executive coordinator for Yuk Yuk’s Canada, she has come a long way from that summer gig, whose value was not apparent as she worked tables.

“I didn’t know that the comics I saw and admired on that stage would be the same ones I’d be working with years later,” she says. “I was privileged enough to see them grind away, trying to make a name for themselves. The first time I ever saw Russell Peters on stage was that summer. That’s something I’ll never forget.”

Mohamed’s aspiration was actually acting, but in retrospect it’s clear that finding her way into comedy was a natural extension of her personality. “I was that nerdy drama club president and captain of the improv team,” she remembers. “I’ve always been the joker, always tried to make a funny situation funnier.”

But while growing up, entertainment was not an option that was encouraged. Born in Saudi Arabia, Mohamed and her family moved to Italy. While there, she spent four years with an adopted foster family. Around the age of 10, she was reunited with her biological family and they immigrated to Canada. Sixteen years later, she has a sense of humor about her family’s view on comedy: “My brother comes to shows but my mom doesn’t really know that I work at a comedy club,” she says. “I don’t think she would really like it. Even with taking drama class when I was in school, she didn’t think I should be performing.”

Nevertheless, Mohamed’s first role at Yuk Yuk’s was in 2005 as an administrative assistant. She booked comics and organized shows. Recalling that time, she laughs, “All I did was go for coffee. I got a lot of coffee.” In 2008, when the departure of a VP left an opening in an upper-management role, she was brought in and trained in the corporate side of the comedy industry for the position she still holds. Primarily, Mohamed is a liaison between the operators of the 16 Yuk Yuk’s sites across the country and the head office.

Out of that role, came the opportunity to produce for television. The first television show that Mohamed produced was the Yuk Yuk’s Great Canadian Laugh-Off, which is the country’s largest comedy competition with a grand prize of $25,000. Having had a taste of TV, she’s now poised for more production gigs and has a desire to move into writing and on-camera roles. But speaking about the upcoming project on which she is working, Mohamed is discreet: “Our new show will air sometime in the fall on Bite TV,” she says. “It’s definitely something we’re very proud of and I can’t wait until it airs.”

And while it becomes clear that she rarely thinks about it, her success in the comedy industry is no small feat. “The art form of comedy is old,” she says, “and it’s a boys club, for sure. Things are changing though. There was the stereotype that women comics only talk about sex and their periods, but now they are being taken more seriously and dealing with a wide range of content. They are writing solid acts. They are storytellers, talking about how they see the world. It’s the way that good comedy should be.”

For women who may be thinking of getting into the business, Mohamed draws from her own steps for advice. “Learn everything you can about it,” she says. “Go out to Yuk Yuk’s and watch live stand-up. Practice your craft and try to be the best that you can be.”