No MBA class ever taught me how to bring humor into the workplace. The creative and actionable methods Andrew has bottled up and served to his audiences is a must-have for any aspiring leader in business today.
Andrew Tarvin is the world’s first Humor Engineer, a job title he clearly made up. Combining the logic-driven, efficiency-obsessed brain of an engineer, with the engaging, entertaining spirit of a comedian, he teaches individuals and organizations a strategic process for getting better business results while having more fun.
Andrew began his corporate career at Procter & Gamble, where he managed million-dollar sales & IT projects for a $350 million business. At the same time, he launched his comedy career, performing 1,000+ shows on topics ranging from the quantification of love to leveraging corporate buzzwords to sound smart. An engineer by day, a humorist by night, Andrew quickly realized his new comedy and improvisation skills were helping him climb the corporate ladder, leading to recognition and awards for communication, coaching, and leadership.
In 2009, Andrew started Humor That Works, a leadership development company that teaches individuals and teams how to strategically leverage the skill of humor in the workplace. The company has since partnered with some of the world's leading organizations--including Microsoft, IBM, the United Nations, the FBI, and the Red Cross--to solve human challenges with humor solutions.
Andrew is the best-selling author of three books, has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Inc, and FastCompany, and was recently recognized as a ‘Visionary Under 40’ by the P&G Alumni Network. His talk on the skill of humor is one of the Top 50 Most Viewed TEDx talks on YouTube, with more than 15 million views (only half of which were from his mother). He has delivered programs in 50 states, 35 countries, 6 continents, and on just about every virtual meeting platform there is (yes, even WebEx). He loves chocolate and singing the Hokey Pokey with his 3 year old daughter (because that's what it's all about).
Additional Clients: Adobe, Bloomberg, Boston Red Sox, Cal Berkeley, Dow Jones, ESPN, FBI, Gorilla Glue, IBM, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, NASA, Nationwide, P&G, PepsiCo, PMI, PwC, Remax Europe, Red Cross, Sanofi, Simon Sinek Inc, the United Nations, US Navy, Vanguard.
Additional Publications: Business Insider, Crains New York, FastCompany, Forbes, Huffington Post, Inc, The List, NPR Columbus, Thrive Global, The Wall Street Journal, plus affiliates for ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox.
In today’s fast-paced, high-stakes workplace, traditional strategies for success are no longer enough. Even high performers are feeling the pressure: 83% of Americans report being stressed at work, and disengagement is costing businesses close to $500 billion dollars annually. While everyone is told to “work hard” and “be resilient,” no one is taught the critical skill that sets top performers apart: humor.
Humor isn’t just for comedians—it’s a powerful skill anyone can learn to sharpen communication, build stronger relationships, and foster creative problem-solving. High performers who embrace humor are more adaptable, better leaders, and surprisingly, more productive. Why? Because what gets fun, gets done.
This engaging session will help you unlock your sense of humor and leverage it as your secret weapon to getting more from work. By combining best business practices with smart levity, you’ll learn how to:
Cut through the noise with communication that resonates with (almost) everyone.
Go beyond resilience and turn stress into a catalyst for change and growth.
Build instant (and long-lasting) rapport with colleagues and clients.
Whether you’re leading a team, closing deals, or climbing the corporate ladder, if you’re ready to work smarter, and happier, it’s time to discover why humor isn’t just fun—it’s your competitive advantage.
How effective of a leader are you? Maybe not quite as strong as you think: 81% of leaders consider themselves inspiring while only 18% of their direct reports agree. This disconnect creates the potentially fatal flaw of “unleadership”--the unintentional behaviors that disengage, demotivate, and discourage the people in your organization.
Today’s leaders have to unlock the talent of those around them, adapt on their feet, and show confidence leading through change, regardless of circumstances. In short, they must improvise. This is not about making things up or “winging it,” but leveraging your experience and strengths to execute in the moment.
In this engaging and interactive program, you’ll learn the vital leadership values needed to lead in today’s fast-changing world. Fusing the latest in leadership theory with advanced techniques from improvisation, you will not only learn what it means to lead on your feet, you’ll also develop the skills to do it, today.
During this program, you will:
Spot and close the gap between intention and action to avoid the pitfalls of unleadership.
Follow the five vital leadership values to keep your team motivated, engaged, and resilient.
Elevate your leadership style for any setting—in-person, remote, or somewhere in between—so you can thrive in any environment.
Change isn’t slowing down, but with the right tools, you can lead your team to excel in the face of it. Ready to turn uncertainty into opportunity? This session will show you how.
Let’s face it, humans are the hardest resource there is to manage: they can’t be programmed, don’t come with error messages, and are rife with “emotions” and “feelings.” And yet, mastering human connection is one of the most powerful skills you can develop—especially as a project manager. Whether you’re leading cross-functional teams, collaborating with stakeholders, or explaining the consequences of scope creep for the thousandth time, your ability to foster strong relationships increases effectiveness and drives project success.
Join Andrew Tarvin, the world’s first humor engineer, in this engaging program that will demystify emotional intelligence and teach you how to work smarter without having to work serious-er. You’ll gain powerful, actionable tools to build genuine relationships and leverage them to improve team dynamics, foster collaboration, and deliver projects more effectively—all while proving that project managers aren’t just meeting-having, email-sending paper pushers who are hounding people all of the time.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this program, attendees will:
Redefine emotional intelligence into practical skills for understanding and influencing others.
Learn 3 shortcuts for building (and maintaining) positive rapport.
Use a 3-step process to build a relationship with anyone.
In today’s work environment, your success hinges on your ability to connect, collaborate, and influence effectively. This session will not only equip you with smarter strategies for relationship-building but will also have you laughing as you learn. Because working smarter doesn’t just mean being efficient—it means enjoying the journey, too.
If you want to increase team productivity, relieve stress, and be happier at work, you could hire a bunch of workplace consultants, invest in scream therapy, and put Pharrell Williams on repeat—or you could just read Humor That Works.
Written by Andrew Tarvin, the world’s first Humor Engineer, this a business book on humor. No, that’s not an oxymoron. It really is a business book and it really is about getting better results by having more fun. Because people who use humor in the workplace are more productive, less stressed, and happier. No joke; sources included.
The goal is not to make you funnier—though that may be a side effect—but to make you effective-er. You’ll learn to develop a personal humor habit that’s not about spitting wisecracks or telling the funniest stories, but a way of seeing work in an energizing new way. You’ll build on some of the most important business skills for today’s work environment, develop techniques for leveraging humor, and take action to improve your work immediately. And you’ll have fun doing it.
There will be stories about grandmas who text, multiple mentions of milkshakes, and exactly seven references to zombies. Oh, and there will be puns. (You’ve been warned.) Looking for success and happiness at work? Discover the missing skill of Humor That Works.
At the age of 31, Andrew Tarvin made the very practical decision to rid himself of most of his belongings, leave his Midtown apartment in NYC, and travel the country out of two carry-on bags. In 12 months, he traveled 92,358 miles, did 215 events, and spoke or performed in all 50 states (yes, even Wyoming).
Along the way, he collected 50 stories from 50 states. Stories of adventure, like fending off a bear in Alaska, stories of deliciousness, like eating a Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo Burrito in Montana, and stories of people, like meeting his newest fan in Pringle, South Dakota, population: 112.
Through his journey, he discovered that, despite what we may see on the news or read on the internet, there is one thing that unites all Americans: laughter. As he traveled around the country, he found connection through comedy and realized we are all more alike than we are different, no matter what state we call home.
PRAISE FOR THE UNITED STATES OF LAUGHTER
"In this amazing, amusing book, Andrew Tarvin goes looking for laughs in all the right places, specifically every one of these now not so United States. But through his journey, he shares how we are still a country bound together by people who can take a joke as well as make one, including, of course, our comedic, peripatetic author who does so from sea to shining sea and also in New Jersey."
-Bob Mankoff, Cartoon & Humor Editor at Esquire
"The world beyond your hometown doorstep is often a hilarious and amazing place. This book will take you there. Read it, laugh out load, be inspired and get to know your hilarious guide, Andrew Tarvin (now known in some states as Drupac), as he takes you on a journey to unite America in copious amounts of comedy and laughter. You'll be glad you did."
-David Nihill, Author of Do You Talk Funny
"These side-splitting stories capture the life of a traveler perfectly. From the moments that go so right to the experiences that go so very wrong, The United States of Laughter is both ridiculous and insightful. And, if you're like me, it will have you laughing in your middle seat while on your flight from Prague to JFK."
-Whitney Tressel, fellow nomad and National Geographic Photography Trip Leader