Laughing Matters

In a 24/7 newsroom, pressure is high and the headlines can be serious, but David Gaffen, Editor-in-Charge at Thomson Reuters, believes humor is essential to surviving it all. In this episode of Laughing Matters, David shares how he keeps his team grounded, why smart wordplay still has power, and what it takes to stay sharp in a chaotic media landscape. Tune in for: * How gallows humor keeps newsroom teams resilient under pressure * The art of writing witty headlines without crossing the line * A MasterClass in keeping journalism rigorous, relevant, and human Laughing Matters will be taking a summer hiatus—we’ll be back in September with a new season full of lessons, learnings, and laughs.

What do stand-up comedy and marketing have in common? A lot more than you'd think. Just ask Matthew Bryan, Head of Marketing at Resource Capital Funds, part-time comic and full-time Steve Cody’s Nephew™. In this episode of Laughing Matters, Matthew shares how bombing on stage taught him to fail forward, how humor builds creative safety in teams, and the time he accidentally hit Reply All to make a major personal announcement. Tune in for: * The surprising connection between punchlines and performance marketing * Why self-deprecating humor = professional superpower * A workplace email snafu that taught him to think carefully before hitting send

Can a leader who embraces self-deprecating humor also help grow a company from four employees to 120? Mikayla Hopkins is laughing while she leads marketing at Tracksuit (the word also happens to be what New Zealanders call sweaters). She joins Laughing Matters to share her journey of building a brand from the ground up and finding humor in the process. Among her insights: * The unique contrasts between self-deprecating Kiwi (New Zealand) humor and the direct, punchy style of American comedy * Growing Tracksuit from 4 to 120 employees and maintaining a light-hearted company culture throughout this massive expansion * A hilarious story of a melatonin mishap, subway confusion, and a wardrobe malfunction during an important meeting in New York

You’re a leader at a global pharmaceutical company and a once-in-a-lifetime worldwide pandemic hits. How do you manage that with bold leadership and resilience - all while maintaining a sense of humor? Sally Susman, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Pfizer, shares how she navigated the unprecedented, along with some hilarious stories from her career: * The power of admitting you’re wrong and sharing your biggest mistakes * Her future boss’ witty answer when someone offered to trade her for a couple of cows  * An embarrassing interview about her footwear with one of the nation’s largest newspapers We also encourage you to pick up a copy of Sally’s fantastic best-selling book, Breaking through: Communicating to Open Minds, Move Hearts and Change the World [https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBreaking-Through-Communicating-Hearts-Change%2Fdp%2F1647823951&data=05%7C02%7CAbbey.Reisler%40peppercomm.com%7Cb9819cfc72554ac454a508dd3b34743a%7C782c7f7b9da44a708f71e4350d47d565%7C0%7C0%7C638731818666730307%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2Fk0UkkUUvMLC8HDbdtYXFoFnFx5YGy1M8UdkjoGJ6r0%3D&reserved=0],” published by Harvard Business Review Press.

When we think of autonomous vehicles, many of us may envision the Terminator, Transformers or some other sci-fi flick. But they’re a reality on our roads today, and having a job in this field can require a unique perspective on humor. Andrew Culhane, Chief Commercial Officer at autonomous trucking company Torc Robotics, joins Laughing Matters to share some of his experiences in nearly two decades espousing self-driving tech: * Navigating vastly different approaches to humor – from truckers to miners  * Watching someone play live frogger, filling potholes with a bag of asphalt in the middle of a busy highway while dodging speeding vehicles  * Staying at the cringiest pink hotel room in Berlin in the early days of their startup