I Graduated Improv Comedy School
I just graduated from improv comedy school. 🙃
Here's what I learned from the last 12 months.
The very nature of improv comedy is that it is improvisational, unscripted, and has zero predictability or certainty. This alone would strike fear into the hearts of most people.
While most people talk about "stepping out of your comfort zone" by sharing memes and inspirational words about the topic, enrolling in comedy school actually best exemplifies practicing what you preach.
Compared to public speaking, Toastmasters, standing on stages with thousands in attendance, doing improv is far more challenging and uncomfortable. That's why I signed up!
Here's why improv is more challenging than public speaking.
When you practice public speaking, you get to plan your opening statement, plan your stories, and plan your closing segments. You also are continually refining your voice, your character, your persona, thus your brand.
While these exact same things exist in doing stand-up, scripted comedy, none of that exists in improv.
With improv, you don't get to pick your character, your persona, your voice, or the storyline. Most of those get assigned to you by your stage mates, and then you must build the story together, on the fly. Sometimes you might play the role of an elderly grandmother, a small child, or even an inanimate object... and have to act those roles out.
Improv forces you to become an effective listener. You must listen for details and clues from your stage mate, and be able to weave those details into a narrative and expand upon them. This alone has made me a better podcast host. I actively listen for details when guests speak, and expand further on topics or ideas.
As with any skill, there are too many strategies, tactics, and lessons to share in a simple post, but my main takeaways are that improv will force you out of your comfort zone, force you to become a detailed listener, force you to think quicker, force you to be more creative and think abstractly about ideas others won't see.
The end result is that when you know you can become confident stepping on that comedy stage, owning whatever character gets thrown your way, embracing uncertainty, this makes it much easier for you to accept your true self and who you are, in the more scripted/planned areas of your life.
If the thought of this scares you, that's the reason you should do it.
Tony
If you are in the Houston Texas area, this is the school I attended: Station Theater
Why Your Brand Sucks - with David Brier - EP 266
Social media is a very useful tool for attracting your ideal audience and networking, but so many entrepreneurs aren’t using it in the right way and leveraging its power for good. Today’s guest is here to tell us everything we are doing wrong with social media.
David Brier has been called a “mad genius” by the incredible Claude Silver of VaynerMedia, “brilliant with branding” by Shark Tank’s Daymond John, and “a branding genius” by Grant Cardone. David is the recipient of over 330 international awards in design and branding, and he is also the author of the “branding bible,” his #1 Amazon bestselling book, “BRAND INTERVENTION, 33 Steps to Transform the Brand You Have Into the Brand You Need.”
In this episode, David is candid about his thoughts regarding current social media trends, why you should stop being an echo chamber of someone else, and why so many entrepreneurs are focusing on the wrong metrics. David and Tony share how to build authentic relationships and build a network, and why you should stop giving your energy to people on social media that aren’t paying attention to you. With so much noise out there on social media, in this episode, you will get the truth about how you should be using it to build your brand and legacy.
Key highlights:
- Why David believes people don’t need to be motivated
- David’s thoughts on current social media trends
- How not to become an echo chamber of someone else on social media
- The difference between fame and legacy and why so many entrepreneurs are focusing on the wrong metrics
- Why you should put positive energy out there and acknowledge people’s positive efforts
- How Tony built online businesses just by answering people’s questions
- Why you should stop giving energy to people that aren’t paying attention to you
- If you want to connect with someone you look up to, build relationship capital first, and don’t ask for something first
- Who is doing things right on social media and what are they doing?
- Why you should be focusing on making reels
- What leveraging really means
Connect with David:
Website: risingabovethenoise.com
Instagram: @risingabovethenoise
Twitter: @davidbrier
LinkedIn: David Brier
David's book: Brand Intervention: 33 Steps to Transform the Brand You Have into the Brand You Need
Connect with Tony:
Instagram: @365driven
Facebook
LinkedIn
How To Live An Interesting Life - with Tony Whatley - EP265
Host Tony Whatley celebrates 4 years of this podcast, and shares how we can all decide to live a more interesting life.
Thank you for being part of this journey. If you enjoy the show, tell your friends about it!
Follow / Contact Tony on Instagram @365driven
Become Your True Self - with Mike Fallat - EP 264
You may have heard before that being an entrepreneur is a constant journey of self-development and self-discovery, and you might feel like you are still on that path to discovering what aligns with your true identity. Being yourself and projecting your unique personality and talents to the world, will attract colleagues, collaborators, and customers that are also aligned with your mission. In this episode, Tony talks to Mike Fallat about their transformations through the last couple of years and becoming more aligned with their true values and identity.
Mike Fallat is the owner of Dreamstarters Publishing & The Million Dollar Book Agency, and he helps entrepreneurs get their books published and show them how to use their books as a gateway to revenue streams.
In this episode, Mike and Tony share advice about listening to your instinct regarding people you should be connecting with and spending energy on, how to appear more confident when connecting with others, and how to guard your schedule to avoid a constant feeling of overwhelm and a never-ending to-do list. Mike also dives into what writing a book can do for your social proof. Tune in to hear more!
Key highlights:
- People that keep moving forward are what inspire people
- Are you choosing your wardrobe trying to impress other people?
- On your entrepreneurial journey, you might start out not knowing yourself
- Tony’s advice to appear more confident and trusting when connecting with others
- Mike’s advice for connecting with people and being memorable
- Mike becoming his true self
- The shift that happened in 2020
- Getting over the hurdle of being an outcast
- Listening to your instinct regarding other people’s energy and being able to make quick decisions in your business
- Making moves after attending an event or mastermind
- How will you guard your time?
- Tips for getting started with writing your book
- How to manage your energy and get your day started the way that works for you
- Overcoming imposter syndrome
- How writing a book will help you reach your audience
- The social proof you get from writing a book
Quote from the episode:
“Your income is directly tied to how well you articulate your solutions.”
Episode resources:
Book: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Book: Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill
Book: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
Connect with Mike:
Inner Circle podcast
Instagram: @milliondollarbookpro
Facebook: Million Dollar Book Pro
Website: dreamstarterspublishing.com
Website: milliondollarbookpro.com
TikTok: @milliondollarbookpro
Connect with Tony:
Instagram: @365driven
Facebook
LinkedIn
Friendly Reminders to a Million People - with Scott Tatum - EP 263
We have all heard the phrase, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” Sometimes as business owners, we pour ourselves into our business and try to give what we can for our families, and this might leave nothing left for ourselves. Today’s guest emphasizes the importance of being a “self-care savage” and going down the path of becoming mentally independent by doing the critical mindset work.
Scott Tatum is the founder of @UcanOutdoors, and he delivers daily “Friendly Reminders” via Instagram and TikTok where he has over 1 million followers combined, and over 6 million views on his quick and inspiring videos. From his Friendly Reminders, Scott reminds us that self-care and taking accountability for your own self-growth are vital to well-being and healing. Scott is a Nomad/Hiker/Explorer/Outdoor enthusiast advocating for Self Care, Mental Health, and our Public Lands. Scott utilizes the outdoors for his own form of therapy to heal the mind, body, and soul, which inspired him to spread his message to others.
In this episode, Scott shares his story of being stuck in a cycle of self-sabotage and feeling like he was close to giving up hope in life. Through getting in touch with nature, he connected with himself and believes nature is the antidote for healing. Sometimes changing our surroundings can be such a powerful tool that aids in helping us connect to who we truly are, and undoing the beliefs that have been ingrained in us since childhood. Tune in for a powerful episode!
- How Scott utilizes outdoors as a form of therapy
- How he got started making videos
- Scott’s advice for getting started with social media and stop worrying about what others will think
- We all have trauma and damage from the past and we need to deal with it because we carry it every day
- You cannot be your best for people if you're not your best for yourself
- What Scott would tell his younger self
- Where Tony got his confidence
- It is hard to build confidence if you haven’t dealt with what is holding you back
- We were a sponge to the beliefs around us as kids and we have to question if those beliefs are serving us currently
- How Scott got past the negative feelings toward a difficult childhood
- Look inward instead of continuing to look at everyone else and copy them
- How Scott got out of his cycle of self-sabotage by connecting with nature and how it saved his life
- The importance of connecting to nature and isolating
Catch Scott's impactful friendly reminders:
Instagram: @ucanoutdoors
TikTok: @ucanoutdoors
Facebook: Ucan Outdoors
LinkedIn: Scott T.
Connect with Tony:
Instagram: @365driven
Facebook
LinkedIn
Don't Tolerate Them Just Because...
You likely share common interests or hobbies with negative or toxic people. This doesn't mean you should remain friends with them.
As I approach age 50, this has been one of my more recent realizations over the last few years. I'm not sure why it took me so long to come to this conclusion, so I hope this helps you reach the awareness much sooner.
It's common for us to find others with similar interests, and we initially enjoy those early conversations, events, and activities with these people. We don't know much about them, other than we have something in common, so we think they must be cool, too.
That's not always the case. In every group of people, there will always be a few that lack integrity, are dishonest, envious, manipulators, unethical, thieves, and any other negatives you might think of. The good/bad ratios aren't any different from a normal population of people.
For some reason, we tend to tolerate the negative behaviors, actions, and words more, from those we share interests with. Is it because we feel like we are part of a tribe, and don't want to lose access to the tribe? Perhaps.
In the past, I used to tolerate fellow car enthusiasts and racers. Some of these connections were 20+ years deep. I knew some of them weren't good people, but I didn't want to rock any boats.
Nowadays I assess each person in my life and my proximity, on an individual basis. I couldn't give one shit what we have in common.
If I see too many negative words, actions, and behaviors, that's a pattern. It reveals your character, your insecurities, and your intentions. I don't tolerate it, and I'll create boundaries and remove you.
I hope this message raises your awareness. Don't hold onto people based on how long you've known them. Don't hold onto people because you share an interest. People change, and you should also change - by improving.
Tony
Real Success Isn't About Money - with Wylie McGraw - EP 262
With the constant bombardment of advice on how to be successful whether it’s a video on social media, a new book, or a seminar, it can be challenging to figure out what success actually means to you. You might hear that success requires doing whatever it takes, no matter how you feel about it, but today's guest is here to provide a very different perspective on success and what it means to live a truly fulfilled life.
Wylie McGraw is a performance accelerator and he helps leaders of fortune 500 companies and other organizations to enhance their leadership and avoid burnout.
In this episode, Wylie explains how you can harness your fear and turn it into something you can use instead of letting it control you and hold you back from doing things that will force you to grow and showcase your unique talents. Wylie also shares his definition of success, and it has nothing to do with money. He works with highly successful people that are miserable because they have built their success on the backs of unresolved stress, and never took the time to take a deep dive into themselves to figure out what really matters to them. You won’t regret not making more money, but you will regret not becoming the best version of yourself. Tune in to hear the truth about what real success looks like.
Key highlights
- Introduction to Wylie and his background in bull riding
- Wylie’s advice for people that retreat when they are scared
- The only want to grow is to embrace uncomfortable situations and use the power of fear and harness it
- How Wylie defines success
- Wylie’s experience in the military
- Embracing our unique qualities and where our performance is maximized
- Seek environments that challenge you and expose who you are
- We should want to emulate how well someone is living their life not how much they have achieved
- Tony’s thoughts on a popular social media post complaining about being a small business owner
- Tony’s thoughts on Dave Chapelle's most recent special
- No financial milestone will make you happy if you don't address everything else going on inside you
- Failure is in its own way success because it means you’re learning
- The truest value of life is peace and freedom
- Overconsumption of everyone else’s content will lead to stifled feelings
Connect with Wylie:
Website: wileymcgraw.com
Website with exclusive content for podcast listeners: yourperformancevault.com
LinkedIn: Wiley McGraw
Twitter: @wileymcgraw
Connect with Tony:
Instagram: @365driven
Facebook
LinkedIn