Maggie Baird, an accomplished actress, improv teacher, and founder of Support and Feed, shares her insights on navigating careers with joy and openness. She emphasizes the power of the 'yes, and...' principle, which fosters collaboration and enhances communication. Baird also discusses the importance of empathy in education and how it can influence positive change in sectors like the music industry. Plus, she highlights her nonprofit work promoting food equity and sustainability, encouraging listeners to embrace small changes for a better future.
19:32
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Embrace Organic Career Growth
Let your passion and opportunities guide your career path.
Embrace new interests and experiences instead of rigidly planning changes.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Finding Confidence Through Improv
Maggie Baird's journey into improv began with a friend's show at the Groundlings, sparking a passion she'd had since childhood.
Teaching improv unlocked a hidden confidence within her, transforming her approach to auditions and life.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
The "That's Interesting" Technique
Use "That's interesting because..." to foster engaging conversations.
This improv principle encourages building upon ideas rather than deflecting or changing the subject.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
In 'Think Faster, Talk Smarter', Matt Abrahams offers tangible, actionable skills to help even the most anxious speakers succeed in spontaneous communication. The book provides strategies for managing anxiety, responding to the mood of the room, and making content concise, relevant, compelling, and memorable. Drawing on stories from his clients and students, Abrahams offers best practices for navigating Q&A sessions, job interviews, providing effective feedback, making small talk, fixing faux pas, persuading others, and handling other impromptu speaking tasks.
Being present in the moment and staying open to whatever unfolds.
We all want to lead lives and careers full of joy and fulfillment. Maggie Baird certainly has, and the key, she says, is to stay open to new possibilities and “let your passion lead.”
Baird is an accomplished actress, improv teacher at the Groundlings Theater, mother to music sensations Billie Eilish and Phineas, and founder of Support and Feed, a nonprofit addressing food equity and the climate crisis. Through it all, she has embodied the improv principle of "Yes, and..." — being present in the moment and staying open to whatever unfolds. “I have done many things,” she says, “but I never approached any of them as a career change. They all came out of new interests and new experiences.”
In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Baird joins host Matt Abrahams to explore the critical role of communication in developing a career, and how improv principles can help us engage, as Baird says, “From a place of open-heartedness, appreciation, [and] collaboration.”
***** This episode is brought to you by Babbel. Think Fast Talk Smart listeners can get started on your language learning journey today- visit Babbel.com/Thinkfast and get up to 55% off your Babbel subscription.
Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques 