Lazarus dropped out of her doctoral studies to write comedy after an impromptu
improv lesson from
Tina Fey at an Empower Program conference in Washington, D.C. Three months later, Lazarus performed for the first time at Stand Up New York, where she won a contest. She then won another stand up contest at the
Laugh Factory. She performed storytelling at
The Moth,
The Rejection Show at
The Bell House, on
Risk!, at Story Collider, and the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater's Asscat. Her first article was a spoof of
The New York Times wedding section. Vitamin W described her animated pilot MYC as offering "more than a few good laughs". Her most autobiographical work, according to
Tubefilter, is a puppet show. "We get a peek into the devilishly candid and inventive mind of the young performer with her first original series, The on Time Show with Petunia Van De Twirp." She was also a talk show host. Lazarus has interviewed, hosted shows and moderated panels for Women in Film, Brooklyn Jewish Film Festival,
92nd Y, Writers Guild of America (WGA-East), and the Tribeca Film Festival. In 2004, she created and hosted "Stand for Peace", a now annual comedy benefit for
Seeds of Peace. She then produced and hosted the ECNY nominated comedy variety show "The Chosen One" at
Upright Citizens Brigade Theater for Heeb Magazine, when she edited the magazine's Kvetch section. In 2006, Comix opened in New York and the booker plucked Lazarus to host the first
alternative comedy showcase to feature younger talent and alternative comedy. Fresh Meat ran at Comix weekly for three years and then at Ars Nova. In 2007 she began hosting on the Couch for Tango Mag. In 2010, Lazarus started the talk show
Employee of the Month, praised by
The New Yorker for its "extremely notable" guests and Lazarus' "decidedly unorthodox" interview style. It became a
podcast in 2012. Lazarus hosted live tapings at
Upright Citizens Brigade in New York and Los Angeles,
92 Y,
The Bell House, and
Joe's Pub. Lazarus interviewed numerous comedians, musicians, journalists, filmmakers, entrepreneurs, and social activists, including
Gloria Steinem,
Rosie Perez,
Wallace Shawn,
Martha Plimpton,
Dick Cavett and
Lewis Black. After
Jon Stewart announced his departure from
The Daily Show, the first public comments he made about it were on Lazarus' Employee of the Month show on February 19, 2015. He follows many of his
Daily Show collaborators, including
Aasif Mandvi,
Dave Attell,
Wyatt Cenac,
Buck Henry,
Mo Rocca,
David Wain, and
Lewis Black, as guests on the show; Lazarus herself appeared in the
Daily Show in a sketch about a prequel to
Hot Tub Time Machine. ==Personal life==