125: The Lies that Canceled Zach Ward

Punk Rock HR Episode 125: Today’s guest is my friend Zach Ward. He is the former owner of a comedy theater whose career was ended in 2017. Zach was canceled before it was trendy. Zach is someone who fulfilled a dream which many of us have. He came back home after college, created a community, and monetized his passion. But in creating that community, other things happened. Eventually, allegations were made against him and he was canceled.  I want Zach to not only survive this tidal wave but rebuild his life. That is why I brought him onto the show. In today’s episode, we are talking about serious issues like cancel culture and sexual assault allegations. Zach helps us understand where his career began and the lies that eventually made it come to an end. My hope is that, by hearing Zach’s story and his commitment to transparency, we can all begin to pause and ask our own questions when we hear accusations.  In this episode you’ll hear: Zach’s college experience and how he came to open DSI Comedy Theater. The smear campaign against DSI and Zach. How he managed the rumors in the marketplace. The Facebook thread in which he was accused of sexual assault and the details that made it untrue. The collateral damage from those accusations. How these lies followed him to his new job. Social isolation and his perspective on it. Takeaways for business leaders and professionals.  Resources from this episode: The Story article Zach on Twitter Indy Week DSI Comedy Owner news article Indy Week Misogny news article News Observer DSI Comedy Owner Steps Down news article DSI Comedy Insanity Reddit article News Observer Indy Editor news article NY Times Cancel Culture: Part 1 podcast NY Times Cancel Culture: Part 2 podcast Laurie on Instagram Laurie on LinkedIn Read more from Laurie Work with Laurie   ***