EP 118 - Kesinee Angkustsiri Yip & Kevin Weinstein, Co-founders at Creative Catalyst – The Power of Improv to Elevate Your Communication, Connection and Creativity

Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

 **EPISODE (live Coaching Session) best watched on the 97% Effective YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@97PercentEffective **

Can improvisation elevate you at work? Kesinee Angkustsiri Yip and Kevin Weinstein, co-founders of Creative Catalyst and authors of “Yes, And for Success”, resoundingly say: YES! And in this episode show us why. In this entertaining discussion with 97% Effective host Michael Wenderoth, Kesinee and Kevin demonstrate improv exercises and then break down how those seemingly “silly drills” increase critical skills that supercharge our communication, collaboration and creativity. We discuss how to introduce improv into conservative organizations, tips when doing improv in the room vs in zoom, and the surprising ways improv benefited them both at work – and in life. By the end of this episode, you’ll have a new appreciation for the unexpected power of improv.

SHOW NOTES:

• Fact or hype: Does improv actually improve your communication skills, build connection and increase connectivity at work?
• “3 things”: Kesinee and Kevin start us with an improv exercise
• The power of being in the moment
• Iteration gets you better at picking up on each other’s cues
• What happens when you do “3 things” the second time?
• Tips on introducing improv effectively into companies
• In the Room vs Zoom considerations
• Kesinee’s #1 tip on Zoom: keeping the camera on
• Kevin’s #1 tip when in the Room: take advantage of physicality
• How improv transformed Kevin’s ability to recall facts and communicate in impromptu work situations
• Kesinee on the link between improv and the science and practice of communications
• Generative vs Narrow frame thinking: “Yes, And” vs “Yes, But”
• How improv sharpened Kesinee’s work as a communications consultant
• How improv sharpens your interpersonal skills and the ability to lead others
• The surprising benefits of improv on Kevin’s guitar skills
• Keys to starting with improv in your organization
• The benefit of humor and the act of trying
• Ending with improv: “One word story”

 

BIO AND LINKS:

Creative Catalyst is on a mission to banish boring corporate cultures and ignite connection, creativity, and collaboration using the unexpected power of improv. Co-founded by Kesinee Angkustsiri Yip, a seasoned communications leader, and Kevin Weinstein, a systems engineering thought leader, Creative Catalyst delivers science-backed, joy-infused workshops for executive teams, founders, and forward-thinking companies to strengthen trust, accelerate innovation, and solve real business problems. Creative Catalyst believes creative confidence isn’t a talent—it's a muscle. And they are here to help you flex it. “Yes, And for Success,” their first book, is a fun, practical guide that helps leaders and teams tap into their creative power using principles from improvisation.

• Watch this episode on video: https://www.youtube.com/@97PercentEffective
• “Yes, and…” their book: https://a.co/d/cM3iyxr
• Creative Catalyst, their company: www.creativecatalystworks.com
• Kesinee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kesinee
• Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-weinstein-7589615/
• Impro (Johnston): https://a.co/d/cbcmwJa
• “How to Master Your Body Talk” (episode on 97% Effective): https://tinyurl.com/yzwyt4e
• Humor, Seriously (Aaker and Bagdonas): https://a.co/d/2BEh8Qx
• Michael’s Award-Winning book, Get Promoted: What Your Really Missing at Work That’s Holding You Back https://tinyurl.com/453txk74

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