Improvly Speaking

What if there was one place where the entire improv community could come together? That's exactly the question Chris "Jazz" Colthurst set out to answer with ImprovCon. In this episode of Improvly Speaking, Dayna Gowan chats with Jazz, the Founder and Executive Producer of ImprovCon, a convention dedicated to celebrating and advancing the entire improv ecosystem. Jazz shares about his 25-year improv journey, the surprising inspirati...

What if humor wasn’t something “extra” or “nice to have” in your work, life, and improv – but a must-have tool for connection, resilience, and wellbeing? In this episode of Improvly Speaking, Dayna Gowan sits down with Dr. Michael Cundall Jr. (better known as Dr. Mike), Professor of Philosophy, author, TEDx Speaker, and founder of Mirth Management, a company that helps people improve their workpl...

In this episode of Improvly Speaking, Dayna Gowan chats with Dr. Evelyn Carter, a social psychologist, author, and musical improviser. Evelyn has spent the last 15 years as a DEI consultant across a wide range of industries, and today, she’s sharing how we can challenge our own racial biases and cultivate a growth mindset toward those biases.

Plus, she’s sharing the behind the scenes of her new book, Was That Ra...

Do you ever feel like structure and organization is a constant struggle? You try new planners and productivity hacks, but nothing sticks. Maybe the problem isn’t you – maybe those hacks just aren’t built for your personality. Today on Improvly Speaking, Dayna Gowan chats with Anna Dearmon Kornick, a time management coach and keynote speaker. Anna shares her story on burnout, helpful tips to be more productive (esp...

Storytelling has a funny way of bringing people together and connecting them. That sense of connection is exactly what this episode of Improvly Speaking is all about. Dayna Gowan welcomes mental health therapist, consultant, and master storyteller Lamarr Lewis for a powerful conversation that weaves together improv, public speaking, psychological safety, and the very human need to be seen and heard. Tune in to be inspired by Lamarr...

What if the people with the best ideas spoke up more often? In this episode of Improvly Speaking, Dayna Gowan sits down with speaker, coach, and improviser Jordan Hirsch to talk about confidence, saying goodbye to boring presentations, and why improv is such a powerful tool for helping good people take up more space in the world. (Key emphasis on the good people taking up space right now too!)

Jordan shares his journey from a 20+ ye...

Fifty episodes. Five thousand downloads. And a whole lot of doubt, courage, and creative growth in between.

In this special solo episode, Dayna pauses to celebrate a major milestone for Improvly Speaking and to pull back the curtain on what it really took to get here. From spiraling self-doubt and analysis paralysis to unexpected momentum and joyful surprises, Dayna shares the behind-the-scenes reality of launching (and sticking wit...

On this episode of Improvly Speaking, Dayna sits down with the incomparable Rona Lewis — leadership and communication coach, keynote speaker, experiential learning facilitator, and unapologetic play instigator. As the co-founder and CEO of Playful Mind Project and author of Play and Profit, Rona helps teams ditch burnout, strengthen communication, and spark innovation through purposeful and attuned play.

Rona shares her zigzag...

What happens when an only child with boundless creativity decides to transform her hometown’s comedy scene? Jessilee Windhaus, founder of Haus of Comedy in Sacramento, shares how her love of improv evolved into multiple improv businesses with Haus of Comedy being a brick and mortar theater that will be opening very soon! Yayy!!

Jessilee’s goal for the theater is to create a thriving, inclusive theater that empowe...

When you’ve spent years performing on stage, doing standup, and speaking in front of crowds, you learn one thing very quickly: nothing ever goes exactly as planned. In this episode of Improvly Speaking, Dayna chats with actor, voiceover artist, and public speaking coach Brian Lafontaine about his improv experience, the beauty of uncertainty, and why learning to “run toward the scary things” can change how you show...

If there’s one thing that improvisation teaches us, it’s that life rarely follows a script. For Jacque Arend, Managing Director of Camp Improv Utopia and Executive Director of Savi Fest, that truth has been especially clear over the past few years. She’s navigated running multiple improv camps, ADHD, and career pivots – and today, she shares with us how she’s learned to be comfortable with the uncomfor...

After a podcasting hiatus, Dayna Gowan is back behind the mic – and she’s got a lot to share. In this solo episode, Dayna opens up about the wild ride that has been new motherhood, from unexpected detours in her birth plan to sleepless nights, big trips and moves, and the messy, beautiful process of adjusting to her new identity as “mom.” Plus, she’s sharing the mantra about embracing uncertainty that ...

On this episode of Improvly Speaking, Dayna Gowan sits down with the incredible Jessica Halem, a powerhouse public speaker, communication strategist, LGBTQ+ health equity advocate, and a former stand-up comic trained at Second City.

Jessica has worn many hats (and delivered many punchlines). She’s currently the Senior Director of the LGBTQ+ Health Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania and formerly served as the first LG...

Parenting can be just like improv (aka Improvly Parenting) – you never know what’s coming next, and you just have to roll with it. That’s exactly the kind of real talk you get on the Improvly Speaking today with my guest, Matthew Krekeler – a proud “girl dad,” podcast host, and media pro from Denver, Colorado.

Matthew is the founder of the Girl Dad Nation Podcast, where he shares stories, ...

What happens when you combine the compassion of a therapist with the quick-thinking creativity of an improviser? You get someone like Salma Soliman – a licensed therapist and the founder of Brave Youth Therapy in California, and today’s guest on Improvly Speaking. I got the privilege of chatting with Salma for a joyful and heartfelt conversation about blending improv and therapy, how therapy has helped so many people (m...

Today on Improvly Speaking, we hear from Tony DeRosa, owner and co-founder of hear.say brewing + theater, a new improv theater and brewery in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Tony blends his love of improv with beer, business, and community building, and is sharing it all on today’s episode. 

Tony's story is a great example of what can happen when you follow your instincts, lean into creativity, and allow yourself to take big, joyful...

What do you think of your voice? If your answer is anything uncertain or negative, you’re definitely not alone. But as this week’s guest on Improvly Speaking proves, your voice isn’t something to cringe about — it’s something you can strengthen, support, and maybe even start to love. 

Today, we hear from Emmy-winning journalist and broadcast voice coach Susan Murphy, who brings more than 40 years o...

Have you ever felt completely lost in the rhythm of music, moving without thinking, and experiencing pure joy? That’s the essence of ecstatic dance – a practice that blends movement, community, and self-expression.

In this episode of Improvly Speaking, we hear from Dr. Bob Swoap, Professor of Psychology and Expressive Arts Therapy at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina, to discuss the power of ecstatic dan...

Jesse Greenfield first appeared on the show nearly a year ago, and so much has changed since then! In this episode of Improvly Speaking, we catch up on their incredible journey, including the launch of their own business, Kaleidoscope Training Center, and our experience facilitating a 2-day Intensive Training Session at the 2024 Art and Science of Health Promotion Conference (spoiler alert: we had so much fun!)..

And if you haven&rs...