A Day in the Life of a Funny Motivational Speaker

The Power of the Deadline

2012-04-17T11:45:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I turned in my new book to my editor at St. Martin's Press! This is my latest book since "The Comedy Bible" and I've been working on it for 1 ½ years. If (before I started this project) you'd told me that I could write for nine hours a day -- I would have said that it's impossible. I'm like most comics. We write when inspiration hits us, which is usually while driving, working out at the gym, or having sex - in other words, anytime other than actually sitting down to write. Inspiration rarely strikes when it's supposed to.So how am I able to make a deadline?

Fear. Yes, the power of the threat of humiliation over writing a shoddy book -- not to mention having to return a substantial advance -- is a great motivator.

The results? At night I'm dreaming about the book. I'm up at 5am working for 4 hours, then a gym break, and then another 4-hour stint.

Of course, now that it's done, I plan on having a life, seeing what my peeps are doing on FB, taking a Sierra Club hike, getting my roots done, and actually getting out of the house. But, if you're having a hard time finishing projects, I've learned a lesson I want to share with you. We all can't wait for a book deal, an HBO special, or a starring role in a sitcom to motivate us.

You have to show others that you can finish what you start before they'll invest in you. So -- here are some tips to complete your projects:

1. Have a deadline with consequences. We've all seen deadlines come and go with nothing done. That's why you need a deadline where you are accountable to someone else and there are grave repercussions if you don't hit your deadline. Find what motivates you. (Humiliation? Having to pay money if you don't finish? A trip to Maui if you do finish?)

Then, find someone to hold you accountable to complete your project, so that if you don't get it done, they will be handing out the punishment, or reward.

2. Spin only one plate at a time. Many of us are spreading ourselves thin by trying to do stand-up, put together a speech, write a book, and not doing any of them well. Focus on one project and don't start another until you've completed it. We funny people tend to have a lot of ideas. Just know that ideas are worthless unless they are nurtured, evolved, and developed.

3. Money is a great motivator. Before putting all your resources into a project, make sure it's time well spent. There should always be a realistic possibility of making money off your project, or advancing your career.

4. Passion only gets you so far. You need passion to get any project out of first gear. But just like a fizzled love affair, passion wanes and you find your marriage to your idea in trouble. So, pick a project that's not only meaningful to you, but also meaningful to others. Doing things for others sometimes can keep you going when your own ambition fails.

5. It takes a village. Very few people have what it takes to create alone. Have regular meetings with supportive people and assess your progress. Go to social.comedyworkshops.com to find a Comedy Buddy.

6. Make your goals manageable and incremental. Start with small commitments and keep them, like weekly writing one blog or one minute of new material.

7. Have a huge reward for yourself when you finish. Thank yourself for following through with a trip, a party, or a binge night. Go ahead, you deserve it!

Your Low Self Esteem can be Your Ticket to Fame & Fortune

2012-03-09T21:05:00.002-08:00

A few years ago, a psychology professor from Florida State University did a study on self-esteem -- and the results were not what you'd expect. We hear all the time that we need high self-esteem to be successful - but the study found that the segment of society with the very highest self esteem -- were criminals.

I guess that means that people in jail for burglary felt with certainty that they deserved your flat screen television. (And they succeeded in getting in it -- at least temporarily.) Oddly enough, the people who scored lowest on the self-esteem scale were psychologists -- including the ones who designed the self-esteem study.

Maybe their lack of self-esteem is what causes them to be so curious about the topic ... and to take the time to really study and learn more about it.

Are we experts because of our defects? I'm starting to think so.

From teaching the speaker's class, I'm finding that my students speak about what they need to learn. One of my students sent me an email to say she was quitting the class just a week and a half before the showcase. It's ironic that her speech is to high school students about "Don't Give Up! Getting Past Obstacles."

Another student is a nurse working at a VA spinal cord injury unit who's so burnt out that it's affecting her health. She's speaking to nurses on "How to Deal with Stress."

I understand. I speak on using humor to lighten up the workplace and I spend 90% of my time fretting, worrying, and combating depression. But it seems that that's a perfect recipe for a hilarious motivational speaker.

Low self esteem, weight problems, stress problems, and difficulty handling change can be looked at as negative qualities -- but I'm beginning to see them as great motivators to improve, learn, and become an expert on your weakness.

I'm sure growing up, Mother Theresa was probably told she was extremely selfish. I could hear her mother saying "You, you, you, Theresa, that's all you're ever thinking about!"

Perhaps that was her motivation for becoming a saint.

What are your weaknesses? Take time to study them, and develop a passion to overcome them. And then - turn that passion into a paying career.

-Judy Carter

Author of The Comedy Bible, Motivational-Humorist, and Comedy Coach. Coming in 2013 "Make a Career Out of The Message of You."

The Hidden Value of Your Stories

2012-03-09T21:04:00.002-08:00

Do you have a secret stash of dinner party stories, or stories you tell friends in a bar, or to entertain a date?

I'm talking about those stories that you know inside and out; the really good ones that people beg you to tell over and over. And after you pretend to NOT want to - you turn a tale loose and leave people laughing, crying -- or sitting in amazement.

All good storytellers have these -- but what many don't realize is all the hidden value that a collection of stories with a common theme can have.

My speaking students are often amazed to find out that their crazy boss stories, the drunken family vacation stories, or the story of how they survived an illness (or their childhood) often have a message that goes much deeper than just entertaining a few friends. And, when they harness that message, and frame it properly, it can be a message that businesses will pay a lot to hear.

In the speaking class I'm teaching now, I have a student who works in the transit system. She has hilarious stories about nightmare bus riders. And now she's putting a collection of them together to create a fabulous speech about using humor to deal with difficult people. Her speech is not only hysterical, but it's got great on the nose content that would be of value not just to bus drivers -- but to ANYONE who has to deal with the public. So her potential audience would be ...hmm, let me see...everyone?

Another student is an actress, with wonderful stories about auditioning for commercials. Appearing in over 200 commercials has made her an expert on how to interview to win and wow all the audiences of your life. Once we framed what she knew with that "just right" wording in that last sentence, she realized how valuable her experience is -- not only for actors - but also for anyone who wants to get a job, land a promotion, win over a jury, or just impress a date. (That would again be... everyone!)

We've all learned something from our years on this planet. Even small day-to-day struggles of overcoming obstacles and having success often have hidden treasure in them that can be of value to others -- and that corporations and organizations will pay to hear. I call that the "Message of You," and when we share that message (whether we get paid or not), we all can make a difference in someone else's life.

Are you ready to find your message?

Here's a quick exercise from my new book, "The Speaker's Bible: Make a Career Out of the Message of You" (St. Martin's Press, 2013):

EXERCISE: Discover Your Message by Asking Your Tribe

In this exercise, I want you to ask your closest friends, your family members, and your co-workers two questions:

"What have you learned from me?" and "What are the stories I tell over and over again?"

When you ask the people in your life these questions, you're going to be very surprised by the responses you get. Try it and find the theme - and the value -- of "The Message of You."

- Judy Carter

Author of The Comedy Bible, Motivational-Humorist, and Comedy Coach. Coming in 2013 "Make a Career Out of The Message of You."

The Heart of a Good Speech

2012-03-09T20:59:00.003-08:00

I just completed the second week of my corporate speaking workshop. This is my first time teaching a 7-week workshop that ends in a showcase I call, “A Night of Kick Butt Inspiration.”

Right now, my students are focused on finding their ideal topic to speak about (their “core premise”).

To help them, I came up with this formula:

“You know how people have trouble with insert problem? Well, I’m going to show you how you can insert solution.”

I was pretty excited with the results, because the students who’ve completed this exercise all came up with fairly solid premises on which to build a speech. But what was even more exciting for all of us was the NEXT exercise - because it did more than just help them use their head to come up with a topic. It opened up their hearts -- and they discovered why they have a burning desire to share their stories.

The question to start the exercise was:

“When in your life were you at a place when you were so down that you really needed inspiration?”

After a little time to ponder, everybody started talking about those certain moments in their lives: the day they got fired, when they were bullied, the time when they were too broke to buy food -- and other things way too personal too mention in a public blog.

When each student revealed that most trying time -- it became obvious that how they dealt with it was their most authentic premise - because it came from the heart.

To build on those insights, I told each person in the class to imagine a specific person, maybe someone going through the same difficulties - or worse -- who really needed to hear their message in the audience. This person could be a parent, a boss, or for many, even a younger version of themselves.

Something about the realization of how what they had to share could change the life of someone close - or could have changed their own life - made material start to flow freely -- along with tears.

And that’s where I learned something. We speakers find that we speak most effectively -- about what we need to learn ourselves.

- Judy Carter

Author of The Comedy Bible, Motivational-Humorist, and Comedy Coach. Coming in 2013 "Make a Career Out of The Message of You."

How to Break into Corporate Comedy

2012-03-09T20:57:00.000-08:00

Learn a lesson from Jon Stewart, Jay Leno and Conan - do corporates as that's had most comics make their living. In Seinfeld's documentary, "The Comedian," Leno admits that he doesn't spend a dime of his "Tonight Show" money, but lives on the money he makes from doing corporates. I guess when your corporate fee is $160,000 a gig, that's not too hard to make ends meet.

I know many of you are thinking, "But, I'm not famous. I just want to find a way to quit waiting tables and do comedy full time."

Here is the thing - meeting planners are desperate for funny speakers who aren't necessarily famous, who will work for $5K to $10 range and can wake up an 8am meeting with their humor and a great message.

I got into the corporate comedy market in the 90s when after a run of headlining comedy clubs, I started to see clubs close, audiences dwindle, and more and more new comics entering the field. I saw the writing on the wall as it was hard to remain a "young, up and coming comic," when I was turning 40.

At that time I got a corporate gig for the Nat'l Assoc. of Fruits and Vegetables where they just wanted me to "talk" about comedy. I created kind of a mash-up from my experiences of teaching comedy and added a few bits from my act. It was very uneven and awkward, but the audience seemed to enjoy it. Even though I had to share the stage with a dancing avocado, nobody threw anything at my head and at the end of the talk, they handed me a big check. After it was over, all I could think was, "Speaking for a living rocks! How do I do this full time?"

I started researching the speaking business and found there were a lot more speaking gigs available than comedy gigs. There were also a lot of perks. Speakers were paid more than comics, they had a full hour to perform in front of sober and appreciative audiences and best of all, as a speaker, I didn't have to be the "hot, new, up and coming young talent" forever. In fact, in the speaking profession, experience, age and wisdom were actually considered assets and not liabilities. Whoo-Hoo!

I wanted to learn more about it, so I joined the National Speakers Association -- where I met comics I never heard of who were making six figures for one gig. And here's the weird thing -- many of these successful speakers had never been on "Conan," nor were they household names. But they all had something I didn't. They had a message.

It took me years to find the "Message of Me" but once I did and combined it with my standup act, I was able to buy and build my dream house, and on top of it, not only make people laugh, but make a difference.

Let me show you how you can fit into this market. Let me help you find the "Message of You." It's right there in the stories you tell your kids, underneath the jokes you write, and the work you do.

- Judy Carter

Author of The Comedy Bible, Motivational-Humorist, and Comedy Coach. Coming in 2013 "Make a Career Out of The Message of You."

Your Low Self Esteem can be Your Ticket to Fame & Fortune

2012-02-29T11:04:00.001-08:00

Maybe their lack of self-esteem is what causes them to be so curious about the topic ... and to take the time to really study and learn more about it.

Are we experts because of our defects? I'm starting to think so.
From teaching the speaker's class, I'm finding that my students speak about what they need to learn. One of my students sent me an email to say she was quitting the class just a week and a half before the showcase. It's ironic that her speech is to high school students about "Don't Give Up! Getting Past Obstacles."

Another student is a nurse working at a VA spinal cord injury unit who's so burnt out that it's affecting her health. She's speaking to nurses on "How to Deal with Stress."

I'm sure growing up, Mother Theresa was probably told she was extremely selfish. I could hear her mother saying "You, you, you, Theresa, that's all you're ever thinking about!"

Perhaps that was her motivation for becoming a saint.

What are your weaknesses? Take time to study them, and develop a passion to overcome them. And then - turn that passion into a paying career.

-Judy Carter

Author of The Comedy Bible, Motivational-Humorist, and Comedy Coach. Coming in 2013 "Make a Career Out of The Message of You."

Do Women Laugh More than Men?

2011-11-08T13:34:00.000-08:00

According to an article in News Medical, they do. They could have saved a few bucks on research if they had just asked some of us standup comics. We don't need a neurological study to know that women are easy - at least when it comes to making them laugh.

Last week I performed for 450 women in New Jersey. I always put something funny in my intro to test the audience. With the corporate crowd, my intro usually gets a small titter, but with this all-women's group, I got roaring laughter. I thought to myself, "Piece of cake!"

But, I got onstage, and my mic didn't work. With any other audience, this would have been a disaster. But with a woman's audience this just added to the fun, especially when I quipped, "Who else has problems with things this shape?" Huge laughs, and they kept on coming. Any comic doing an all-woman show will tell you the same thing - working for women is easy! You just have to take longer pauses so nobody chokes and they can wipe off their running mascara.

After years of doing corporate comedy, I've learned that women appreciate the subtleties of comedy material and will laugh at innuendos and character quirks. They have the patience to listen to a longer story that promises a good payoff. Men, on the other hand, seem to prefer quick, hard punch lines that keep on coming. When performing for a women's group, I actually get laughs on the setups. Men want you to get to the point of the joke as quickly as possible and not waste time describing characters or places. Why is this? Do men and women like their jokes the way they like their sex? Is it that women appreciate the build up to the laugh, and men just want to get there? Maybe that's why female comics performing for a women's audience is like lesbians having sex -- you just know exactly what to do.

If you are performing for, let's say, a group of male IT engineers, you might want to consider changing your set to connect.

Here are some tips:

1. Start with a self mocking joke. By consciously lowering your status, the guys will cut you slack. So I say, "You might be wondering why corporate hired a female stand-up comic to come talk to you, instead of someone who really knows what they're talking about... like a consultant." This gets me laughs and scores me points.

2. Speak in the audience's language. I make it obvious that I have researched what they do and acquainted myself with their verbiage and acronyms as you can see in my corporate video. They respect me because I did my homework and they like me because I make them feel special and important.

3. Make your own gender the butt of a joke. I do jokes about how irritating women can be. This makes it clear that I'm not just another woman, like their wife, pointing out all the male inadequacies. "Why do women have to do a complete survey of everyone at the table to find out what they want to eat? We're crazy!"

Using these three techniques, the men in the audience will finally uncross their arms and laugh.

-Judy

Steve Jobs - Lessons from a Great Speaker

2011-10-11T12:00:00.001-07:00

When Steve Jobs passed away, not only did we lose a visionary, but we lost a world class speaker as well. In fact, all of us who speak in front of others can learn a lot from the man who turned business keynote speeches into an art form. Not bad for a Techie.

Here are some of the things I learned from the former CEO of Apple:

1. Connect to the Audience - No one likes being lectured to, and Jobs had the ability to make a speech sound "un-speechy" He talked to his audiences, not at them, which often made his remarks sound off-the cuff. In fact, because he was so conversational and didn't use notes, many people were surprised to learn that he spent a great deal of time memorizing and rehearsing his speeches. That's the brilliance of a great speaker - keeping it conversational and making a well rehearsed speech look improvised.

2. No Podium, No Notes, No PowerPoint - In order to have a successful speech, a speaker has to connect with an audience. Jobs made sure he connected by usually not having anything between him and his audience. Instead of being hidden behind a podium, Jobs strolled the stage. He had no notes and made eye contact with people, not paper. Jobs used pictures to convey a mood, or a product, not mind-numbing Powerpoint slides filled with technical data.

3. Be Yourself Authentic Self Onstage - Jobs didn't wear the typical CEO suit. He was a "jeans and a turtleneck" kind of guy... and that's exactly what he always wore. Many speakers want to look exactly like the audience and dress in "business-casual" rather than finding their own "brand" which includes not only their content, but what they wear.

4. Tell Stories Rather than Facts - Although Jobs was a Techie and spoke to a high tech audience, his speeches were never a mechanical recitation of specs, data, and insider jargon. Rather, he emphasized real-life stories of how Apple products changed lives and he focussed on the stories of the customers who used their products.

5. Reveal Your Personal Life Struggles
In this era of reality shows where there are no personal secrets, even CEOs need to reveal the non-business side of themselves. As you will see in the linked video, Jobs draws stories from some of the most pivotal points in his his life -- his loves, losses and his struggle with cancer. He inspired audiences with not only his products, but with his life.

He will be missed. For those of you who have never seen Jobs in speak,, here are a few links to some videos.

Compellation video
Stanford 2007 Commencement speech - Urging graduates to pursue their dreams and see the opportunities in life's setbacks -- including death itself.

Judy

Stop Waiting for Fame - Go Out and Get it

2011-08-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

OK, you've read my book, The Comedy Bible, and you probably have a standup act -- or a least a journal full of ideas.

So, now what? How do comics get from being "nobody" to being "somebody"? How do you find fame?

The problem I see is that there are so many talented people who have all the desire for fame - but who aren't willing to do what it takes to be successful. (No, I don't mean anything X-rated.)

Many comics haven't realized that the way to fame has changed. They're engaged in "old school" showbiz, thinking that someone will come see them perform and discover them. But nobody is coming, because times have changed. There are plenty of ways for agents, managers, and others to discover talent without even going to clubs, and so some of them have stopped going. That's why you may have to discover yourself -- and take steps to start your career on your own.

You may not have control over fame choosing you, but you can choose and control working your craft, developing your ideas, writing that script, or directing a YouTube movie. That's something you can do without needing anyone else's approval or money.

Recently, I was talking to an actress friend of mine who said, "I want to do a TV talk show. I would be a great interviewer."

At first, I wanted to discourage her, because I know how hard it is to get a talk show on network TV, especially if you're not a household name. But, then I thought, "You want to do a talk show - then just friggin' do it!"

Anyone who wants to star in their own show can do it with a few friends, a cheap camera, and an Internet connection. Many of the recipients of movie, TV, and book deals include people who got their start by creating DIY shows on YouTube.

Justin Bieber was a virtual unknown until his soon-to-be manager accidentally happened

Justin Bieber

upon his YouTube videos. Comedian Bo Burnham received so many hits on YouTube that Comedy Central Records picked him up and started producing his albums. There are many, many more stories like these, because online is the new Hollywood.

It's hard to do it all yourself - but don't use that as an excuse to stop your career from happening.

Don't know how to edit, shoot video, or write? Check out Craigslist. There, you can find your production team. But, if you can't get past these problems on small projects -- how are you going to handle the huge projects that come with success?

After you produce your work, you need to find your audience. But in new school Hollywood, you don't need to hire an expensive publicist. You can use Twitter, Facebook, and email programs to find and grow your audience, or as the industry calls it, your "platform."

Having a "platform" played a big part in my getting another book deal with a generous advance. Being the author of several successful books in the past doesn't guarantee getting a deal anymore in a down economy. So, I spent four months writing a really convincing book proposal. The bulk of the proposal was highlighting my "platform" of comics and speakers who I assist with reaching their career goals, to reassure the publisher that they weren't taking too much of a risk.

A few years ago, people in the industry didn't need this level of assurance. But we are in tough times, where nobody is taking a chance on anything. Even if you are famous and successful, you still have to do the grunt work to get the big deals. Just showing up with an idea is no longer enough.

My friend is an Emmy award winning executive producer in reality TV. Even though she is extremely successful in the past and has a big shot agent, she still can't just show up and pitch an idea. So she's spent months writing up detailed treatments with act breaks, auditioned and cast her shows, and produced three minute "sizzle reels" for each show idea. She essentially does the entire show, herself, on her dime.

Are you willing to put your own money and time into producing your ideas? Because if you don't believe in what you're doing - why would anyone else?

If you are really passionate about what you do - then DIY your career.

Sound like a lot of work? It is. The hard work it takes to get anything done tends to weed out the unmotivated. That means there's less competition out there for those of us who don't just talk about doing something, but who do the work needed to make something happen.

This blog often feels like a full-time job, but it is an integral part of my DIY promotion platform. I don't have advertisers or a publishing house saying here's $50 write us something funny each week. But, this blog gives me a chance to share my knowledge with those that need it and I guess for now that's payment enough. (Psst - I offer coaching services)

Click here to leave your feedback, or on the following links to get tips on out how to produce a sizzle reel and typical submission guidelines for a book proposal.

And don't be afraid to ask people to follow you. If you don't ask, they won't. On that note here are my accounts and if you like what i have to say follow, fan and favorite me. I read everything.

-Judy

Standup and Speakers: Use this technique to write funnier material

2011-07-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

I've got a new favorite set-up I'm using that's so new it's not even in "The Comedy Bible." I call it, "Reluctant Admissions" and here's how it works: I make a big, bold statement of "truth" and then I have to admit that it was actually a total lie. Now, here's how you put it into action...

Recently, I was performing for a Canadian audience and I said:

[STATEMENT] "We have so much in common, you're from Canada - I'm from Canada!"

[ADMISSION ONE] "Well, not exactly 'Canada' Canada...'"

[ADMISSION TWO] "Actually, that's just what I tell people when I'm travelling through France."

Here's another example:

[STATEMENT] I lost 120 pounds!

[ADMISSION ONE] Well... I didn't exactly lose all of it at once.

[ADMISSION TWO] Well, actually - I just lost and gained the same 10 pounds twelve times.

Your turn now. Riff on this:

[STATEMENT] I finished my first 5K yesterday!

[ADMISSION ONE]

[ADMISSION TWO]

And you don't have to be a comic to add this to your spiel. It's a great opening joke for speakers and comics alike!

Go ahead and post your on jokes using this formula in my blog comments.

From Wrestling to Speaking

2011-05-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

By Judy Carter

This morning, I walked into my office to find an extremely handsome, massively muscled and intimidating young man sitting in my waiting room. Now, being a coach of stand-up comics and corporate speakers, none of which are known for their rippling muscles, I was half-convinced I'd walked into the wrong office. But no, this pro-wrestler was actually looking for me. His name was John Morrison and he was on a mission. He wanted to be funnier in the ring, funnier in interviews and he was looking to jumpstart a speaking career.

Now, I know absolutely nothing about professional wrestling. So, I did what I do for every corporate gig or for every aspiring speaker who hires me...I started researching Mr. Morrison like I was prepping for the SAT. I spent the weekend watching John's DVD as he hurled insults and his own body at opponents. I stared, mouth agape as he ran up walls, flew over chairs and vaulted over concession stands using Parkour techniques - a highly physical method of traveling through space using only your body to negotiate the obstacles before you. If you haven't seen it done, check out John inside an empty Staples Center, wow! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE838vawgXE

John explained to me how he uses obstacles such as walls, chairs, and buildings to propel himself. Bingo! This was a very interesting premise - that the obstacles in our lives can actually give us direction and power and make us stronger. That it is the obstacles themselves that propel us forward!!! What a great message for kids who are overwhelmed with broken families, school bullies, broken hearts or just plain acne!

Underneath all the flash and bravado of his pro-wrestling persona, there was a genuine and valuable lesson to be learned and I've found that no matter the profession - doctor, lawyer, teacher, manager or accountant - every speaker has an important message the lies just underneath the surface story of their life. It's my job to help them dig a little deeper to find that message, to explore the metaphor of their experience and help them bring it to a larger audience.

It's a great moment - that moment of discovery and realization. It always leaves me energized and well, not quite bouncing off the walls like John but happy to have been part of the process of making a difference in other people's lives.

Judy's Corporate Comedy TeleSeminar now available to download

2011-05-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you who attended the teleseminar yesterday - "How to Transition from Stand-up to Corporate Comedy." Did you miss it? If so, no worries; you can download it here.

My guest on the teleseminar was Patricia Fripp, who has an uber successful speaking career, and is also a generous mentor for up-and-coming speakers. She gave great advice on transitioning to a speaking career, along with some tips on how to run a creative career as a professional business. This was an eye-opener for many people on the call, since many of us comics tend to take roadblocks in our careers personally, and don't even think of looking for business solutions to overcoming those obstacles. (Thanks Patricia!)

I'm committed to helping talented and funny people getting successful, so I want to remind everyone just how many opportunities are out there.

One of the listeners asked if the corporate market is open to gay comics. The answer is, "Yes, as long as you get really good and know how to brand yourself."

We then talked about opportunity for diversity speakers, and even how there are speaking gigs at --would you believe -- nudist camps. Just goes to show that if you're determined, you can find work regardless of who you are, or how you dress... with or without pants.

Callers also asked, "How does a speaker find their message?"

To find your message, you have to find out who you are, and what story you have to tell. We all have a life story to tell that can make a difference in other people's lives. It's not something that has to be made up; it's something that we are already are living. Sometimes when I'm coaching someone I just can't believe how obvious it is. It's right there in the stories you tell your friends and family every day. (You just might need someone with a fresh perspective and some experience to help you see it.)

But, regardless of your style or message, start looking at your career as a business. It's the surest way to change the course of your financial situation.

One way to develop a business perspective is to start paying more attention to your web presence. Ask yourself if your blogs, tweets, and postings are just filling time - or if they're tools that you're using to actually advance your career. (You aren't helping your corporate comedy career when your Facebook page has photos of you in a beer coma with the caption "I'm my favorite vegetable!")

Want to be successful? Start making some different choices.

Missed Judy's teleseminar? Download the one-hour MP3 audio of the TeleSeminar here.

The buzz:

"Loved the repartee between you two and the shared wisdom and experiences."

"Really great information on how to get started on getting lucrative corporate gigs!"

Your Introduction Can Make or Break Your Set

2011-05-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

Picture this situation: you’re a comic or a corporate speaker and you’ve spent hours and hours prepping your act or speech, and now, the big day has arrived and it’s your moment to step on stage. The emcee/host takes the mike and says, “Ladies and Gentlemen, have you watched “The Tonight Show” or “The Daily Show?” Well, this next comic.... watches them too!” Now, you’re going to have to spend the next ten minutes of your presentation or act trying to win over an audience that now thinks you’re a nobody. In other words, whether you’re a comic or a corporate speaker, you can’t leave your intro to the imagination of an emcee. They usually don’t have one.

Here’s a few tips on how to prevent a bad intro from ruining your gig:

Always come to your gig with your intro typed in huge letters. A lot of emcees don’t wear their glasses on stage. Make it easy for them to read your intro especially if they are over 40.
Tell the emcee not to improvise, just read it.
Work in a joke into your intro. When speaking, I have a little joke at the beginning that tests the temperature of the audience. If they laugh during the intro, I know it’s a hot audience. If they don’t, I usually readjust my set since this audience is going to need a warm up.
Put your impressive credits right up front. If you don’t have credits yet, find something that could impress the audience even if it’s from another field or your mother.
Give the audience an idea of what they can expect. I.e. “One of the top political satirists” or “Stress reduction expert.”
End with your name and if your name is anything other than Judy Carter, then spell it out phonetically.
Especially if you’re Polish. It’s horrible coming onstage to the wrong name.

Still need some help writing your emcee intro? Use mine as a template:
Our guest speaker is Judy Carter, Goddess of Comedy -- but she says we can just call her…“Goddess.”
You will probably recognize Judy as she has done comedy on over a hundred TV shows. Her company Comedy Workshops in Los Angeles trains stand-up comics and speakers who want to get laughs rather than yawns.

As an author, Judy doesn’t like to brag, but she did write the Bible. No joke, she’s the author of “The Comedy Bible” which was featured on “Good Morning America,” CNN, and “The Oprah Winfrey Show” where Oprah recommended the book to anyone who wants to lighten up. Judy will be signing copies of her book after her talk.

Judy writes custom comedy material for CEOs, Senators, speakers and celebrities including Diane Sawyer. She is a sought after speaker for Fortune 500 companies where she shows how humor techniques can help reduce stress and improve the bottom line. Her message of using humor as a business tool has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Success Magazine.
Her talk today is titled – “Getting What You Want Before You Forget What It Is.”
Ladies and Gentlemen… Judy Carter.

Addicted to Sheen

2011-03-03T10:48:00.000-08:00

Addicted to Sheen
By Judy Carter

I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve found myself enjoying watching Charlie Sheen’s mental illness train wreck breakdown.

(His manic-depression might have been masked at one time by drugs, but now there’s not much else that can explain this level of odd behavior from someone who’s passed a drug test.)

I’ve marked Sheen-themed stories to the very top of my iGoogle news favorites. That scares me, because now I find it more interesting to read about Charlie’s ex-wife trying to free her children from the goddesses -- than to watch videos of Libyan rebels risking their lives to escape Gaddafi.

It all started with Charlie’s strange ramblings on “The Today Show.” That led to hours of listening on to his manic rants on YouTube, and scouring the Internet for more radio interviews, and eventually to surfing the Charlie Sheen soundboard with clips of his quotes. (“Bam! Winning.”)

Somewhere along the way, I got hooked on watching a Golden Globe award winning actor decay into a state of self-destructive mania and patronizingly saying, “Yes, how sad.”

I ‘d like to convince myself I’m just observing, to keep up with the news and comedic actors.

But honestly, I’m watching for that climatic straitjacket ambulance ride after the psychotic warlock tirade we all know is coming. I’m anticipating it with the giddy excitement of a drunken, binocular-wielding NASCAR fan at the screams of tires and bending metal just before the ten-car pileup.

Will the cars flip? Catch on fire? Will burning severed limbs fly through the air to shrieks of horror -- or will drivers – or Charlie Sheen -- miraculously be thrown clear and walk away without a scratch? I know I should look away – but I can’t.

I have to wonder -- are we all watching because Charlie Sheen makes us feel better about our own state of mind? And regardless of the answer, what does it say about anyone’s mind who enjoys the tragic spectacle of another person’s descent into madness?

My dark side has led me to places that I wish I’d visited. As I visited the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC, there was a warning sign: “The images and videos on other side of this wall are violently disturbing and not for children.”

To this day, I regret ever having peeked at those videos of torture; the images are seared into my brain and still terrify me in the middle of the night.

So why do we look?

I’ve never seen Lindsey Lohan in a movie, or followed her career at all -- but I saw the story that she was arrested – I clicked on it.

I don’t understand, for myself or anyone else – what creates the compulsion to watch things that horrify us. I don’t know the “why”.

But I do know that, at some point – it’s time to look away.

Pick up your remote control. And as Charlie might say, “Your brain can’t process this. Bam! Switching!”

Judy Carter is one of America's top motivational humorists. She is the author of "The Comedy Bible" (Simon & Schuster) and has appeared on over 100 television shows as well as thousands of corporate events. Judy's expertise in bringing humor to corporations has created a nationwide demand for her as a corporate speaker as well as generated feature articles in the Wall Street Journal, LA Times, New York Times and Success Magazine to name a few. She has also been featured on many National TV shows such as CNN, ABC World News and Oprah, as well as being a regular contributor to National Public Radio.

Academy Awards 2011 bombs!

2011-02-28T10:08:00.000-08:00

Last night watching the 2011 Academy Awards hosted by James Franco and Anne Hathaway, it became clear that actors can’t do what standup comics do best – host and be funny. The show was a belaboring, boring, bomb! Let’s bring back comics to host the show who have the chops to connect with an audience, react to the unexpected, and be funny. I was dying to see what Jon Stewart would have done with the Kirk Douglas “going on forever” fiasco. Turn Wanda Sykes loose with that self-serving ABC corporate announcement. But, putting James Franco in drag for an open-mic quality Charlie Sheen joke was a long setup with no payoff. Meanwhile, would-have-been comedy nuggets were left untouched leaving TV viewers to mine their own barbs.

Don’t get be started on the actors who won and had not prepared an acceptance speech.

“I’m speechless, what a shock!”

You had three months to prepare for this moment! Actors need to understand that they are nothing without writers. If you are nominated for an award where you might be speaking to millions of people all over the world, hire me, or another comedy writer to give you a memorable line that will be quoted for years. Actors are idiots.

It’s official, no more academy award parties, or even sitting by myself watching the show. There are more entertaining ways to spend a Sunday night – like watching a Youtube videos of babies dancing.

What to do with your journal of ideas

2010-12-29T11:29:00.000-08:00

Ideas can ruin your life!

If you're like most creative people, you have a notebook full of ideas, premises, half jokes, dialogue snippets, and random thoughts.

Currently, I have 54 Iphone audio files, 35 journals, and countless scraps of paper full of AMAZING IDEAS!!! For most of my life , in the middle of a party, dinner, and even sex, I would write down or record an idea with the exuberance that comes from a Eureka moment. I've gone around with a smugness knowing that I have documentation for a brilliant stand-up chunk, an amazing new speech, an Uber funny screenplay, and the first chapter of an amazing novel. But, have I read them or listened to them? No.

So, since it's the holiday season, I decided to get out my old journals, dig out my audio files and go over my ideas. It was sad listening to the endless enthusiasm of myself recording an idea that, in the light of day, was either vague, hack, stupid, nonsensical. At best, some had merit, but would take weeks and sometimes years to develop, write, shape, rewrite, and then, what? Rent a theater and produce a one-person show? Spend five years shopping around a screenplay? Another book? I began to hate ideas.

That's when I realized that it's not ideas that are worth while - it's what one does with them. Everyone who walks into my stand-up workshop has journals filled with funny ideas, only to be disappointed to find out that they all need "work." Everyone has ideas, but like eggs, you've got to sit on them, hatch them, feed them, and then endure the disappointment of spending your time on something that will, most likely, never get off the ground.

Ideas can be time robbers, and committing to the wrong idea is tantamount to saying "I do" to the wrong person. In my 30's I committed to a screenplay idea that took me two years to write, got me ten meetings, and got me lunch with an agent half my age asking me over a plate of seared scallops, "What else do you got?" Well, more ideas.

So now, I'm going to break up with my files of ideas. And as I meet new ideas, I'm going to let them go with the ease of a 20 year old frat boy leaving a one-night stand. Hello idea, goodbye idea. You are not going to move into my Iphone recorder on first visit. I'll drop you off at a Facebook status entry, or maybe drop you into a line at my next gig. And if you keep coming back, well, let's talk then.

If you have a journal full of funny ideas, come join Judy at a free stand-up workshop and see which ones will fly.

Sunday, Noon to 2pm in Hollywood. Space VERY limited. Email info@comedyworkshops.com to register.

On the road with Judy Carter -- fear of packing

2010-11-21T10:22:00.000-08:00

I don't have a fear of flying - I have a fear of packing. I start packing one week before I'm going anywhere. Im going for a safari to east Africa. I worry constantly because God forbid I forgot my adapter for my blueooth keyboard. I fret then as I'm sure it's next to impossible to find a Best Buy while on safari in the Serengeti. But last night, the day before we''re leaving, I flew into Blue code panic as I couldn't find my passport, plane ticket, and health docs.
I do what I always do when this happens, I hyperventilate, start screaming, and go to the verge of cardiac arrest. This, of course makes looking for my docs impossible.
This condition happened last year as i boarded a plane to Australia. As the plane doors closed I couldn't find my passport and I was certain that I threw it away in the trash can at the gate. They opened the plane door so I could look and while I was crying and cursing,while looking through a garage can of half eaten Subway sandwiches, I did find it -- in my back pocket.
My friend Mimi who is a motivational speaker and one of the most positive people I know describes my problem this way: "Judy has a casual relationship to objects." Which is a nicer than the way my partner describes it: "You're an irresponsible, messy, disorganized hysterical person with ADD." Yeah, I like Mimi's description better.
This "casual relationship with objects" and the panic that insures had roots deep in my childhood from being an eight year old magician. Magic depends on every little object being in place. One little missing gismo is then difference between "Ta-da!" and "You suck!" I wasn't a good magician as I would forget prime objects -- such as leaving my goldfish in a plastic bag on the dining room table. This would dampen my finale of a glass of sugar to, well, a glass of water! Not so dramatic. But actually, this is the moment I became a comedian. As pretending tthat your mistake were meant to happen and getting laughs far outweighed the humiliation of being a failed magician.
So, we found my travel docs, which were with my will. Panic gone. Will? Yes, as since we hadn't rewritten our wills since we got married,and since my mother died the same age I turn next week, and we are going to Rwanda which has the distention of being known for genocide and wild gorillas we thought it would be a good time to do wills.
For the past two weeks, all conversations have started with, "So, when you die..." or "When we both die..." or "When I die..." Very depressing. And to make matter worse we had a clash of "Wills." Literally. "If we both die," said my loved one, "I want to leave our house to the cats with the life insurance going to their care."
Now, don't get me wrong. I love our cats, but we're talking legacy here. So, off to the imago therapist we go to work it out. Evie, our couple's therapist, as opposed to our individual therapist, (yes, to make us work, it does take a village of shrinks.) We went in fighting and exited best friends again. We worked out a way to take care of the cats, dogs, AND friends and charities.
So, I'm on the plane, the first hour of a 24 hour travel day to arrive in Africa. Fear is gone as the pacing is over. Here we come! Wait.. did I bring hand sanitizer? Oh No!
join Judy at
Social.comedyworkshops.com
Social networking for comics

Performance Tips: How to have an audience HATE you in 10 seconds or less

2010-09-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

Never, never, make fun of the town you are playing. Especially if you are playing a small town, people are extremely sensitive to outsiders dis’in’ their home. I used to do jokes such as,

“I can’t believer that I’m in a town where the tallest building is dunkin’ donuts.”

“The name of your town, Tulare, sounds like a disease! ‘Doctor I have a case of Tulare and it itches.”

Making fun of the town you are playing is like walking into someone’s home and criticizing how ugly it is. You’re not going to be invited back.

Rather than joking about the town you’re playing, trash where you’re from, especially if you live in a big city that everyone already has an opinion about. I found that being from Los Angeles gives me a lot of joke power to get the audience on my side.

“You have a lot of things here in your town that we don’t have in LA – like friendly people.”

“Wow! Even the air is different here. You can’t see it.”

Not the funniest of jokes, but they not only got laughs, I got the audience on my side and got them to relax that I wasn’t going to be bashing their home town.

Judy Carter

"Laughing your way out of Stress"

www.judycarter.com

310-915-0555

facebook/judycarter3

Topping the heckler INSIDE of your head

2010-09-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

For you comics and speakers who stand in front of audiences, I’m sure you have all experienced: the inner critical voice. You know what I’m talking about? That little voice that packs a big punch giving you a blow-by- blow Simon Crowell commentary on your set, while you’re performing it! It’s the inner voice that chastises you when you don’t think of an absolutely brilliant comeback; the voice that tells you that everyone hates when you didn’t get a laugh; the voice cuts you down, telling you that you are NOT funny.

“They hate you!”

“Well, you’ve really lost them now.”

“What ever made you think that you were funny!”

The great Russian acting teacher, the legionary Stanislavski said this to an actor, “If you feel it and the audience feels it, that’s good.” If you feel it and the audience doesn’t, that’s bad.” “But if you don’t feel it and the audience does, that’s good too.”

Really? Can a performer so misgauge their own perception of how a show is going? Yes! Here’s a news flash: your inner critic is probably wrong most of the time.

I had a real test of this when my best friend saw my speech last weekend for a client in Palm Springs. It was a difficult gig as it was outside, so I couldn’t hear the laughs. During the first 20 minutes, my inner critic was going at full blast telling me that I was unconnected to the audience, awkward, and that my delivery was stale. Around the half way point, I hit new material that I felt connected to and the voice finally stopped.

Afterwards, I asked my friend, who has heard me speak many times before, if she noticed how awkward the first part was. She told me that not only couldn’t tell, but she was surprised at my perception as she thought that I got everyone engaged right at the start. Really?!!

So, it helps to know that that voice is not reality. It rarely is. If your inner critic is telling you that everyone hates you, ignore it as nobody really cares enough about a speaker or a comic to hate them. Indifference yes, but rarely hate.

Join http://social.comedyworkshops.com to network with comics, get helpful tips and job listings for comics.

Judy Carter teaches speaking and standup comedy workshops. She is the author of “The Comedy Bible” as well as “Speaking Career in a Box” DVD series and workshops on how to earn six figures in the professional speaking profession at www.speakeringcareerinabox.com

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How to get an audience to love you in 60 seconds

2010-09-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

To get an audience to love you, open with a story that is about THEM! What is everyone interested in? Themselves.

Last night I spoke at a women’s event in Robinson, Illinois. I opened with a story about my drive through Amish country and the unusual names of the cities I drove through to get there:

“What a long scary drive it was from Indianapolis to get here. I was driving so long that I looked at the time on my cell phone and it went back an hour? [Indiana is Eastern time and Illinois is on Central Time.] Then, in front of me on the road was a horse and buggy. Time didn’t change an hour! It changed a 100 years! {Huge laughs]. Then I drove, what seemed to me to be forever, and I hit Palestine [name of a city near Robinson]. Did I miss a turn? Because somehow I’m not in the Midwest, I’m in the Middle East! [Huge Laughs]. This is scary because, 1. It’s late at night, 2. I’m Jewish. [Huge Laughs]”

I always riff at the beginning of my speech on material that is specific to the audience. The audience really appreciates that and I then have them in the palm of my hand after that!

Judy Carter

"Laughing your way out of Stress"

www.judycarter.com

310-915-0555

facebook/judycarter3

Is Doing Corporate Comedy Gigs "Selling Out" for Comics?

2010-09-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

I got an email today from a comic suggesting that I'd "sold out" by doing corporate comedy gigs. Hmmmm. It seems to me that this comic was getting her exercise by jumping to conclusions. But this criticism makes me realize that many comics don't really understand what corporate gigs really are.
Would you believe that corporate events I've performed at have included speaking for Cancer Survivors, Women's Leadership Conferences, Hospital Wellness Day, Professional Administrator's day, People Living with AIDS Benefit, Diversity Day, and more? Of course there are the 8AM Management Meetings for an accounting firm, but just because an event is sponsored by a corporation, doesn't mean that we funny speakers and comics are compromising our message.
"But what about censorship?" Yes, doing corporate, comics and speakers have to work clean. That means that your material has to be really funny as you can't count on shock words or sex jokes to get a reaction. Actually, I found more limitations working comedy clubs, where the necessity to get a laugh every 10 seconds, meant that I couldn't tell humorous stories with poignant moments.
Corporate gigs have less bigotry about age. How many female comics over 50 years old have you seen on Comedy Central? Let me count, ah...none! Many corporations are committed to diversity and that means that they hire minorities, gays, women, and speakers over 50. When was the last time you lady comics got a gig where you got to do an hour for 1500 appreciative people and got paid well?
Comics speaking and performing at corporate events really are making a difference in people's lives. So what if we go to the workplace to perform, rather than they come to comedy clubs? Many people these days who are working and raising a family don't have the time or the money to go to the clubs. Working the corporate gigs not only gives us comics an appreciative audience and great income, but it also gives us an opportunity to shake things up!
Or, do I sound defensive?
More blogs and tips for comics at http://social.comedyworkshops.com/

Judy Carter

"Laughing your way out of Stress"

www.judycarter.com

310-915-0555

facebook/judycarter3

How I Went From Standup Comedy to Motivational Speaking

2010-09-22T14:50:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take a moment to share with you how I made my comedy skills pay off big time in the corporate world as a motivational speaker. Honestly, I was shocked to learn how many corporations are desperate for good, funny, motivational speakers. By tweaking my act a little and using some specialized marketing skills, I was able to move into this market that is desperate for speakers who are inspiring and funny.

Changing my standup act into a corporate speech was accomplished by adding a life-balance message in-between my jokes. This small tweak, combined with sharpening my marketing skills, lead to me making in one night what it would have taken one month to make in comedy clubs.

In addition to increasing my income by 600%, I started flying first class and staying in first class hotels. But even more than that, I am making a difference in people's lives by giving them some "ah-ha" moments along with "ha-ha's."

I get so many people asking me the particulars about how to get into this untapped market that I've spent the past year putting everything I know about writing a speech and marketing it into a DVD series called "Speaking Career in a Box."

Please take a moment to look at it as I'm offering $75 off to people on my mailing list before it is marketed to the general public. This discount ends midnight, September 27, 2010.

My speaking gig in Palm Springs - ceilings are helpful for laughs

2010-09-20T12:56:00.000-07:00

Last night was the third time I gave my new speech – “Getting WhatYou Want Before You Waste the Best Year’s of Your Thighs.” It was for a Women Landscaping event in Palm Springs.It was thefirst time I spoke on the 5th hole of a golf course.

I was nervous as there are certain requirements for comedy,and a ceiling is one of them.If you look at comedy clubs, they are all designed with low ceilings because that makes the laughs stayin the room. Laughter is contagious and when others are laughing, it spreads.And when the laughs dissolve into the night sky, the performer, as well as the audience, can’t hear them. There is also an energy exchange between the performer and the audience and a ceiling keeps that energy flowing. So, knowing the problems performing outdoors can cause was helpful before I went onstage, or rather on the platform on the grass that was my stage.

I reminded myself that I wouldn’t be able to hear the laughs, but that didn’t mean that they weren’t laughing. Knowing this, I stopped the critic in my head that always seems to be judging and evaluating my performance and assume that I was getting big laughs, which was the case.

Tip: Knowing how the room setup affects your speech.

Tips on Comedy Writing

2010-09-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

Tip #1: Rather than picking a funny topic (i.e. Viagra, anal bleaching, you get the idea), start with a serious topic that is authentic to something you're dealing with (i.e. a breakup, illness, moving back home with your family). Working off a funny topic creates hack material, finding the funny in a serious topic takes creativity.

Tip #2: Get your audience engaged by starting off with rhetorical questions. "Anyone else think that Lady Gaga's meat dress was over the top in cholesterol?" Remember, stand-up is not a speech, but a conversation, and including the audience is always a good idea.

Tip #3: Rather than sitting at a computer to write comedy material, get together with a comedy buddy in person or via Skype and create your material in conversation and then write it. We've created a new networking comedy buddy system, and it's free. Find your "comedy soul-mate" here.

How many physicists does it take to do stand-up?

2010-08-31T16:40:00.000-07:00

In our last Los Angeles stand-up class we had two nuclear physicists learning comedy. That's right, two. Rather than splitting atoms they were splitting people’s sides with laughter at our showcase at the Hollywood Improv. So it got me thinking, what do physics and stand-up comedy have in common?

Stand-up, like physics, is the investigation of the small details of life. Whether you’re a physicist observing sub atomic particles or a stand-up comic observing your boss’s shoulder dandruff, both stand-ups and physicists want to know why things work the way they do, and both of them reduce the elements of life to their smallest molecular detail.

In this last round of classes of 2010, I have redesigned the first class to truly zero in on each comic’s authentic topic and assist them into drilling down to the subatomic particles of their personality and life.

Check out physicists Paul Wehner and David Relyea perform for the very first time.

Judy Carter teaches standup comedy in Los Angeles and online. New classes start on September 29, 2010.

www.comedyworkshops.com