How I Got Here: Triple J Breakfast’s Co-Host Concetta Caristo on the importance of just starting
WORDS BY CAIT EMMA BURKE
“Starting is the hardest part. You just have to rip the bandaid off.”
Have you ever stalked someone on LinkedIn and wondered how on earth they managed to land that wildly impressive job? While the internet and social media might have us believe that our ideal job is a mere pipe dream, the individuals who have these jobs were, believe it or not, in the same position once, fantasising over someone else’s seemingly unattainable job.
But behind the awe-inspiring titles and the fancy work events lies a heck of a lot of hard work. So what lessons have been learnt and what skills have proved invaluable in getting them from daydreaming about success to actually being at the top of their industry?
Looking for a new 9 to 5? Head to our Careers page for new listings daily.
Welcome to How I Got Here, where we talk to women who are killing it in their respective fields about how they landed their awe-inspiring jobs, exploring the peaks and pits, the failures and the wins, and most importantly the knowledge, advice and practical tips they’ve gleaned along the way.
This week we speak to comedian and the Co-Host of Triple J Breakfast, Concetta Caristo. Concetta’s story is bound to provide some comfort to anyone who’s ever dropped out of a degree (or three, in her case).
Realising her heart wasn’t in studying was the best thing she ever did for her career, and allowed her to establish herself as a comedian, performer and presenter by pursuing Theatresports, improv classes and stand-up comedy. Her journey has involved many leaps of faith and has taught her the importance of throwing caution to the wind and “just starting” whatever it is you’re naturally drawn to. Here’s what she learned along the way.
What do you do, and what’s your official job title?
I am a comedian and Co-Host of Triple J Breakfast. As a comedian, I do stand-up comedy, improv comedy, acting, writing, podcasting and sometimes TV. As one of the Triple J Breakfast hosts, I’m on air weekdays from 6 to 9am, writing and recording interviews, creating video/social content and always researching/preparing/brainstorming show stuff.
Take us back to when you were first starting out. Did you study to get into your chosen field, or did you start out with an internship/entry-level role and climb the ladder? Tell us the story.
Post-school, I had dropped out of two university degrees and was onto my third. I was in a theatre and performance studies class that I wasn’t loving when, one day, my friend Lyndon suggested I come along to a Theatresports jam at Sydney Uni. I went along and was so nervous but eventually found my feet amongst a really supportive community of performers. I soon entered the uni’s Theatresports competition and later auditioned and got cast in Womn’s Revue.
View this post on Instagram
I dropped out of university for the final time and committed to performing and working casual jobs to support myself. I started taking classes at Improv Theatre Sydney and really fell in love with improv. From there, I said yes to every opportunity and did everything I could to gain experience. I did Arts Revue, hosted trivia, taught Theatresports to kids, made content with the uni newspaper, did extra work, formed an improv troupe, made a podcast, hosted speed dating and co-wrote and performed in Fringe shows.
The thing I was most scared of doing was stand-up. I tried a couple of times but never built momentum like my friends. It wasn’t until I learned that stand-up afforded you a lot more opportunities to gig per week than improvising did and was a clearer path to reaching my bigger comedy goals that I decided to enter Raw Comedy. This is the national amateur stand-up comedy competition, and I told myself If I were meant to do stand-up, I would win the entire thing.
View this post on Instagram
Shocker – I did not win, let alone progress through my heat. To make matters worse, I had a crush on one of the comedian judges and couldn’t look him in the eye after (he’s now my current long-term boyfriend, though – turn my life around much?). After that, I licked my wounds and started to gig consistently. Pursuing stand-up comedy allowed me to find my voice comedically and build momentum, and I eventually did bigger and better gigs (that paid, too!).
View this post on Instagram
Working at Triple J came out of left field! I knew a few presenters through comedy circles but ended up meeting the whole team last year when I started doing a few fill-in shifts at the station while other presenters were away. I remember it being so much fun. Stars aligned when I filled in on the Breakfast Show with Bryce Mills, and I was offered to co-host with him in the new year. Throughout the holiday period, I hosted the Summer Nights show by myself. Then, at the start of 2023, Bryce and I kicked things off on Triple J Breakfast, and the rest is history!
What challenges/hurdles have you faced getting to where you are now? Can you tell us about one in particular?
Comedy and the arts were not encouraged as a valid pursuit by my family growing up. I’m of Italian descent, and the sacrifice my grandparents made moving from Italy to Australia with no formal education and building a life for their children meant there was a real importance in my family to go to university and get a reputable career. When I first left school and started a degree in economics, I chose it to make my parents happy but deep down, I had no real interest in it.
View this post on Instagram
Studying it at university, I really lost focus and struggled to keep up with the demands of the course. I was faking that I was studying and enjoying it when I was mentally checked out and miserable. As I started to put more time and energy into Theatresports and performing, I was neglecting my uni work and failing units and seeing an academic advisor. I couldn’t bring myself to tell my family the truth of what was happening and was living two separate lives. Eventually, I ended up in therapy to talk about some issues I was having in my relationship.
View this post on Instagram
I took like a duck to water to therapy – it was difficult bringing up traumatic stuff from my childhood, but I was learning a lot about myself and understanding how my brain worked. Over the next little while, my amazing therapist helped me to work through my fear and shame about not pursuing uni, and I eventually had the courage to drop out officially and tell my parents. Initially, they were mortified, and it was a long road to get to where I am now, where both my parents are beginning to see it as a viable career for me. I am so grateful for finding therapy which has allowed me to live my life authentically.
What do you want people to know about your industry/your role?
Radio isn’t easy! It’s not just two people talking about whatever. There are so many practical and mental things to juggle. It’s a real craft to make it sound seamless, and it takes time to get really good at it.
What’s the best part about your role?
View this post on Instagram
The best part of my job is that I get to laugh every day. The fact I get to laugh alongside Bryce, the Triple J team, the artists and the listeners is the light inside me that guides me through the 4am wake-ups. I want to make people happy, and Triple J breakfast is the biggest platform I’ve had to date to try and do that and let me tell you, I’m out here busting my ass.
What would surprise people about your role?
We wake up at 4am, start at 5am and finish at 1pm! After the hours we’re on air, it’s kinda the vibe of an office job! With emails, Zoom meetings and spinny chairs. Coming up with daily content is hard, and you need to live a life to talk about, but also, that can be hard to do because you’re exhausted all the time! You get hate! Every day, I see texts saying mean things to me while I’m just trying my best, and it can really rattle you. I think if you send a hate text, though, you’ve lost the game.
What skills have served you well in your industry?
View this post on Instagram
I think my improv skills have helped me to follow my instincts, trust my gut and be less fearful of taking risks. I think my openness to growth and my enthusiasm to learn makes me a resilient person, which is a must in this industry. I think my curiosity, empathy and vulnerability have allowed me to connect with people on stage, in interviews and just in everyday life. Plus, being funny on social media is invaluable, too.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be in a role like yours one day?
If you’ve always considered comedy, just start! The beautiful part about comedy is that there’s no barrier to entry. Go to an open mic. Go to a free improv comedy taster class. Starting is the hardest part. Let yourself suck. You just have to rip the bandaid off. Make a friend come with you to keep you accountable if you need. Or go alone and don’t let yourself think, just show up. If you enjoy it, you’ll catch the bug; if you don’t, now you know!
View this post on Instagram
If you want to get into radio, hit up a community radio station and try to get involved in whatever way you can. My road to radio is unconventional in that I didn’t have a radio background, which goes to show that this industry is so unpredictable and anything can happen. I think it’s a positive thing to know that you can be hustling and have opportunities come up that weren’t even on your radar, so just keep going!
What about a practical tip?
Ask for help. Ask for what you want. It is going to open more doors than just hoping. Also, build connections! Friends, family, a partner, a mentor, a therapist, people in the industry – it is so important to have a support network of people who can pick you up when you’re feeling down. I couldn’t do this without mine.
Read the rest of the How I Got Here series here.
Looking to step up to a career in media? Each week we send a wrap of industry jobs straight to your inbox. Enter your details below and we’ll keep you in the loop, or browse current openings here.
Liked this? You’ll love these...
