Tim Washer — Feeling Stuck? Shake Things Up with Comedy.

Tim Washer spent 20 years at IBM, Cisco, and Accenture while moonlighting on SNL, Conan O'Brien, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and now helps brands connect empathetically through humor. Tim shares his process on how to shake up a brand and make them funny, relatable, and joyful to interact with on this week's show. Tim also opens up on some of the mental health challenges he's faced during the lockdown and why we all need connection, more than ever before. Key Takeaways: [3:00] Why was Tim so drawn to marketing? [5:35] For a comedian, it can take a long time to discover your voice. How did Tim discover his? [8:35] B2B marketing has really shifted. The world kind of woke up and realized the B2B buyer is human and has emotions! [12:05] What was it like signing up for Tim's first improv class? [17:30] We need joy more now than ever. We also need community and to come together, and laughter is a great entry point into that. [19:45] After working at companies like IBM and Cisco, how easy/difficult was it to bring joy, humor, and comedy into these work environments? [26:00] Tim shares the types of ROI he sees when you make something funny. [31:25] Feeling stuck? Here's how Tim gets out of it. [41:25] How do you revive a conservative brand and make it joyful and fun again? [42:55] You not only need a comedy writer, but you also need a comedy editor. Do not use a regular editor! [48:35] How did Tim pivot when the pandemic basically made him unemployed? [53:00] Tim talks about how he recovered from a failure and decided to show up and parent his daughter in a better way. [57:55] The one thing that connects all of us somehow is that we're all slightly messed up. Not one is perfect. [1:02:00] As a man of faith, Tim shares how you can take Bible stories and make them entertaining and funny for young children. [1:05:00] Share your failures, even with children. It helps them learn, grow, and understand no one is perfect. [1:12:45] Want to reconnect with someone? Find a good meme and send it to them! Mentioned in This Episode: Timwasher.com Tim on LinkedIn