 how I use stand-up as a keynote speaker. I fell in love with stand-up comedy in the mid-80s, and I'm still a devout fan four decades later. As a teenager, I was drawn to the storytelling, imagery, and rhythm. It was clever. It was controversial. It was honest. It made me laugh. It made me think. It made me question. Stand-up comedians were oratory savants. I would never have guessed that 35 years later, I would find inspiration from George Carlin, Richard Pryor, and Steve Martin, and use their unique comedic genius to help me level up as a corporate keynote speaker. Fast forward to Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, Louis CK, and Brian Regan, and I continue to consistently study stand-up comedy to this day to help me improve my storytelling, my improvisation, my timing, my tone, and my physicality when I'm on stage. Stand-up comedy has made me a better professional speaker.