Greg Schwem is a corporate comedian, humorous business speaker and professional host for the business world. This blog is one in an occasional series about his profession.
Would you ever approach Jordan Spieth at the Masters and say, “Mind if I hit this drive for you?”
Or knock on the cockpit door as the pilots are going over their pre-flight checklists and say, “Slide over. I think I can get this thing to San Francisco.”
Or approach the heart surgeon scrubbing in for surgery and ask if it would be okay to assist in the transplant?
Didn’t think so.
Yet, for reasons, I have never been able to figure out, EVERYBODY thinks they are have the ability to be funny, Oh, how I wish that were so for it would make it so much easier to stomach the 2016 political debates. But before you decide (after a few drinks at the bar) that you can get in front of your peers at work and host that awards ceremony, provide the laughter at an offsite business meeting or even open the company shareholders conference with a joke that you feel is SO funny that it will entice the entire audience to purchase MORE stock, take this handy “How to be a Corporate Comedian” quiz: (Note: You must answer ALL questions in the affirmative)
- Are you just as funny at 8 a.m. as you are at 10 p.m.?
- Do you relish the idea of having everybody snicker at you throughout the meeting and say, under their breath, “Wow, did that guy suck?”
- Have you ever attempted to make people laugh without the aid of liquor? How did that work out?
- Do you have another job lined up in case your, um, interesting comedy performance results in your termination?
- Are you certifiably insane?
With the possible exception of question five, I can answer yes to all of them. (Well, sort of. My wife answered the final question for me. And I’ve never been terminated.) Which is why I have chosen to make people laugh in the business world. It’s a far cry from the smoky, liquor-infested world of comedy clubs, where I honed my craft for several years before transitioning to the corporate stage. But it’s where I feel most comfortable.
In addition to writing blog posts pulled directly from my syndicated humor columns, I will occasionally use this forum to post blogs about my experiences making the business community laugh. I hope you enjoy them. But please don’t get any ideas about wanting to try it yourself. I don’t need the competition.
