How Jay Leno Made Me a Better Speaker !

                                    Jay's advice......work everywhere !
         
            In the stand up comedy world few things are more prestigious than being on the Tonight Show. In the heyday of the comedy boom it was the barometer that made stars out of countless comedians. Jay Leno was one of those stars.

Jay has always been known to comics as a workaholic.  He continued to do up to 300 dates a year, working every weekend, while he was guest hosting the Tonight Show.  An amazing feat when you consider most comedians hosting a show, such as the Tonight Show, usually give up their road gigs and concentrate on the very difficult task of getting ratings. Jay continued to work in an effort to hone his comedic skills which explains why he claims he hasn’t touched his Tonight Show money.
I have always admired Jay and had met him several times on the road in passing but a few years after he took over the show I had an opportunity to ask him for some sage advice.  A friend of mine and fellow comedian, Billy Martin, was appearing on the Tonight show and asked if I wanted to go along. As a young comedian I was certainly going to take him up on it. The lineup was a good one including Raquel Welch, Chazz Palminteri and my buddy, Billy.

The night was filled with surreal moments.  The two that stand out to me happened just about an hour before show time.  The legendary director, Fred de Cordova who stayed with Jay a few years after Johnny retired was looking for Raquel and spotted her on the couch conversing with Jay. He looked at Jimmy Brogan, a fellow comic who  booked the comedic talent for the show, and asked, “Where is Raquel”.  Jimmy pointed to the couch and Fred squinted as he looked through his trademark glasses and said, “Is that her or her mother, get her to makeup".   I have to tell you that I had been a big Raquel fan since first grade and she looked fantastic as she always did. I’m not sure if Fred was trying to be intentionally funny but it certainly was.

The second incident was that my friend Billy was not able to appear on the show because of the interruption of the OJ Simpson Bronco chase!  Right before they got to his slot in the show the network cut to the chase. What a weird twist. I remember him telling me jokingly that his family and friends back east were skeptical that he was on the Tonight Show and this incident would only reinforce their concerns.   It all worked out for him because he was rebooked for the show and now he is the Executive Producer of real time with Bill Maher on HBO.

 Just before the show, Jay stopped by to greet Billy and I had an opportunity to ask him what advice he could give a young comic and fan.  He said, “The most important thing I can tell you is to get on stage as much as you can wherever you can”. This was sage advice because a lot of comics and performers reach a level and think that they don’t have to work as hard at developing their skills.  They feel that if they are headlining they do not have to do small rooms or more difficult gigs.  That is a very foolish attitude to assume because when you stop performing in places you think will be challenging and only putting yourself in situations where you know you will succeed, you stop growing and developing your skills.

To be honest I really didn't like the advice Jay gave me at the time. I was just off a national television appearance and was in Hollywood auditioning for roles and other TV shows. I felt that I had put in my time and was now a national headline act and I felt that the small jobs were beneath me.    I couldn't have been more wrong. You see I was too young to realize that most of the audiences I had been working the previous seven years were all comedy club audiences in a controlled atmosphere. I was one of those guys who felt that if the audience didn't laugh at my jokes it was on them and certainly not my performance.   However, I began to contemplate what Jay told me.   I slowly started to take gigs that I thought were risky or beneath me.  Since then I have performed at a rest home, a hospital, nudist colony, basement of a frat house, college cafeteria at lunch time, country club, yacht club, casino, birthday party, almost every business and corporate function imaginable, bar, wedding, rock band opening,(I opened for Michael Bolton in front of 16,000 people) and the most challenging performance to date that I did was 10 state prisons in a row!   That’s right, prisons!

I was recently asked in an interview what I thought was my biggest accomplishment in my 25 years in show business and without a doubt I answered the prison tour.  It was the most powerful and scariest thing I have ever done as a performer. I remember all my Hollywood friends telling me how crazy I was and after the first gig I couldn't disagree with them more!  In those ten days I grew tenfold as a performer and speaker. I can honestly say that I will never be afraid of speaking or have stage fright again. As a performer, it was the test of a lifetime of pure survival. I was able to get through by relying on my experience and intestinal fortitude. Because of the experience I am a more experienced and well rounded performer and speaker. Following Jay’s advice enhanced my career considerably

You have to work consistently to get better at your craft regardless of your pursuit.   I think Tony Robbins said it best when he stated that repetition is the mother of skill. Who gets the ball when the games on the line….Michael Jordan, Eli Manning, Sidney Crosby. Why, because they have been there before and have succeeded by continually  practicing and honing their skills in many different situations. In business, when it’s on the line, don't you want to be the one who gets the ball?  Challenge yourself.  If Jay Leno can continue to go on the road and perform after getting the gig of a lifetime there has to be something to it. He continues to take himself out of the controlled atmosphere of the studio audience with applause signs.  To be an effective speaker you must heed this advice. In business you will have to speak to many audiences who may not agree with you and you will need to make an impact on them. Putting yourself in situations that make you uncomfortable will give you the experience not only to be able to confidently address the audience but also to be able to influence them as well.

So when the opportunity presents itself for me to provide advice to a speaker or performer, I always pass on Jay's word and also a bit of my own.  Try to work everywhere you can so you can experience every type of audience imaginable in every situation imaginable. That keeps you growing as performer and developing skills that will make you a stronger comedian or speaker. The next time your offered a gig or a speaking engagement think about it before you turn it down. Are you passing up something that may be the best experience of your career?   

How Steve Harvey made me a better Speaker !

                   Steve Harvey...behind the podium... working the room !  

  Years ago, I had the opportunity to work with Steve Harvey while on the road as a stand up comic. I was a young comedian and Steve was already a growing name on the circuit. He gave me some advice that has helped me become a successful comedian,  speaker and an effective business communicator



 He taught me the importance of working the room! Actually he was so bold as to bring me up in the middle of his show and say, “Folks this my friend David Michael and he is a young comedian and I am going to show him how to work the room”.  Then he proceeded to identify members of the audience by asking them their names and commenting on their responses with funny quips while working in his prepared material as well.  At the time, I didn't realize what an incredibly powerful tool this was.  He was able to get his audience to listen and focus before he delivered his message.  Can you imagine how many times you could have used this tool in business meetings? Giving a business presentation is critically important for the presenter.  The primary focus, of course, is for the content of the presentation to be absorbed by the audience. Now I know that statement may seem obvious but so often, in business and in public speaking,  most individuals focus on their performance instead of their target, the audience.



Comedians are constantly engaging their audience and they do that by working the room. It almost never fails!  The success rate is so high that some comedy purists think its cheating. Now when I say cheating, I don't mean in an ethical manner  but rather,  that is so easy that anyone can learn to do it. Some believe that you should be able to go onstage, and solely, on the basis of your delivery, get laughs. That works when you have a receptive audience but as we know in real life that is not always the case.



 In business every presentation looks like the next with very little difference. People are so used to attending business functions with the idea they can get a lot of work done on their phone. When you work the room the audience has to pay attention.  They have to stay on their toes. They don’t want to look stupid or caught off guard if you call on them and they aren't paying attention! Using this technique actually creates excitement and spontaneity.  You will notice that people will focus on you and not on their cell phone. You will have the full attention of your audience and you will be able to deliver your message and have the audience retain it!  As a speaker, you will achieve your ultimate goal to effectively communicate your message to the audience.



When I wrote my book I used a quote by Steve that I thought kind of summed up this technique in typical Steve Harvey fashion. "Comedians walk out, get a feel for the crowd and if it’s not going well, we change directions and if we have to drag your momma into this thing we will, whatever we got to do”.  Enough said!

Laughter Heals, Reduces Stress and Increases Productivity: Isn't it time you "Shared It" with your Employees !

For years now research has shown that laughter has incredible  effects on the human immune system. Among many health institutions  both Johns Hopkins and the Mayo clinic have done studies that have revealed the healing effects of  laughter that include reduced stress ,increased productivity and creativity as well as increased memory and learning. Really its no joke! Being a comedian I have never under estimated these effects on a audience. Over the years after shows some members of the audience are so moved that they want to share their feelings and personal stories with the comedian or comedians who performed. I can recount many stories from audience members who just want to say "thank you" or  "I needed that" and then they would go on to tell me some of the most inspiring stories about loss,tragedy ,incredible stress and everyday human troubles that we all at some point have to deal with. As a comedian I have been hugged,kissed,squeezed,given drinks, dinner,invited to homes,marriage proposals and in some cases a shoulder to cry on. From my experience I can actually see the powerful effects of laughter  up close. 

Wellness Speaker...David Michael 

In todays corporate  world the stress seems to be over whelming  with downsizing,layoffs,mergers,and a shrinking work force. Employees seem to be facing an uphill battle for wellness and sanity. I honestly believe more and more companies are in need of some enlightenment. For most of my corporate career as a comedian I have been mostly used as entertainer and speaker and  as an emcee for larger events . In the last ten years a slow change has taken place. More and more of my clients have been inquiring about the possibility of using me as a wellness tool. Considering how powerful laughter is ... its something that has grown and taken on a life of its own. When I speak about my new book  I always point out that when you use humor in your presentation the audience will have a higher tendency to retain your message. But when I am featured as a wellness speaker the only objective I have  is for everybody to laugh and have a good time. What's that! You mean your going to have a presentation for your employees in the middle of the work day and all they have to do is laugh and  have a good time ! The anticipation of getting a break in the middle of the work day is sweet enough but when you add the fact that there will be nothing to learn or remember ...well now you've got something my friend. Can you imagine your employees all laughing  at the same time or leaving a meeting all with a smile on their face !  And if that's not appealing enough think of the stress relief and increased productivity your company as well as the bonding between management and employees that will benefit from this wellness activity. So with all the sharing that is done with all of social media in business today why don't we share something that is as old as the hills and has the natural  healing effects of a modern day fountain of youth! .  If this trend continues to grow the jokes of the future might start something like this....a CEO,a manager and an employee all walk into a meeting...an hour later they walk out laughing ....together.