How to Handle Anything

Alice Lemmer on Being in the Moment, Embracing Change, and Mary's Dog

This week’s episode features Alice Lemmer (aka Mary’s Mom). Alice Lemmer is a mom, dog whisperer, and volunteer who has brought a pretty awesome improviser into the world (that’s Mary in case that isn’t clear :) Prior to retiring she worked at places including Edward Jones, the Michigan Disability Rights Coalition, Iorio Gelato, Hotel Information Systems, Lansing Community College, and the American Red Cross. She has a Bachelors of Science in Child Development, Child Psychology, and Spanish from San Diego State University. During this episode we discuss… * What inspired Alice to take an improv class * How taking improv classes has helped her in her life * Mary’s dog, Magi’s emergency vet visit and how Mary’s mom handled it * How Mary’s mom reminds Mary to improvise * Improvising as a mom and teaching kids how to accept versus fighting the reality around them * Embracing the “scenes we’re in” * Children are natural improvisers * How to foster more of the ability to improvise as we get older * Adapting to new environments, like living in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan after San Diego * Embracing change * Alice’s “mom-ism” that inspires presence * Worrying * Balancing caring and concern with presence * How improvising has improved her relationship with her adult children  * How the world would be better if everyone took improv classes — spoiler: it involves listening! * The gift Mary’s mom always asks Mary to get her as a holiday/birthday gift From Alice, when asked how improv has improved her life offstage, “Improv has improved my mental flexibility and ability to ‘pivot mentally. It has improved my outlook by helping me to ‘see the whole picture’ and choose the perspective that is positive and empowering.” Connect with Alice on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-lemmer/] and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/alice.lemmer]. If you liked what you heard, Subscribe, write a review, tell a friend. If you didn’t like what you heard, well, try again next time. Each episode is different and we’re always improving (see what I did there?!)  Visit www.chooseimprove.com [http://www.chooseimprove.com] for resources and ways to improve in your life and work.  Join us for at chooseimprove.substack.com [http://chooseimprove.substack.com] for weekly improvisations and monthly virtual sessions to practice improvising in your life. Connect with us on Instagram @chooseimprove [http://www.instagram.com/chooseimprove] and linkedin.chooseimprove.com [http://linkedin.chooseimprove.com]

Kim Bryden on Food Entrepreneurship, Growing Teams, and Holiday Dance Videos

This week’s episode features Kimberly (Kim) Bryden. Kim Bryden runs a small business called Cureate where they focus on shifting the dollar back into our local communities by building an empowered supply to meet a changing consumer demand. They do this through food & beverage entrepreneurship education and local procurement for institutional foodservice.  During this episode we discuss… * Her business, Cureate, helping food and beverage entrepreneurs grow their businesses * Mary’s first business, a gelato business, and how as a food entrepreneur she benefitted from improvisation * The connection between starting and building a food business and improv * Kim’s 4th grade improv class and the outfit she wore to it * Reading the room * Improvising to improve listening * Shifting mindsets * Taking a “no” somewhere with more curiosity  * Meetings with food, really good food (shoutout Zingerman’s!) * How founders of food businesses could benefit from improvisational skills * Building self-awareness as an entrepreneur * How Kim adapted, as an entrepreneur, in her business * Growing teams * Her family’s holiday dance videos From Kim, when asked how improv has improved her life offstage, “Stress relief, adding whimsy to my day, speaking confidence” Connect with Kim on LinkedIn [http://linkedin.com/in/kimberlybryden] and Instagram @kimbryden [http://www.instagram.com/kimbryden]. To learn more about Cureate visit cureate.co [https://www.cureate.co/] If you liked what you heard, Subscribe, write a review, tell a friend. If you didn’t like what you heard, well, try again next time. Each episode is different and we’re always improving (see what I did there?!)  Visit www.chooseimprove.com [http://www.chooseimprove.com] for resources and ways to improve in your life and work.  Join us for at chooseimprove.substack.com [http://chooseimprove.substack.com] for weekly improvisations and monthly virtual sessions to practice improvising in your life. Connect with us on Instagram @chooseimprove [http://www.instagram.com/chooseimprove] and linkedin.chooseimprove.com [http://linkedin.chooseimprove.com]

Max Housner on Engineering, Conflict, and Improvising in Space

This week’s episode features Max Housner. Max Housner works as an aerospace engineer focused in digital mission engineering, but creatively, he is also a musician, writer, and improvisor. Max has a passion for space exploration, discovery, and gets to work with a variety of exciting space programs, but also has a passion for the art of improv comedy and music. Max's experience in improv ranges from masterclasses at iO Chicago, Second City, to classes at the Upright Citizens Brigade in LA for both Harold and musical improv. He's taught improv workshops for long form, short form, and musical improv and previously performed all through college at the University of Michigan, with ComCo, Michigan's oldest improv troupe. Max is now currently performing long form, short form, and musical improv in Los Angeles at UCB, The Clubhouse, and other small theaters with a variety of teams. Outside of work and comedy, Max loves breweries, a good cup of joe, live music, hikes, movies, traveling, doing the crossword, and having a good laugh with good friends. During this episode we discuss… * When and why he started practicing improv  * Being a band kid and theatre kid * The University of Michigan marching band and engineers in marching band * What about improv surprised him * Skills he gained onstage that he took offstage * How he uses improv skills as an engineer * Improv, aerospace engineering, and music — what they all require and have in common  * Improvising in space * Coffee in Los Angeles  * Simple joys From Max, when asked how improv has improved his life offstage, “Improv has allowed me to express myself creatively in the best ways, has immensely improved my listening, communication, and creative skills, and has allowed me to be a more honest and open version of myself.” Connect with Max on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxhousner/] and Instagram @maxhousner [https://www.instagram.com/maxhousner] If you liked what you heard, Subscribe, write a review, tell a friend. If you didn’t like what you heard, well, try again next time. Each episode is different and we’re always improving (see what I did there?!)  Visit www.chooseimprove.com [http://www.chooseimprove.com] for resources and ways to improve in your life and work.  Join us for at chooseimprove.substack.com [http://chooseimprove.substack.com] for weekly improvisations and monthly virtual sessions to practice improvising in your life. Connect with us on Instagram @chooseimprove [http://www.instagram.com/chooseimprove] and linkedin.chooseimprove.com [http://linkedin.chooseimprove.com]

Gayaneh Davoodian on the Ability to Quickly Adapt in Startups and in Life

This week's episode features Gayaneh Davoodian. Gayaneh took improv classes in high school, college, and the Upright Citizens Brigade. Currently she works as a venture capital (VC) Scout for an accelerator and a couple of seed stage funds.  Previously she was Chief of Staff at Sequel.io [http://Sequel.io], Head of Enablement at a Stealth Startup, and Program Manager of People Operations and Talent Acquisition at Curated, where she developed the company’s Talent and People Operations department at the start of Series B, through Series C, oversaw headcount growth of nearly 3x employees, built processes from scratch as well as identified and implemented necessary tools to maintain this rapid growth. She has a Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from USC, and an Associates degree in Fashion from the Parsons School of Design. During this episode we discuss… * When and why she first took an improv class * Improvising as a media buyer * Overthinking  * Improvising as a recruiter at a Series B startup * Her ‘aha’ moment * Career paths outside of being an engineer, doctor, or lawyer * The unknown of startups and the need to improvise * The Chief of Staff role * Working with different kinds of people * Reacting in improv and what it teaches us about reacting in the workplace * Using improv as a venue to practice expressing yourself differently * The toppling over of suppressed emotions * Creating 2 creative t-shirts From Gayaneh, when asked how improv has improved her life offstage,  “In a work setting, it helped me stay dynamic. You end up working with all different kinds of people (especially in startups). The improv skills I learned allowed me to listen and react to a person/situation as opposed to assuming/staying rigid in my thoughts and expressions. It helped me connect with people more.” Connect with Gayaneh on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gayaneh-davoodian/] and Instagram @gaya_dav [http://www.instagram.com/gaya_dav] If you liked what you heard, Subscribe, write a review, tell a friend. If you didn’t like what you heard, well, try again next time. Each episode is different and we’re always improving (see what I did there?!)  Visit www.chooseimprove.com [http://www.chooseimprove.com] for resources and ways to improve in your life and work.  Join us for at chooseimprove.substack.com [http://chooseimprove.substack.com] for weekly improvisations and monthly virtual sessions to practice improvising in your life. Connect with us on Instagram @chooseimprove [http://www.instagram.com/chooseimprove] and linkedin.chooseimprove.com [http://linkedin.chooseimprove.com]

Matthew Goodman, Ph.D. on Mindful Leadership and Letting Go of Control

This week's episode features Matthew Goodman, Ph.D. Matthew Goodman, Ph.D. is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist (PSY32423), consultant, speaker, and mindfulness teacher. He is Founder of The Middle Way Consulting, where he supports organizations with wellness, team-building, and communication skills through purposeful play (including improv!), awareness-based practices (e.g., deep listening), and behavioral science principles. Dr. Goodman was previously Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, where he provided clinical care, teaching, and supervision within the psychiatry residency program. He has expertise in mindfulness-based interventions and has taught mindfulness to children and adults in hospitals, clinics, schools, and to the general public for 10+ years, in addition to authoring several peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on mindfulness and creating a documentary film on “the dark night of the soul” phenomenon in the context of meditation. His Zen-prov! classes create a nonjudgmental space for people to practice mindfulness, self-compassion, and other Zen principles such as “not knowing” through fun and interactive improv exercises. During this episode we discuss… * His improv origin story * When he noticed the shift in himself after starting an improv practice * Internal changes versus external changes * Parallel life pursuing psychology studies and improv comedy * Why he lived in Alaska * Psychology, improv, and mindfulness * What’s going on in the mind when improvising * Control - wanting it and relinquishing control * Improv showing how much we rely on control and better enabling us to let go of it * What improv has enabled him to do because of improv * His year at a Zen Buddhist monastery * The documentary he made * Improv as an outward mindfulness practice * The struggle to be present * How he brings improv into his work as a psychologist * Mary’s good questions * The importance of learning to listen and be present with people * The opportunity for hospital settings to benefit from improvisational principles * What the world might be like if everyone practiced improv * Improv exercises that help us practice letting go * The future of leadership From Matt, when asked how improv has improved his life offstage, “Creating more present-moment awareness. Confidence in taking risks and speaking what's on my mind/heart. More joy, spontaneity, and flexibility. Taking myself less seriously. Connection to others ” Connect with Matthew on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-goodman-ph-d-18599330/] Instagram @matthewgoodmanphd [http://www.instagram.com/matthewgoodmanphd] If you liked what you heard, Subscribe, write a review, tell a friend. If you didn’t like what you heard, well, try again next time. Each episode is different and we’re always improving (see what I did there?!)  Visit www.chooseimprove.com [http://www.chooseimprove.com] for resources and ways to improve in your life and work.  Join us for at chooseimprove.substack.com [http://chooseimprove.substack.com] for weekly improvisations and monthly virtual sessions to practice improvising in your life. Connect with us on Instagram @chooseimprove [http://www.instagram.com/chooseimprove] and linkedin.chooseimprove.com [http://linkedin.chooseimprove.com]