You Can't Laugh At That

Even if you're the CEO of a software company that saves lives, a little bit of humor goes a long way as a leader.

Inspired by a freak incident involving his daughter, a cancer scare, and Sour Patch Kids, Rod Reasen founded Springbuk, a company that helps other companies prevent disease with data. Through radical people-first acts like honesty (gasp!), recognition (shock!), and natural curiosity (wha-??), Indianapolis-based Springbuk...

Welcome to Callbacks, a special episode of You Can't Laugh At That where six previous guests return to the show to prove each others' topics are funny. Each guest was given 24 hours to write a brand new joke about a topic from another episode, proving that there is more than one way to find the humor in any given situation, no matter how dark it may seem.

Recorded live at the 14th annual Cleveland Comedy Festival.

In this episode:

-T...

Whether you're on the red team, the blue team, both teams, or you hate the fact that there are teams in the first place, you've got an opinion on politics. And typically, to each person, that opinion is gospel. Yet, a vital role of comedy in society is to challenge the authority of gospel -- especially the people who perpetuate an us-vs.-them status quo: politicians.

Comedian Andrew Rudick joins us to prove that, even if it's one wi...

They unite and divide, distracting from what’s important while being equally important.

Sports are integral to the fabric of our society, but there are some fans who take it too far. Comedian Jessica Keenan (HBO, Netflix) joins us to discuss the humor that's built into sports fandom, her perspective of how passionate her husband is about sports, and how sports can impact our relationships, all while proving that you CAN laugh at sp...

Infotech is the rare 40+ year-old tech startup that is not only still open for business, but they're still growing.

What is it that makes this company's culture so special?

Tara Blythe (VP Of Talent, Strategy, And Communications) and Darcy Herlihy (Communications Specialist) share how InfoTech is a family (no eye-roll), how they've been able to create a safe space for human conversations, and how they've broken down barriers across ...

As president of Indiana-based perennial top workplace BLASTmedia, Lindsey Groepper's emphasis on storytelling has set the tone for a culture filled with people who enjoy their work and the people they do it with.

Storytelling in comedy is obvious, but it’s an often overlooked aspect of leadership.

What stories are you telling yourself as a leader? What stories are you communicating with your team?

ARE you communicating with your team?

...

Cleveland comedian and resident Dave Chappelle expert John Armstrong fills in for Steve to break down Chappelle's 5th Netflix special "The Closer" to prove that you CAN laugh at that.

Instead of asking the simple binary questions that everyone else is asking like "Is it offensive or not?" "Should Dave be 'cancelled?'" "Is it funny or not?" we address it from a nuanced angle of curiosity about Dave Chappelle the man, the joke writing...

David wanted to take a moment while on the road and share why this podcast exists and to offer one bit of advice when it comes to taking risks or trying something new: do it - even if it isn't perfect.

Before we start a new chapter in this podcast, browse through the 101 episodes we DO have, find a topic that connects with you on some level, give it a listen, and get to work finding the opportunities to laugh that surround you.

Suppo...

A stand-up comedian will often take a pain, stress, or life tragedy, frame it as a setup, and eventually create a punchline that connects with their audience.

Robert Herzog, the founder and CEO of ZogSports, isn't a comedian, but LIKE a comedian, he was able to take a massive tragedy, discover his why, and then transform that into a company that brings joy to countless organizations from tech companies to law firms.

Though not a tra...

Washington DC-based comedian Matt Bergman (DryBar, Comedy Central) proves you CAN laugh at the obituaries by framing them in a way that gets the audience to discover the nuance in the things we do and say about people after they die.

There is a push and pull between fear and acceptance that exists when discussing death, but when it's discussed within a non-threatening context, a conversation about death can turn lighthearted and hi...

NYC Comedian and Tonight Show writer Chloe Radcliffe proves you CAN laugh at your own insecurities by saying the thing that's on everyone's mind, but is being left unsaid as a way to release the tension.

The birthmark on Chloe's face is an obvious distinguishing feature, so she has multiple hilarious bits about the awkward way she dealt with it as a kid, the things she can't do because of it, and why she knows what it's like to be...

6AM City is a media company focused on activating communities through daily email newsletters that aggregate the most positive, impactful local stories.

No politics, no murders, no toxicity.

And that's exactly the kind of culture that co-founder Ryan Heafy has built (murders at work tend to do a number on morale).

In this episode, we talk about disrupting the media and how that impacts the culture of 6AM City, how his company has mai...

NYC Comedian Brian Parise (JFL, Last Week Tonight, Patriot Act) proves you CAN laugh at immigrants by layering his bit with jokes about his Italian immigrant father, parodying absurd perceptions of immigrants, and discovering the true meaning behind a classic American folk song.

We also talk about:

-Moving to New York with 6 years of comedy experience and a JFL credit.

-Brian’s decision to release his album on Election Day 2020.

-Brian...

After David got COVID a second time and wasn’t in the mood to laugh, he, Steve, and Gheramy ask and attempt to answer the question “How can we get through to those with fixed beliefs on ‘the other side’ when it comes to vaccinations and masks?” and discover that a sense of humor, or thinking like a comedian, may be vital in building that connection.

David even finds a joke, albeit simple, in his current situation by the end of the e...

When it comes to white people, Chicago comic Sohrab Forouzesh doesn't want to have to keep making jokes, but when there seems to be an eternal fountain of content coming from the same group of people, it's hard to resist.

Joking about white people has been a recently touchy topic, whether it's being offended by the comedian's perspective, it feels unfair, or it's perceived as hack, there is definitely a wrong way to approach the top...

When you name your company "Fully Accountable," you've given yourself some big expectations to fill, from both clients and employees.

Enter Vinnie Fisher, CEO of Fully Accountable, a fast growing outsourced accounting and finance firm based out of Fairlawn, Ohio, who lives up to the name he's given his company. From owning mistakes and failures, (including the closing of an 8-figure company), to upholding company values, to making ...

Our first live recording is in the books, and we featured 3 hilarious comics from DC, Minneapolis, and Detroit respectively.

On this episode, Franqi French joins to prove you CAN laugh at white women (mostly the Jens), Alex Avery proves you CAN laugh at one-liners (and self-discovery), and Connor Meade proves you CAN laugh at being bi-curious (and the fears that arise from self-discovery).

We also talk about:

-Franqi French’s start in...

A 4-day workweek.

Embracing patience while still being a disruptor.

Being openly manipulative to build a great workplace culture.

Upon first look, these things feel like they'd be detrimental to a growing company, but at web-based marketing software company Feathr, they're a key cog in the growth.

CEO Aleks Levental joins David to discuss Feathr's mindset and culture, as well as his approach to leadership that isn't all too different f...

Do you run consistently late?

Do you hate when other people run consistently late?

It's stressful, it's annoying, it's rude, but could it also be... funny?

Comedian Sam Evans has a bit on his album, Sweet Baby Boy, that proves when you're running late, you can laugh at that.

In this episode, which IS getting released on time, we talk about:

-Hustle culture.

-Existential angst that comes from being late.

-Being late for work.

-Excuses to ju...