Today we’d like to introduce you to Frankie Blair.
Hi Frankie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been a dreamer, but I’m also someone who eventually learned that dreams require action.
I’m originally from Texas, and my journey in entertainment started with acting. I trained at KD Studio Actor’s Conservatory in Dallas before making my way to Los Angeles to continue pursuing my career. Like so many actors, I came to LA with big dreams, but over time, I realized that my purpose in this industry was much bigger than being in front of the camera.
A major part of that discovery happened through comedy. From 2014 to 2020, I worked at The Comedy Union in Los Angeles as a club manager, booker, and producer. I created and produced a weekly comedy show called $5 Wednesdays, where I booked talent, promoted shows, worked with comedians, and learned the business of producing live entertainment from the ground up. Those years taught me so much about identifying talent, creating an experience for an audience, and most importantly, bringing an idea to life.
At the same time, I continued pursuing acting and working in entertainment, but my journey wasn’t always linear. There were seasons when life forced me to slow down, reevaluate, and pivot. I’ve learned that sometimes the path you originally envisioned for yourself changes, but that doesn’t mean the dream is over. Sometimes the pivot is actually leading you closer to your purpose.
Eventually, I stopped waiting for someone else to give me permission to create the career I wanted.
That mindset led me to create Frankie Blair Presents: Laugh Riot, a 52-minute stand-up comedy special that I created, executive produced, self-funded, and directed. We filmed it right here in Hollywood with an incredible team of comedians and creatives. Laugh Riot was especially meaningful because it brought me full circle. I took everything I had learned from years of producing live comedy and combined it with everything I had learned as an actress, producer, and storyteller.
That experience also helped push me toward one of my biggest steps yet: founding Whitney St. Productions, my independent production company. Through Whitney St., I’m developing original film, television, digital, comedy, unscripted, and documentary-driven projects while continuing to grow as an actress, writer, producer, and director.
I also created Step by Step with Frankie Blair, an inspirational podcast platform born from my own journey. I’ve had moments when I felt behind, moments when I had to start over, and moments when I questioned whether I had waited too long. What I’ve learned is that success rarely happens in one giant leap. Most of the time, it’s one decision, one opportunity, one pivot, and one brave step at a time.
Today, I’m still building. I’m still acting. I’m still creating. I’m still learning. But I’m also finally creating opportunities instead of only waiting for them.
When I look back, I can see that none of the different chapters were wasted. Acting taught me how to tell stories. Comedy taught me how to produce. The setbacks taught me resilience. And entrepreneurship taught me how to bet on myself.
I’m not at the end of my story. I actually feel like I’m just getting started.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not. There have been a lot of beautiful moments along the way, but there have also been seasons that tested me mentally, physically, financially, and creatively.
One of my biggest challenges has been navigating my career while living with endometriosis. There have been periods of debilitating pain that made it difficult to work, audition, create, and simply show up as the version of myself I wanted to be. It affected my body, my confidence, and at times, the momentum I had built in my acting career. In an industry where you constantly feel like you need to be visible and moving, being forced to slow down can be incredibly difficult.
I’ve also had to deal with the very real fear that comes with watching time pass while you’re still pursuing a dream. There were moments when I wondered, “Did I wait too long? Am I behind? Should I have accomplished more by now?” Eventually, I had to stop measuring my life against someone else’s timeline and recognize that everything I had experienced was still preparing me for what I was building.
Another challenge has been learning how to create without always having access to unlimited resources. Independent filmmaking requires you to wear a lot of hats. I self-funded *Laugh Riot* on a $15,000 budget, which meant every dollar mattered. I had to figure things out, make decisions, solve problems, and keep moving even when I didn’t have all the answers. Building Whitney St. Productions has required that same mentality.
But some of my greatest growth has come from those difficult seasons. I learned how to pivot. I learned how to ask for help. I learned that sometimes you have to create the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. And most importantly, I learned that slowing down does not mean giving up.
I’m still navigating challenges, but I don’t look at them the same way anymore. I’ve become much more willing to adjust the plan without abandoning the dream.
That has probably been one of the biggest lessons of my journey: the route may change, but you can still get there.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m an actress, writer, producer, director, and the Founder and CEO of Whitney St. Productions, an independent production company I launched to create bold, original stories across film, television, digital, comedy, unscripted, and documentary-driven content.
At my core, I’m a storyteller and a builder. I love taking something that starts as an idea in my head and figuring out how to actually bring it to life. My background as an actress gives me one perspective, my years producing and booking live comedy gave me another, and now being behind the camera and building a production company has allowed me to understand storytelling from so many different angles.
I’m especially proud of Frankie Blair Presents: Laugh Riot, a 52-minute stand-up comedy special that I created, executive produced, directed, and self-funded on a $15,000 independent budget. It was my directorial debut and brought together so many chapters of my career. After spending years producing live comedy in Los Angeles, I was able to take that experience and translate it into a filmed special featuring multiple comedians, along with behind-the-scenes moments that capture the energy of a real comedy club.
I’m also incredibly proud of launching Whitney St. Productions. Starting my own company represented a shift in how I saw myself in this industry. I still love acting and being in front of the camera, but I no longer want my career to depend entirely on whether someone chooses me for an opportunity. I want to be one of the people creating those opportunities, not only for myself, but eventually for other talented people whose voices and stories deserve space.
Outside of film and television, I created Step by Step with Frankie Blair, an inspirational podcast and digital platform centered around something I deeply believe: success doesn’t happen overnight, it happens step by step. I share lessons from my own journey about taking action, executing ideas, pivoting when necessary, and continuing to pursue your dreams even when your path doesn’t look the way you originally imagined.
What sets me apart is probably my willingness to figure things out. I don’t believe you have to wait until you have the perfect budget, the perfect connections, or every answer before you begin. I’ve learned how to be resourceful, build with what I have, ask questions, learn new skills, and keep moving.
I’m also very intentional about staying connected to where I come from. I’m a Texas girl building a career in Hollywood, and I never want success to make me inaccessible or disconnected from everyday people. I want the stories I create and the way I talk about this journey to make someone else think, “Maybe I can do it too.”
More than anything, I’m proud that I kept going. There were plenty of reasons to stop, and I didn’t. Now, I’m building something that is bigger than one role, one project, or one opportunity. I’m building a body of work and, hopefully, a legacy.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
One of my favorite childhood memories is simply using my imagination. I could entertain myself for hours. I would dance throughout the house pretending I was in music videos, or imagine I was a character in a musical like Grease or The Wizard of Oz. I was always performing, creating characters, making up scenes, and turning ordinary moments into something bigger in my head.
Looking back now, it makes so much sense that I ended up in entertainment. Before I knew words like “producer” or “director,” I was already creating little worlds and stories in my imagination. I didn’t need a stage or a camera. I could turn the living room into one.
I think that freedom to dream and pretend is something I’ve carried with me into adulthood. The only difference is now I get to actually bring some of those ideas to life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://whitneystproductions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamfrankieblair/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StepByStepWithFrankieBlair
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankie-blair-9426b252/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamFrankieBlair
