Kelly reconnects with Second City alum Mike Lukas to talk about his new book, “Finding Your Funny Muscle: How to Create Laughs Like a Pro.” https://serve.castfire.com/audio/4153849/Mike_Lukas_-_Finding_Your_Funny_Muscle__2023-08-29-003049.64kmono.mp3 “A good laugh can feel better than sex on drugs in a rock and roll hot tub.” “Bottom line, humor isn’t some obscure concept that only the chosen few can master.”  “Shared pain makes us laugh together so we don’t have to cry and scare the children.” 

Kelly speaks to journalist Jason Del Rey to discuss his new book, “Winner Sells All: Amazon, Walmart and the Battle For Our Wallets.” https://serve.castfire.com/audio/4151146/jason_del_rey_2023-08-22-045046.64kmono.mp3 “You can either choose to disrupt yourself or be caught flatfooted when disruption chooses you.”  “This might not have been move fast and break things, but it was at times, move fast and fake things.”  “A world where one winner sells all is a world where everyone loses.” 

Christian Madsbjerg, co-founder of ReD Associates and professor at the New School, discusses the importance of paying attention in a distracted world. They cover topics such as the future of remote control, the magic of supply chains, the limitations of academic research, the root of humor, the power of observation, reflections on age and screens, and the importance of challenging beliefs and having an open mind.

Kelly steps out of “Yes, And” mode to talk to University of Houston professor Vanessa Patrick about her new book  “The Power of Saying No: The New Science of How to Say No That Puts You in Charge of Your life.” https://serve.castfire.com/audio/4146766/Vanessa_Patrick_-_The_Power_of_Saying_No__2023-08-08-132306.64kmono.mp3 “There is little upside to saying yes when we want to say no.”  “The way we think about things – our mindset – matters.”  “Face-to-face is thirty-four times more effective in getting you to say yes.”  

Kelly speaks with legendary Washington Post sportswriter Sally Jenkins about her new book, “The Right Call: What Sports Teach us About the Art of Decision Making.” https://serve.castfire.com/audio/4146483/Sally_Jenkins_2023-08-07-194023.64kmono.mp3 “No one succeeds alone, not even a LeBron James.”  “The brain robs your body of the energy to think.”  “Good practice is transformative.”  Second City Works presents "Getting to Yes, And" Recent Posts Kalifa Oliver – ‘I Think I Love My Job’ .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} TALK: The Science of Conversation .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Kurt Gray – ‘Outraged’ .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} ‘Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes’ .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Michael Chad Hoeppner – ‘Don’t Say Um’ .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Click for more

Kelly connects across the pond with Neil Mullarkey, who began his comedy career in a duo with Mike Myers, improvised with London’s legendary Comedy Store Players, and applied his knowledge of improvisation to the world of business management training. He has a new book, “In the Moment: Build Your Confidence, Communication and Creativity at Work.”  You can find Neil on Twitter, Instagram and Threads @neilmullarkey. Visit his website and neilmullarkey.com and LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/neilmullarkey/ https://serve.castfire.com/audio/4142283/Neil_Mullarkey_-_In_The_Moment__2023-07-25-054223.64kmono.mp3 “Improv at its heart is about making others look good.”  “Story is the original human software.”  “Almost every conversation you have relies upon improv to some extent.”  Second City Works presents "Getting to Yes, And" Recent Posts Kalifa Oliver – ‘I Think I Love My Job’ .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} TALK: The Science of Conversation .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Kurt Gray – ‘Outraged’ .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} ‘Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes’ .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Michael Chad Hoeppner – ‘Don’t Say Um’ .cls-7{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Click for more

Kelly has a fascinating conversation with scholars Morten Christiansen and Nick Chater to talk about their new book, “The Language Game: How Improvisation Created Language and Changed the World.”  https://serve.castfire.com/audio/4140137/Morten_Christiansen_and_Nick_Chater_-_The_Language_Game__2023-07-18-043837.64kmono.mp3 “Actual language is always a matter of improvisation, of finding an effective way to meet the communicative demands of the moment.”  “Language is continually invented in the moment and reinvented each time we play again.”  “What matters for language learning is practice, practice, and more practice.” 

Kelly talks to Babson College professor Rob Cross and returning guest Karen Dillon of the Harvard Business Review to discuss their new book: “The Microstress Effect: How Little Things Pile Up and Create Big Problems – and What to Do About It.” https://serve.castfire.com/audio/4137789/Rob_Cross_Karen_Dillon_-_The_Microstress_Effect_2023-07-10-140429.64kmono.mp3 “You can’t always control what you’re asked to do, but you can control how you respond.”  “Our brains are hardwired for emotional contagion.”  “Few people find happiness in isolation.” 

Kelly sits down with Zeynep Ton, Professor of the Practice in the Operations Management group at MIT Sloan School of Management, to discuss her new book  “The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay, and Meaning to Everyone’s Work.”  https://serve.castfire.com/audio/4136194/_A_jockey_on_an_injured_horse_isn_t_going_to_win_just_because_you_doubled_his_pay_Bad_jobs_go_a_long_way_to_creating_bad_workers_Having_multiple_jobs_makes_life_stressful__2023-07-04-042134.64kmono.mp3 “A jockey on an injured horse isn’t going to win just because you doubled his pay.”  “Bad jobs go a long way to creating bad workers.”  “Having multiple jobs makes life stressful.” 

Kelly connects with Dan Lyons, journalist and former staff writer for the famed television series “Silicon Valley” to discuss his new book,  “STFU: The Power of Keeping Your Mouth Shut in an Endlessly Noisy World.”  https://serve.castfire.com/audio/4133348/Getting_to_yes_AND_Dan_Lyons_-_STFU__2023-06-23-164848.64kmono.mp3 “Talking is like breathing. You don’t think about it; you just do it.”  “Our brains suck at multitasking. Trying to do it makes us dumber – literally.”  “Most people are terrible listeners.”