Topics: International Speakers Bureau, Inc. |
Fee Range: $15,001 to $20,000 (fee note) |
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 Biography: Despite his success as a tenant representative in corporate real estate, John's love for the art of improvisation compelled him to become a full time actor and improviser in 1993. Since then, he has entertained thousands as part of the Brave New Workshop Theater in Minneapolis and Second City in Chicago. Now, as owner and executive producer of the Brave New Workshop, John leads the nation's oldest satirical comedy theater. Ten years ago, John created a corporate services division that has grown to train, entertain, and inspire more than 150 companies each year. Using his business insight and unique knowledge of improvisation, John shows how improvisational theatre skills and behaviors can be successfully applied to business to achieve greater innovation, generate more and better ideas, increase teamwork and productivity, and change workplace cultures. Using the BNW 8 Secrets and Funnel Process described in his first book, Innovation at the Speed of Laughter, John has become a much sought after keynote speaker, corporate trainer, and trust advisor to several Fortune 500 companies including Microsoft, Yahoo!, Target, General Mills, Hewlett Packard, US Bancorp, Toronto Blue Jays, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Medtronic. Most recently, John was chosen by Starbucks to be part of the company's "The Way I See It" program and a quote from his book began appearing on millions of Starbucks cups in late 2006. He has been featured in Leadership Excellence, Talent Management, Forbes, Investor's Business Daily, Executive Traveler, Madison Magazine, How magazine, and in a variety of other publications. You may have even glimpsed John in clips on ESPN or the Today Show. |
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Programs: After teaching corporate clients for more than ten years how to use improvisational theatre skills and behaviors to improve their work teams and environments, John Sweeney wrote a book -- Innovation at the Speed of Laughter: 8 Secrets to World Class Idea Generation. In doing so, John, the owner of the Brave New Workshop (BNW) Comedy Theatre, refined the theatre's corporate services offerings and launched the Speed of Laughter speaking and training programs. Using tools of improvisational theatre, the programs are founded on 8 Key Secrets: 1) Accept all ideas 2) Defer judgment 3) Share focus and accept all styles 4) Declare your point of view 5) Create a statusless environment 6) Reward innovation and creative risk taking 7) Always respond Yes First 8) Perceive change as Fuel KEYNOTE SPEAKING John offers a highly entertaining and thought-provoking keynote speech on the topic of "Innovation at the Speed of Laughter." John will have your audience doubled over with laughter while absorbing key learning points about building innovative culture. John frequently brings one or two Brave New Workshop trainer/actors to supplement his speech with segments of live improvisational comedy in order to demonstrate the specific behaviors he addresses. We recommend this service for higher-profile events with over 100 people in attendance. |
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