Impact NextGen: Nicole Calascibetta

There’s no better way to learn than to jump in the fire, and that’s precisely how Nicole Calascibetta earned her stripes in the agency world. After working at a digital media agency and hosting a radio show in New Jersey, she hit the ground running as a tour marketing coordinator at APA seven years ago during a big boom in live stand-up comedy.

“It was definitely a crazy time to jump into this world, but I learned a lot fast,” Calascibetta says.

Fast enough to rise up the ranks at WME, where Calascibetta has worked for nearly six years to become the agency’s director of comedy tour marketing. She benefited from learning during a time when the live comedy industry is continually changing with streaming platforms and social media, and it has helped her navigate her clients through the competitive, complicated digital world.

“This job always keeps you on your toes and forces you to grow daily,” says Calascibetta. “Every tour marketing strategy needs to be tailored specifically for each artist, for the different cities they’re going to and factoring in the constant changes in the digital media landscape and event ticketing.

“One of the best parts about this job is getting to see comedians and podcasts grow their audience and take their careers to new levels. Starting out, one of the first comedians I worked with was Tom Segura, so to see how his career has exploded over the past few years is something really special.”

Calascibetta credits WME’s top comedy agent, Mike Berkowitz, for her development, saying he taught her “how to look at the bigger picture” to help clients achieve their goals. Calascibetta also finds inspiration in the artists she works with, who help her “be one step ahead.”

“Working with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler on their first-ever live tour has been a personal and professional dream come true,” Calascibetta says. “Then Kevin Hart’s ‘Reality Check’ global stand-up comedy tour was a massive one and no one gets you more inspired to get up and be on your game like Kevin Hart.”