A Michigan City native, Colleen Brennan is shedding a positive light on Indiana and adding some laughs along the way. A pediatric speech pathologist by day and entertainer by night, Brennan brings joy and laughter to people from all over the country.
Part of Brennan’s career in comedy and entertainment is a podcast titled "Defending Indiana," which she co-hosts with her fellow comedian, Janice Rodriguez. The inspiration for the podcast initially came from Chicago comedians talking down on Indiana.
“We started this because a lot of people in Chicago in the comedy scene spend a lot of time dumping on Indiana. We agree with them sometimes and sometimes we’re like, ‘Eh, is that so fair? That’s kind of everywhere, isn’t it?’” Brennan said. “So, we decided, 'What would happen if we took some time and talked about those myths and those jokes and misperceptions and set them straight or confirm them?' It’s a podcast where we’re sort of focused on the idea that everybody comes from a place and everybody’s place has something weird or quirky about it, but maybe we should all understand that we’re defined by more than the place that we’re from, and maybe the places we’re from aren’t all that bad.”
"Defending Indiana" was also fueled by the perceptions of former Indiana Governor Mike Pence. This gave a lot of Indiana haters plenty of fuel to poke fun and make jokes about the Hoosier state, but Brennan knew that Indiana isn’t anything like Pence or what naysayers would comment on. Brennan was able to turn some of the negativity into positivity by refuting the Pence jokes and claims setting the record straight. Brennan has been able to touch on more positive Hoosier alums like Angelo Pizzo, Dr. James Madison, and Ashley C. Ford, and she has plans to continue talking and working with more Hoosier stars in the second season of her podcast.
Although the podcast is Indiana-centric, the overarching message can ring true to Hoosiers and non-Hoosiers alike.
“My friends from New York, friends from Chicago, friends from California, and friends from all over will listen to an episode and say, ‘Oh, Colleen, it’s not all about Indiana!’ No, it’s about life. You don’t have to be from Indiana to relate to it, that’s just sort of the funny title that we came up with,” Brennan said.
Brennan has also had the opportunity to get her family involved in the production. One of Brennan’s sons is studying media production at the University of Minnesota and serves as the sound editor on the podcast. Brennan acknowledges his help as the perfect internship opportunity for her son while he is in college.
In addition to her podcast, Brennan is also heavily involved in comedy in the Chicago and Northwest Indiana areas. She has been doing standup comedy for almost nine years and has been able to produce shows, comedy shorts, and do some small acting roles during that time. Brennan most recently finished her fifth-annual "Ways of Laughter" comedy show in Michigan City, which has sold out every year since its inception. Her favorite project she has worked on outside of her podcast is a comedy short titled "Center for Unsatisfying Childhood." This was one of Brennan’s dreams and producing the short included a full production team, a day of shooting, and professional editing.
“That was a dream of mine and one of my writing partners to create, and we did it and it’s wonderful,” Brennan said.
On top of the podcast, producing shows, and performing standup, Brennan has a career in pediatric speech pathology. Brennan runs a private practice that treats children with speech and language disorders and children with special needs. Although there is no doubt that she loves her day job, Brennan would love the opportunity to tackle the industry full-time, and her goals reach far beyond what she has been able to accomplish up to this point.
“Total world domination is what I’m hoping for, but I’ll settle for increasing our audience for ‘Defending Indiana.’ I want Conan O’Brien numbers for that,” Brennan said. “Doing standup around Chicago and the Midwest, which is what I’ve been doing for the past several years. If I could just continue doing that, that’s pretty wonderful. And I’d love to have my own television show someday, that’s a big goal. If we could parlay our podcast into a show that would be awesome. Just continuing and growing everything that I’m doing with more and more opportunities, and at some point, hopefully getting national attention.”
Although she now resides in Chicago, Brennan is still a Region rat at heart and has a deep love for her hometown.
“I grew up in Michigan City, and I love, love, love the area," Brennan said. "I think good things are happening over there now, and I hope things continue to grow, the community continues to build, and people start to appreciate it a lot more than they do now."