Mark Ballard’s Post

Teaching for Washington Improv Theater is one of the most rewarding and engaging things I do. I'm delighted that our classes won this well-deserved recognition by Washington City Paper! 🎉 Taking an improv class is about so much more than comedy and being onstage (though both are certainly fun pieces of the experience). It's about using our brains in a different way than our daily lives typically entail. It's about digging deeper into how we listen, speak, and metabolize information. It's about taking a creative approach to better understanding how humans interact. It's about even more things than I can list here! Have I convinced you to take a class yet?! 😉 I am always happy to chat with folks offline about what to expect from an intro improv class like the ones I teach for WIT. More info here: https://lnkd.in/e53Tsq_H #appliedimprov #improvclass #communicationskills

As a student at Yale School of Architecture in the late 1990's, I decided to do Entrepreneurship coursework at Yale School of Management to focus on public-private finance and executive relationship theory in property development and innovation, encouraged and inspired by the late #urbanplanning great Alexander Garvin. SOM was teaching Design Management with faculty from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) at that time, and I wanted to be a part of that! Architectural Project Management was also a serious part of grad school curriculum, and Phil Bernstein taught it better than anyone! I had to lobby pretty hard to get in, as I was technically not officially cross-registered. However, David Cromwell of JP Morgan Capital London intervened on my behalf, put me in his class, and later tapped me for his feasibility studies for the Museum of American Finance. He also paired me with a fledgling #biomedical/#biotech start-up in New Haven whose #STEM and #naturalscience research helped to inspire my interest in #biosafety and #biophysics, already percolating from childhood. I was paying for #architecture grad school myself, and so I didn't have enough money to stay a 3rd year and get the full Masters of Management degree. In hindsight, I regret that I didn't get that degree for 2 reasons: 1) My SOM classmates were super-smart and deeply inspiring, especially those in the #nonprofit #government sector. I missed out on learning more and meeting even more amazing future CEO's, COO's, and like-minded highly-creative business thinkers and doers. The flip side is that, had I stayed, I probably would have left the architecture & design profession and never gotten into #franchising. 2) With an SOM degree, I likely would have gotten the salary that I deserved for doing the same - and often better - quality work as many #MBA and #JD degree holders who went into property development, and whose risk management skills and design and planning abilities often left something to be desired. Happy almost-50th birthday SOM! Glad to have been in your halls for a little while. ✌️✌🏻✌🏽✌🏿

🍽️ It’s time for that annual event that always sells out and promises education, levity, entertainment and fellowship: the Mayors Breakfast! Learn more about what happens when 15 mayors get together in one room. 🔗 Read more about how you can be there, too in this article from our May collection: https://loom.ly/GTyPK5I #spacecoast #brevardcounty #mayorsbreakfast

Imagine this: you're at a college or high school football game, immersed in the excitement, when the craving for a drink strikes. You reluctantly head to the concession stand, only to find yourself stuck in a long line, missing key moments on the field. We've all been there, and it's frustrating. But now, picture a different experience—one where you never have to leave your seat. UrHostLocal.com has created a game-changing solution for fans and stadiums. No more long lines, no more missed plays. Here’s how it works: 1. Order directly from your seat—no need to move. 2. Get notified by text when your order is ready for pickup. 3. At college games, enjoy the convenience of having your food delivered right to your seat. 4. At high school games, grab your order at the nearest gate with a designated pickup spot. 5. Stay in the moment and never miss a big play again! Rethink your game-day experience—because it’s about time you enjoyed every minute without the wait. Check out our demo for Nelson Field; an Austin Independent School District stadium.

Sharing some insights on how to win the Young Drummers Competition as last year's winner. In summary: 1. Don't rely too much on AI  2. Give yourself more time to discover ideas At the time I was 100% sure about these, but now I think I could add like 100 more. What would you advise a young design and creative talent?

Amy Edmondson, the first to define and present the value of psychological safety, offers 10 minutes of true wisdom to Columbia graduates (and all of us)! A few quotes that we should live by: -- "Psychological Safety is the permission to tell the truth" -- "Create a learning organization" -- "Make friends with failure" -- "Humility, curiosity, and empathy are the building blocks of Psychological Safety (and what we need to survive our changing world" I'm honored to be trained to bring psychological safety assessment and dialogue to teams and organizations through #thefearlessorganizationscan. Let's talk about how your team can be more creative, connected ... oh, and surpass higher goals! #psychologicalsafety #amyedmondson #teameffectiveness

This is INSPIRATION ON STEROIDS with Gary Vaynerchuk. Watch it, and pay it forward to educate and inspire others to be better at business, and in life. So many valuable lessons in this address! #leadership #inspiration #watchthis #learning

Do you ever wonder what it would be like to go back to 22 years old with the knowledge, skills and experience you have today and do it all again? I wish my graduation speech had given me the insights that Gary Vaynerchuk shares in this video. Some incredible advice for the youth of today, our business leaders of the future, and the titans of tomorrow. However, if you have a few more years under your belt already, there are still some great lessons to be had, you might just need to approach the ideas differently. Life is all about playing the game. We don't stop playing because we get old. We get old because we stop playing. Don't worry about the score. As Gary says, the game does keep a score, but there is always someone with more "points" than you, so don't focus on that. Instead, focus on playing the game because you love it. You love the challenge it presents. You love how it brings out the best in you. You love the people you play the game with. It isn't the same to stand on the sidelines and admire those who are playing the game. Get stuck in, get your hands dirty, and get in the arena until your "face is marred by dust and sweat and blood". Yes, I know it is scary. Yes, you have an identity you have taken years to curate so that people know how you want to appear on the outside... ...but if it doesn't reflect what is on the inside, then maybe you shouldn't fight so hard to maintain the status quo. Thanks Gary for inspiring the youth to go out and do amazing things, and be fearless in how they approach the business world. Some of us "grown ups" also need to hear these lessons too :-) #successmindset #dowhatyoulove #whatareyouwaitingfor #starttoday

Every 18 - 30 year old should be required to watch this…for their own benefit…(the rest of us too for being the big trees). This is so important to share. Now, some will disagree because this breaks down their paradigm of their world…I encourage you to watch every second. I have nothing to do with Gary Vaynerchuk or know him. Think about a tree where the branches break and it weathers the storms and drought and bugs and too much sun and not enough sun…it’s gets stronger and thrives through adversity. Or the tree underneath the shadow of a bigger tree (parents, teachers, society) that shelters the younger trees and deprives them by giving them everything (trophies) and fixes everything (no opportunities to learn from adversity) These small trees grow with weaker branches and shallow roots. They will find out one day and it will be much harder to live with reality. What happens when the sheltering trees are no longer there? What have you done?

Gary Vaynerchuk breaks down what every graduate needs to know about the game of business for the NYU Business school graduation. This video is just 14 minutes long and I think you'll want to watch it if you participate in the game of business. Gary's insights ("Let's abolish the idea that nice guys finish last" and "fall in love with losing") are impactful and are a great reminder to tune out the noise of what other people think about you and approach business with being kind and empathetic to yourself and others. Gary signs off with this gem: "Be nice. Cause someone with leverage will find you." #hospitality #business #leadership