The winner of the first eWomenNetwork's International Got Talent contest was none other than Carson Valley's own Kat Simmons.
The eWomenNetwork connects and promotes women and their businesses on a local and global scale. The talent event was held on Aug. 8 as part of the 2009 International Conference and Business Expo at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas.
Simmons became involved in the network after meeting Reno managing director Kymberlee Simantel at a women's retreat a year and a half ago. Simantel encouraged her to submit a DVD of her comedy act to be considered for a talent show at the conference, but it was too late; the acts had already been booked.
A week and a half before the conference, Simmons received a message from Simantel that there was a ticket available and would she like to attend?
Coordinating the trip on such short notice wasn't easy. There was a performance in Placerville the night before the conference started. It was a scramble to arrange care for her children. Then there was a canceled flight.
Through it all, she persevered, and made it to Dallas on Thursday. She spent the next two days in breakout lecture sessions led by highly successful entrepreneurial women.
In preparation for her Saturday night performance, Kat meditated in a beautiful and secluded courtyard on the hotel grounds. She contemplated her 22 years of hard work that led to this; all the defining moments since she decided at 10 years old on the path she wanted to follow. Thoughts of people who supported her, as well as those who did not, floated through her memory.
"It's always good to have people who tell you that you can't do something," Simmons says. "They're just as important as those who tell you that you can."
She sat in the green room before the show, writing notes and mentally rehearsing before taking her place on stage.
"I knew it had all come down to this moment," she recalls. "I knew I had to establish a connection quickly and that I had to be authentic. I am those women (in the audience). I am their voice."
The contest was modeled after "American Idol." Other eWomenNetwork participants included dancers, vocalists, and another comedian.
"The level of talent was astounding," says Simmons. "The audience was going crazy for all the performers."
Her easy presence and relatable humor hooked the audience as soon as she emerged onstage. She had four minutes to deliver her comedic punch and likens the experience to "being shot out of a cannon on fire."
She admits not remembering much about her performance. At the end of the set, she made her way toward the judges' table for critique and scoring. The crowd roared as she received three consecutive scores of 10.
"I didn't really believe I had won until I saw my name come out of the announcer's mouth," she says. "It felt like I was standing underneath a jet plane. It was like my heart was going to burst. All the affirming love coming toward me. It was the most intense time I have ever had onstage."
Simmons recalls visiting Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood at the start of her career. She knelt in front of Cary Grant's hand and foot impressions and placed her hands in his imprints.
"I repeated what he had written in the concrete out loud, 'Dreams do come true.' I have never not believed that it would happen in some way for me. The dream has to be bigger than the fear."
Simmons' win has given her the gift of momentum. Invitations and requests to perform have been arriving constantly since the event, and the opportunities are endless. She's grateful and humbled by the experience and is savoring the sweet taste of success after so many years of hard work and dedication.
She says, "Comedy is not what I do, it's who I am."
For more information about eWomenNetwork and to see video footage of the conference, go to www.eWomennetwork.com Kat Simmons' Web site is www.katsimmons.com
Amy Roby can be reached at ranchosroundup@hotmail.com
Simmons offers comedy class
So you think you are funny? Develop your sense of humor at a six-week stand-up comedy workshop taught by Kat Simmons, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays beginning Sept. 2 at the Unity Center, 1219 S. Carson St. in Carson City.
Simmons has been a professional comic for 22 years and hosted and produced her own show at the Carson Valley Inn for 15 years.
This class could be for those who want to improve public speaking skills, build self-confidence or who want to give comedy a shot on-stage. There will be a showcase, open to the public, at the end of the class where the students are the stars. Class size is limited to 10. The class fee of $250 includes a DVD of the performance. Reserve your spot and make a $50 deposit by Aug. 26 by contacting Simmons at (775) 721-8864.
