Ep. 204 – The Big Secret To Being Funny With Chris McGuire
Darren LaCroix, CSP, AS, WCPS
Top-Rated Opening Keynote Speaker | World Champion Speaker | Expert in Engaging and Energizing Conference Audiences
Ep. 204 – The Big Secret To Being Funny With Chris McGuire
“But I wasn’t born funny!” may be a common exclamation, so what’s the SECRET to being funny? For answers, Darren and Mark turn to television producer and comedy writer Chris McGuire who has worked with celebrity talent like Justin Bieber, Martha Stewart, Arsenio Hall and Snoop Dog. Lessons from his experience behind the scenes and on the stage will help you to be unforgettable.
• Confront your discomfort
• Pay attention to the news of the day
• Use your experience and your interests
• Filter out the raw material and choose the best bits
• Write 20 jokes to get 2 good ones
• Keep a notebook and write 3 ideas a day; that’s 90 a month, 1,000 a year
• Authenticity is key
• Be willing to bomb
• Don’t give up too soon and get up after a bad experience; move on
• Tap into common experiences with your audience
Darren LaCroix
2001 World Champion of Public Speaking
About Darren LaCroix
He felt invisible in high school.
He failed as a business owner.
He worked in a cubicle for over a decade.
Today he's a world champion speaker.
What made the difference for him
can make the difference for you.
A Real-Life Underdog Story Filled with Humor and Hope
After a failed business in 1992, Darren LaCroix took a dare and took the stage at an open mic night at a Boston comedy club. He bombed miserably. It was horrible. The headliner that night told him, "Keep your day job kid." Friends told him that his dream of making people laugh for a living was crazy and stupid. He didn't listen.
He may have been born without a funny bone in his body, but Darren possessed the desire to learn and the willingness to fail. These were the essentials for achieving his dream. This self-proclaimed student of comedy is living proof that anything can be learned.
Less than nine years later, in 2001, Darren LaCroix outspoke 25,000 contestants from 14 countries to become the World Champion of Public Speaking…ironically with a very funny speech. Some said it was one of the best speeches in the history of the contest.
Since that victory, Darren has delivered keynotes in every state in the U.S. and 44 international cities. He is passionate about showing people that if you pray, find the right mentors, and become a sponge, anything is possible.
Darren is currently the only speaker in the world who is a CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), an AS (Accredited Speaker), and a World Champion of Public Speaking. In spite of this, Darren always reminds people, “The letters after your name are not as important as the professional you become in the process.”
He is the author of the book 17 Minutes To Your Dream, the co-author of Deliver Unforgettable Presentations and the co-host of Unforgettable Presentations podcast. Through his live workshops and Stage Time University, he helps good presenters become UNFORGETTABLE.