Deconstructing the saga: Yasmin Elhady
In the latest episode of The Career Circus podcast, the incredibly funny polymath Yasmin Elhady shared stories from her career as a lawyer, comedian and TV show host.
Let’s unpack what made her stories so compelling and engaging.
Overcoming adversity
Everyone is dealing with some sort of adversity. Even King Charles - a literal king in a palace - has his struggles (in his case, cancer and the ridiculous antics of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle).
Humans bond over a shared sense of struggle. In Yasmin’s case, this comes through in her comedy origin story.
Her storytelling skill lies in her subtlety. She doesn’t describe her challenges while studying at Princeton University, a playground for the privileged.
Instead, she tells the story of how she - a hijabi refugee raised in Alabama - did a graduate talent show at Princeton with the aid of slides, while having to convince people that she was indeed from Alabama.
You don’t have to be Princeton graduate to connect to a story of feeling like a fish out of water and still putting yourself out there.
This ends up being a compelling story because it challenges expectations of what a hijabi can do, what refugees can achieve and how Southerners can navigate elite spaces.
This element of surprise, combined with her self-deprecating humor ("Who is this person amongst us?"), creates instant relatability. It's not just funny; it's a mirror for anyone who's felt like an outsider in their own world.
The compulsion comes from that "aha" moment—viewers see their own identity struggles reflected, making her triumphs feel personal.
Recounting failures
When asked for her weirdest stand-up experience, Yasmin shared how she put seniors to sleep at a Jewish retirement home or making scholars squirm at a Muslim event (the scholars avoided eye contact becuase they could not allow themselves to find her to be funny).
Yasmin observes with empathy, turning potential offense into a funny story. This works because laughter releases endorphins, but when tied to vulnerability (like questioning if comedy is forbidden in Islam), it fosters connection.
Listeners aren't just chuckling; they're pondering their own cultural taboos, making the story stick long after the joke lands.
Matchmaker extraordinairre
Then there's the rags-to-riches vibe in her TV journey. Yasmeen pitched a comedy special, only to face rejection for not being famous enough.
However, this setback helps propel her to TV stardom. Although she fell short of her stated aim of landing a comedy special; participating in the Yes And Laughter Lab, put her on path to becoming the host for Hulu’s Muslim Matchmaker.
After establishing this journey, Yasmin layers on intruiging details. Firstly, she reveals matchmaking as her passion (one that pre-dates her interest in comedy), to the point where she’s facilitated 58 marriages over 18 years (partly assisted by her own matchmaking business).
This layers in authenticity; her on-screen role isn't manufactured but an extension of her life.
The story's grip tightens with behind-the-scenes teases: NDAs hide "un-Islamic" antics, but she praises the team's integrity in avoiding salacious drama. In an era of exploitative reality TV, this restraint builds trust, compelling us to root for her vision of healing through connection.
Detailed but concise
When asked how she balances her role as a lawyer, public advocate, comedian and mother, she paints a vivid picture of someone juggling so many things by describing herself in a TV show poster: half business suit, half apron, like holding one baby, carrying a briefcase and a skillet.
For many working mothers this instantly relatable.
Yasmin skilfully builds on this image by naming her sitcom “Undeniable” which brilliantly captures the mom guilt and resilience that often characterises the life of a working Muslim woman in a single word.
It's compelling because it humanizes success; her arc isn't linear triumph but messy, earned grit.
Key insight: the power of connection
A key insight from the interview is Yasmin’s observation on how powerful connection can be - especially in a world where smartphones take up so much of our time and AI generates so much content.
Connection - centered around storytelling - is the common thread that fuels her otherwise seemingly disparate pursuits in the law, comedy and matchmaking.
“As comedians and performers, we're trying to let you see yourself in us.”
Yasmin Elhady
She masterfully brings this insight to life with a story about attending a taping at the Warner Theatre in Washington. More specifically, Yasmin shares how despite not knowing anyone at the event (and attending solo), she connected with a Hindu/India woman, a Shia Muslim/Persian man and a white woman.
Yasmin shared how she was able to make them all laugh and connect as she is a comedian.
This story of connection was compelling because of its universal resonance: humans want to connect with other humans.