HELPING
Finding the Funny: Leadership Tips From a Comedian
Helpig others is a two-way street. I'm not sure which feels better, being helped gives you a big sense of relief and helping others gives you a big sense of being a part of something good. Here's a quick episode on helping. Thanks for listening and helping me get the word out about my podcast. Jan McInnis is a top change management keynote speaker, comedian, and funny motivational speaker who helps organizations use humor to handle change, build resilience, and strengthen leadership skills. With her laugh-out-loud stories and practical tips, Jan shows audiences how humor isn’t just...
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I'm Not the CEO of Comedy . . . of Costco
Finding the Funny: Leadership Tips From a Comedian
Do you get werid reactioms when you tell people your job? Because I do. And not only weird reactions, but weird questions. Comedian isn't common, but that doesn't mean you can't make a great living at it. Here's a quick short story about some of the reactions I've gotten when I tell people I'm a comedian. Jan McInnis is a top change management keynote speaker, comedian, and funny motivational speaker who helps organizations use humor to handle change, build resilience, and strengthen leadership skills. With her laugh-out-loud stories and practical tips, Jan shows audiences how humor isn’t...
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The Comedy Club Night I got Paid to Leave
Finding the Funny: Leadership Tips From a Comedian
You can get PAID time off when working comedy clubs. It's rare but sometimes, the good clubs, will pay you to leave and not be on the show. It sounds like a bad thing, but I always thought it was great. Here's a quick story about being paid to NOT be on stage. Jan McInnis is a top change management keynote speaker, comedian, and funny motivational speaker who helps organizations use humor to handle change, build resilience, and strengthen leadership skills. With her laugh-out-loud stories and practical tips, Jan shows audiences how humor isn’t just entertainment—it’s a business skill...
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Rich People Gigs
Finding the Funny: Leadership Tips From a Comedian
Rich People Gigs - You'd think that the more money you make and the nicer the venue, the better the gig? Not always! I've performed at the homes of CEO's of major corporations, and sometimes it's not that great. Here's a couple quick stories about some of those performances - and something that we all should learn! Jan McInnis is a top change management keynote speaker, comedian, and funny motivational speaker who helps organizations use humor to handle change, build resilience, and strengthen leadership skills. With her laugh-out-loud stories and practical tips, Jan shows audiences...
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The Travel Week That Wouldn't End
Finding the Funny: Leadership Tips From a Comedian
Travel weeks like this will make you question your career choices! Last week's travel was a challenge. Take a listen and hear all the weird things that happened. But I still love my job - it's just some parts of my job that are challenging! Jan McInnis is a top change management keynote speaker, comedian, and funny motivational speaker who helps organizations use humor to handle change, build resilience, and strengthen leadership skills. With her laugh-out-loud stories and practical tips, Jan shows audiences how humor isn’t just entertainment—it’s a business skill that drives...
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Success, Held Together by Duct Tape
Finding the Funny: Leadership Tips From a Comedian
Duct fixes a lot of things, including my comedy career. Ok, not really my career, but the transportation getting me to the gigs. Here's a quick, embarrassing story about my use of duct tape. Not really looking my best as I drove around the country, but it ws functional . . .for a while. Jan McInnis is a top change management keynote speaker, comedian, and funny motivational speaker who helps organizations use humor to handle change, build resilience, and strengthen leadership skills. With her laugh-out-loud stories and practical tips, Jan shows audiences how humor isn’t just...
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How to Spot Bad Advice
Finding the Funny: Leadership Tips From a Comedian
Everybody has advice, but you better not listen to all of it. There is a LOT of bad advice out there; especially when it comes to comedy and entertainment. I've had lots of people give me advice, but I've only taken a little of it. Here's a quick story about some really bad advice. It's also kinda funny. But it truly is not something I took seriously. Jan McInnis is a top change management keynote speaker, comedian, and funny motivational speaker who helps organizations use humor to handle change, build resilience, and strengthen leadership skills. With her laugh-out-loud stories and...
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To Be or Not To Be. . . BORED
Finding the Funny: Leadership Tips From a Comedian
"There's a lot of waiting around in comedy." A comedian who had been doing this for years gave me this advice during my first year of comedy. And he wasn't kidding. There IS a lot of waiting around, and being bored, before you actually hit the stage. In this episode, I talk about when I got my first taste of stage and being bored, and it was well before my comedy career began. Thanks for listening. Jan McInnis is a top change management keynote speaker, comedian, and funny motivational speaker who helps organizations use humor to handle change, build resilience, and strengthen leadership...
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How to Connect with Any One
Finding the Funny: Leadership Tips From a Comedian
Have you ever found yourself having to address a group that you have pretty much nothing in common with? As a comedian and keynote speaker, it happens. Here's a quick story about a time that I had to connect. . .and I did. It's a fun story and I hope you enjoy it. Jan McInnis is a top change management keynote speaker, comedian, and funny motivational speaker who helps organizations use humor to handle change, build resilience, and strengthen leadership skills. With her laugh-out-loud stories and practical tips, Jan shows audiences how humor isn’t just entertainment—it’s a business...
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My Week in the SF Comedy Competition
Finding the Funny: Leadership Tips From a Comedian
The San Francisco Comedy Competition is a very prestigious comedy competition. Comics are thrilled when they get invited, and that happened to me. Here's a quick story about my exeperience in the competition, and what I got out of it. I believe the competition is still going strong, so if you're a comedian, go for it! Jan McInnis is a top change management keynote speaker, comedian, and funny motivational speaker who helps organizations use humor to handle change, build resilience, and strengthen leadership skills. With her laugh-out-loud stories and practical tips, Jan shows audiences how...
info_outlineYes, but these are special dolls! Here's a quick story about some dolls I was given to help me stop worrying about the future! It was a cool gift and I've used them for decades. Take a listen to see if you might need a set of these!
Jan McInnis is a top change management keynote speaker, comedian, and funny motivational speaker who helps organizations use humor to handle change, build resilience, and strengthen leadership skills. With her laugh-out-loud stories and practical tips, Jan shows audiences how humor isn’t just entertainment—it’s a business skill that drives communication, connection, and stress relief.
A conference keynote speaker, Master of Ceremonies, and comedy writer, Jan has written material for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as well as radio, TV, and syndicated cartoon strips. She’s the author of two books—Finding the Funny Fast and Convention Comedian—and her insights on humor in business have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The Huffington Post. For over 25 years, she has been helping leaders and teams discover how to bounce back from setbacks, embrace change, and connect through comedy.
Jan has delivered keynote speeches at thousands of events nationwide, from the Federal Reserve Banks to the Mayo Clinic, for industries that include healthcare, finance, government, education, women’s leadership events, technology, and safety & disaster management. Her client list features respected organizations such as:
- Healthcare: Mayo Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, Abbott Pharmaceuticals, Health Information Management Associations, Assisted Living Associations
- Finance: Federal Reserve Banks, Merrill Lynch, Transamerica Insurance, BDO Accounting, American Institute of CPAs, credit unions, banking associations
- Government: U.S. Air Force, Social Security Administration, International Institute of Municipal Clerks, National League of Cities, public utilities, correctional associations
- Women’s Leadership Events: Toyota Women’s Conference, Go Red for Women, Speaking of Women’s Health, Soroptimists, Women in Insurance & Financial Services
- Education: State superintendent associations, community college associations, Head Start associations, National Association of Elementary and Middle School Principals
- Safety & Disaster: International Association of Emergency Managers, Disney Emergency Management, Mid-Atlantic Safety Conference, risk management associations
Her background as a Washington, D.C. marketing executive gives her a unique perspective that blends business acumen with stand-up comedy. Jan was also honored with the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives “Excellence in Education” Award.
Along with her podcast Finding the Funny: Leadership Tips from a Comedian, Jan also produces Comedian Stories: Tales From the Road in Under 5 Minutes. Whether she’s headlining a major convention, hosting a leadership retreat, or teaching resilience at a safety conference, Jan’s programs give audiences the tools to laugh, learn, and lead.
📌 Connect with Jan:
Website | YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | SubStack