Postcards and more postcards

I spent the entire day designing new speaking postcards on Publisher (a creative bit of a passion of mine) but I must admit I felt like I was living in the dark ages. I have a true love of the web and all of its promotions and advertising skills and secrets. Taking a drive to the post office to “drop things in the mail” was a real throwback but it still needs to be done. I really am looking forward to the time where I never buy another stamp and all of my promotions are done through email marketing.

On another note, yesterday the new “look” Humorous Speakers Bureau site went up and it looks great. I’m very happy with the results of Elance and Esigners!

Does Your Dog Smile?

Does Your Dog Smile? [ Social : ]
I am a stand up comedian who did not smile. Not only was I a stand up comedian who did not smile, I was a wife, mother, friend and stranger who did not smile. The odd thing is that I thought I was smiling.

Five years ago, my husband said to me, “Sally, you’ve got to learn to smile on stage!” I said, “I do smile. What are you talking about? I’m very happy.”

I saw the videotapes and realized I was wrong. Five years ago, I began to teach myself to smile. I made it my mission and passion. I wanted to communicate correctly how I was feeling. If I met someone, I thought to myself, “Make youself smile!” When I greeted my children when they came home from school, I thought, “Make yourself smile!” And, of course, on stage, it was a constant, “Make yourself smile!”

At first smiling felt very insincere because it required a constant mental and physical effort. However, as I continued my efforts, I realized that, in fact, it was much more sincere to be happy and communicate that emotion. It changed my life so greatly for the better. If you are not a natural smiler, now is the time to make the change.

I’m convinced that smiling is hereditary. Some people have such an easy time with it. They’re smiling all the time from an early age. Consequently, they seem to have more friends, successful careers and happier children. Truly they have unknowingly harnessed the power of this great secret.

Does your dog smile? Mine does. And I’m willing to bet that you’ve noticed that your dog smiles too. Doesn’t a dog’s smile make you feel great? A dog doesn’t smile often but when it does, everyone notices and everyone comments. A smile counts and it goes a long way.

Now it’s your turn. Even if you smile only as often as your dog, you have the ability to teach yourself to communicate more effectively and sincerely. It requires a concerned effort and will feel very unnatural at first. It will feel like you’re not being “you”. That’s the good news! You’re becoming a better “you!”

Smiling comes very easily to me now. I feel as if I have made a great discovery and I am truly enjoying it. The other morning as I walked my two dogs in the park, I ran into a friend and he gave me a wonderful compliment. He said, “Sally, it’s good to see you. You always look so happy!”

That’s because …. I am.

Sacha Baron Cohen – This American Stand Up Comedian Loves You!

I must admit that after being a part of the stand up comedy world for so many years that it is refreshing to see someone make a mark so boldly and so globally. That’s really what it takes to be remembered and honored – something wildly “out there.” I find Sacha Baron Cohen’s boldness inspiring in a world that is so politically correct that it can no longer laugh and embrace its differences as both fun and funny.

This weekend there is a comedy fest in Chicago. There are so many comedians that they all tend to blend together. Their star might shine for a day or a year. The numbers alone beg the comparison of so much talent traveling their journey like commuters on a train.

Everyone wants to make a mark and that requires genius. I salute you Mr. Cohen for being fearless in a fearful world.

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Stand Up Comedy and Cerebral Palsy

This past weekend I appeared at Zanies Comedy Club with stand up comedian Josh Blue, who is the winner of the fourth season of “Last Comic Standing” – a televised competition among stand up comedians to evoke the most laughter with the best material. I was scheduled to host the show and having never met Josh Blue, I didn’t know what to expect. Josh Blue suffers from cerebral palsy. To borrow from Wikepedia, I give you a synopsis of this physical disorder:

“Non-contagious conditions that cause physical disability in human development. Cerebral refers to the cerebrum, which is the affected area of the brain (although the disorder most likely involves connections between the cortex and other parts of the brain such as the cerebellum), and palsy refers to disorder of movement. CP is caused by damage to the motor control centers of the developing brain.”
As it turns out, Josh suffers a “bad” arm (taken from the name of his CD) and a noticeable limp. He has difficulty talking. And yet, despite these conditions he is a superb writer and performer (and a very nice person). He is as funny as he is inspiring. He laughed at himself and spared no one including other handicapped people who were so happy to be recognized. “Let’s hear it from all the handicapped people out there. Clap! …. If you can,”  he shouted.

Josh should be an inspiration to all of us. He overcame a disability to partake in a career which includes a fear (of speaking in front of people) that is second only to death. Most inspiring was the “picture” session which followed the show. A line formed which included other handicapped individuals who were proud of their hero. They smiled in each photo as if to say, “He’s one of us!”

When is criticism appropriate in the workplace?

Never, ever, uh-uh, forgetta ‘bout it, nope, guess again, wrong, does not compute, system error…

 “Never criticize, condemn or complain.”  – Dale Carnegie

 Criticism is not appropriate in the workplace.  It will not accomplish your intended goals.

 What a shame!  It is so easy to do – simply find fault in a person and then make him or her feel really bad about it.  What is even more wonderful about criticism is that it is empowering.  Certainly you must be someone extra special if you can deliberately change the way a person is feeling, living and breathing in a just a moment of time.  There’s even a bonus round.  You can use it everywhere.  It is very adaptable.  You can use it on employees, on the neighbors, your spouse and the teenager in your house that sleeps too much.

In addition to performing as a stand up comedian, I teach classical piano.  It is interesting to note that both of my sisters took piano lessons from a very critical teacher when they were in school.  I took lessons from that same teacher but only continued my lessons with her for a few months.  My sisters stayed with her for years.  Who is still playing the piano today?  Yes.  It is me – the piano student who escaped the wrath of a critical teacher after only a few months time.

 I did learn something very important from those piano lessons.  Criticism has no place in an environment of learning or instruction and I will take it a step further – a place of productivity.

 When I teach piano lessons, it is my intention that my students leave the lesson feeling happier and more empowered than when they arrive.  How do your employees and peers leave your company?  Have you empowered them with new ideas?  Have you increased their sense of worth by offering instruction and encouragement?  Have you made a point of avoiding critical remarks so that negativity doesn’t come full circle – right back at you?

Criticism offers a temporary “rush” for the criticizer – nothing beyond that.  Rather, a guided hand, encouraging word and a patient instruction will reap benefits and rewards for years to come.

Live Your Private Dream

It’s an interesting combination- piano teacher by day; standup comedian by night. To tell you the truth, I went for years denying my comic abilities, never telling the other grade school moms about the person I really was. None of them knew I’d spent most of my life, six days a week and sometimes three shows a night, in smoky comedy clubs trying to make people laugh.

I didn’t want to admit my recent past because I felt too many negative connotations come to mind in the words “standup comedian” – drinking, drugs, lewd material and perhaps irresponsible parenting. Living my teenage years at an all-girl’s Catholic boarding school, I’d been engrained with a lifestyle that was not a match. And so I kept my past and dreams a secret.

I took off many years from standup comedy when my children were small. After my third child was born, I missed them all so much whenever I would go out to do a show at night. I continually thought, “Why am I here? I want to go home.” Eventually the desire to be with my children at night combined with a healthy dose of exhaustion convinced me that I could leave standup comedy and lead a “normal” life. In retrospect, the lesson learned is – never turn your back on your dream – it will catch up with you, if you’re lucky.

What happened in those years that I stayed away from the stage? I wrote and wrote and wrote. (Eventually that writing would become my first show entitled, “BIG PEOPLE, little people!”) It was easy to write. I found my children endlessly amusing – let’s change that to downright hilarious. I thought to myself, “What if adults acted like children?’ “How long would it take for an adult who acted like a child to be committed?” Maybe less than a minute?

My son wore his Power Ranger costume to the grocery store. If I did that nobody would think I was cute. They’d commit me. They’d call the authorities. They’d call 911. They’d say, “Bag Lady in Aisle 6!”

What if I started screaming in church and tried to run up the aisle? Nobody would say, “She’s kind of cranky today.” No! They’d hustle me out and everyone would be very “disturbed”.

What if I ate a spaghetti dinner and left the sauce all over my mouth and ran it through my hair? How do kids get away with this stuff!

And it made me laugh. And I wrote it down. And I’m still writing it down today.

Never turn your back on your dream. It is your greatest fulfillment.

The British Use Expressions that Make Americans Laugh

The British utter expressions that make Americans laugh.

First of all, the laugh I’m speaking of is a spirited laugh and the kind of laugh that begs you to skip to work after your morning coffee.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have been enthralled by the British accent and the amazing command over the English language that it exhibits. To this day, I find that imitating the sound is quite fun and sure to bring about a quick laugh at my own efforts. But most of all, I love to hear the words. These are words that Americans do not use, although they are very much a part of the English vocabulary. They are words and expressions that are funny to most Americans because we could not say them without being laughed at. Yet the British say them with remarkable finesse and make it all sound like a beautiful song.

“Carry on.” No American could say this and be taken seriously. I can only imagine the reflex reaction would be, “Carry on what?” “Carry on luggage?”

“It’s completely rubbish.” (One of my favorites. If an American hears this in the company of friends, he/she can’t help but repeat it and laugh at least a couple of times.)

“Cheerio” The only “cheerio” we know in America is the breakfast cereal of the same name.

“Tally Ho” – If I heard someone say “Tally Ho”, it would strike me as so funny I would “tally ho” everything that day. “Tally Ho” is a definite day brightener.

“Right Ho” – I’m noticing a pattern here. Maybe Americans just can’t seriously deliver the fancy “O” words.

Are women comedians as funny as men?

Whooa. I can answer that one for you. “Women aren’t funny!”

How do I know? I’ve heard male comedians make this broad statement as they measure their own self-worth as talent against this general entity known as “women.”

I can’t imagine this generalized statement being uttered aloud in another profession. Imagine two accountants talking in the lunchroom. “Women can’t add!”

Are there more funny male comedians? Absolutely! But then, again, there are simply many more male comedians (period)

Ironically, one of the greatest compliments I receive on a consistent basis is, “You write like a man.” In the comedy world, that’s a good thing. That means I’m not focused on joking about my body parts (which are most often described by female comedians without euphemisms) and I don’t swear like a sailor (sorry for the generalized statement about “sailors”).

As a female comedian, I must admit I set my sights high for what women need to achieve to be genuinely funny. Cheap laughs go a long way and it is a tempting path to take. Rather, I admire the women who bring me to tears within moments of speaking. I sense the connection to a humorous observation of the world. The self-deprecation is minimal and used only to equalize the playing field between audience and comedian. There is a command of the stage which results from have a respect for oneself.

Yes. I do believe women are funny, albeit in smaller numbers than men. I would be proud to stand up to those male comedians who irreverently proclaim “Women aren’t funny!” And to those accountants in the lunchroom I’d say, “Yes. Women can add!
They just can’t balance a checkbook.”

What role does humor play in your place of business?

I ask this question because humor in a place of business is just as important as it is at the beginning of speech, chatting among friends and in those first awkward moments on a comedy stage.

If you are a leader in your organization, you play a key role in maintaining an element of humor in the workplace. Humor attracts employees and humor makes employees want to stay.

I’ve often said if you want to look at the spirit of a company, look at its leader. The man or woman in charge determines the atmosphere and there is a trickle down effect. Show me an angry workforce and I’ll show you an angry leader. That leader may even come fully intact with an angry family, rebelling teenagers and a wife who no longer smiles. Would it be redundant to question if he/she has been bitten by their own dog?

Are you a leader who complains about your workforce? Look in the mirror. Something is not right and it is best to go right to the source. You will not have the ability to change others without first changing yourself. If you are depressed, upset and angry often, you are attracting more of YOU!

I have even seen comedy clubs that are run by bitter people. As a result, the waitstaff is bitter, the office staff is grumbling and the young comedians don’t want to “hang around.”

On the other hand, I have performed in comedy clubs where the manager stands at the front door and tells jokes to the crowd as they enter. The place is booming and that club becomes known as the place to be!

What kind of environment do you offer? Take the first step and smile! Take the second step and offer a compliment, rather than a criticism. Take the third step and try out a new joke. Everyone will love you for it!

The Five Most Common Mistakes that New Stand Up Comedians Make on Stage

You’ve always dreamed of making people laugh. Your friends tell you that you are “absolutely hilarious” and you want to take the leap of faith that strangers might think you are funny too. After days and/or weeks and/or years of dwelling on the prospect of taking the stage, you gather up the courage to attend a new talent night at a local comedy club. This could be your first step on the road to becoming a professional comedian. Will you do it right?

Remember to avoid the five most common pitfalls of a new talent.

(1) Don’t rush. Most new comedians are commanded by their nerves and those nerves don’t want to take the time to say “Hi! How are you?” The general tendency is to launch into jokes at a high rate of speed. It leaves the audience wondering, “Who are you? And why are you here?”

(2) Don’t “wing it” – There is always the “funny guy around the office” who thinks he can “wing it” just as he does in the lunch room. Getting on stage demands preparation – better to find out sooner than later.

(3) Dress like a professional. While not all comedy is suited for a sports jacket, your attire should match your character. It should not say, “I just woke up.”

(4) Forget the “f” bomb. This is one of the biggest crutches that new comedians use. Learn to write funny material without it. This exhibits true skill.

(5) Look at your audience. New comedians often find it difficult to look directly at their audience and talk to them like they are goods friends. An audience can smell fear when a comedian won’t communicate directly. It is so important to be confident – even if it requires your best acting skills.

Only repetition brings out a true comedian’s inner star. With repetition comes better material (through editing) and more consistent laughter. That, in turn, breeds a strong stage presence which is the key to that solid performance. “Break a leg!”
Sally Edwards – President – Humorous Speakers Bureau