Comedy Disguised as Wisdom, Wisdom Disguised as Comedy
Jim Lauria
Adam Tank’s recent LinkedIn articles about the value of an online writing course and the training to make better presentations really inspired me. So I decided to post about the unique coaching I have received over the last number of years from Steve Bhaerman, professional comedian and humor coach, who some people have called a modern day Mark Twain.
The training around his “comedy disguised as wisdom, wisdom disguised as comedy” philosophy has provided the following results…
· He has taught me how to hear, see and think funny in a strategic way by tapping into my own natural sense of humor.
· Working together to humorize my messages has better differentiated me in my writing, presentations and on social media.
· The editing he has done on my articles and books has improved their reception with my intended audiences.
· Besides helping with my comedic timing, he has also trained me when not to be funny so I can avoid “foot-in-mouth disease” and keep from writing something inappropriate or that might offend someone.
· He’s encouraged me to commit random acts of comedy, like the humorous snippets I’ve posted on LinkedIn that have garnered thousands of views and hundreds of likes and comments.
· He has guided me to use humor as a creativity tool – “going from haha to aha” as he calls it – to generate fresh ideas and spark the eureka moment of discovering something previously unknown.
· His vast knowledge of current events, world history and popular culture has allowed him to connect with me on so many levels and relate to my broad range of personal and business goals.
Besides the valuable benefits listed above, working with Steve is great fun. I always look forward to my sessions with him…they are one of my favorite blocks of time on my calendar!
And especially now, I need him more than ever. I plan to take his coaching and do my part to bring a little levity to the gravity of these uncertain times.