Talking to Kelly Collette is so easy. From the moment I met her, it felt like I’d known her as a friend for years. She is the person you spend a Friday night with on the couch with a glass of wine, talking until 3 a.m. She is a warm, comforting presence wrapped in a mischievous smile, and finished off with a joke.

Kelly has toured comedy clubs and performed on stages across the country. She has headlined festivals, worked with the Cincinnati Reds, and opened for sold-out crowds. We met on a sunny afternoon in the middle of a buzzing Findlay Market – grills were smoking meat while families ate at nearby tables. Our conversation – filled with laughs and jokes – spanned from Kelly’s earliest days of open mic nights to the moments she said, “Oh, I’ve made it.”

You can see Kelly perform live at Sam Adams Taproom on October 6 along with fellow comedians Karinne Turnbow, Gretchen Schultz, and Ossia Dwyer! All ticket proceeds go toward Women of Cincy.