C.V.

Humor

Comedians Will Be the Last People to Lose Their Jobs to Robots: Learn from the World’s Funniest People

The following is adapted from Shtick to Business: What the Masters of Comedy Can Teach You about Breaking Rules, Being Fearless, and Building a Serious Career. (Royalty free image: https://www.pexels.com/photo/interior-of-office-building-325229/, Credit: Pexels / Manuel Geissinger) The industrial revolution is in its fourth phase. The first phase introduced the steam engine.

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When Acting Like a Comedian Will Get You in Trouble

The following is adapted from Shtick to Business: What the Masters of Comedy Can Teach You about Breaking Rules, Being Fearless, and Building a Serious Career. (Handout/MCT) Who doesn’t want to be the funniest person in the office? But as a behavioral economist turned humor researcher, I have stopped encouraging

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Why Vaudeville Was the Epitome of the Lean Startup

The following is adapted from Shtick to Business: What the Masters of Comedy Can Teach You about Breaking Rules, Being Fearless, and Building a Serious Career. (Kobal/REX/Shutterstock) There is a saying in Silicon Valley, “Launch early and often.”  To be successful launching early and often, it is critical to limit

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Pick a Fight: How Controversy Earn Fans for Your Brand

The following is adapted from Shtick to Business: What the Masters of Comedy Can Teach You about Breaking Rules, Being Fearless, and Building a Serious Career. Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen offended some people with his lime-green mankini-wearing character Borat, but he was too busy listening to the people he made

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Q: What is the opposite of brainstorming? A: Sh*tstorming

As you know, I have a new book. (Pro-tip: don’t launch a book during a pandemic.) In any case, I gave a talk about it today and presented the concept of shitstorming (or the HR-friendly name “shtickstorming“). What is shitstorming? Here is the passage from Chapter 1 (Reverse it.) that

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Working Remotely or Not, Operate Like an Improv Team

Working Remotely or Not, Operate Like an Improv Team The following is adapted from Shtick to Business. With the pandemic in play, millions of workers all over the world have been suddenly ousted from their normal workplaces. When a team that usually works face to face is forced to rapidly

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SOLO | Kristina Scharp | Family Estrangement
Podcast - Solo

Family Estrangement

  In this episode, Peter McGraw invites two guests to tackle the complex and emotionally charged topic of family estrangement, as requested by several members

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Podcast - I'm Not Joking

Curtain Call

  Welcome to the final episode of I’M NOT JOKING. Comedian JD Lopez returns from Episode 1 to debrief and reflect on Peter’s experience building

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