It’s easy to get discouraged in this industry; you’re trying to maintain a steady climb up the ladder alongside millions of others trying to achieve and reach the same thing as you, and sometimes it feels like there’s no end in sight. When you have a creative haven – whether it’s a project you’re really excited to be co-launching or an improv group or a prospect of joining Second City – it makes the rigorous journey that much more worth it. But sometimes, following that yellow-brick road can lead you to a place of professional limitation and creative confinement.

‘Broad City’ is one of our favorite shows out there right now, and we just learned that the show was born from a moment of breaking free from a place of professional and creative limitation. The concept of this sketch was created by Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson, former Upright Citizens Brigade students. That said, the concept was also outright rejected by UCB on multiple occasions. So what happened?

They were tired of being told “no”. They were tired of waiting for UCB to pave the way for them — these incredibly capable, talented, hilarious women paved the way for themselves. Although it wasn’t easy, their talent shined through and got noticed by now Executive Producer Amy Poehler. The rest is history.

Our friends at Backstage did an article on the success of Glazer’s and Jacobson’s, appropriately entitled ‘Broad City’ Proves Why You Shouldn’t Wait for Outside Approval. Here’s our favorite excerpt:

“It was almost a direct move against [Upright Citizens Brigade] to make ‘Broad City’ at the time,” says UCB alum, star, and show creator Abbi Jacobson. Her creative partner and co-star, Ilana Glazer, interjects. “Because we kept auditioning for house teams and couldn’t get on them. And we were, like, ‘Why are we even waiting for anyone else to tell us what to do? What? We know what we want to do.’ ”

“So as much as we love UCB,” continues Jacobson, “we were, like, ‘OK, we have to make our own thing now because you will not let us perform on your stage.’ ”

It’s worth mentioning that there are no hard feelings between the duo and UCB, the improv training playground responsible for Aubrey Plaza, Aziz Ansari, and their executive producer Amy Poehler’s comedic chops. Now, Glazer and Jacobson can say they’ve sold out several live shows at the theater, and that the success of their show has dwarfed dreams of joining a house team. However, the creators acknowledge their roots.

“ ‘Broad City’ would not have happened if we hadn’t taken those classes at UCB—no way,” Glazer admits, casting her eyes upward and pausing between her last two words for emphasis.

UCB honed their comedic timing (and connected them with Poehler), but it’s their special brand of unbridled humor that led to the sensation of “Broad City.”

It sort of goes to show that anytime you have a door slammed in your face, anytime you feel that you need approval or backing to do something you want to do – stop waiting for them to pave the way for you. This is a perfect example that if your project truly has legs, and if you have the creative vision and the ambition to carry it through no matter what, the only person who can successfully pave the way for you is YOURSELF.