Podcast appearances and mentions of greg schwem

You are in for a real treat on this episode. My guest this time is Greg Schwem. Greg is a corporate comedian. What is a corporate comedian? You probably can imagine that his work has to do with corporations, and you would be right. Greg will explain much better than I can. Mr. Schwem began his career as a TV journalist but eventually decided to take up what he really wanted to do, be a comedian. The story of how he evolved is quite fascinating by any standard. Greg has done comedy professionally since 1989. He speaks today mostly to corporate audiences. He will tell us how he does his work. It is quite interesting to hear how he has learned to relate to his audiences. As you will discover as Greg and I talk, we often work in the same way to learn about our audiences and thus how we get to relate to them. Greg has written three books. His latest one is entitled “Turning Gut Punches into Punch Lines: A Comedian's Journey Through Cancer, Divorce and Other Hilarious Stuff”. As Greg says, “Don't worry, it's not one of those whiny, ‘woe is me,' self- serving books. Instead, it's a hilarious account of me living the words I've been preaching to my audiences: You can always find humor in every situation, even the tough ones. Greg offers many interesting observations as he discusses his career and how he works. I think we all can find significant lessons we can use from his remarks. About the Guest: Hi! I'm Greg Schwem. a Chicago-based business humor speaker and MC who HuffPost calls “Your boss's favorite comedian.” I've traveled the world providing clean, customized laughs to clients such as Microsoft, IBM, McDonald's and even the CIA. I also write the bi-weekly Humor Hotel column for the Chicago Tribune syndicate. I believe every corporate event needs humor. As I often tell clients, “When times are good, people want to laugh. When times are bad, people need to laugh.” One Fortune 500 client summed things up perfectly, saying “You were fantastic and just what everybody needed during these times.” In September 2024 I released my third and most personal book, Turning Gut Punches into Punch Lines: A Comedian's Journey Through Cancer, Divorce and Other Hilarious Stuff. Don't worry, it's not one of those whiny, “woe is me,” self-serving books. Instead, it's a hilarious account of me living the words I've been preaching to my audiences: You can always find humor in every situation, even the tough ones. You can pick up a copy at Amazon or select book stores. Ways to connect with Greg: Website: www.gregschwem.com YouTube: www.youtube.com/gregschwem LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/gregschwem Instagram: www.instagram.com/gregschwem X: www.x.com/gregschwem About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! 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Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:16 Hi everyone, and welcome to unstoppable mindset. Today we are going to definitely have some fun. I'll tell you about our guests in a moment, but first, I want to tell you about me. That'll take an hour or so. I am Michael Hingson, your host, and you're listening to unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. And I don't know, we may get inclusion or diversity into this, but our guest is Greg Schwem. Greg used to be a TV reporter, now he's a comedian, not sure which is funnier, but given some of the reporters I've seen on TV, they really should go into tonight club business. But anyway, Greg, I want to welcome you to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad you're here. I really appreciate you being here and taking the time   Greg Schwem ** 02:04 Well, Michael, it is an honor to be included on your show. I'm really looking forward to the next hour of conversation. I   Speaker 1 ** 02:10 told Greg a little while ago, one of my major life ambitions that I never got to do was to go to a Don Rickles concert and sit in the front row so that hopefully he would pick on me, so that I could say, Yeah, I saw you once on TV, and I haven't been able to see since. What do you think of that? You hockey puck, but I never got to do it. So very disappointed. But everybody has bucket list moments, everybody has, but they don't get around to I'm sorry. Yeah, I know. Well, the other one is, I love to pick on Mike Wallace. I did a radio show for six years opposite him in 60 minutes, and I always love to say that Wallace really had criminal tendencies, because he started out being an announcer in radio and he announced things like The Green Hornet and the Sky King and other shows where they had a lot of criminals. So I just figured he had to be associated with criminals somewhere in his life. Of course, everybody picked on him, and he had broad shoulders. And I again, I regret I never got to to meet him, which is sort of disappointing. But I did get to meet Peter Falk. That was kind of fun.   Greg Schwem ** 03:15 Mike Wallace to Peter Falk. Nice transition there. I know.   Michael Hingson ** 03:21 Well I am really glad you're with us. So why don't we start? We'll start with the serious part. Why don't you tell us, kind of about the early Greg schwim and growing up and all that sort of stuff, just to set the stage, as it were,   Greg Schwem ** 03:34 how far back you want to go? You want to go back to Little League, or you want to   Speaker 1 ** 03:37 just, oh, start at the beginning, a long time ago, right? I was a   Greg Schwem ** 03:41 very strange child. No, I you. You obviously introduced me as a as a comedian, and that is my full time job. And you also said that I was a former journalist, and that is my professional career. Yes, I went from, as I always like to say, I went from depressing people all day long, to making them laugh. And that's, that's kind of what I did. I always did want to be I majored in Journalism at Northwestern University, good journalism school. Originally, I always wanted to be a television reporter. That was as a professional career I was, I dabbled in comedy. Started when I was 16. That is the first time I ever got on stage at my school, my high school, and then at a comedy club. I was there one of the first comedy clubs in Chicago, a place called the comedy cottage. It was in the suburb of beautiful, beautiful suburb of Rosemont, Illinois, and they were one of the very, very first full time comedy clubs in the nation. And as a 16 year old kid, I actually got on stage and did five minutes here and five minutes there. And thought I was, I was hot stuff, but I never, ever thought I would do it for a living. I thought comedy would always be just a hobby. And I. Especially when I went to college, and I thought, okay, Northwestern is pretty good school, pretty expensive school. I should actually use my degree. And I did. I moved down to Florida, wrote for a newspaper called The Palm Beach post, which, don't let that title fool you. It's Palm Beach was a very small segment of of the area that it was, that it served, but I did comedy on the side, and just because I moved down there, I didn't know anybody, so I hung out at comedy clubs just to have something to do. And little by little, comedy in the late 80s, it exploded. Exploded. There were suddenly clubs popping up everywhere, and you were starting to get to know guys that were doing these clubs and were starting to get recognition for just being comedians. And one of them opened up a very, very good Club opened up about 10 minutes from my apartment in West Palm Beach, and I hung out there and started to get more stage time, and eventually started to realize at the same time that I was getting better as a comedian, I was becoming more disillusioned as a journalist in terms of what my bosses wanted me to report on and the tone they wanted me to use. And I just decided that I would I would just never be able to live with myself if I didn't try it, if I didn't take the the plunge into comedy, and that's what I did in 1989 and I've been doing it ever since. And my career has gone in multiple directions, as I think it needs to. If you're going to be in show business and sustain a career in show business, you have to wear a lot of different hats, which I feel like I've done.   Michael Hingson ** 06:40 So tell me more about that. What does that mean exactly?   Greg Schwem ** 06:43 Well, I mean, I started out as a what you would pretty much if somebody said, If you heard somebody say, I'm a comedian, they would envision some guy that just went to comedy clubs all the time, and that's what I did. I was just a guy that traveled by car all over the Midwest and the Southeast primarily, and did comedy clubs, but I quickly realized that was kind of a going nowhere way to attack it, to do comedy unless you were incredibly lucky, because there were so many guys doing it and so many clubs, and I just didn't see a future in it, and I felt like I had to separate myself from the pack a little bit. And I was living in Chicago, which is where I'm from, and still, still exist. Still reside in Chicago, and I started to get involved with a company that did live trade show presentations. So if you've ever been on a trade show floor and you see people, they're mostly actors and actresses that wear a headset and deliver a spiel, a pitch, like every, every twice an hour, about some company, some new product, and so forth. And I did that, and I started to write material about what I was seeing on trade show floors and putting it into my stand up act, stuff about business, stuff about technology, because I was Hawking a lot of new computers and things like that. This was the mid 90s when technology was exploding, and I started to put this into my stand up act. And then I'd have people come up to me afterwards and say, hey, you know those jokes you did about computers and tech support, if you could come down to our office, you know, we're having a golf tournament, we're having a Christmas party, we would love to hear that material. And little by little, I started transitioning my act into doing shows for the corporate market. I hooked up with a corporate agent, or the corporate agent heard about me, and started to open a lot of doors for me in terms of working for very large corporations, and that's pretty much what I've been doing. I stopped working clubs, and I transitioned, instead of being a comedian, I became a corporate humor speaker. And that's what I do, primarily to this day, is to speak at business conferences. Just kind of get people to loosen up, get them to laugh about what they do all day without without making it sound like I'm belittling what they do. And also when I'm not doing that, I work about eight to 10 weeks a year on cruise ships, performing for cruise audiences. So that's a nice getaway.   Speaker 1 ** 09:18 It's interesting since I mentioned Don Rickles earlier, years ago, I saw an interview that he did with Donahue, and one of the things that Don Rickles said, and after he said it, I thought about it. He said, I really don't want to pick on anyone who's going to be offended by me picking on them. He said, I try to watch really carefully, so that if it looks like somebody's getting offended, I'll leave them alone, because that's not what this is all about. It isn't about abusing people. It's about trying to get people to have fun, and if somebody's offended, I don't want to to pick on them, and I've heard a number of albums and other things with him and just. Noticed that that was really true. He wouldn't pick on someone unless they could take it and had a lot of fun with it. And I thought that was absolutely interesting, because that certainly wasn't, of course, the rep that he had and no, but it was   Greg Schwem ** 10:16 true. It is, and it doesn't take long to see as a as a comedian, when you're looking at an audience member and you're talking to them, it, you can tell very quickly, Are they enjoying this? Are they enjoying being the center of attention? A lot of people are, or are they uncomfortable with it? Now, I don't know that going in. I mean, I you know, of course. And again, that's a very small portion of my show is to talk to the audience, but it is something particularly today. I think audiences want to be more involved. I think they enjoy you talk you. Some of these, the new comedians in their 20s and 30s and so forth. Them, some of them are doing nothing, but what they call crowd work. So they're just doing 45 minutes of talking to the audience, which can be good and can be rough too, because you're working without a net. But I'm happy to give an audience a little bit of that. But I also have a lot of stuff that I want to say too. I mean, I work very hard coming up with material and and refining it, and I want to talk about what's going on in my life, too. So I don't want the audience to be the entire show, right?   Speaker 1 ** 11:26 And and they shouldn't be, because it isn't about that. But at the same time, it is nice to involve them. I find that as a keynote and public speaker, I find that true as well, though, is that audiences do like to be involved. And I do some things right at the outset of most talks to involve people, and also in involving them. I want to get them to last so that I start to draw them in, because later, when I tell the September 11 story, which isn't really a humorous thing. Directly,   Greg Schwem ** 12:04 i know i Good luck. I'm spinning 911 to make it I don't think I've ever heard anybody say, by the way, I was trapped in a building. Stick with me. It's kind of cute. It's got a funny ending. And   Speaker 1 ** 12:20 that's right, and it is hard I can, I can say humorous things along the way in telling the story, but, sure, right, but, but clearly it's not a story that, in of itself, is humorous. But what I realized over the years, and it's really dawned on me in the last four or five years is we now have a whole generation of people who have absolutely no memory of September 11 because they were children or they weren't even born yet. And I believe that my job is to not only talk about it, but literally to draw them into the building and have them walk down the stairs with me, and I have to be descriptive in a very positive way, so that they really are part of what's going on. And the reality is that I do hear people or people come up and say, we were with you when you were going down the stairs. And I think that's my job, because the reality is that we've got to get people to understand there are lessons to be learned from September 11, right? And the only real way to do that is to attract the audience and bring them in. And I think probably mostly, I'm in a better position to do that than most people, because I'm kind of a curious soul, being blind and all that, but it allows me to to draw them in and and it's fun to do that, actually. And I, and   Greg Schwem ** 13:52 I gotta believe, I mean, obviously I wasn't there, Michael, but I gotta believe there were moments of humor in people, a bunch of people going down the stairs. Sure, me, you put people get it's like, it's like when a bunch of people are in an elevator together, you know, I mean, there's I, when I look around and I try to find something humorous in a crowded and it's probably the same thing now, obviously it, you know, you got out in time. But I and, you know, don't that's the hotel phone, which I just hung up so but I think that I can totally see where you're going from, where, if you're if you're talking to people who have no recollection of this, have no memory where you're basically educating them on the whole event. I think you then you have the opportunity to tell the story in whatever way you see fit. And I think that however you choose to do it is there's no wrong way to do it, I guess is what I'm trying to get at.   Speaker 1 ** 14:55 Well, yeah, I think the wrong way is to be two. Graphic and morbid and morbid, but one of the things that I talk about, for example, is that a colleague of mine who was with me, David Frank, at about the 50th floor, suddenly said, Mike, we're going to die. We're not going to make it out of here. And as as I tell the audience, typically, I as as you heard my introduction at the beginning, I have a secondary teaching credential. And one of the things that you probably don't know about teachers is that there's a secret course that every teacher takes called Voice 101, how to yell at students and and so what I tell people is that when David said that, I just said in my best teacher voice, stop it, David, if Roselle and I can go down these stairs, so can you. And he told me later that that brought him out of his funk, and he ended up walking a floor below me and shouting up to me everything he saw. And it was just mainly, everything is clear, like I'm on floor 48 he's on 47/47 floor. Everything is good here, and what I have done for the past several years in telling that part of the story is to say David, in reality, probably did more to keep people calm and focused as we went down the stairs than anyone else, because anyone within the sound of his voice heard someone who was focused and sounded okay. You know, hey, I'm on the 44th floor. This is where the Port Authority cafeteria is not stopping. And it it helps people understand that we all had to do what we could to keep everyone from not panicking. And it almost happened a few times that people did, but we worked at it. But the i The idea is that it helps draw people in, and I think that's so important to do for my particular story is to draw them in and have them walk down the stairs with me, which is what I do, absolutely, yeah, yeah. Now I'm curious about something that keeps coming up. I hear it every so often, public speaker, Speaker experts and people who are supposedly the great gurus of public speaking say you shouldn't really start out with a joke. And I've heard that so often, and I'm going give me a break. Well, I think, I think it depends, yeah, I think   Greg Schwem ** 17:33 there's two schools of thought to that. I think if you're going to start out with a joke, it better be a really good one, or something that you either has been battle tested, because if it doesn't work now, you, you know, if you're hoping for a big laugh, now you're saying, Well, you're a comedian, what do you do? You know, I mean, I, I even, I just sort of work my way into it a little bit. Yeah, and I'm a comedian, so, and, you know, it's funny, Michael, I will get, I will get. I've had CEOs before say to me, Hey, you know, I've got to give this presentation next week. Give me a joke I can tell to everybody. And I always decline. I always it's like, I don't need that kind of pressure. And it's like, I can, I can, I can tell you a funny joke, but,   Michael Hingson ** 18:22 but you telling the   Greg Schwem ** 18:23 work? Yeah, deliver it. You know, I can't deliver it for you. Yeah? And I think that's what I also, you know, on that note, I've never been a big fan of Stand Up Comedy classes, and you see them all popping up all over the place. Now, a lot of comedy clubs will have them, and usually the you take the class, and the carrot at the end is you get to do five minutes at a comedy club right now, if that is your goal, if you're somebody who always like, Gosh, I wonder what it would like be like to stand up on stage and and be a comedian for five minutes. That's something I really like to try. By all means, take the class, all right. But if you think that you're going to take this class and you're going to emerge a much funnier person, like all of a sudden you you weren't funny, but now you are, don't take the class, yeah? And I think, sadly, I think that a lot of people sign up for these classes thinking the latter, thinking that they will all of a sudden become, you know, a comedian. And it doesn't work that way. I'm sorry you cannot teach unfunny people to be funny. Yeah, some of us have the gift of it, and some of us don't. Some of us are really good with our hands, and just know how to build stuff and how to look at things and say, I can do that. And some of us, myself included, definitely do not. You know, I think you can teach people to be more comfortable, more comfortable in front of an audience and. Correct. I think that is definitely a teachable thing, but I don't think that you can teach people to be funnier   Speaker 1 ** 20:10 and funnier, and I agree with that. I tend to be amazed when I keep hearing that one of the top fears in our world is getting up in front of an audience and talking with them, because people really don't understand that audiences, whatever you're doing, want you to succeed, and they're not against you, but we have just conditioned ourselves collectively that speaking is something to be afraid of?   Greg Schwem ** 20:41 Yes, I think, though it's, I'm sure, that fear, though, of getting up in front of people has only probably been exacerbated and been made more intense because now everybody in the audience has a cell phone and to and to be looking out at people and to see them on their phones. Yeah, you're and yet, you prepped all day long. You've been nervous. You've been you probably didn't sleep the night before. If you're one of these people who are afraid of speaking in public, yeah, and then to see people on their phones. You know, it used to bother me. It doesn't anymore, because it's just the society we live in. I just, I wish, I wish people could put their phones down and just enjoy laughing for 45 minutes. But unfortunately, our society can't do that anymore, so I just hope that I can get most of them to stop looking at it.   Speaker 1 ** 21:32 I don't make any comments about it at the beginning, but I have, on a number of occasions, been delivering a speech, and I hear a cell phone ring, and I'll stop and go, Hello. And I don't know for sure what the person with the cell phone does, but by the same token, you know they really shouldn't be on their phone and and it works out, okay, nobody's ever complained about it. And when I just say hello, or I'll go Hello, you don't say, you know, and things like that, but, but I don't, I don't prolong it. I'll just go back to what I was talking about. But I remember, when I lived in New Jersey, Sandy Duncan was Peter Pan in New York. One night she was flying over the audience, and there was somebody on his cell phone, and she happened to be going near him, and she just kicked the phone out of his hand. And I think that's one of the things that started Broadway in saying, if you have a cell phone, turn it off. And those are the announcements that you hear at the beginning of any Broadway performance today.   Greg Schwem ** 22:39 Unfortunately, people don't abide by that. I know you're still hearing cell phones go off, yeah, you know, in Broadway productions at the opera or wherever, so people just can't and there you go. There that just shows you're fighting a losing battle.   Speaker 1 ** 22:53 Yeah, it's just one of those things, and you got to cope with it.   Greg Schwem ** 22:58 What on that note, though, there was, I will say, if I can interrupt real quick, there was one show I did where nobody had their phone. It was a few years ago. I spoke at the CIA. I spoke for some employees of the CIA. And this might, this might freak people out, because you think, how is it that America's covert intelligence agency, you think they would be on their phones all the time. No, if you work there, you cannot have your phone on you. And so I had an audience of about 300 people who I had their total attention because there was no other way to they had no choice but to listen to me, and it was wonderful. It was just a great show, and I it was just so refreshing. Yeah,   Speaker 1 ** 23:52 and mostly I don't hear cell phones, but they do come up from time to time. And if they do, then you know it happens. Now my one of my favorite stories is I once spoke in Maryland at the Department of Defense, which anybody who knows anything knows that's the National Security Agency, but they call it the Department of Defense, as if we don't know. And my favorite story is that I had, at the time, a micro cassette recorder, and it died that morning before I traveled to Fort Meade, and I forgot to just throw it away, and it was in my briefcase. So I got to the fort, they searched, apparently, didn't find it, but on the way out, someone found it. They had to get a bird Colonel to come to decide what to do with it. I said, throw it away. And they said, No, we can't do that. It's yours. And they they decided it didn't work, and they let me take it and I threw it away. But it was so, so funny to to be at the fort and see everybody running around crazy. See, what do we do with this micro cassette recorder? This guy's been here for an hour. Yeah. So it's it. You know, all sorts of things happen. What do you think about you know, there's a lot of discussion about comedians who use a lot of foul language in their shows, and then there are those who don't, and people seem to like the shock value of that.   Greg Schwem ** 25:25 Yeah, I'm very old school in that. I guess my short answer is, No, I've never, ever been one of those comedians. Ever I do a clean show, I actually learned my lesson very early on. I think I think that I think comedians tend to swear because when they first start out, out of nerves, because I will tell you that profanity does get laughter. And I've always said, if you want to, if you want to experiment on that, have a comedian write a joke, and let's say he's got two shows that night. Let's say he's got an eight o'clock show and a 10 o'clock show. So let's say he does the joke in the eight o'clock and it's, you know, the cadence is bumper, bump up, bump up, bump up, punch line. Okay, now let's and let's see how that plays. Now let's now he does the 10 o'clock show and it's bumper, bump up, bump up F and Okay, yeah, I pretty much guarantee you the 10 o'clock show will get a bigger laugh. Okay? Because he's sort of, it's like the audience is programmed like, oh, okay, we're supposed to laugh at that now. And I think a lot of comedians think, Aha, I have just discovered how to be successful as a comedian. I will just insert the F word in front of every punch line, and you can kind of tell what comedians do that and what comedians I mean. I am fine with foul language, but have some jokes in there too. Don't make them. Don't make the foul word, the joke, the joke, right? And I can say another thing nobody has ever said to me, I cannot hire you because you're too clean. I've never gotten that. And all the years I've been doing this, and I know there's lots of comedians who who do work blue, who have said, you know, who have been turned down for that very reason. So I believe, if you're a comedian, the only way to get better is to work any place that will have you. Yeah, and you can't, so you might as well work clean so you can work any place that will have you, as opposed to being turned away.   Speaker 1 ** 27:30 Well, and I, and I know what, what happened to him and all that, but at the same time, I grew up listening to Bill Cosby and the fact that he was always clean. And, yeah, I understand everything that happened, but you can't deny and you can't forget so many years of humor and all the things that that he brought to the world, and the joy he brought to the world in so many ways.   Greg Schwem ** 27:57 Oh, yeah, no, I agree. I agree. And he Yeah, he worked everywhere. Jay Leno is another one. I mean, Jay Leno is kind of on the same wavelength as me, as far as don't let the profanity become the joke. You know, Eddie Murphy was, you know, was very foul. Richard Pryor, extremely foul. I but they also, prior, especially, had very intelligent material. I mean, you can tell and then if you want to insert your F bombs and so forth, that's fine, but at least show me that you're trying. At least show me that you came in with material in addition to the   Speaker 1 ** 28:36 foul language. The only thing I really have to say about all that is it? Jay Leno should just stay away from cars, but that's another story.   Greg Schwem ** 28:43 Oh, yeah, it's starting to   Greg Schwem ** 28:47 look that way. Yeah, it   Michael Hingson ** 28:49 was. It was fun for a while, Jay, but yeah, there's just two. It's like, Harrison Ford and plains. Yeah, same concept. At some point you're like, this isn't working out. Now I submit that living here in Victorville and just being out on the streets and being driven around and all that, I am firmly convinced, given the way most people drive here, that the bigoted DMV should let me have a license, because I am sure I can drive as well as most of the clowns around here. Yeah, so when they drive, I have no doubt. Oh, gosh. Well, you know, you switched from being a TV journalist and so on to to comedy. Was it a hard choice? Was it really difficult to do, or did it just seem like this is the time and this is the right thing to do. I was   Greg Schwem ** 29:41 both, you know, it was hard, because I really did enjoy my job and I liked, I liked being a TV news reporter. I liked, I liked a job that was different every day once you got in there, because you didn't know what they were going to send you out to do. Yes, you had. To get up and go to work every day and so forth. So there's a little bit of, you know, there's a little bit of the mundane, just like there is in any job, but once you were there, I liked, just never known what the day would bring, right? And and I, I think if I'd stayed with it, I think I think I could have gone pretty far, particularly now, because the now it's more people on TV are becoming more entertainers news people are becoming, yeah, they are. A lot of would be, want to be comedians and so forth. And I don't particularly think that's appropriate, but I agree. But so it was hard to leave, but it gets back to what I said earlier. At some point, you got to say, I was seeing comedians making money, and I was thinking, gosh, you know, if they're making money at this I I'm not hilarious, but I know I'm funnier than that guy. Yeah, I'm funnier than her, so why not? And I was young, and I was single, and I thought, if I if I don't try it now, I never will. And, and I'll bet there's just some hilarious people out there, yeah, who who didn't ever, who just were afraid   Michael Hingson ** 31:14 to take that chance, and they wouldn't take the leap, yeah,   Greg Schwem ** 31:16 right. And now they're probably kicking themselves, and I'm sure maybe they're very successful at what they do, but they're always going to say, what if, if I only done this? I don't ever, I don't, ever, I never, ever wanted to say that. Yeah,   Speaker 1 ** 31:31 well, and there's, there's something to be said for being brave and stepping out and doing something that you don't expect, or that you didn't expect, or that you weren't sure how it was going to go, but if you don't try, then you're never going to know just how, how much you could really accomplish and how much you can really do. And I think that the creative people, whatever they're being creative about, are the people who do step out and are willing to take a chance.   Greg Schwem ** 31:59 Yeah, yeah. And I told my kids that too. You know, it's just like, if it's something that you're passionate about, do it. Just try it. If it doesn't work out, then at least you can say I tried   Speaker 1 ** 32:09 it and and if it doesn't work out, then you can decide, what do I need to do to figure out why it didn't work out, or is it just not me? I want   Greg Schwem ** 32:18 to keep going? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.   Speaker 1 ** 32:21 So what is the difference between being a nightclub comedian and a corporate comedian? Because they are somewhat different. I think I know the answer. But what would you say that the differences between them? I think   Greg Schwem ** 32:33 the biggest thing is the audiences. I think when you when you are a nightclub comedian, you are working in front of people who are there to be entertained. Yeah, they, they paid money for that. That's what they're expecting. They, they, at some point during the day, they said, Hey, let's, let's go laugh tonight. That's what we really want to do when you're working in front of a corporate audiences. That's not necessarily the case. They are there. I primarily do business conferences and, you know, association meetings and so forth. And I'm just one cog in the wheel of a whole day's worth of meetings are, for the most part, very dry and boring, maybe certainly necessary educational. They're learning how to do their job better or something. And then you have a guy like me come in, and people aren't always ready to laugh, yeah, despite the fact that they probably need to, but they just they're not always in that mindset. And also the time of day. I mean, I do a lot of shows at nine in the morning. I do shows after lunch, right before lunch. I actually do very few shows in the evening, believe it or not. And so then you you have to, you kind of have to, in the while you're doing your act or your presentation or your speech, as I call it, you kind of have to let them know that it is okay. What you're doing is okay, and they should be okay with laughing. They shouldn't be looking around the whole time wondering if other people are laughing. You know, can I, can I? Can I tell you a quick story about how I drive that point home. Why not? Yeah, it's, I'll condense it into like five minutes. I mentioned that I worked on that I work on cruise ships occasionally, and I one night I was performing, and it was the first night of the cruise. And if anybody's ever been on a cruise, note, the first night, first night entertainers don't like the first night because people are tired. You know, they're they're a little edgy because they've been traveling all day. They're they're confused because they're not really sure where they're going on a ship. And the ones that have got it figured out usually over serve themselves because they're on vacation. So you put all that, so I'm doing my show on the first. Night, and it's going very well. And about five, six minutes in, I do a joke. Everybody laughs. Everybody shuts up. And from the back of the room in total darkness, I hear hat just like that. And I'm like, All right, you know, probably over served. So the rule of comedy is that everybody gets like. I was like, I'll let it go once, yeah. So I just kind of looked off in that direction, didn't say anything. Kept going with my active going with my act. About 10 minutes later, same thing happens. I tell a joke. Everybody laughs. Everybody shuts up. Hat now I'm like, Okay, I have got to, I've got to address the elephant in the room. So I think I just made some comment, like, you know, I didn't know Roseanne Barr was on this cruise, you know, because that was like the sound of the Yeah. Okay, everybody laugh. Nothing happened about five minutes later. It happens a third time. And now I'm just like, this is gonna stop. I'm going to put a stop to this. And I just fired off. I can't remember, like, three just like, hey man, you know you're you're just a little behind everybody else in this show and probably in life too, that, you know, things like that, and it never happened again. So I'm like, okay, mission accomplished on my part. Comedians love it when we can shut up somebody like that. Anyway. Show's over, I am out doing a meet and greet. Some guy comes up to me and he goes, hey, hey, you know that kid you were making fun of is mentally handicapped. And now, of course, I don't know this, but out of the corner of my eye, I see from the other exit a man pushing a son, his son in a wheelchair out of the showroom. And I'm just like, Oh, what have I done? And yeah. And of course, when you're on a cruise, you're you're on a cruise. When you're a cruise ship entertainer, you have to live with your audience. So I couldn't hide. I spent like the next three days, and it seemed like wherever I was, the man and his son in the wheelchair were nearby. And finally, on the fourth day, I think was, I was waiting for an elevator. Again, 3500 people on this ship, okay, I'm waiting for an elevator. The elevator door opens. Guess who are the only two people the elevator, the man and his son. And I can't really say I'll wait for the next one. So I get on, and I said to this the father, I said, I just want you to know I had no idea. You know, I'm so sorry. I can't see back there, this kind of thing. And the dad looks at me. He puts his hand up to stop me, and he points to me, and he goes, I thought you were hysterical. And it was, not only was it relief, but it kind of, it's sort of a lesson that if you think something is funny, you should laugh at it. Yeah. And I think sometimes in corporate America, my point in this. I think sometimes when you do these corporate shows, I think that audience members forget that. I think very busy looking around to see if their immediate boss thinks it's funny, and eventually everybody's looking at the CEO to see if they're like, you know, I think if you're doing it that way, if that's the way you're you're approaching humor. You're doing yourself a disservice, if right, stopping yourself from laughing at something that you think is funny.   Speaker 1 ** 38:09 I do think that that all too often the problem with meetings is that we as a as a country, we in corporations, don't do meetings, right anyway, for example, early on, I heard someone at a convention of the National Federation of the Blind say he was the new executive director of the American Foundation for the Blind, and he said, I have instituted a policy, no Braille, no meetings. And what that was all about was to say, if you're going to have a meeting, you need to make sure that all the documentation is accessible to those who aren't going to read the print. I take it further and say you shouldn't be giving out documentation during the meeting. And you can use the excuse, well, I got to get the latest numbers and all that. And my point is, you shouldn't be giving out documentation at a meeting, because the meeting is for people to communicate and interact with each other. And if you're giving out papers and so on, what are people going to do? They're going to read that, and they're not going to listen to the speakers. They're not going to listen to the other people. And we do so many things like that, we've gotten into a habit of doing things that become so predictable, but also make meetings very boring, because who wants to look at the papers where you can be listening to people who have a lot more constructive and interesting things to say anyway?   Greg Schwem ** 39:36 Yeah, yeah. I think, I think COVID definitely changed, some for the some for the better and some for the worse. I think that a lot of things that were done at meetings COVID and made us realize a lot of that stuff could be done virtually, that you didn't have to just have everybody sit and listen to people over and over and over again.   Speaker 1 ** 39:58 But unless you're Donald Trump. Up. Yeah, that's another story.   Greg Schwem ** 40:02 Yes, exactly another podcast episode. But, yeah, I do think also that. I think COVID changed audiences. I think, you know, we talked a little bit earlier about crowd work, right, and audiences wanting to be more involved. I think COVID precipitated that, because, if you think about it, Michael, for two and a half years during COVID, our sole source of entertainment was our phone, right? Which meant that we were in charge of the entertainment experience. You don't like something, swipe left, scroll down, scroll, scroll, scroll, find something else. You know, that kind of thing. I'm not I'm not entertained in the next four or five seconds. So I'm going to do this. And I think when live entertainment returned, audiences kind of had to be retrained a little bit, where they had to learn to sit and listen and wait for the entertainment to come to them. And granted, it might not happen immediately. It might not happen in the first five seconds, but you have to just give give people like me a chance. It will come to you. It will happen, but it might not be on your timetable,   Speaker 1 ** 41:13 right? Well, and I think that is all too true for me. I didn't find didn't find COVID to be a great inconvenience, because I don't look at the screen anyway, right? So in a sense, for me, COVID wasn't that much of a change, other than not being in an office or not being physically at a meeting, and so I was listening to the meeting on the computer, and that has its nuances. Like you don't necessarily get the same information about how everyone around you is reacting, but, but it didn't bother me, I think, nearly as much as it did everyone else who has to look at everyone. Of course, I have no problems picking on all those people as well, because what I point out is that that disabilities has to be redefined, because every one of you guys has your own disability. You're light dependent, and you don't do well when there's dark, when, when the dark shows up and and we now have an environment where Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb, and we've spent the last 147 years doing everything we can to make sure that light is pretty ubiquitous, but it doesn't change a thing when suddenly the power goes out and you don't have immediate access to light. So that's as much a disability as us light, independent people who don't   Greg Schwem ** 42:36 care about that, right? Right? I hear, I agree, but it is but   Speaker 1 ** 42:41 it is interesting and and it is also important that we all understand each other and are willing to tolerate the fact that there are differences in people, and we need to recognize that with whatever we're doing.   42:53 Yeah, I agree.   Speaker 1 ** 42:57 What do you think about so today, we have obviously a really fractured environment and fractured country, and everyone's got their own opinions, and nobody wants to talk about anything, especially politics wise. How do you think that's all affecting comedy and what you get to do and what other people are doing?   Greg Schwem ** 43:18 Well, I think Pete, I think there's, there's multiple answers to that question too. I think, I think it makes people nervous, wondering what the minute a comedian on stage brings up politics, the minute he starts talking about a politician, whether it's our president, whether it's somebody else, you can sense a tension in the room a little bit, and it's, it's, I mean, it's funny. I, one of my best friends in comedy, got to open for another comedian at Carnegie Hall a couple of years ago, and I went to see him, and I'm sitting way up in the top, and he is just crushing it. And then at one point he he brought up, he decided to do an impression of Mitch McConnell, which he does very well. However, the minute he said, Mitch McConnell, I you could just sense this is Carnegie freaking Hall, and after the show, you know, he and I always like to dissect each other's shows. That's what comedians do. And I just said to him, I go. Why did you decide to insert Mitch McConnell in there? And I, and I didn't say it like, you moron, that was stupid, yeah, but I was genuinely curious. And he just goes, well, I just really like doing that bit, and I like doing that voice and so forth, but, and it's not like the show crashed and burned afterwards. No, he did the joke, and then he got out of it, and he went on to other stuff, and it was fine, but I think that people are just so on their guard now, yeah, and, and that's why, you know, you know Jay Leno always said he was an equal opportunity offender. I think you will do better with politics if you really want. Insert politics into your act. I think he would be better making fun of both sides. Yeah, it's true. Yeah. And I think too often comedians now use the the stage as kind of a Bully, bully pulpit, like I have microphone and you don't. I am now going to give you my take on Donald Trump or the Democrats or whatever, and I've always said, talk about anything you want on stage, but just remember, you're at a comedy club. People came to laugh. So is there a joke in here? Yeah, or are you just ranting because you gotta be careful. You have to get this off your chest, and your way is right. It's, it's, you know, I hate to say it, but that's, that's why podcast, no offense, Michael, yours, is not like this. But I think one of the reasons podcasters have gotten so popular is a lot of people, just a lot of podcast hosts see a podcast is a chance to just rant about whatever's on their mind. And it's amazing to me how many podcast hosts that are hosted by comedians have a second guy have a sidekick to basically laugh and agree with whatever that person says. I think Joe Rogan is a classic example, and he's one of the most popular ones. But, and I don't quite understand that, because you know, if you're a comedian, you you made the choice to work solo, right? So why do you need somebody else with you?   Speaker 1 ** 46:33 I'm I'm fairly close to Leno. My remark is a little bit different. I'm not so much an equal opportunity offender as I am an equal opportunity abuser. I'll pick on both sides if politics comes into it at all, and it's and it's fun, and I remember when George W Bush was leaving the White House, Letterman said, Now we're not going to have anybody to joke about anymore. And everyone loved it. But still, I recognize that in the world today, people don't want to hear anything else. Don't confuse me with the facts or any of that, and it's so unfortunate, but it is the way it is, and so it's wiser to stay away from a lot of that, unless you can really break through the barrier,   Greg Schwem ** 47:21 I think so. And I also think that people, one thing you have to remember, I think, is when people come to a comedy show, they are coming to be entertained. Yeah, they are coming to kind of escape from the gloom and doom that unfortunately permeates our world right now. You know? I mean, I've always said that if you, if you walked up to a comedy club on a Saturday night, and let's say there were 50 people waiting outside, waiting to get in, and you asked all 50 of them, what do you hope happens tonight? Or or, Why are you here? All right, I think from all 50 you would get I would just like to laugh, yeah, I don't think one of them is going to say, you know, I really hope that my opinions on what's happening in the Middle East get challenged right now, but he's a comedian. No one is going to say that. No, no. It's like, I hope I get into it with the comedian on stage, because he thinks this way about a woman's right to choose, and I think the other way. And I really, really hope that he and I will get into an argument about to the middle of the   Speaker 1 ** 48:37 show. Yeah, yeah. That's not why people come?   Greg Schwem ** 48:40 No, it's not. And I, unfortunately, I think again, I think that there's a lot of comedians that don't understand that. Yeah, again, talk about whatever you want on stage, but just remember that your your surroundings, you if you build yourself as a comedian,   48:56 make it funny. Yeah, be funny.   Speaker 1 ** 49:00 Well, and nowadays, especially for for you, for me and so on, we're we're growing older and and I think you point out audiences are getting younger. How do you deal with that?   Greg Schwem ** 49:12 Well, what I try to do is I a couple of things. I try to talk as much as I can about topics that are relevant to a younger generation. Ai being one, I, one of the things I do in my my show is I say, oh, you know, I I really wasn't sure how to start off. And when you're confused these days, you you turn to answer your questions. You turn to chat GPT, and I've actually written, you know, said to chat GPT, you know, I'm doing a show tonight for a group of construction workers who work in the Midwest. It's a $350 million company, and it says, try to be very specific. Give me a funny opening line. And of course, chat GPT always comes up with some. Something kind of stupid, which I then relate to the audience, and they love that, you know, they love that concept. So I think there's, obviously, there's a lot of material that you can do on generational differences, but I, I will say I am very, very aware that my audience is, for the most part, younger than me now, unless I want to spend the rest of my career doing you know, over 55 communities, not that they're not great laughers, but I also think there's a real challenge in being older than your audience and still being able to make them laugh. But I think you have to remember, like you said, there's there's people now that don't remember 911 that have no concept of it, yeah, so don't be doing references from, say, the 1980s or the early 1990s and then come off stage and go, Man, nobody that didn't hit at all. No one, no one. They're stupid. They don't get it. Well, no, they, they, it sounds they don't get it. It's just that they weren't around. They weren't around, right? So that's on you.   Speaker 1 ** 51:01 One of the things that you know people ask me is if I will do virtual events, and I'll do virtual events, but I also tell people, the reason I prefer to do in person events is that I can sense what the audience is doing, how they're reacting and what they feel. If I'm in a room speaking to people, and I don't have that same sense if I'm doing something virtually, agreed same way. Now for me, at the same time, I've been doing this now for 23 years, so I have a pretty good idea in general, how to interact with an audience, to draw them in, even in a virtual environment, but I still tend to be a little bit more careful about it, and it's just kind of the way it is, you know, and you and you learn to deal with it well for you, have you ever had writer's block, and how did you deal with it?   Greg Schwem ** 51:57 Yes, I have had writer's block. I don't I can't think of a single comedian who's never had writer's block, and if they say they haven't, I think they're lying when I have writer's block, the best way for me to deal with this and just so you know, I'm not the kind of comedian that can go that can sit down and write jokes. I can write stories. I've written three books, but I can't sit down and just be funny for an hour all by myself. I need interaction. I need communication. And I think when I have writer's block, I tend to go out and try and meet strangers and can engage them in conversation and find out what's going on with them. I mean, you mentioned about dealing with the younger audience. I am a big believer right now in talking to people who are half my age. I like doing that in social settings, because I just, I'm curious. I'm curious as to how they think. I'm curious as to, you know, how they spend money, how they save money, how what their hopes and dreams are for the future, what that kind of thing, and that's the kind of stuff that then I'll take back and try and write material about. And I think that, I think it's fun for me, and it's really fun to meet somebody who I'll give you a great example just last night. Last night, I was I there's a there's a bar that I have that's about 10 a stone's throw from my condo, and I love to stop in there and and every now and then, sometimes I'll sit there and I won't meet anybody, and sometimes different. So there was a guy, I'd say he's probably in his early 30s, sitting too over, and he was reading, which I find intriguing, that people come to a bar and read, yeah, people do it, I mean. And I just said to him, I go, and he was getting ready to pay his bill, and I just said, if you don't mind me asking, What are you reading? And he's like, Oh, it's by Ezra Klein. And I go, you know, I've listened to Ezra Klein before. And he goes, Yeah, you know? He says, I'm a big fan. And debt to debt to dad. Next thing, you know, we're just, we're just riffing back and forth. And I ended up staying. He put it this way, Michael, it took him a very long time to pay his bill because we had a conversation, and it was just such a pleasure to to people like that, and I think that, and it's a hard thing. It's a hard thing for me to do, because I think people are on their guard, a little bit like, why is this guy who's twice my age talking to me at a bar? That's that seems a little weird. And I would get that. I can see that. But as I mentioned in my latest book, I don't mean because I don't a whole chapter to this, and I I say in the book, I don't mean you any harm. I'm not trying to hit on you, or I'm not creepy old guy at the bar. I am genuinely interested in your story. And. In your life, and and I just, I want to be the least interesting guy in the room, and that's kind of how I go about my writing, too. Is just you, you drive the story. And even though I'm the comedian, I'll just fill in the gaps and make them funny.   Speaker 1 ** 55:15 Well, I know that I have often been invited to speak at places, and I wondered, What am I going to say to this particular audience? How am I going to deal with them? They're they're different than what I'm used to. What I found, I guess you could call that writer's block, but what I found is, if I can go early and interact with them, even if I'm the very first speaker, if I can interact with them beforehand, or if there are other people speaking before me, invariably, I will hear things that will allow me to be able to move on and give a relevant presentation specifically to that group, which is what it's really all about. And so I'm with you, and I appreciate it, and it's good to get to the point where you don't worry about the block, but rather you look at ways to move forward and interact with people and make it fun, right,   Greg Schwem ** 56:13 right? And I do think people, I think COVID, took that away from us a little bit, yeah, obviously, but I but, and I do think people missed that. I think that people, once you get them talking, are more inclined to not think that you're you have ulterior motives. I think people do enjoy putting their phones down a little bit, but it's, it's kind of a two way street when I, when I do meet people, if it's if it's only me asking the questions, eventually I'm going to get tired of that. Yeah, I think there's a, there has to be a reciprocity thing a little bit. And one thing I find is, is with the Gen Z's and maybe millennials. They're not, they're not as good at that as I think they could be. They're more they're they're happy to talk about themselves, but they're not really good at saying so what do you do for a living? Or what you know, tell me about you. And I mean, that's how you learn about other people. Yeah,   Speaker 1 ** 57:19 tell me about your your latest book, Turning gut punches into punchlines. That's a interesting title, yeah, well, the more   Greg Schwem ** 57:26 interesting is the subtitle. So it's turning gut punches into punch punch lines, A Comedian's journey through cancer, divorce and other hilarious stuff.   Speaker 1 ** 57:35 No, like you haven't done anything in the world. Okay, right? So   Greg Schwem ** 57:38 other than that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln. Yeah, exactly. See, now you get that reference. I don't know if I could use that on stage, but anyway, depend on your audience. But yeah, they're like, What's he talking   Speaker 1 ** 57:50 who's Lincoln? And I've been to Ford theater too, so that's okay, yes, as have I. So it was much later than, than, well, than Lincoln, but that's okay.   Greg Schwem ** 57:58 You're not that old, right? No. Well, okay, so as the title, as the title implies, I did have sort of a double, double gut punch, it just in the last two years. So I, I got divorced late in life, after 29 years of marriage. And while that was going on, I got a colon cancer diagnosis and and at this end, I was dealing with all this while also continuing work as a humor speaker, okay, as a comedian. And I just decided I got it. First of all, I got a very clean bill of health. I'm cancer free. I am finally divorced so and I, I started to think, I wonder if there's some humor in this. I I would, I would, you know, Michael, I've been on stage for like, 25 years telling people that, you know, you can find something funny to laugh at. You can find humor in any situation. It's kind of like what you're talking about all the people going down the stairs in the building in the world trade center. All right, if you look around enough, you know, maybe there's something funny, and I've been preaching that, but I never really had to live that until now. And I thought, you know, maybe there's something here. Maybe I can this is my chance now to embrace new experiences. It was kind of when I got divorced, when you've been married half your life and all of a sudden you get divorced, everything's new to you, yeah, you're, you're, you're living alone, you you're doing things that your spouse did, oh, so many years. And you're having to do those, and you're having to make new friends, yeah, and all of that, I think, is very humorous. So the more I saw a book in there that I started writing before the cancer diagnosis, and I thought was there enough here? Just like, okay, a guy at 60 years old gets divorced now what's going to happen to him? The diagnosis? Kind. Made it just added another wrinkle to the book, because now I have to deal with this, and I have to find another subject to to make light of a little bit. So the book is not a memoir, you know, I don't start it off. And, you know, when I was seven, you know, I played, you know, I was, I went to this school night. It's not that. It's more just about reinvention and just seeing that you can be happy later in life, even though you have to kind of rewrite your your story a little   Speaker 1 ** 1:00:33 bit. And I would assume, and I would assume, you bring some of that into your ACT every so   Greg Schwem ** 1:00:38 very much. So yeah, I created a whole new speech called Turning gut punches into punchlines. And I some of the stuff that I, that I did, but, you know, there's a chapter in the book about, I about gig work, actually three chapters I, you know, I went to work for Amazon during the Christmas holiday rush, just scanning packages. I wanted to see what that was like. I drove for Uber I which I did for a while. And to tell you the truth, I miss it. I ended up selling my car, but I miss it because of the what we just talked about. It was a great way to communicate with people. It was a great way to talk to people, find out about them, be the least interesting person in the car, anyway. And there's a chapter about dating and online dating, which I had not had to do in 30 years. There's a lot of humor in that. I went to therapy. I'd never gone to therapy before. I wrote a chapter about that. So I think people really respond to this book, because they I think they see a lot of themselves in it. You know, lots of people have been divorced. There's lots of cancer survivors out there, and there's lots of people who just suddenly have hit a speed bump in their life, and they're not really sure how to deal with it, right? And my way, this book is just about deal with it through laughter. And I'm the perfect example.   Speaker 1 ** 1:01:56 I hear you, Oh, I I know, and I've been through the same sort of thing as you not a divorce, but my wife and I were married for 40 years, and she passed away in November of 2022 after 40 years of marriage. And as I tell people, as I tell people, I got to be really careful, because she's monitoring me from somewhere, and if I misbehave, I'm going to hear about it, so I got to be a good kid, and I don't even chase the women so. But I also point out that none of them have been chasing me either, so I guess I just do what we got to do. But the reality is, I think there are always ways to find some sort of a connection with other people, and then, of course, that's what what you do. It's all about creating a connection, creating a relationship, even if it's only for a couple of hours or an hour or 45 minutes, but, but you do it, which is what it's all about?   Greg Schwem ** 1:02:49 Yeah, exactly. And I think the funniest stuff is real life experience. Oh, absolutely, you know. And if people can see themselves in in what I've written, then I've done my job as a writer.   Speaker 1 ** 1:03:03 So do you have any plans to retire?   Greg Schwem ** 1:03:06 Never. I mean, good for you retire from what   1:03:09 I know right, making fun of people   Greg Schwem ** 1:03:12 and making them laugh. I mean, I don't know what I would do with myself, and even if I there's always going to be I don't care how technology, technologically advanced our society gets. People will always want and need to laugh. Yeah, they're always going to want to do that. And if they're want, if they're wanting to do that, then I will find, I will find a way to get to them. And that's why I, as I said, That's why, like working on cruise ships has become, like a new, sort of a new avenue for me to make people laugh. And so, yeah, I don't I there's, there's no way. I don't know what else I would do with   Speaker 1 ** 1:03:53 myself, well and from my perspective, as long as I can inspire people, yes, I can make people think a little bit and feel better about themselves. I'm going to do it right. And, and, and I do. And I wrote a book during COVID that was published last August called Live like a guide dog. And it's all about helping people learn to control fear. And I use lessons I learned from eight guide dogs and my wife service dog to do that. My wife was in a wheelchair her whole life. Great marriage. She read, I pushed worked out well, but, but the but the but the bottom line is that dogs can teach us so many lessons, and there's so much that we can learn from them. So I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to create this book and and get it out there. And I think that again, as long as I can continue to inspire people, I'm going to do it. Because   Greg Schwem ** 1:04:47 why wouldn't you? Why wouldn't I exactly right? Yeah, yeah. So,   Speaker 1 ** 1:04:51 I mean, I think if I, if I stopped, I think my wife would beat up on me, so I gotta be nice exactly. She's monitoring from somewhere

Brandon Blewett, author of the best-seller How to Avoid Strangers on Airplanes, just released his witty and insightful take on navigating both literal and professional journeys. While the book hilariously examines the “6 Habits of Highly Annoying Travelers,” it also draws compelling parallels to the workplace—outlining how dealing with delays, turbulence, and pivots helped shape his career. Key talking points Brandon discusses: Knowing when to admit a role, path, or environment isn't the right fit—and finding the courage to move forward. Identifying and fostering mentoring relationships that unlock doors and inspire growth. How mentoring others can organically lead to opportunities. Discovering what truly makes you tick to chart a fulfilling career path. For context, the book has been praised as: "Drawing on his experience as both a seasoned road warrior and M&A executive, Brandon C. Blewett offers a hilariously relatable take on the habits of fellow travelers, transforming the chaos of air travel into a masterclass on navigating personal and professional growth." - Gary Leff, View from the Wing founder and Travel Guru "A rollicking tale from the ultimate frequent flyer. Travel has never been this funny. Do yourself a favor: pack this book in your carry-on." - Bill Keenan, Author of Discussion Materials "How many times have you wanted to turn to the plane seatmate next to you, behind you or across the aisle and say exactly what's on the tip of your tongue? Brandon does it, through a combination of comedy and astute observation...  I never thought a guy with a background in mergers and acquisitions could be so funny. I stand corrected." - Greg Schwem, Author of Text Me If You're Breathing, The Road to Success Goes Through the Salar Bar, and Turning Gut Punches into Punchlines Website: brandonblewett.com Book:  https://amzn.to/4hyTewR LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandoncblewett/ X: https://x.com/brandonintheair Travel Experiences and Professional Development Michael and Brandon had a conversation about their experiences with travel and how it relates to their professional and personal lives. Brandon, the author of "How to Avoid Strangers on Airplanes," shared his background in frequent travel and his career in consulting and mergers and acquisitions. Michael, who has also traveled extensively, discussed his observations of people's interactions in airports and how these experiences can be compared to the challenges faced in daily life and career. They both agreed that adaptability and flexibility are essential in both travel and professional development. The conversation ended with Michael suggesting that sometimes, one needs to look within to navigate through challenges. Reassessing Career Choices for Fulfillment Michael and Brandon discussed the importance of self-reflection and reassessing one's career choices. Brandon shared his experience of pivoting from tax law to management consulting, realizing that his initial career choice wasn't the best fit for his skill set. Michael, a former accountant, echoed Brandon's sentiments, expressing relief at leaving his accounting career behind. They both agreed that reassessing one's career path is crucial for personal growth and fulfillment. Networking and Mentoring in Careers Michael and Brandon discussed the importance of networking and mentoring in their careers. Brandon shared his experience of not attending a target school for graduate studies and how he relied on mentoring relationships to succeed. He mentioned his involvement in the Ole Miss Mba Mentoring program and how it helped his mentees achieve significant career milestones. Brandon also highlighted the potential for mentoring relationships to come full circle, with mentees potentially offering opportunities in the future. Michael shared his own experience of being a mentor through a program at Walsh College, emphasizing the value of such relationships. Mentoring and Human Aspect Consideration Michael shared his experience of mentoring a student, Brandon, who was going through a challenging time due to his wife's medical school in Chicago. Michael suggested that Brandon transfer to a business school in Chicago to save on rent and be closer to his wife. Brandon eventually followed this advice and graduated. Michael emphasized the importance of considering the human aspect in mentoring, beyond just career goals. He also mentioned that he didn't receive an invitation to continue mentoring Brandon, but he could still mentor in other areas. Student Athlete Experience and Football Brandon shared his experience as a student athlete at Southern Methodist University (SMU), where he attended every home football game and participated in the school's Life after Ball program. He found it rewarding to help student athletes prepare for their future careers, whether in finance or consulting. He also expressed his excitement about SMU's successful football season, which he believes will attract more talented players. Michael agreed, noting that the ease of transferring in college football now aligns with the real world, where taking a year off before starting a new job is not necessary. Leadership, Discipline, and Surrounding Smart People Brandon and Michael discussed the importance of discipline, practice, and competition in achieving success. They highlighted the example of Shaquille O'Neal, who despite being a former athlete, has become a successful businessman. They emphasized the need for leaders to surround themselves with smart and honest people who can provide feedback, even when it's not wanted. They also touched on the importance of being receptive to feedback and advice from others, such as gate agents, pilots, and flight attendants, to navigate challenges like flight delays or cancellations. The conversation concluded with the idea that leaders should strive to be the best in their field and that they deserve the best in the world. Continuous Learning and Personal Growth Brandon and Michael discussed the importance of continuous learning and growth, with Michael emphasizing the value of small daily improvements. They also talked about the potential for personal and professional growth, with Michael suggesting that even a 1% improvement each day could lead to significant progress over time.

Send us a textGreg Schwem began his stand-up comedy career in 1989, transitioning from a television news reporter role during a period when the comedy market was heavily saturated with cable TV shows. Despite these initial challenges, Schwem successfully adapted by merging his comedic talents into a public speaking career that brings humor to the corporate world. His journey highlights the importance of adaptability, as he tailored his material to resonate with business audiences while maintaining sensitivity to diverse perspectives. Through personal experiences like cancer and divorce, Schwem has also demonstrated how humor can serve as a powerful tool for resilience, a theme he explores in his book, "Turning Gut Punches into Punchlines."(00:01:50) Adaptability and Success in Comedy Evolution(00:06:10) Corporate Humor: Tailoring Comedy for Business Events(00:09:32) Tailoring Comedy for Corporate Engagement(00:19:57) Finding Humor & Connections After Divorce(00:23:56) "Finding Humor in Life's Struggles"(00:30:38) Comedy's Role in Resilience BuildingFor More Info: www.GregSchwem.comLink to his book:https://www.amazon.com/Turning-Punches-Into-Punch-Lines-ebook/dp/B0DH2PG9K7/ref=sr_1_1?Support the showStandup Comedy Podcast Network.co www.StandupComedyPodcastNetwork.comFree APP on all Apple & Android phones....check it out, podcast, jokes, blogs, and More!For short-form standup comedy sets, listen to: "Comedy Appeteasers" , available on all platforms.New YouTube site: https://www.youtube.com/@standupcomedyyourhostandmc/videosVideos of comics live on stage from back in the day.Please Write a Review: in-depth walk-through for leaving a review.Interested in Standup Comedy? Check out my books on Amazon..."20 Questions Answered about Being a Standup Comic""Be a Standup Comic...or just look like one"

  Ever wondered how to navigate life's challenges with a smile? Join Gail Zugerman in a hilarious and insightful conversation with Greg Schwem, a well-respected corporate comedian and cruise ship entertainer who has turned life's gut punches into punchlines. Discover how Greg's superpower - humor - helped him navigate a gray divorce and a cancer diagnosis, all while keeping his audience laughing. Plus, get ready for some witty insights on online dating, the importance of human connection, and the power of laughter in the face of adversity. Greg has recently written a book about his personal life called, "Turning Gut Punches Into Punchlines".  He is on SIRIUS Radio and Comedy Central and has shared the stage with Jay Leno, Celine Dion, and Keith Urban! --- Watch the episode here   Listen to the podcast here   The Power Of Humor: Navigating Life's Ups And Downs With Greg Schwem How To Use Humor To Get Through Life's Curve Balls Welcome to the show. This is a show that provides a platform for older people who are growing older in a positive and productive way to come on stage and dispense their wisdom. You can find out more about our show by going to www.GrowingOlderWithGusto.com. We have a very special guest for the holidays from the start of the new year who happens to be a comedian from Chicago. He is navigating the ups and downs of life by utilizing his superpower as a comedian and using his great sense of humor. His name is Greg Schwem. He spends much of his professional time on stage and onboard cruise ships. The Chicago Tribune has proclaimed him as “The King of the Hill” in the growing world of corporate comedy. He's been on Sirius Radio and Comedy Central and has shared the stage with the likes of Celine Dion, Jay Leno, and Keith Urban. We're going to talk to Greg about how changes later in life don't necessarily have to be as scary as you might think if you find the humor in difficult, challenging, and unfamiliar situations. Greg has also written a very funny book based on his own personal life called Turning Gut Punches into Punch Lines. There's a lot to talk about with Greg so let's get going.     Welcome to the show, Greg. Thank you for having me. Superpowers, I love that. I don't think I've ever been introduced as having superpowers. That's a lot of pressure. From Journalist To Comedian: Greg Schwem's Unlikely Path To Success Why don't we begin by having you tell our audience a bit about how you got started as a corporate speaker which the Huffington Post has called you “Your boss's favorite comedian”? It's weird. I quit my job in journalism. I was a newspaper and a TV reporter in West Palm Beach, Florida. I did that for the first five years out of college. I was always a comedian though. I always did it as a hobby. I started doing it in high school. I finally decided after five years in journalism, which doesn't sound like a lot but it is a lot. It takes a toll on you, particularly with the kind of stories that I was covering which were certainly not funny. They were very depressing. I told a lot of morbid stories. I would do that during the day and then I would go to comedy clubs at night and make people laugh. I eventually decided I liked doing that better so I moved back to Chicago. I became a club comedian, the guy who goes around to clubs around the country and makes people laugh. Little by little, I started getting approached because of the type of material that I was doing in my standup act. I was doing material about computers, business, meetings, and that kind of stuff. I would have people come up to me afterward and invite me down to their Christmas party, their golf outing, or little stuff like that. That snowballed. The more shows that I did for business groups, the more I got noticed by people who booked those kinds of events on a much larger scale. I was getting approached by corporate speakers bureaus, corporate booking agents, and meeting planners. It is a word of mouth marketing,

Life has a way of throwing curveballs at you. It seems like when it rains it pours, which can feel even more true when you're single. But it doesn't always have to be that way. In Episode 378 of The Charisma Quotient, “Turning Challenges Into Love & Laughter: Interview with Greg Schwem,” Kimmy chats with comedian Greg Schwem. Greg draws from personal experiences, including navigating a painful divorce and overcoming a colon cancer diagnosis, to offer insights on how humor can become a crucial tool in personal reinvention. With his sharp wit and storytelling prowess, Greg provides a fresh perspective on turning life's adversities into subjects for love and  laughter. Throughout the conversation, Kimmy and Greg discuss the vital role of resilience and perspective in facing difficult situations. They explore practical strategies for maintaining a positive mindset in the dating world, highlighting the importance of authenticity over scripted humor. Together, they open up about the balance of vulnerability and comedy as key components of effective communication and connection. Greg entertains with a memorable dating mishap where a well-intended compliment is misinterpreted, showcasing how humor can diffuse awkward moments into delightful stories. Kimmy also shares an inspiring account of a woman who embraced her quirks, leading to improved dating experiences and success in her career. If you're a woman looking to level up your dating game, coming up in February Kimmy is hosting a small intimate private retreat called Inner Spark and Soul Retreat focusing on nurturing the body, mind and soul.  Through curated activities, this transformative experience combines rejuvenating wellness practices, exploration of femininity energy and self care strategies inside and out.  Book a call with Kimmy to discuss what might be best for you to feel good inside and out. https://meetme.so/kimbreakthrough⁣. Charisma Quotient Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and many of your other favorite podcast channels. ************************************************⁣ Kimmy Seltzer is a Confidence Therapist and Authentic Dating Strategist implementing targeted style, emotional and social intelligence to your life. ⁣ ************************************************⁣ Would you like to connect with Kimmy?⁣ Website:  https://kimmyseltzer.com/⁣ Chat:  https://meetme.so/kimbreakthrough⁣ Instagram: @kimmyseltzer Twitter: @kimmyseltzer Join her FREE Facebook Group Love Makeover Insiders:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/lovemakeovers

Send us a textGreg Schwem, a former standup comic turned public speaker and writer, offers a unique perspective on the significance of humor in navigating life's tragedies. With his journalism background from Northwestern University, Schwem authored "Turning Gut Punches into Punchlines: A Comedian's Journey Through Cancer, Divorce, and Other Hilarious Stuff," a book that delves into the therapeutic power of laughter amidst adversity. He believes that even in situations like divorce and cancer, humor plays a crucial role in personal growth and provides a lighter perspective on darker subjects. By sharing his own experiences, Schwem highlights the role of comedians in finding joy where it's least expected, illustrating that humor can be a powerful tool for resilience and connection.(00:01:27) Finding Humor in Life's Struggles(00:02:32) Turning Hardships into Humorous Punchlines(00:07:32) "Turning Adversity into Laughter: Finding Humor"More info: www.GregSchwem.comSupport the showStandup Comedy Podcast Network.co www.StandupComedyPodcastNetwork.comFree APP on all Apple & Android phones....check it out, podcast, jokes, blogs, and More!For short-form standup comedy sets, listen to: "Comedy Appeteasers" , available on all platforms.New YouTube site: https://www.youtube.com/@standupcomedyyourhostandmc/videosVideos of comics live on stage from back in the day.Please Write a Review: in-depth walk-through for leaving a review.Interested in Standup Comedy? Check out my books on Amazon..."20 Questions Answered about Being a Standup Comic""Be a Standup Comic...or just look like one"

When most people think of standup comedy, they typically think of crude Netflix specials or dank nightclubs with comedians swearing like sailors. But when Greg Schwem takes the stage, you can hear the audience laughing about topics such as sales meetings, corporate websites or business advertising campaigns. 

On the show this week we talk to comic Greg Schwem about his unique career path. From TV & Print journalism right out of college to standup comedy, and then to being a Motivational Speaker. His life has been very rewarding! What is interesting is, Greg shares that with in each career move, how the previous occupation and the training it brought offered a foundation for the next. From Tennessee, here's Greg Schwem, a motivational speaker for the times.www.gregschwem.comHosted by: R. Scott EdwardsSupport the showStandup Comedy Podcast Network.co www.StandupComedyPodcastNetwork.comFree APP on all Apple & Android phones....check it out, podcast, jokes, blogs, and More!New YouTube site: https://www.youtube.com/@standupcomedyyourhostandmc/videosVideos of comics live on stage from back in the day.Please Write a Review: in-depth walk-through for leaving a review.Podcast Newsletter Access: email me at scottscomedystuff@gmail.com and leave your preferred email address.Newsletter shores jokes, info on past & future shows, and more!

Greg Schwem has 30+ years experience in the corporate comedy world and he joins us to share the who, what and how of getting into the corporate world. You will leave this interview with all the information and next steps needed to start getting booked as a corporate comedian. Listen, learn, share! Connect with Greg here: https://www.gregschwem.com (https://www.gregschwem.com) Check out our classes and workshops here: https://hotbreathmedia.com/ (https://hotbreathmedia.com/) Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/HotBreathPod (https://www.youtube.com/c/HotBreathPod) Check Out Joel's Comedy Special here: https://gumroad.com/l/TheTrophyHusband (https://gumroad.com/l/TheTrophyHusband)

Carl (also now a co-author) celebrates the debut of PICKLEBALL FOR DUMMIES, now Amazon's #1 best-selling pickleball book. Super fun lead-in with three past guests: comedian Greg Schwem, pickleball aficionado Bob Franceschelli and pickleball author Mike Branon. They muse about their first pickleball experience and their obsession with today's fastest growing sport in America. Mo Nard (Co-Author) chimes in, totally stoked after stepping off her live television interview on the pickleball court. Chuck Menke of USA Pickleball rounds out the episode with a perspective on the sport's popularity and what the future looks like! We'll return to our normal I Used to be Somebody programming in just two weeks (October 25th). More about Pickleball For Dummies: https://pickleballmediahq.com/book More about USA Pickleball: https://usapickleball.org

HuffPost calls Greg Schwem, “Your boss' favorite comedian.” That's because Greg's clean, razor-sharp wit and family-man stage presence has made him a favorite for corporate audiences worldwide, whether performing live or virtually. More than just a speaker, Greg is also a television travel host, best-selling author, nationally syndicated humor columnist for the Chicago Tribune syndicate and award-winning greeting card writer.    If you are like me, you probably didn't know about the prestigious Louie Award?As a business humor speaker and corporate emcee, Greg's clients have included Microsoft, McDonald's, Southwest Airline and even the CIA. That had to be a hoot. I'll add Telarus in there. As a comedian, his credits include Comedy Central, VH-1, opening stints for stars such as Celine Dion and Keith Urban and his own Drybar comedy special, filmed during the pandemic and appropriately titled You Can't Quarantine Laughter.   When Greg travels, he often stays at Airbnb and other “home sharing” properties, treks that have resulted in a hilarious, ongoing TV series, “A Comedian Crashes Your Pad”, winner of a Telly Award honoring outstanding broadcast content in the Television/Travel&Tourism category. Find the series on Roku, AppleTV and Amazon FireTV. Learn more and book Greg- https://www.gregschwem.com/. https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregschwem/Support the show

Countless studies have shown that laughing is a good way to relieve stress. And even if we love our job and our teammates, there's always an element of stress in the workplace.So why not find ways to spice it up with some humor?According to Greg Schwem, comedian and corporate speaker, humor is disappearing from the corporate world just when we need it the most. Organizations are shying away from using humor of any kind for fear of offending someone. But the reality is that the positive benefits of humor far outweigh the negative ramifications.Human resource departments are charged with fostering a fun and healthy work envioronment. Employee experience is a huge part of that. On this episode, Greg shares how organizations can improve the employee experience through humor without risking offensive jokes. We talk about the best kind of humor to use, why humor and laughing is so good for us, how to navigate the fine line between good humor and bad humor, and what role communication plays in humor at work.Greg's presentation at the SHRM conference is Is it Okay to Laugh, and after listening you're certain to say a resounding yes.About Greg Schwem:HuffPost calls Greg Schwem "Your boss's favorite comedian." He has spent 25 years making the business world laugh at itself, with clients ranging from Microsoft to the CIA.  He will be addressing the SHRM 2022 conference with his latest keynote, "You Can't Cancel Laughter."  Greg has appeared on Comedy Central, Drybar Comedy, opened for musical superstars such as Celine Dion and Keith Urban and can be heard regularly on SIRIUS/XM Radio's Laugh USA. Follow Greg on Instagram and Facebook and connect with him on LinkedIn.Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:Greg's talk at the SHRM22 Conference - You Can't Cancel Laughter: Understanding How Stifling Workplace Humor Can Also Stifle Creativity and RetentionSHRM Annual Conference & ExpoMental Health Skills Training

Is it dangerous to joke at work? Let's hear from a corporate comedian about the perils of using humor at work…and how you can overcome them. Key Takeaways:What sets Greg apart from other corporate entertainers?Greg Schwem makes Fortune 500 Companies laugh at themselvesGreg Schwem is not your typical comedianGreg rules as a comedianThe different definitions of what is funnyRock, Roll and Laugh your way to the topYou can't cancel laughterWork, Laugh, RepeatBenefits of humor in the workplaceSupport the show

Greg Schwem is more than a comedian; he is one of the most successful and in-demand motivational corporate comedians in America. As a stand-up comedian, Greg has opened for Chris Rock, Jay Leno, Celine Dion, Kenny Loggins, Pat Benatar, Leann Rimes, Keith Urban, and many more. He has appeared on Sirius Satellite Radio and Comedy Central, and he has a new 2022 special on Dry Bar Comedy called "You Can't Quarantine Laughter." Greg gets rave reviews and incredible audience engagement (and tons of laughter) every time he is booked. He's spoken professionally for over two decades to over 1000 organizations, from the likes of Mcdonald's to the CIA. For more on Greg or to book him to speak: https://speakers.calentertainment.com...Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://www.calentertainment.com/virtually-speaking/

Greg Schwem is a corporate humor comedian, emcee, and motivational speaker for any type of organization .... He's also an award-winning greeting card writer! He joins host Steven Maggi for a fun and... Experience the excitement and energy of Las Vegas each weekend on VEGAS NEVER SLEEPS with Steven Maggi.

Vegas comedians come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. And so it is with Greg Schwem: He's been "killing 'em" for years as a stand up comedy veteran, author, nationally-syndicated columnist,... Experience the excitement and energy of Las Vegas each weekend on VEGAS NEVER SLEEPS with Steven Maggi.

Carl is in "pickleball" heaven this week since he got to interview the very funny Greg Schwem. Not only is Greg a talented comedian but also happens to be a kick-ass pickleball player! Greg talks about the amazing third act (or is it fourth?) he created for himself, as the producer/director/writer/star of the TV show "A Comedian Crashes Your Pad".  Greg also shares some great advice for anyone looking to reinvent themselves in the second half of their life. And as a bonus, Carl admits he has own fledgling comedy career. • More about Greg Schwem: https://www.gregschwem.com • More about A Comedian Crashes Your Pad:  https://acomediancrashesyourpad.com • Episode Content: https://pickleballmediahq.com/blog/2022-ready-or-not-here-we-come • Sponsored by Capital Advantage:  https://capitaladvantage.com/podcast • Subscribe to the I Used to be Somebody newsletter: https://pickleballmediahq.com/contact/subscribe

Anthony and Alex are joined this week by Greg Schwem (corporate humor comedian, columnist, keynote speaker, author, radio personality). Anthony recently had the pleasure of experiencing Greg speak when they worked in Hawaii recently and Anthony knew he needed to bring everyone this Bollotta-FIDE artist. They get into how Greg shapes his material uniquely for each artist, fighting for attention from the phone and even working for a government agency. Even more they discuss favorite Broadway musicals, winning the greeting card industries' prestigious Louie Award, airport observations, and even losing your phone. ASK ANTHONY at www.bollotta.com/podcastFollow @BollottaEntertainment on InstagramJOIN THE LIVE EVENTS COALITION at www.liveeventscoalition.org

Greg Schwem is an author, nationally syndicated humor columnist, TV travel host, as built a career doing so along with developing a unique perspective on the changing state business. His views on  corporate communications, marketing and the need for businesses to take themselves less serious show a need for more humor in the workplace, but with limitations. 

Today on the Dads with Daughters Podcast we spoke with comedian Greg Schwem and his daughter Natalie. We talk about fatherhood, comedy, and more.  Greg Schwem is more than a comedian; Greg Schwem is a motivational corporate comedian. And the corporate world has taken note.  Greg's take on the 21st century workplace and work/life balance has landed him on SIRIUS Radio, Comedy Central, and the pages of Exceptional People Magazine. More than just a business humorist, Greg is also an author, nationally syndicated humor columnist, TV travel host, award-winning greeting card writer and creator of funnydadinc, voted one of the top Dad humor sites of 2020.  He is the author of numerous books including one that relates right back to fatherhood entitled: Text me if you're breathing: Observations, frustrations and life lessons from a low-tech dad. If you've enjoyed today's episode of the Dads With Daughters podcast we invite you to check out the Fatherhood Insider. The Fatherhood Insider is the essential resource for any dad that wants to be the best dad that he can be. We know that no child comes with an instruction manual and most are figuring it out as they go along. The Fatherhood Insider is full of valuable resources and information that will up your game on fatherhood. Through our extensive course library, an interactive forum, step-by-step roadmaps, and more you will engage and learn with experts but more importantly with dads like you. So check it out today!

Greg Schwem is a Chicago, Illinois-based comedian, keynote speaker, and emcee who has spent the past 25 years making the corporate world laugh at itself. When not traveling the world providing laughs, Greg writes a bi-weekly, nationally syndicated humor column for the Chicago Tribune syndicate and is the creator and host of the streaming TV show, “A Comedian Crashes Your Pad. He is the author of two books, “Text Me If You're Breathing: Observations, Frustrations and Life Lessons from a Low Tech Dad” and “The Road to Success Goes Through the Salad Bar.” • How easy was it to move from performing stand-up in comedy clubs to speaking for corporate audiences? • Why do you feel there are so few humor speakers who market themselves exclusively for corporate events? • How did the pandemic affect your business as a humor speaker? • Tell us about A Comedian Crashes Your Pad http://www.speakersu.com/how-to-use-humor-in-public-speaking-121      

Comedian Greg Schwem and Alex trade barbs in this hilarious episode.

We can't address the racism in America without trying to fix the cycle of poverty. Justice Deposits is an idea that actually works. Hear Pastor Dave Ferguson explain it, and stick around to hear from my old friend, comedian Greg Schwem.SHOW NOTESSupport Justice Deposits however you can!Learn more about Greg Schwem here.Subscribe to Live From My Office on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.Follow Steve on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.Win an ABT gift card by emailing me three of your friends emails who you think would like the show, and include your mailing address in the email. Check out the details here.Email the show with any questions, comments, or plugs for your favorite charity.

Greg Schwem - (Corporate Comedian, Travel Show Host, Chicago Tribune Columnist, Best-Selling Author) - Website: GregSchwem.com

Corporate comedian Greg Schwem talks about his career, book, and his new tv show...https://www.gregschwem.com/https://acomediancrashesyourpad.com/http://funnydadinc.com/https://www.amazon.com/Greg-Schwem/e/B004HE94CK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Imagine your corporate conference without him?Greg Schwem, business humorist, is my guest today and he has a great career making others laugh for a living. Greg started as a comic and quickly realized he has a gift for corporate humor. While sharing the stage with the likes of Celine Dion, Jay Leno, Leann Rimes, Kenny Loggins, Pat Benatar and others is a great feather for his cap he has equally enjoyed making corporate employees laugh when he shares jokes he crafts specifically for their company. Greg has an equally impressive list of companies he has entertained over the years like McDonald’s, Microsoft, General Motors, IBM, Hyatt Hotels, United Airlines and Cisco Systems.Having traveled to locations like Poland, Peru, Vienna and Hawaii for comedy, much of our talk was based around the idea of how do you work as a corporate humorist while gatherings at companies are no longer allowed. Like many past guests, Greg is learning new ways to accomplish his goals. SUBSCRIBEYou can subscribe to The Travel Wins Podcast on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, YouTube, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spreaker, Podnews, Castbox, Overcast, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public, and Spotify.Intro song “Road Trip” by Robin Tricker# gregschwem #comedian #humorist #corporate #corporatecomedy #comic #businesstravel #jobsthatinvolvetravel #careersthatinvolvetravel #businesstravelcareer #businesstraveljobs #thetravelwins

Imagine your corporate conference without him?Greg Schwem, business humorist, is my guest today and he has a great career making others laugh for a living. Greg started as a comic and quickly realized he has a gift for corporate humor. While sharing the stage with the likes of Celine Dion, Jay Leno, Leann Rimes, Kenny Loggins, Pat Benatar and others is a great feather for his cap he has equally enjoyed making corporate employees laugh when he shares jokes he crafts specifically for their company. Greg has an equally impressive list of companies he has entertained over the years like McDonald’s, Microsoft, General Motors, IBM, Hyatt Hotels, United Airlines and Cisco Systems.Having traveled to locations like Poland, Peru, Vienna and Hawaii for comedy, much of our talk was based around the idea of how do you work as a corporate humorist while gatherings at companies are no longer allowed. Like many past guests, Greg is learning new ways to accomplish his goals. SUBSCRIBEYou can subscribe to The Travel Wins Podcast on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, YouTube, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spreaker, Podnews, Castbox, Overcast, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public, and Spotify.Intro song “Road Trip” by Robin Tricker# gregschwem #comedian #humorist #corporate #corporatecomedy #comic #businesstravel #jobsthatinvolvetravel #careersthatinvolvetravel #businesstravelcareer #businesstraveljobs #thetravelwins

Imagine your corporate conference without him? Greg Schwem, business humorist, is my guest today and he has a great career making others laugh for a living. Greg started as a comic and quickly realized he has a gift for corporate humor. While sharing the stage with the likes of Celine Dion, Jay Leno, Leann Rimes, Kenny Loggins, Pat Benatar and others is a great feather for his cap he has equally enjoyed making corporate employees laugh when he shares jokes he crafts specifically for their company. Greg has an equally impressive list of companies he has entertained over the years like McDonald’s, Microsoft, General Motors, IBM, Hyatt Hotels, United Airlines and Cisco Systems. Having traveled to locations like Poland, Peru, Vienna and Hawaii for comedy, much of our talk was based around the idea of how do you work as a corporate humorist while gatherings at companies are no longer allowed. Like many past guests, Greg is learning new ways to accomplish his goals. SUBSCRIBE You can subscribe to The Travel Wins Podcast on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, YouTube, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spreaker, Podnews, Castbox, Overcast, Breaker, Pocket Casts, Radio Public, and Spotify. Intro song “Road Trip” by Robin Tricker # gregschwem #comedian #humorist #corporate #corporatecomedy #comic #businesstravel #jobsthatinvolvetravel #careersthatinvolvetravel #businesstravelcareer #businesstraveljobs #thetravelwins

Greg was a Journalist, he wanted to become a Comedian. So he did, we hear of his journey from one to the other and how passion, drive, determination and self belief got him there. As he has circled the globe over the years Greg has seen humanity through different eyes, and has concluded that laughter is what we all need. This man learnt his art alongside the like of Jerry Seinfeld, he's shared stages with Celine Dion and Jay Leno yet has remained humbled throughout the years.  In this, at times hilarious encounter, Greg and I chat about many of his travel experiences, and one particular flight to Australia where he didn't even leave the airport before returning to the US.  Its time for a laugh folks, I give you Mr Greg Schwem.  

Greg Schwem is a corporate comedian from Chicago. Greg has performed for corporations such as Hyatt Hotels, Cisco, Microsoft, and many more. We talked about his start in standup while he was a broadcast journalist, self-promotion, and PC culture. You can get to know Greg on his very current website here:Greg SchwemCheck out Greg's YouTube series A Comedian Crashes Your Pad here:A Comedian Crashes Your PadIf you like the show, you can follow us on social media! Isn't that great!FacebookTwitterInstagram

Adam Torres interviews Greg Schwem President at Comedy With a Byte and Creator at A Comedian Crashes Your Pad in this episode. Follow Adam on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorres/ for up to date information on book releases and tour schedule. Apply to be interviewed by Adam on our podcast: https://www.moneymatterstoptips.com/podcastguest --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/moneymatters/support

Greg Schwem is one of my old comedy pals from Chicago, who makes his living in the lucrative world of corporate comedy. He also has a new YouTube series about staying at AirBnB's on the road- "A Comedian Crashes Your Pad."

Breaking from the serious side; when you hear the phrase “corporate” you likely won’t think of “entertaining” or “funny,” but that just means you have not yet listened to my good friend and corporate comedian, Greg Schwem. Greg’s view of the business world always makes me laugh, and he has been a guest 3 times on APN, bringing his slanted view of the world. In addition to his stand-up, he writes for the Chicago Tribune, and the Huffington Post, and has been featured on many other media outlets. https://www.gregschwem.com/

Greg Schwem Corporate entertainer, MC, humor columnist@Tribune Co., creator of web series, "A Comedian Crashes Your Pad" is interviewed in this episode. HuffPost calls Greg "Your boss' favorite comedian." The Chicago Tribune dubbed Greg "king of the hill in the world of corporate comedy." Performing as a keynote humorist, master of ceremonies or motivational speaker exclusively for business conferences, association gatherings and other private events, Greg's client list includes Microsoft, Cisco Systems, McDonald's, IBM, Motorola, United Airlines and John Hancock. Greg's various programs share one central theme: make audiences laugh at their work environments and do it while performing clean and politically correct. Follow Adam on Instagram at Ask Adam Torres for up to date information on book releases and tour schedule. Apply to become a featured co-author in one of Adam's upcoming books: https://www.moneymatterstoptips.com/coauthor --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/moneymatters/support

Greg Schwem ’84 started his career in print journalism after graduating from the Medill School of Journalism. He worked his way into the broadcast side of reporting through his ability to learn quickly what the story was. He transferred this skill again later in his career during his transition into corporate entertaining through comedy. He has been in the world of comedy for almost 30 years, finding his niche in performing stand-up comedy and humorous motivational speeches at corporate events worldwide. Schwem shares valuable insights and inspiration for alumni looking to make a career change themselves.

This year, Corporate Comedian, and a good friend of mine (@GregSchwem http://GregSchwem.com/) Was the headline comedian for the APCO Executive Board meeting here in Las Vegas. How did he do? Listen and find out!

This year, Corporate Comedian, and a good friend of mine (@GregSchwem http://GregSchwem.com/) Was the headline comedian for the APCO Executive Board meeting here in Las Vegas. How did he do? Listen and find out!

Corporate comedian Greg Schwem invites himself onto the show to tell host Carl Bialik about finding matches when he travels for gigs, traveling in the same Illinois tennis circles as David Foster Wallace, and whether Chicago can support a pro tournament. Produced and edited by Jorge Estrada, with music by Lee Rosevere. Greg on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GregSchwem

Greg Schwem’s comedic take on the 21st century workplace and work/life balance has landed him on SIRIUS Radio, FOX News, Comedy Central and the pages of Parents Magazine. More than just a business humorist, Greg is also an author, nationally syndicated humor columnist, award-winning greeting card writer and creator of funnydadinc, voted one of the top Dad humor sites of 2016.  He has shared the concert stage with the likes of Celine Dion and Jay Leno. A graduate of Northwestern University’s prestigious Medill School of Journalism, Greg never envisioned a career in laughter. Instead, he settled in Florida, becoming an award-winning reporter for NBC-owned WPTV in West Palm Beach. But the comedy bug bit Greg hard and he returned to his hometown of Chicago, where he honed his standup act in nightclubs. When he began inserting material about business and technology into his act, audience members approached him and said, “You really should come down to my office and tell those jokes.” Behold! A new approach to comedy was born. Greg’s show provides a hilarious look at today’s corporate environment and the latest tools used to conduct business. Indeed, Greg’s client list includes such corporate heavyweights as McDonald’s, Microsoft, General Motors, IBM, Hyatt Hotels, United Airlines and Cisco Systems. What sets Greg apart from other corporate entertainers is his ability—and willingness—to customize material for his audience while working within the parameters of the corporate environment. That means no profanity or politically incorrect material. “That’s never been a part of my show anyway,” Greg recently told a reporter. When Greg hits the stage he already has perused the company’s Internet site, combed the internal message boards and even sifted through numerous PowerPoint presentations. “There is no such thing as too much information,” Greg says. “I know corporate audiences like to laugh at themselves so the more ammunition I get, the funnier it will be. Just don’t give me a 10-K report. There is NOTHING funny about that.” Greg’s preparation always includes a conference call with company executives and, in some cases, an onsite visit. Besides customized material, Greg entertains audiences with stories about tedious business meetings, SmartPhone addiction, “frequently” asked questions and his fascination with the American Girl Doll company. In addition to his hefty speaking schedule, Greg  writes a weekly humor column nationally distributed by Tribune Media Services. He also is the author of Text Me If You’re Breathing: Observations, Frustrations and Life Lessons From a Low-Tech Dad and The Road to Success Goes Through the Salad Bar:  A Pile of BS (Business Stories) From a Corporate Comedian.

ep. 72 - Greg Schwem by GDA Speakers

The beauty of Airbnb is the trust people place in each other, allowing strangers to stay in their homes and sharing their space – and often their lives. Comedians are in the business of studying people and learning their stories, and today’s guest was fascinated by the concept of home sharing and curious to understand why people choose to host.Jasper is chatting with Greg Schwem, a business humorist, corporate comedian, and syndicated columnist. He often travels for work, so Greg started adding an extra day to his trips and booking an Airbnb with an interesting profile. With their permission, he films a segment with each host and posts to his YouTube channel, A Comedian Walks into an Airbnb.Listen in as Greg shares his unique Airbnb experiences, including a stay on an air mattress in a Volkswagen van and a trip to Miami Beach hosted by a ‘stripper turned house flipper.’Topics CoveredHow Greg chooses an Airbnb•Interesting profile•Extraordinary location/circumstancesGreg’s unique experiences•Row house in DC•Volkswagen van in Vail•Carriage house in Tulsa•Trendy loft in ChicagoGreg’s extraordinary host in Miami Beach•Former exotic dancer•Hosts property in Miami Beach•Career in real estate led to Airbnb•Owned rock and roll paraphernalia store•Very open about her pastHow Greg approaches video production•Airbnb host is the star•His job is to get them talkingWhy Greg is particularly suited to host an Airbnb-themed channel•Background in television news•Open to staying anywhere•Age adds a degree of humor (at 54, he’s often out of his element)•Interest in people and their storiesGreg’s plans for his channel moving forward•Continue to seek out interesting Airbnb hosts/experiences (i.e.: flea market shopping in Texas)•Pursue slot on a streaming video or network channelResources “My Daughter’s Room Would Look Great on Airbnb” by Greg SchwemConnect with Gregwww.gregschwem.comA Comedian Walks Into an Airbnb YouTube Channel Connect with JasperEmail: jasper@getpaidforyourpad.comTwitter: @GetPaidForUrPadInstagram: @GetPaidForYourPad Facebook: www.facebook.com/getpaidforyourpadThis episode is sponsored by Hostfully.com where you can create a custom digital guidebook for your guests! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Here is some fun things you can do to deal with the "Do Not Call List" violators from Corporate Comedian Greg Schwem(http://GregSchwem.com) @GregSchwem

Here is some fun things you can do to deal with the "Do Not Call List" violators from Corporate Comedian Greg Schwem (http://GregSchwem.com) @GregSchwem

My guest today Join Up Dots free podcast interview is Mr Greg Schwem, a man who has combined two sought after talents and created something rather unusual. He knows how many business conferences are dry, flat affairs, with keynotes presentations by grey men, in grey suits, spouting grey material. Leaving the audience wondering when the next breakout session will be, or what happened to that cute girl they saw earlier that morning. Instead he brings a comedic approach honed by working the stand-up routines in Chicago, with an eye for detail for the written word developed through his study at Northwestern University's prestigious Medill School of Journalism. Two distinctly different specialisms, which complement each other perfectly. But as we see time and time again where someone ends up, displaying what seem like god given talents, is quite often the last place that they envisioned at the beginning of their career. Leaving University, he settled in Florida, becoming an award-winning reporter for NBC-owned WPTV in West Palm Beach, until when he began inserting material about business and technology into his act, audience members approached him and said, “You really should come down to my office and tell those jokes.” And that was that. With a lot of hard work. A lot of persistence. And a desire to be the best that he can be he was on his way. So how did this young journalist take such a detour in his career? And why did he feel the need to take an already difficult art of public speaking, and make it doubly tough by trying to make business folk laugh at 9:00am in the morning? Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots, with the one and only Mr Greg Schwem