Joan Rivers Was a Piece of Work: 5 Showbiz Lessons I Learned From Her Career

Let’s talk about Joan Rivers.

Because honey, Joan Rivers was a piece of work—and I mean that in the most entertaining way possible.

She was loud. She was fearless. She was brutally funny. She could walk into a room, look at a celebrity's outfit, career, marriage, plastic surgery, haircut, shoes, purse, and probably their grandmother—and turn all of it into a punchline.

And somehow, people kept coming back for more.

That is what makes Joan Rivers so fascinating to me.

When I look at her career, I don't just see a comedian. I see somebody who spent decades trying to stay relevant in an entertainment business that constantly wants to replace you with somebody younger, newer, hotter and cheaper.

Sound familiar?

Because that's showbiz.

One minute everybody wants you.

The next minute nobody is returning your phone calls.

One day you're the hot new thing.

The next day somebody younger walks through the door and suddenly you're yesterday's news.

Joan Rivers understood that game.

And whether you loved her, hated her, laughed with her or thought, “Girl, did you really just say that?” there are some serious lessons to take from her career.

So here are my five takeaways from Joan Rivers and what I learned about surviving a career in showbiz.

1. YOU HAVE TO KEEP WORKING

This may be the biggest lesson of them all.

Joan Rivers didn't build a career by sitting around waiting for somebody to call her.

She kept working.

Television. Comedy clubs. Talk shows. Red carpets. Books. Fashion commentary. Shopping television. Interviews. Specials.

She kept finding another door.

And when one door slammed?

Joan basically said:

“Fine. Where's the next door?”

That's showbiz.

You can't always control whether somebody hires you.

You can't control whether a television executive likes you.

You can't control whether a producer suddenly decides your idea isn't “right for the network.”

And let's not even start with social media algorithms.

One day they love you.

The next day the algorithm acts like you owe it money.

But you can control whether you keep creating.

That's something I take seriously with my own creative work.

If you're a writer, write.

If you're a YouTuber, make videos.

If you're a singer, record.

If you're a comedian, get onstage.

If you're a blogger, blog.

Because sitting around waiting for the entertainment industry to discover you can become a full-time job—and it doesn't pay!

Joan's career reminds me that you have to create your own opportunities while you're waiting for somebody else to notice you.

2. DON'T BE AFRAID TO BE A LITTLE EXTRA

Joan Rivers was not exactly known for whispering.

And thank God for that.

Imagine Joan walking into a room and saying:

“Hello. I have a mild observation.”

NO!

That wasn't Joan.

She came in with the attitude of:

“I have something to say, and somebody better have a microphone.”

That confidence matters.

Showbiz rewards people who have a recognizable personality.

There are millions of people trying to make videos, write books, sing songs and become influencers.

But what makes people remember you?

Your voice.

Your personality.

Your point of view.

Your weirdness.

Your humor.

Your ability to say something in a way nobody else would say it.

That's one thing I learned from watching Joan.

You don't have to be everybody's cup of tea.

Actually, you probably shouldn't be.

If everybody thinks you're pleasant, safe and agreeable, people may forget you five minutes later.

Joan understood that being memorable was more important than being universally liked.

And let's be honest:

A little messiness never hurt a reality-TV blogger.

3. REINVENTION IS NOT OPTIONAL

Here's another lesson Joan's career makes very clear:

Showbiz changes.

Fast.

The entertainment business you enter today might not exist five years from now.

Television changed.

Comedy changed.

Celebrity culture changed.

Fashion coverage changed.

The internet arrived.

Then social media arrived.

Then YouTube changed everything again.

And now creators can build audiences without waiting for a television network to give them permission.

That's huge.

But it also means you have to keep learning.

Joan wasn't stuck doing exactly one thing forever.

She kept expanding.

That's something every entertainer can learn from.

If you're a blogger, maybe you become a YouTuber.

If you're a YouTuber, maybe you start a podcast.

If you're a musician, maybe you learn short-form video.

If you're a writer, maybe you publish independently.

If one platform isn't working, don't automatically assume your career is over.

Maybe the platform changed.

Maybe the audience changed.

Maybe your strategy needs to change.

Sometimes the problem isn't you.

Sometimes the game changed.

And baby, you better learn the new rules.

4. THICK SKIN IS PART OF THE JOB

Joan Rivers said things that made people laugh.

She also said things that made people angry.

That's the other side of having a strong voice.

If you're going to put yourself publicly into the entertainment world, people are going to have opinions.

Some people will love your work.

Some people will hate it.

Somebody will tell you that you're hilarious.

Somebody else will tell you that you aren't funny.

Somebody will say your book is amazing.

Another person will say they wouldn't read it if you paid them.

And then somebody will leave a comment that makes you wonder:

“Did you even watch the video?”

Welcome to showbiz!

You cannot build your entire career around avoiding criticism.

You have to learn how to separate useful criticism from noise.

That's an important distinction.

If somebody says, “Your audio is difficult to hear,” that's useful.

If somebody says, “You are the worst human being who has ever touched a microphone because I didn't like your opinion about a reality show,” well...

Maybe don't put that one in your business plan.

Joan's career reminds me that visibility comes with criticism.

If nobody ever notices you, nobody can criticize you.

But nobody can build an audience around you either.

5. DON'T WAIT FOR PERMISSION TO CALL YOURSELF A CREATIVE

This may be my favorite lesson.

You don't need a television network to declare you a television personality.

You don't need a record company to declare you a musician.

You don't need a major publishing house to declare you a writer.

You don't need Hollywood to tell you that you're an entertainer.

If you're doing the work, you're already participating in the creative business.

That doesn't mean success is guaranteed.

It doesn't mean everybody will watch.

It doesn't mean you'll become famous.

It doesn't mean you'll make millions.

It means you stop waiting for somebody else to validate the work you're already doing.

That's powerful.

Because showbiz can make you feel like you're constantly auditioning for permission to exist.

Joan Rivers spent her career fighting against that feeling.

She built a recognizable identity.

She worked.

She reinvented herself.

She took risks.

She made people laugh.

And she kept finding ways to remain part of the conversation.

MY FINAL REVIEW: JOAN RIVERS WAS A LESSON IN SURVIVAL

Was Joan Rivers perfect?

Absolutely not.

Her comedy could be controversial, sharp and uncomfortable.

Some jokes have aged better than others.

Some people loved her style.

Others couldn't stand it.

But that's actually part of the lesson.

You don't have to agree with everything somebody did to recognize what their career teaches you.

Joan Rivers understood something about entertainment:

Attention is valuable.

She knew how to create a moment.

She knew how to make people talk.

She knew how to turn herself into a brand.

And most importantly, she understood that staying in showbiz requires more than talent.

It requires persistence.

It requires reinvention.

It requires personality.

It requires thick skin.

And sometimes...

It requires being just a little bit crazy.

Because if you're waiting for the entertainment industry to make everything easy for you, you might be waiting until retirement.

MY 5 JOAN RIVERS SHOWBIZ TAKEAWAYS

1. Keep working even when nobody is watching.

2. Develop a personality people can recognize.

3. Reinvent yourself before the industry forces you to.

4. Learn how to handle criticism without letting it destroy you.

5. Stop waiting for permission to be the creative person you already are.

That's what I learned from Joan Rivers.

She wasn't simply trying to become famous.

She was trying to stay in the game.

And that's a very different thing.

Because getting your first opportunity is one battle.

Staying relevant for decades?

Honey...

That's the war.

And Joan Rivers came to fight.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Was Joan Rivers a comedy legend, a controversial entertainer, or a little bit of both?

And what lessons have YOU learned from watching entertainers build long careers?

Drop your thoughts in the comments.

And if you enjoyed this Reality Rundown-style look at showbiz, share this post, follow the blog and come back for more celebrity, reality-TV and entertainment commentary.

Because around here, we're not just watching the show.

We're studying the business behind the drama.

And honey, there's ALWAYS drama.