• Thom Singer, CSP 🌟’s Post

If you want to be a better planner, do stand-up comedy. Inspired by the one and only Steve Walls I decided to get out of my comfort zone and do things that would expand my creative thinking. I never saw myself as a funny guy. Eccentric, yes, but not necessarily funny. However, I decided to give it a go and enrolled in a stand-up comedy class. 6 weeks, once a week and in the end, you perform your own comedy piece for a live audience. Terrifying is an understatement. But I did and it was fascinating. It improved my clarity of thought (for me, the most important skill a planner should be really good at) , I learned techniques to write jokes, enhanced presentation skills and stage presence, and more. If you’re reading this and want to be better at creative thinking, I can’t recommend enough for you to do stand-up comedy. Happy to share details and talk more about it via DM.

In the summer of 2022, I tried something new: Stand-up comedy. Like most of my hobbies, learning the art of stand-up comedy gave me a whole new outlook on my professional work. Here's how stand-up comedy made me a better communicator and corporate team member: 1. I no longer felt as intimated by executive leaders: I remember the first time I did a presentation after my first stand-up show. The nerves were so much less than before. If I can share personal details about my life onstage to strangers, this presentation doesn't make me sweat. 2. The concept of "economy of words" was reinforced: In comedy, you don't want your audience members to have too much time between laughs. You need to write short and snappy to keep them interested. It's the same with our corporate audiences. We don't want to lose them. If we get too wordy or lengthy in our messaging, they are more likely to tune out. 3. Having creative outlets other than my job inspires me at work. I find purpose in life by being creative. If I put all the pressure on my job to give me this purpose, there are many days where I will not be content. Also, working creative muscles, no matter the setting, makes me stronger in all settings.

The future of stand up comedy is secure 🔥 This weekend I went back to the roots of Stand Up Company and hosted a stand up comedy workshop on stage performance and storytelling for this crazy bunch of aspiring comedians 😁 What are 4 comedy insights from my early days, that helped me become a better speaker: ✅ Recognition: More nodding = more laughing. People love to hear about things they know, think and feel. ✅ Simplicity: If you can't present your 60min keynote in 60 seconds when asked, go back to the drawing board. ✅ Confidence: You lead, the audience must follow. You take the audience by the hand, keep them guessing, keep them surprised. ✅ Cozy schmozy: Turn any room into a small cozy comedy club by involving the audience. 3000 people need to feel as 30 people in a bar, minutes after you walked on stage. #standuptostandout #communication #publicspeaking

Unleash your inner comedian and learn how to create funny material that will have everyone laughing. Don't worry, anyone can be funny with a little know-how. This course teaches you the basics of comedy writing, how to present jokes, and perform on stage. And guess what? You might even get a chance to show off your skills in front of a friendly audience at a real comedy venue! Whether you are curious about comedy, want to feel more confident when speaking in public, or just want to have a lot of fun, our Stand-up Comedy for Beginners class is perfect for you. It's a great way to learn, grow, and enjoy yourself. #ofcourseyoucan https://bit.ly/3turyWa

I picked Stand-up Comedy as a hobby because there is much to learn from it, and how it applies to #pitching On stage, comedians have to grab audience's attention and make them laugh in seconds. How do they do so? Step 1. Talk about something which they're familiar with... Typical scenario / Recent news / Something visible to them now Step 2. Share a different perspective of that familiar situation - one which surprises them when they hear it Step 3. Let them react In comedy, one of the formulas for #craftingjokes is to "mis-direct" Bring the audience to hear something which they didn't think about in the moment. This results in #laughter In Pitching, the same can be delivered - Bring the audience to see a new innovation / different solution / unique approach ... to handling a familiar problem. Pitch it with the emotion that we wish the audience to feel, so they connect with us. Then, we let the audience react. When they're asking questions to express their interest, you know your pitch landed. Maybe you can even get them to laugh a bit! #pitchcrafters #milestonethree #learnfromlaughter #thewinningpitch

Unlock the power of public speaking with an unexpected ally: stand-up comedy. Build newfound confidence and engage your audience like never before. - Gain confidence in commanding any room. - Learn the art of timing and delivery. - Transform your speaking skills through laughter. Don't miss our next show. Join us and see the difference. #PublicSpeaking #ComedyNight #CareerBoost #ConfidenceBuilding

How do you measure if you've given a good talk? This question came up this week, the first session of the new CSz stand-up comedy course I'm delivering. Folks from all walks of life who want to try comedy, learn how to use humour, and get more confident at speaking, and I'd argue stand-up comedy is a great space to learn that. In comedy, we can measure success by the number of laughs (aim for one every 30 seconds, if you're interested), but what about #publicspeaking or #presenting ? My advice is to think about who your audience is. What do they want from you? Specifically? Knowing your audience, particularly the tougher end of your audience - who'll roll their eyes at the slightest hint of waffle - is where you can start to edit what you say for the best results. Ever thought of #standupcomedy training? Is it a tough space? Can be yes. Does it get results? Absolutely.

Always wanted to try stand-up comedy? Does thought terrify and excite you at the same time? Great! That is exactly how it feels, at the start anyway. This is completely normal and ok; you are human after all. I have created this brand-new offer for you to get you started. Whether you want to pursue stand up as a career, hobby or a one-off, I can teach you the skills and coach you all the way to your first gig. I will even accompany you to your first gig (location dependent), hold your hand (not literally lol) and be your no 1 cheerleader! Over 6 weeks online or in-person I will support you to 🤪Set your comedy goals 🤪Overcome blocks and barriers (fear of not being laughed at anyone?) 🤪Give you tips, tricks and ideas for writing your material 🤪Give feedback and ways to improve 🤪Teach you the skills of improv so that you are fully equipped to deal with any unexpected happenings such as a tray of drinks being dropped mid act interrupting your flow as well as those pesky hecklers 6 weeks you and me – what do you think? Is now the time to do what you have always dreamed of? If you would like to find out more or have a chat then feel free to send me a DM and we can arrange it.

From Stage Fright to Spotlight: My Unlikely Journey. I'm standing there in front of a room full of people, and they're all looking at me. I'm about to give a presentation on why they should work with me. I feel physically sick, I'm shaking, and I can barely talk. I get through it, but when the event ends and I get back to my car and I'm in despair. I google and find a stand-up comedy course happening the following week. Kill or cure if I can stand on stage and make people laugh, I can do anything right? I breathe in and take out my credit card to book the course. After what just happened, I questioned my sanity but hit the buy now button anyway. It became one of my life's best experiences, and my confidence was sky-high as a result. And now I’m a professional stand-up comedian (just kidding) but a few years later, I ended up working for The Comedy School, helping them with their Instagram marketing. This has helped them reach more people like me and added a real sense of purpose to my work. Sometimes, you have to stand up and take action no matter what, and it might just be the best thing you ever did. #standupcomedy #publicspeaking #publicspeakingtips #takeaction

Stand-up Comedy for Business Communication Nothing is harder than delivering a “tight five” in a crowded bar. For a professional keynote speaker seeking to level up, stand-up comedy is the perfect training ground. Specifically, learning the tricks and techniques of comedians. What I gained from my time in the comedic Dojo and how I became hooked along the way. ARTICLE: https://lnkd.in/eNmatvp2