Motivational speakers are a waste of time. Let’s face it, you’ve heard what they are going to say before they even step on stage.

After seeing hundreds of keynote speeches and gazillions (is that a number?) of motivational speakers, I can save you the time and tell you three reasons why NOT to hire one.

1. Your company president is probably just as funny, has really great stories that make relevant points, and knows how to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Really. I’m sure he’s great.

2. Why bother?! You could just Google some great motivational quotes or something and have Duane from accounting read them. He has a loud voice and won’t even need a microphone. And you can spend the money you save on bigger cookies. (And besides, you’ll make Duane feel great!)

3. Motivation Schmotivation. People will do what they want at the pace they want. And that’s that. You can’t change yourself, and you can’t change others. So why not save the headache and watch a Bay Watch re-run?

Ok people. In case you haven’t noticed by now I’m joking. There’s a famous comparison between motivation and showers: just because you’re clean once doesn’t mean you’ll never need another shower.

We all need regular doses of motivation: and outside paid professional speakers are able to deliver tried and true messages in a way your internal folks will never be able too.  They can deliver crucial info — stuff your organization already knows — in a fresh way that makes them want to get up and go.   Let’s face it:  your people already have the skills and knowledge to succeed and excel.  But they aren’t succeeding or excelling.  Why?  Lack of motivation.

I’m as tired of crappy motivational speakers as you are. But when  your group is ready for a pick me up, give the president a pass and hire a pro.

Hey, I’ve got an idea. Hire me! Go to the contact page.

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Speaker, Comedian, Genuine Funny Humorous Speaker

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How to Use Magic to Make Yourself Happy

Why is being a magician so cool? There are a few reasons, but one of my favorites is working for special people and wonderful groups.

I recently volunteered for the Jewish Family Services of Colorado and their residences at the JFS Group Home. It was just a casual deal with a couple of dozen folks. But the best part was working with the residents — awesome adults with special needs. By the looks on their faces they had a good time.

But I’m certain that I got the better deal. I was the one who felt great that night. I was the one who laughed the hardest. And I was the one who left thinking it might have been the best show in ages.

What’s my point? If you want to help yourself, help others. If you want to feel good, make others feel good. To be honest, this is a lesson I often forget. But those great people made my day.

Thanks Kids. It was an absolute pleasure.

Hey! Are YOU looking for a magician, speaker, comedian for your group? (I need a better job title!) I’d love to be your guy…. go to the contact page now.

Brad Montgomery

Colorado Magician, Magician Speaker, Fan of the JFS Group Home

More:

Brad as a magician? Click here.

Brad as a magician speaker here.

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If I EVER read another blog post on work / life balance I might gag. Yes, we all know that we should try to work less, and have fun more, right?

But Wii often miss that Wii not only need to spend time “not working”, but Wii need to spend time purposely “having fun.” In my motivational keynote speeches I encourage people to play and “Act Happy.” It’s  one of those Fake it Until You Make it Strategies. And it works.

My point? Pick something NOW that gets you physically involved in creatingf joy, fun or levity. It might be as simple as leaving a crank phone call for a pal, taking your dog for a walk, or stealing the neighbor-kid’s Wii for a couple of hours.

Wii don’t have a Wii at home, but recently tried one out with some Denver pals. Check out this  short video:

What are you doing today to physically get involved in creating fun?   Come one!  DO SOMETHING!

Leave a comment…. do you think this works?

Need a funny speaker who can inspire your group (with or without video games?)  Go to the contact page.

Cheers!

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Keynote Speaker, Joker, Fan of Wii

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I’ve been on a kick lately of having fun   -  with a purpose.

I tell my audiences  that happiness is an attitude.   It’s a choice.   But an often neglected portion of the happiness equation goes beyond attitude, mind-set and emotion.   To do it right— to be your happiest— you also have to get physically involved with creating some joy for yourself.

In other words, to be happy you’ve got to DO something.  Maybe it’s goof with skate shoes and your kids.  Or play a harmless joke on your work mates.  Or take piano lessons.  Or maybe it’s to take responsibility for making somebody feel like a million bucks and act on it.

I’m lucky because I have a ton of hobbies that bring me passion and joy.  One of my latest is Heelys.   I’m tellin’ ya, put some wheels on your shoes and go shopping and … BAM!  You’re in a great mood.

Proof? I’ve got it baby!  Check out this short video of my kids and I breaking every rule in the how-to-behave-in-a-store book.

I challenge you:  find something today that gets YOU involved in creating your own joy.  Build something. Plant something. Play with something.  And then…. Do it.  Notice your mood change?  Guaranteed or your money back.

Leave a comment and let me know if you agree.

Do you agree with me that happiness at work is related to excellence at work?  Do you need a speaker to help your organization to get there too?  I’d love to work with you.  It will be fun.   Promise.  Heelys optional.  Go to the contact page now.

Cheers.

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Keynote Speaker, Passionate Player, Adult Fan of Heelys

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What are you doing today to create fun and joy in your life. I speak to groups as a motivational speakerall across the country about how happiness at work is directly related to a better work product. And I talk a lot about fun. But in this short video I talk about DOING stuff that is fun and why that’s important.

Check out this short video:

My point? My point is that the best attitude in the world is not enough. We have to actually DO something to create joy for ourselves. For you this might mean anything from walking your dog to playing a practical joke at work or sports or collecting stamps. Whatever. My point is that you need to actually do something. Go somewhere. Get physically involved.

Your life at work is never going to be great until you have a great life at home. (Yup, all that “work-life balance” stuff actually works.)

So get out there, find some passion and follow it. One of my passions just happens to be skiing. If that works for you, great! If not, no biggie. Just find something and….. DO IT!

So… I dare you. Comment. What ARE you going to do today to make your life better? Do you agree that happiness at home leads to a better quality of work life too? Leave a comment.

Cheers,

Brad Montgomery
One of Colorado’s Motivational Speakers, Skiers, Crappy Film-maker.

Ok, I admit it.  I spent too much time on this very cute web page.   And my kids loved it.

If you’re looking for a funny and clever way to pass the time, click here.

If you’re looking for a motivational speaker to make sure your employees don’t spend too much time on web pages like that one, I hope you’ll consider hiring me. Contact Me.

Cheers, Happy, Ho!
Brad Montgomery, Speaker, Occasional Procrastinator, Fan of Reindeer

Check out this funny video where I break every rule in the book.  

Wearing skate shoes is a naughty nasty thing to do in a grocery store. And no, my kids and I didn’t play with them at any Denver, Colorado area Safeway’s or King Soopers. No. We didn’t.

I’ve wanted to try Heelys for some time, but was chicken. I was afraid that I’d be lousy at them. I was afraid I’d never use them and they would sit in my closet mocking me. I was afraid that even if I did wear them in public, I’d feel like too much of an idiot to actually “skate.”

But like so many things in my life recently, my kids influenced me. They looked like they were having fun… and I love playing with my kids… and … and … and…. hello Heelys!

I have used them. I learned them fairly quickly. I wear them a bunch. I notice that adults to gawk and gape when I skate, but (perhaps I’m a fool but) I think they admire me for having fun. I think they think, “That looks fun but I don’t know if I could ever do that in public.” I imagine that a few people must think, “Look at that rolling idiot!.” But I also imagine that more people think, “Cool… there’s another adult on those cool skate shoes.. I wish I had the guts to try that!”

And the cool bonus is that the skate shoes work right into my philosophy I share as a motivational speaker. Much of what I teach is mental / attitude. But I also talk about the importance of DOING things that help us ramp up the fun at work. I hate to mention the “P” word (play) but let’s face it, it makes sense. Of course the definition of “play” for a business audience is tricky, but the concept is solid.

There is NOTHING more playful than skating through a Wal-Mart. It is impossible to be bummed about the sale that didn’t happen, your over-full inbox crammed with emails, and the super-long To-Do list your fretting over. When you play, our stress goes down, our creativity goes up, and we are better able to tackle whatever comes at us.

My point? If you want to make your life — and your job — more fun, and if you believe that if you enjoy your work more you’ll be more productive, than you need to ACTIVELY search out activites that physically engage you in life. You need to find ways that appeal to you.

I’ve found one that works for me: Heelys. I don’t care if you buy these cool shoes or not, but if you don’t, I ask you this: What are you going to do today to actively ramp up the joy and fun in your life? Come on…. do something!

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Speaker, Parent, Heely Wearer, Rule Breaker

PS.  Seriously, do not wear these shoes in public.  It is against the rules.  Seriously.  Don’t do it.  Really.  I’m not kidding.

Ok.  So the timing is off.  But this video is great.  

This is funny.   I don’t care if you voted Republican or Democrat, you have to admire the clever folks who put this humorous video together.

Click this link for the video.

Notice that I’m famous.  

In many ways, this video is like a great keynote speech:

• Interactive
• Unexpected
• Relevant
• Funny

Next time you present in front of a business audience, do you think you can use any of this principles? 

The folks at MoveOn.org made me laugh.  And that says quite a lot.

Anybody need a motivational speaker?  I’d love to be your guy.  Contact me here.  (Good Timing Not Required.)

Cheers,

Brad Montgomery
Independent Voter, Motivational Keynote Speaker, Humorist, Fan of Clever Videos

Check out my Linkedin Profile

I love halloween…. it’s about the only time of the year that we, as adults, can dress up and act weird and not get fired.  And we can do it sober.

Besides dressing up — this year I’m gonna dress as a rock star — I love to kid around with the little trick or treaters that come by the house: They say “trick or treat!”  I answer, “Ok, I pick Trick.”  They are dumbfounded.  I explain.  I’ll take the trick.   They are dumfounded.  

“Ok, here’s a treat for you.”  I get out a box of dental floss, and pull off a 7″ piece, cut it off, and give it to one kid in his plastic pumpkin.   “Here’s some floss for you.”   And again… “And here’s some for you.”  They never complain, but they are clearly confused.  I think it is hilarious.  (I’m also a tad sugared up by then on the candy I stole from my kids’ bags.)

Another fun idea is to get out a pack of (for example) Starbursts.  Instead of giving them the pack — which is what they expect — I open the pack and give ONE Starburst to each kiddo.   (This is more fun for us as adults than it is to them as kids.)

I eventually give all the kids real candy of course.  But this time of year is a great time to goof.

LaffyTaffy is a crappy, horrible, nasty candy. And I love it.

Let me explain:

I was goofing with my kids lately, and they were eating LaffyTaffy. (In case you don’t know it, this is a chewy candy that adults generally hate and kids generally love.)

The interesting thing about LaffyTaffy is that it makes my kids laugh. Really. They believe that when you eat it, you laugh. Seriously; they eat some, and they laugh.

So, what’s this got to do for the rest of us? My point is that sometimes laughter is a decision. Sometimes laughter is a choice. Sometimes being in a giggly, laughing mood is as simple as DECIDING that you’re gonna be in a good mood.

I know that it isn’t always that easy.  Simple yes.  Easy, no. I know that with the genuine and frequent stressors we face as adults it isn’t always EASY to just drop things and giggle. But kids and LaffyTaffy prove that laughter is a state of mind.

My point? Next time you’re in a lousy mood see if you can talk yourself out of it intoand into a good mood. It’s possible, and kids prove it. And if that fails, and as a last resort, have some of that LaffyTaffy.

Hate LaffyTaffy and prefer to bring in a funny motivational comedian speaker to cheer up your troops? Click here for more info.

Cheers,

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Speaker, Humorist, and Lover of LaffyTaffy

I don’t do it enough. I’m like the rest of us in that I get too wrapped up in work, too focused on my over–full email inbox, and too freaked about the dishes I should be doing, the lawn that needs mowing, …. you get the drill.

Check out this cool photo of…. ME! I’m really proud of something I’m trying to do more lately, play with my kids. Recently my two oldest got interested in skateboarding. Nope, they aren’t that good yet. But they love it.

Well, as bad as they are, I’m worse. I never skateboarded as a kid, and haven’t really had much interest in it.

But when they enrolled in a skateboarding clinic, I tagged along… with my helmet and pads. And when I asked the teachers if I could tag along during the lessons, they were psyched… “We’re all good, bro! Skate away!”

So now I’ve been to the skate park with my kids a couple of times, and plan to keep going. They love it. I love it. And we all love that we are doing it together.

What’s the lesson? Playing with the kids accomplishes so many things:
1. When we play we are “in the moment.” How cool is that?!
2. Your kids will love you for playing with them. And you’ll love the connection you create with them through play.
3. It’s fun! It’ll keep you young at heart… and increase your Humor Quotient.

I just plain don’t play enough; none of us do. But this skateboard thing has been a good reminder for me.

So shut down your computer, pick up you toy, or your skates, or your bike, or your…. skateboard, and play.

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Keynote Speaker, Humor in the Workplace Expert, Advocate of Play

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This guy is using the barter system to trade a paperclip for a house. (With a gazillion trades in betweeen.) He’s already up to a year’s rent in Phoenix. I’m amazed by his crazy idea. Not only might it actually work, but he is creating an amazing and fun experience for himself. Very cool.

Learn more about his experience here: one red paperclip
about one red paperclip

My name is Kyle MacDonald and I am making a series of up-trades for bigger or better things up to my goal of a house. I started with one red paperclip on July 12th, 2005.

You can read stories about each trade by clicking on the pictures to the left. I’d suggest starting here.

You can make offers for my current object here:oneredpaperclip@gmail.com

I will travel ANYWHERE for the right offer – including Yahk, British Columbia, Canada.

Brad Montgomery
Motivational keynote speaker, Enjoyer of Goofy People, Fan of Barter!

Technorati Tags: Barter, Motivational Speakers, Humor, One Red Paperclip.

If you should be working, but are needing some serious procrastination, you’ll love this optical illusion.

Stare at the middle… eventually a green MOVING dot will appear. Eventually the red dots will vanish.

What’s it mean? No idea. But sometimes I think having fun for fun’s sake is plenty.

More Optical Illusions

Brad Montgomery
Motivational Keynote Speaker, Optical Illusion Fan, Office Procrastinator

Technorati Tags: Optical Illusions, Motivational Speakers, Humor, Keynotes.

Look here.

This is a very cool site with a ton of diverse humor links and humor resourses. Very cool site.

Thanks Lunarantics!

Brad

This game was cute and a fun.

Procrastinate at work!

Thanks BoingBoing (via Alice)

Need a more constructive use of your time? Need some REAL humor in the workplace? Check out my seminars here.

Ok, I admit it…. having kids isn’t ALWAYS a laugh a minute. Not always easy to find and enjoy the funny side of kids when they are having a tough day. (Or if YOU are having a tough day.)

But somehow by recording this fit from our kid Ben, this less-than-fun time became funny to my wife, Kim, and I.

(Feel free to send this to any of your friends who don’t think birth control might be important!)

Check out the fun side of my family here.

My family was with me as we sat in our mini-van (ooh, the sexy life we live!) waiting at a stop light. Next to us was a 55 or so year old couple in a REALLY fancy sports car.

My middle kid Ben said, “They look really sad.”

“What makes you say that?” I asked. I thought he’d talk about their car, or their facial expression or the fact that they weren’t talking to each other.

“They don’t have any kids to make them happy,” answered my first grader.

Now that’s funny.

The latest “Got Milk?” commercial hit a little too close to home for Major League Baseball. Poking fun at the league’s steroid scandal, the television ad for the California Milk Processor Board talks about a player getting pulled from a game “after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.”

In the next scene, a coach pulls a carton of milk from the slugger’s locker.

“There is nothing humorous about steroid abuse,” said Tim Brosnan, executive vice president for business for the league. “I would think that the California Milk Processor Board and their advertising agency would know better regarding an issue that threatens America’s youth.”

Thanks to Eric Mcerlain

…. the wind out of the hurricane!

Another exerpt from the lawyer and minister who are writing about the hurricanes that hit Louisiana and Mississippi coasts.

You Know You Live on the Gulf Coast when…
Hurricane Katrina – Mississippi Response: Friday: Hurricane humor 1
* You see your uncles, aunts, cousins, brothers and sisters everyday …because they are sleeping in your living room.
* Sunday sermons are interrupted by the minister wildly talking about different ways that God could smite FEMA… and after a moments silence, the congregation breaks out in applause.
* Your wife gets mad at you because you didn’t immediately jump on that vacancy at the run-down 1 bed room apartment near the sewage treatment plant.
* If you play golf, you walk and take three clubs and a machete.
* Everyone goes silent when the phone rings because it could be your insurance adjuster.

I got a note from a lawyer and a minister who are writing about the hurricanes that hit Lousiana and Mississippi. Turns out that they are as intersted as I am with humor in difficult (or even impossible times.)

Check out this exerpt:

Amongst all this, people have kept their sense of humor. It is a remarkable human gift to make light of what can’t be changed. Here are some examples:
* We were driving down Highway 90 to Biloxi and saw the local goofy golf, Fun Time USA, and still standing was Humpty Dumpty, still on his wall.
* In Biloxi, the Ronald McDonald statute still stands and welcomes people, but the building is just beams and strewn about bricks.
* One torn up house has a sign in front: “Extreme Home Makeover”.
* A Dodge Ram truck with a large tree imbedded across it has a sign, “Ram tough, not Katrina tough.”
* A sign in front of one house has ” Coast 0, Katrina 1, 1st half.”
* One store had a sign that said, ” No shoes, No shirt, No-rmal.”
* We have borrowed the garden club sign that says “Yard of the Month” and are sticking it in front of friends houses and taking pictures of the sign in front of a damaged house, trees down, and piles of debris. We will frame and present them later.
*As we were making deliveries one day, our church van sputtered and spat and turned over and over with out starting. One of the ministers put his hands together like prayer and it turned over, then they laughed and laughed.
* Speaking of that van, it kept backfiring a lot and often in uneasy situtions, like when we passed police or Guard blockades. We started laughing that the National Guard was going to shoot back. Well, it was funny at the time.
* One resident who lives on 2nd Street, which parallels the beach highway, said this was really a good thing for the real estate market… now we have beach front for two and three blocks back from the beach.
* We are constantly laughing and marvelling about small things—-
like how a house will be missing from a lot, but the periwinkles are still blooming in the front bed; or
how two 30-40′ boats are just sitting, not crashed, in a cemetary about 300 yards from water, having mysteriously gotten through 50 yards of large trees, yet all the real and plastic flowers in the vases on the gravesites are still there; how a wall will be missing but the dishes in the shelves against that wall are still there; orhow a piece of pine straw can be imbedded one inch into another tree trunk;
how people can laugh with such sadness all around.

Thanks guys. I’m amazed at this…. great going

Humor in Loss, Grief

Can you use humor in times of grief and loss? Read on…

This in from Tom. He is a lawyer who is blogging about Lousiana and Mississippi and how they are (sometimes) able to laugh and enjoy humor in spite of the loss from the hurricanes.

The sign reads, “Yard of the Month.”

Now that’s funny.

Did you catch GOOGLE.COM on halloween?

Here is a company not afraid to laugh at itself. Humor in the workplace? You betcha.

And Google is kickin’ butt… coincidence? Me thinks not.

Paige is my youngest kid at age four.

She was humming and asked me to guess what she was humming. I guessed a few songs. “Sesame Street?” “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?”

“No” And she kept humming.

“I give up,” I said. “What are you humming.”

“A trumpet,” she answered. I laughed out loud.

“Now guess what it is? It is long and skinny. It is shiny.” Her grandfather plays trombone, and now I was hip to the game. So I guessed trombone.

“Nope. Violin.”

Now that’s funny! You don’t need to look far if you need a smile. Need humor? Just look in your car seat.

We’re on the final home stretch of printing the second humor anthology Humor Us: America’s Funniest Humorists on the Power of Laughter. you’re gonna love it. I’ve never been so excited about a book…. this is gonna be great. There are sections on:

Humor and Education
Humor and Marraige
Humor and Creativity
Humor and Business
Therapeutic effects of Humor.
How to be funny — even if you aren’t.

Stay tuned for more….

I was in O’Hare airport in Chicago, Illinois today and saw something fun: a parade. A bunch of halloween skeletons, dressed, dancing, smiling, and generally creating a bit of performance art in Illinois.

I thought it was hilarious and funny. A welcome escape from that nasty airport. (O’Hare is NOT my favorite.)

But what made me smile most of all was the reaction of most of the folks they encountered. I think they liked it, but you wouldn’t know by watching them. They often looked away, pretending there were NOT a bunch of skeletons laughing in the airport. And even when they offered some Tootsie Rolls, most declined.

Cool for me though: when I said I love Tootsie Rolls they gave me a handful! How Cool is That!?

Humor and Travel

Ellen Degeneres is just an awesome comedian. I loved her way before she hit the mainstream…. I loved her stand up comedy on HBO. Big funny.

And she still rocks. Likable. Funny. Smart. Clean. Awesome comedian.

Her website is cool too. : )

Well, not exactly. I was recently in the audience at the Comedy Works to see a a few Colorado comedians. It was an excellent show.

I had a huge “ah ha” moment when watching the opening comic. I learned from him that sometimes the set up can get a bigger reaction than the punch line. He set up the joke this way: “I LOVE that sign we have on I-70 that says TRUCKERS, YOU ARE NOT DOWN YET.”

This set up got a HUGE reaction. Laughter and anticipation. We loved it because we have passed that sign a million times. It was specific and niched just for those of us that live in the Denver, Colorado region.

I honestly cannot remember the punch line, but I remember that it wasn’t very funny. But the joke was still worth keeping because the set up rocked.

So, fast forward a bit to my work. I did a corporate comedian date later that week, and used many of the same type of set ups. Very specific set ups to THAT group. My punch lines were fine, but the most important part was that the premise was specific to that audience.

Anyhoo…I bet that is more about comedy technique than you ever needed to know. I think it is fascinating.

Learn more about my work as a clean comedian here.

Want more resources about humor techniques, and tips for speakers?

Newsweek has a really interesting article about comedian Lenny Bruce by Brian Braiker:

“If a comic gets onstage and tells his audience “I am not a comedian,” he’d better say something important—or really damn funny. Lenny Bruce—the hepcat who took his act from L.A. strip clubs to Carnegie Hall, redefining stand-up in the process—did both. Now, nearly 40 years after a fatal drug overdose, a dizzyingly complete six-CD collection of his trailblazing routines has been released.

Thanks boingboing!

Motivational speaker Vic Johnson posted a good story about a college kid athlete who loved the Lion King movie… with a surprise ending.

Basically, a reported asked the athlete about his favorite movie, which turned out to be the Lion King. After the reporter mocked the student, the student surprised everybody by having some awesome insights into the animated film.

Moral: Stick with what you believe.

My favorite movie? Herbie Rides Again.

Thanks Vic.

Steve Spangler is a guy with a great idea. He is selling somethin’ cool: Body Parts in a Jar.

Can you imagine how funny this thing would be on your desk? Think it would change the mood in the office? Might earn a couple of comments in your cubicle?

Steve is an expert at making teachers be amazing. But this joke would be great in your office.

Humor in the workplace? Yup… just put your brain in a jar.

On the way back working for a teachers in-service for a bunch of educators and teachers, (I love being a education motivational speaker!)I got caught in a freak storm that shut down Colorado’s main highway. As the hotels were already full, I ended up in a Shelter (small church) opened by the Red Cross.

It gave me a terrific amount of insight on the evacu-gees from the Hurricane’s Katrina and Rita.

I learned a lot from my not so funny experience. First, I learned that as icky as it was for me — and it really stunk — I knew it was hundreds of times worse for the folks in Louisiana. I showed up to the shelter with a horrible headache, but I had plenty of food and water. I had never previously thought how the folks who showed up at the Super Dome and the Convention Center in New Orleans must have ARRIVED in fairly bad physical shape. They must have been exhausted, dehydrated, and hungry. And of course they must have been stressed out big time.

My experience was lousy, but at least I started out in pretty decent shape. They must have just been a wreck. I was in a huge room filled with 80 very LOUD snorers. Sleeping on the main floor in the center court of the Super Dome with 800 loud snorers must have been hell.

And of course I was only in the Shelter for about 24 hours, and knew all along that my stay was temporary. I had plenty of hope for things getting better in the near future. Which of course is very different from those in Louisiana.

I had a horrible experience… it wasn’t fun, I felt lousy, and I generally had an icky time. And of course I was in great shape. But the good news is that I knew (and learned first hand) just how humor-less our Southern neighbors had it.

Clown Noses at Work

At a very recent date where I was a California Motivational Speaker in San Jose, California for the HRD Network we talked about the importance of Humor In the Workplace. One of the many examples I gave them was regarding clown noses, and how they can use them at work to keep the humor and laughter going.

I talked about, for example, how when they wear a clown nose while speaking on the phone with a difficult customer they can keep a smile on their face. (Because after all, isn’t it impossible to let even the most difficult customer upset us when we are wearing a clown nose?) And best of all, since the customer cannot see that we are wearing the clown nose they have no idea that we are “dissing them!”

Anyway, I just got the most wonderful photo and note:

“Hi Brad – I thought you’d like to see how we applied your Ordinary Magic! You were right, life and work is more fun when you can laugh with others.

Thanks for making the HRD Network fun and funny.

Jackie
Administration and Finance Director
MyDAS, Inc.
California”

Thanks MyDAS for making my day. And thanks for proving that a little playfulness with clown noses can’t change your whole life, but it can certainly change your day. (And, if you change enough days….. : ) )

Motivational HUMOR IN EDUCATION

I recently spoke to a bunch of partners and managers for the Colorado office of KPMG. Managers, partners, and a few support staff. They have had a tough year and needed a funny speaker to:
1. Make ‘em laugh.
2. Give ‘em a bit of motivational perspective about the upcoming year — and it’s fantastic opportunity.

The program was fun and well received. But for me the best part was the story of a young manager who came up to me after the speech and told me that this speech was especially relevant to him because it reminded him of a story from his college days.

It seems that he spent a semester abroad and returned to his college just as his classmates were in final exam week. They were tense and nervous about a huge exam. On a lark, he went to the exam too.

His friends knew what he was up to but many of his acquaintances knew him but hadn’t necessarily known that he just returned from a semester in Europe. They asked him, “Are you in this class? I haven’t seen you in here all semester!”

“Oh yeah,” he answered. ” I was busy, but I’m in the class. I missed a bunch but I’m here now.”

About 15 minutes after they started the exam, he threw up his hands and yelled, “I can’t do it! I can’t take it.” He ran down to the professor, tossed the exam to her and said, “The pressure is too much! I can’t take it! I’m a failure!”

(He had put the name “JOE KERR” on the test.)

The class was horrified. The professor was confused. His friends were (silently) cracking up.

After a few minutes, the professor said, “Ya know, I think that was a practical joke.” Eventually, the entire class laughed.

Good story, but it gets better: it turns out that MANY people approached this student later that day and week to THANK him for helping them relax and focus on the test. It turns out that many folks (with the benefit of hindsight) realized that they were way too uptight to excel on the exam. But the goofyness of the practlcal joke helped to pop the “stress balloon and enabled them to concentrate just on the test.

How ’bout that? Humor in action? Humor that helped managed stress? Laughter with a purpose? You bet!

Thanks KPMG!

Do YOU think humor has a place in business? I sure do. Check out this excerpt form a humor newsletter from Humorist Roz Trieber.

“Research demonstrates there is a significant correlation between humor and leadership effectiveness (Priest and Swain, 2002). Organizational culture, in the military and elsewhere, supports the use of humor by leaders in appropriate ways. The United States Army leadership manual describes, “Having a good sense of humor” as a valuable character trait for leaders (Department of Army, 1983). It was found that cadets at the United States Military Academy who use humor as a coping strategy were less likely to quit or make mistakes. In addition, humor employed by managers and leaders achieve three specific ends: 1) stress reduction in the workplace, 2) helping employees understand management concerns by enhancing communication patterns, and 3) motivating followers (Davis and Kleiner, 1989). Good leaders who use good-natured jest put others at ease. Those who cannot laugh or joke about their imperfections or personal failings are correlated with other characteristics of “bad leaders,” A majority of good leaders are shown to have quick wit, see the point of jokes, maintain group morale through extraverted humor vs. mean spirited humor, have infectious laughs, and tell humorous satires in dialect (Priest and Swain, 2002).

What this really means is that there is improved communication with less misunderstanding, and increased desire to come to work, and an increase in creativity and productivity (Decker and Rotondo, 2001). In summary, humor in the workplace promotes physical and mental health, fosters mental flexibility, and acts as a social lubricant (Morreall, 1983). ”

Thanks Roz. Awesome Work.

This is a note I received from a pal and High School Teacher, Lindsey Pahs….who happens to be a very funny person. I used to think he was an expert at humor by accident. But check out this note that proves him to be way deeper than I thought. And his point is right on. Check it out….

“I have thought a little about it though. Here’s what I think. Being funny (at home or work) isn’t as much about telling the joke or making the wise-crack as it is about the attitude. In order to be funny, you have to have the certain outlook on life. Try to look at things from a different perspective than you normally do. Sometimes that’s funny. Think about what would happen if you took something to the exteme–sometimes the result is funny. You have to be willing to break out of the mold. Flower pots aren’t funny. . . a flower pot on your head is funny. If you do something different or look at things from a different point of view, the results are sometimes funny. I think this is why it’s hard for me to think of funny things–it’s not really the thing that’s funny; it’s the way you approach the thing. ”

How come none of MY teachers were this clued into humor? Thanks Lindsey.

Comedian magician (and pal) Michael C. Anthony just did something very cool. As he was on the road working for a college in Mississippi where after the show he went to visit three different shelters for those who lost everything during the hurricane.

Michael took it upon himself to do some magic for the folks in the shelter. I loved it! Not only did he go visit, but he shared the skill he has taken years to hone and shared it with those needing it most. He told me that the folks were bored stiff and probably would have reacted to nearly anything. But I know Michael, and he is a one of the nations most professional magicians… and so I know that he shared something really special.

Way to go dude! Way to share the laughter, the humor… and the magic!

click out my work as a corporate comedian magician

Not at my house. But recenlty I learned that the spoken word CAN be “Family Friendly!”

When I was younger (and not yet a motivational speaker– heck, I wasn’t even a fireman which was my first goal) I spent a great deal of time in a little house in Silver Plume, Colorado. There was no T.V. up there to distract me and my sister and brother. Instead, we found entertainment in four or five Bill Cosby comedy albums my mom and dad bought. We laughed tons and tons as we listened to the albums over and over again. We could have recited the entire albums– and probably did.

Years later, to my delight, my dad gave me the very albums that had been such an escape many years ago. After some trial and error, I finally figured out how to hook up the record player to my computer and copy these albums onto CD so they would last — with the same scratches and grooves for many, many years to come.

The best surprise I got out of doing this though was that my kids love these comedy albums just as much as I did as a kid. We can listen to it together and they love it! I love the comedy recordings now as much as ever for three reasons. 1. They are old friends and listening to them is like a hug from a friend you thought you lost. 2. They are hilarious! Cosby’s stuff really holds up. And 3. It’s a hoot to listen to them with my kids. It is really special to be able to share humor like this across the generations.

Even after all the years of being a comedian, I never thought it was truly possible to have family-appropriate humor that would really be enjoyed by everyone. Of course I had done many shows aimed toward the family that included magic, but Cosby serves as such a great example of how the spoken word alone can be very funny to audiences of all ages without being inappropriate. (Can you imagine encouraging your six year old kid to listen to Chris Rock?) Family Friendly comedy? How Cool is That?!

[Yup… I have a family friendly corporate comedian and magician show too! Learn more here.)

… no…. under the bed.

Often we don’t have to look very far to find humor in action. (At least not at my house.)

My wife Kim and I were putting our little kids to sleep. They are afraid of the monsters that might be around, and as I watched from the doorway asked Kim to close the doors to the closet and the bathroom. (Apparently monsters are unable to operate doornobs.)

“Do you want me to look under the bed?” she asked them?

Of course they did. So she bends down to look under the bed and says, “Ok Frank and Larry: they know you are here and they are scared so just stay where you are or you’re gonna freak them out. Ok? Ok.”

My kids eyes got really big REALLY fast. But I cracked up. I mean cracked up.

The kids … probably prompted by me … cracked up too. It was a great end of the day for them.

I loved it and have told the story several times since… including here.

Wanna know the funniest part? Kim doesn’t think she was particularly funny night… and she thinks the fact that I DO think it was hilarious is (further) evidence that I’m a wacko. Which of course, just made it funnier for me. So be it.

My point? You don’t have to hunt far for humor. Just pay attention and you’ll find very funny people who may (or may not) be trying to be hilarious. Without much of a fuss you should be find plenty of humor anywhere you look for it. (Especially if you look under the bed.)

I’m amazed at how often I hear it from my clients: “We just had a speaker and he (or she) told stories and jokes that were just TOTALLY inappropriate for our association.”
Well folks, I’m here to tell you that if you want your speaker to use humor… ask them whether it is clean humor. Ask ‘em how they define “clean comedy.” If you need to, ask for examples. Last thing you want is for your boss and HR director to call you in to their offices to show you the stack of complaint letters about the comic speaker who “just wasn’t funny.”

I was chatting with a meeting planner yesterday who told me the story that I think sums up meeting stupidity. A huge corporation booked a known comedian for a corporate event. This was a very well known comedian… a person who at one time had their own TV show, and had plenty of tape on HBO and the Comedy Channel. Anybody… and I mean ANYBODY who has seen even 23 seconds of this comedian gets the accurate impression that they don’t work clean.

It was more than an occasional curse word. It was the whole act. Sex. Genders. Ethnicity. Curse words. Making fun of nearly every group. Predictably (in my opinion), five minutes after the comedian started the show at the convention, the CEO walked on stage and personally escorted the act off the stage. The full fee was paid, the audience was shocked, and the CEO probably had a fit with whoever booked that act. (And the comedian probably wondered, “Why in the world did they book me if they didn’t want me to do my thing?”)

My question was this: What did they expect? There are a ton of great corporate comedians who work 100% clean and are both professional and hilarious. But it is up to the meeting planner — or whomever is booking the speaker — to check to see if they are clean. And if you have any doubts… keep asking questions until you know you have a speaker that you know will be more than funny you want a speaker who understands corporate, government and association audiences.