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Fresh Ideas, Real Stories, and a Lot of Laughs

Insights on laughter, leadership, and team culture direct from our founder

July 31, 2024

Mental Health & Laughter for the Gold

Simone Biles is probably a little busy, but if ever there was the perfect spokesperson for Laughter On Call, it would be this gymnastics GOAT. Not just for her unmatched talent and skill, but also for being a beaming example of what is possible if you put your mental health first. On top of all of this, she’s a dedicated fan of laughter! Here’s a delightful edited clip of her doing just that. Despite the critics and all she has experienced, in an interview for Sportskeeda, when asked by her mother why she laughs so much, Simone responded, "Because life is fun and you should build memories and I build memories by laughing."

July 24, 2024

Happy Self-Care Day!

July is a big month for Laughter On Call! Last week we turned six and today is one of our favorite holidays. International Self-Care Day. July 24th! According to the UK based Self-Care Foundation (SF), the date was chosen to underscore their belief that we should be engaging in self-care 24/7. Gotta love a lofty goal! SF has broken self care down to seven essential pillars. You can check them out here. I was batting a thousand on these until I got to “risk- avoidance.” Oops! Comedian/entrepreneurs, we’re not exactly known for dodging risk!

July 10, 2024

6 Years Already?

Newsflash: Timing is big in comedy. Having an instinct for it is pretty key for landing a joke. Understanding timing is also one of the great people skills. It affects all kinds of interactions from marriage, to senior c

July 3, 2024

When the Laughter Stops, Bring in the Humanity

People often ask me to tell them a specific moment with a senior where Laughter On Call really made a difference. The answer I give is never the one they are expecting. It’s never the image of a woman laughing so hard sh

June 27, 2024

The Stages of Life in a Pixar Universe

The combination of the dramatic success of Inside Out 2 and the crushing news of Gena Rowlands’ Alzheimer’s has me thinking about the evolution of feelings as we mature.

June 20, 2024

SOLIDARITY = INCLUSION

It’s Pride Month which is what inspired Laughter On Call to invite a few experts to talk about creating a feeling of belonging for all people at our webinar today (Thursday, 6/20).

June 13, 2024

From the Tennis Court to Caregiving

When anyone asks me about my tennis game, I often call myself a hack. I’m not being self-deprecating - well maybe I am - but I’m also speaking truth. I have taken a handful of lessons in my life. But I love a good racket

June 6, 2024

Daughter, Caregiver, Worker

Yes, that's a legit fanny pack. And we'll get to that. But first...

May 23, 2024

Comedy Tools in Action!

“We’ve done that exercise already,” the Chanel-chic woman in the front row wearing thick framed glasses said. She readjusted them and smiled.

May 16, 2024

A Sense of Humor for Survival?

“Let’s start with the first scene,” the casting director said. “Sure,” I said. I was sitting across from Jerry Seinfeld who was also holding a script. Having gone through several rounds of auditions for Elaine, we were now meeting. I was young and this was my first “big audition.” The room was teaming with people laughing at every single thing he said. Anyone recall the laugh out loud Washington Mutual commercial where Ben Falcone walks in late to a company meeting and blurts out, “Sorry I’m late, I had a job interview. NAILED IT!”? That is not how I would describe this experience. Thrown by his Seinfeldian cadence, it was not my best work. Since then, I’ve followed his stand up and always marveled at his total respect for the craft and relentless tinkering of material. A few years ago, seeing him try out new jokes to mild titters, I thought, dude, you do not have to keep doing this. I fully believed this. Until I heard his Duke commencement speech. This man is not f’ing around about his passion for the value of laughter for, as he says, surviving the human condition. The guy lives to make people laugh. Despite what can feel like shallow subject matter, there is weight to how he feels about writing and performing it.

May 8, 2024

Mental Health Awareness Month & Mother’s Day - Coincidence?

It’s Mental Health Month and Mother’s Day - in comedy that’s what we call timing! I’m tickled by the chance to recognize mental health and my mother in the same month! What is it they say? Your parents know where the but

May 1, 2024

Happy National Small Business Week!

If you would have told me ten years ago I’d have a small business hitting its stride five years in, I’d probably have done a frozen yogurt spit-take. Those were the yogurt years - many of my jokes were about new mom stress, the set up for one was a 30-something racing up to a yogurt store counter, “Can I have a taste?” she pleads, panting.