Finding the Funny: Leadership Tips From a Comedian

Recovering From Mistakes Like a Comedian, part 4

October 01, 2020 10:00 - 2 minutes - 1.72 MB

I once heard Jay Leno say that he never looks at a tape of a bad show. He said why would I look at that, that's not what I wanted to do. This week we're talking about how to handling mistakes, and my tip today is to ignore it. I know that sounds simple, but really, no amount of worrying about it or feeling bad about it is going to change the fact that something didn't go well. But if you keep focusing on it, you're just going to screw up the future things you're working on if you don't...

Recovering From Mistakes Like a Comedian, part 3

September 30, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.2 MB

Any comedian who says they've never bombed is lying. In fact we have a lot of fun with each other when something doesn't go right on stage. If you're a comedian and you get off stage and another comedian says, hey nice speech. That is not a compliment! This week I’m talking about handling mistakes, and my tip today is, when you make a mistake, connect with your network. Comedians talk with each other more about the bad shows than they do about the good ones. It gives us a sense of cama...

Recovering From Mistakes Like a Comedian, part 2

September 29, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.34 MB

I've opened for some big name celebrities – comedians and singers. Usually things are good, but sometimes things are a little chaotic. I once opened for a famous singer, and it was confusion and disorientating backstage. . . nobody knew what was going on and nobody would give me the time of day. When I was sent out on stage, without any introduction or anything, I immediately realized that I wasn't there to warm the crowd up, I was there to settle them down. Because as much confusion as ther...

Recovering From Mistakes Like a Comedian

September 28, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.31 MB

Comedians learn our jobs by bombing and failing a lot. We go up at an open mic, and that's where we practice our stage presence, our timing and see if our jokes work. No other profession does this? There's no open scalpel night at the hospital is there. Come on down. By day he's a plumber, but tonight he's going to try his hand at open heart surgery! And by the way, don't tell my health insurance company about this idea. ..they'll probably try it. This week I'm talking about how to han...

Sunday Funnies . . . Clean Comedy Live

September 27, 2020 10:00 - 56 seconds - 1010 KB

It's funny business! Learn leadership & business skills to deal with people & handle life's curveballs. A professional comedian offers laughs & practical tips. Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio...

writing jokes for Leno

September 26, 2020 10:00 - 2 minutes - 2.14 MB

It's funny business! Learn leadership & business skills to deal with people & handle life's curveballs. A professional comedian offers laughs & practical tips. Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio...

cruising the high seas with comedy

September 25, 2020 10:00 - 5 minutes - 3.97 MB

It's funny business! Learn leadership & business skills to deal with people & handle life's curveballs. A professional comedian offers laughs & practical tips. Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio...

a Handful of comedy comment cards

September 24, 2020 10:00 - 4 minutes - 3.69 MB

It's funny business! Learn leadership & business skills to deal with people & handle life's curveballs. A professional comedian offers laughs & practical tips. Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio...

Clean Versus Dirty Comedy

September 23, 2020 10:00 - 5 minutes - 3.97 MB

It's funny business! Learn leadership & business skills to deal with people & handle life's curveballs. A professional comedian offers laughs & practical tips. Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio...

a comedy show with 1500 people and me.

September 22, 2020 10:00 - 5 minutes - 3.96 MB

It's funny business! Learn leadership & business skills to deal with people & handle life's curveballs. A professional comedian offers laughs & practical tips. Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio...

Stupid Ideas For Comedy

September 21, 2020 10:00 - 4 minutes - 3.47 MB

It's funny business! Learn leadership & business skills to deal with people & handle life's curveballs. A professional comedian offers laughs & practical tips. Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio...

Sunday Funnies, clean comedy live

September 20, 2020 10:00 - 46 seconds - 883 KB

I think I actually had that thought when I was in my marketing job. I talked about using statistics in yesterdays humor tip, so that's an example of how I did it. I hope you're having a wonderful Sunday. If you want to hear stories from my comedy career, check out my short podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. It's called Comedian Stories. I kick off with a joke, tell a short 3 or 4 minute story, and end with a take-away tip from what I learned. All under 5 minutes. That's it ...

Humor Rules, how to write humor

September 19, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.19 MB

And it's the Saturday edition of Finding the Funny, which means I'll be giving you a tip to find the funny yourself! I've written for everyone from the Tonight Show to radio, syndicated cartoon strips, CEO's, companies like airline food vendors. I now travel the country showing organizations how to use humor in business. So here's your 60 second tip. . . Use statistics. They may be boring, but they are your friend in comedy. Make them up or find out ones. If you find out that 60% of pe...

Humor Rules, part 2

September 15, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.3 MB

Years ago I got to do comedy in front of 500 blind merchant. I was the only sighted person in the room, so of course as a comedian, the first thing I want to say when I get on stage is "hey, I'm naked!" But I didn't. Why? Okay, maybe it's a bad visual, but also they had put in my contract that they have heard every blind joke on the planet, so I can't do them. Period. They had a GREAT sense of humor, but they've heard all the blind jokes they want to hear. My tips this week are on humo...

Sunday Funnies

September 13, 2020 10:00 - 46 seconds - 878 KB

The won custody punchline wasn't the original punchline. My communications tips this week tell you how I get a little information over to you so that you get the joke. Check them out. And if you want to hear short stories from my comedy travels, check out my podcast – Comedian Stories. It's a very short podcast, under 5 minutes. I kick it off with a joke, tell a quick story and end with a take-away tip of what I learned. That's it for today. Take care and enjoy your journey. ...

How to Excel When You're Not the Best, part 5

September 04, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.51 MB

I know comedians who have flown into the town that they were performing in, didn't like the hotel or apartment that they were put up in, so they left. The club was stuck without a comedian for the night. The comic left because he could. He had another income – his wife. My tips this week are on how to succeed even if you're not the top player in your profession, and today my tip is. . . if you want to succeed, even though you aren't the best, do not rely on anyone else. I think much of...

How to Excel When You're Not the Best, part 4

September 03, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.15 MB

I got one of the nicest compliments from Mark Ridley who owns the Comedy Castle comedy club in Royal Oak, Michigan. He said he appreciated that I was professional, I showed up on time, I did the time I said I'd do on stage and that I didn't drink up all the free beer at the bar. This week we're talking tips to get ahead, even if you aren't the most talented in your field. And my tip today is to watch what you do behind the scenes. I didn't figure I'd be Jay Leno, but I still wanted a ...

How to Excel When You're Not the Best, part 3

September 02, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.37 MB

I was lucky enough to get in working with a lot of speakers bureaus early in my comedy career. They booked me into a lot of corporate gigs and I moved out of the comedy clubs and into better paying, better travel gigs. There were agents who really liked me, and after a few years I came out with an updated video tape. Of course I wanted feedback on it, so I sent it out to the agent. And never heard anything, not a peep. So I called one of them. I got the guy on the phone, and I asked him if h...

How to Excel When You're Not the Best, part 2

September 01, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.45 MB

The emcee at the comedy club is the low man on the totem pole. They don't get paid much, they don't get much time on the show, they have to go out first to warm up the crowd, and pretty much every time they're on stage, something else is happening – people are taking a bathroom break or ordering drinks or food. It's a thankless job and it's at the bottom. This week we're talking about tips for succeeding even if you aren't the best person at what you're doing. And today's tip – use you...

How to Excel When You're Not the Best

August 31, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.39 MB

I heard a comedy writer once say that he got out of stand up comedy because he heard a famous comedian's act and he thought "I'll never be as good as that guy." So he left standup comedy, and went into comedy writing. On the one hand, that's nuts to get out of something that you really want to do just because you won't ever be at the tip top. Not every comedian can be Jerry Seinfeld, but if you want to do it, you should still do it! But he did something that was not nuts . . . he found anoth...

Sunday Funnies - clean comedy live

August 30, 2020 10:00 - 50 seconds - 946 KB

Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio, TV, syndicated cartoon strips, and even guests on the Jerry Springer show (her parents are proud). For over 25+ years she’s traveled country as a comedian, keynote sp...

Maxipad Comedy

August 29, 2020 10:00 - 3 minutes - 2.99 MB

Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio, TV, syndicated cartoon strips, and even guests on the Jerry Springer show (her parents are proud). For over 25+ years she’s traveled country as a comedian, keynote sp...

Jay Leno Comedy Challenge Podcast

August 28, 2020 10:00 - 5 minutes - 4.03 MB

Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio, TV, syndicated cartoon strips, and even guests on the Jerry Springer show (her parents are proud). For over 25+ years she’s traveled country as a comedian, keynote sp...

Hollywood Extra Work Podcast

August 27, 2020 10:00 - 5 minutes - 4.08 MB

Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio, TV, syndicated cartoon strips, and even guests on the Jerry Springer show (her parents are proud). For over 25+ years she’s traveled country as a comedian, keynote sp...

Emceeing for Companies

August 26, 2020 10:00 - 5 minutes - 3.99 MB

Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio, TV, syndicated cartoon strips, and even guests on the Jerry Springer show (her parents are proud). For over 25+ years she’s traveled country as a comedian, keynote sp...

Comedy One-Nighters Podcast

August 25, 2020 10:00 - 4 minutes - 3.58 MB

Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio, TV, syndicated cartoon strips, and even guests on the Jerry Springer show (her parents are proud). For over 25+ years she’s traveled country as a comedian, keynote speake...

A Cher Concert Podcast

August 24, 2020 10:00 - 4 minutes - 3.2 MB

Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio, TV, syndicated cartoon strips, and even guests on the Jerry Springer show (her parents are proud). For over 25+ years she’s traveled country as a comedian, keynote sp...

How to Make a Big Life Change

August 21, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.43 MB

About 2 years into living in LA, I ran into a comedy buddy Ian Salmon, from my open mic days in DC. He gave me the biggest compliment. He said Jan McInnis, you're the only one who did what she said she was going to do. Everyone talks, but you did it. You said you were going to quit your job, you did it. You said you were going to move to LA. You did it. It was a huge compliment. People always ask me "was it hard to quit my day job – a secure career actually – and go into a not-so-secur...

How to Make a Big Life Change, part 4

August 20, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.36 MB

At my marketing job, every day at 3:58 pm, my boss would stand outside my office, presumably checking his mail. And every day at 4 pm, I would walk out of my office, say good night, and leave at the time I was supposed to leave. The subtle message I was being given was that he knew I was not working overtime. And that I was leaving on the dot. But I knew that my priorities had changed. I hadn't given my notice yet, but I had decided to leave my job for a career in comedy. And while I worked ...

How to Make Big Life Changes, part 2

August 18, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.36 MB

Before I left my day job 25 years ago, Costco wasn't popular and it wasn't the go to store like it is today. There were some food wholesale grocery stores but they were very different. Sure the food was cheap, but it was also picked over, and it was displayed in boxes that they just opened up and put on the floor. It was a depressing place to shop, and it made you feel like you were poor and desperate for a bargain. But I shopped there even though I had a great job and I could afford regular...

How to Make Big Life Changes

August 17, 2020 10:00 - 2 minutes - 1.74 MB

. I made a huge life change from marketing career to comedian. People ask me how did I do it. So this week I'm talking about some of the steps I took to make this huge life change. It goes back to summers between college, I was a tour guide in Washington, D.C., and I was great at it! I made up jokes and goofed around with the tourists, and I could remember all the city’s facts and figures. There was another guide though who was a lot older than me, and while she was personable and swe...

Memory Techniques, part 5

August 14, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.44 MB

Milk bath, raspberry relaxer, seaweed conditioner, vanilla bean dip conditioner! These are all in the set up of one of my jokes – listen to it on Sunday. That list is a lot to remember and I say it fast. But how do I possibly remember that joke. Well, this week I'm talking about memory techniques, and while I've mentioned, repeating it fast, sleeping on it, and other things, it's still hard to remember things that are in a long list. My tip today is to put that list into some kind of o...

Memory Techniques, part 4

August 13, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.95 MB

It's Zanies comedy club in Chicago, IL – a big club. It's 1 a.m. when I get onstage to close out the third show. The crowd is younger than me, and I'm tired. Three 45 minute shows doesn't sound like a lot, but it IS. I head into my act, the one I've done a lot, and boom. I repeat 3 jokes! The crowd still laughed, but I caught it! I forgot those jokes seconds after I said them because I didn't do them in the same order. I'm talking about memory techniques this week, and my memory tip to...

Memory Techniques, part 3

August 12, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 2.3 MB

. I always kick off my corporate comedy shows with a few jokes about the group to connect with them instantly. At my first big event I was in front of 500 mushroom growers in Las Vegas. Their biggest competitor had bought up a dozen mushroom farms, over extended himself, and went out of business. The group was happy about that – more business for them! I had written new jokes about it to kick off the show. So I hopped on stage and immediately . . . blanked. I couldn't remember any of the ne...

Memory Techniques, part 2

August 11, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.47 MB

2 I have a reoccurring dream that I'm onstage and I forget my comedy act. I always wake up before I figure out what to do. Luckily that's never happened because I work hard at remembering it . . . especially new jokes. I do a lot of jokes – 3 or 4 a minute, and so when I add in a new one in, it's hard. I’m in a rhythm of saying the ones I've done forever, you know joke, joke, joke. And then I hit the new one and I don't want to have to break the rhythm to remember it. This week's the...

Memory Techniques

August 10, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.88 MB

. I met a guy in college my freshman year, and we ended up being friends. Not close friends, but we were in the same major and so we'd see each other around campus. Immediately after I met him, I forgot his name. I was too naive and embarrassed to ask him again, so I spent 4 years trying to remember it. Every time we'd meet, he'd say Hello Jan and I'd say how's it going, or great to see you. At a big end of year party my senior year, he came up to me and gave me a big hug . . .and said...

Finding the Funny - live clean comedy

August 09, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 983 KB

That's pretty much the first joke I ever came up with– I actually said it to a makeup lady. If you want to know one way comedians come up with the humor, listen to Saturday's humor tip. I think you can just say Alexa previous. And if you want to hear short stories from my comedy travels, check out my podcast – Comedian Stories. It's a very short podcast, under 5 minutes. I kick it off with a joke, tell a quick story and end with a take-away tip of what I learned. That's it fo...

Finding the Funny - how to write humor

August 08, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.56 MB

And it's the Saturday edition of Finding the Funny, which means I'll be giving you a tip to find the funny yourself! I've written for everyone from Jay Leno's Tonight Show monologue to radio, syndicated cartoon strips, CEO's, companies like wart removal cream makers, and even guests on the Jerry Springer show (my parents are proud). I now travel the country showing people how to use humor in business. So here's your 60 second tip – if you want to find the funny in a situation, ask ques...

Finding the Funny - Introductions, part 5

August 07, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.83 MB

I do a lot of work humor so my website is Work lady.com and sometimes I'm introduced at events as the work lady. But a few times I've been introduced as the Working Girl. That's a whole other profession. People are wondering what kind of entertainment they hired. And my knee jerk reaction is to correct them before I start getting offers. But really there are other choices. I can ignore it. . .which is what I do if I don't have much time on stage. Just move on and presume they'll forget...

Finding the Funny - Introductions, part 4

August 06, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.83 MB

I once got a painful introduction where the lady introducing me read the email that I sent her to get the gig. She's telling them all the reasons they should hire me. People are looking over at me like are we voting on this? Jan's standing right there. I'm like, I'm going on stage . . I flew here. And at one event, the person introducing me read my 3-page bio instead of my 3-sentence introduction. My bio is all the stuff my mom likes to hear about. . . the audience who doesn't know me, not ...

Finding the Funny - Introductions, part 3

August 05, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 2.28 MB

Shut the hell up. We've got a comedian here and she's really funny! Now shut the hell up! And with that crappy introduction I took to the stage. Sure everyone got quiet – because they were screamed at and ordered to. And now the pressure is on . . .I'd better be really funny. In fact, I'd better be funnier than the things they were just laughing about with their friends. I get it that the guy was trying to get them focused. But screaming at the audience and telling 'em that they have t...

Finding the Funny - introductions, part 2

August 04, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 2.02 MB

I've had some bad introductions over the years. One woman read my jokes. She's out there getting laughs with them, I'm backstage wondering how I'm going to say them in a few minutes. Another guy said "these jokes are so funny, I just have to say them" no you don't. My tips this week are on introductions, and I've gotten some doozies over the years. You will have introductions, even if they aren't from the stage. Make sure they're done right. I realize that some of these bad introductio...

Finding the Funny - Bad Introductions

August 03, 2020 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.42 MB

And now coming to the stage is a writer for Reader's digest. I actually got that as my introduction once. People are staring at me like, can't anyone write for that? You just send in an article. The guy introducing me was trying really hard. He remembered that I'd written for big things, but he was so nervous that he forgot that it was Jay Leno on the tonight show and radio and syndicated cartoon strips. He tried to wing it. . .and that's what his brain came up with. It's appropriate t...

Sunday Funnies - live clean comedy

August 02, 2020 10:00 - 34 seconds - 630 KB

It's funny business! Learn leadership & business skills to deal with people & handle life's curveballs. A professional comedian offers laughs & practical tips. Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio, TV, syndicated car...

Being a Woman in Comedy

August 01, 2020 10:00 - 3 minutes - 2.7 MB

It's funny business! Learn leadership & business skills to deal with people & handle life's curveballs. A professional comedian offers laughs & practical tips. Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio, TV, syndicated car...

Dolly Parton Helps a Comedian

July 31, 2020 10:00 - 4 minutes - 3.45 MB

It's funny business! Learn leadership & business skills to deal with people & handle life's curveballs. A professional comedian offers laughs & practical tips. Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio, TV, syndicated car...

The Laugh Factory in LA

July 30, 2020 10:00 - 5 minutes - 3.67 MB

It's funny business! Learn leadership & business skills to deal with people & handle life's curveballs. A professional comedian offers laughs & practical tips. Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio, TV, syndicated car...

Comedian Karma

July 29, 2020 10:00 - 3 minutes - 2.78 MB

It's funny business! Learn leadership & business skills to deal with people & handle life's curveballs. A professional comedian offers laughs & practical tips. Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio, TV, syndicated car...

Oprah and Me

July 28, 2020 10:00 - 4 minutes - 3.54 MB

It's funny business! Learn leadership & business skills to deal with people & handle life's curveballs. A professional comedian offers laughs & practical tips. Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio, TV, syndicated car...

Bad Comedy Venues

July 27, 2020 10:00 - 4 minutes - 2.99 MB

It's funny business! Learn leadership & business skills to deal with people & handle life's curveballs. A professional comedian offers laughs & practical tips. Funny comedian & top keynote speaker Jan McInnis's unique, fun and useful ideas will help you develop solutions to your own work and life issues. Jan is an established comedy writer. She's sold material for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue on the Tonight Show as well as many other people, places and groups – radio, TV, syndicated car...

Finding the Funny: Leadership Tips From a Comedian

Episodes