How Keynote Speaker Electric Bill Uses Humor to Transform Teams

Host Kate Davis sits down with Bill G. Williams, affectionately known as Electric Bill, to explore the powerful role humor can play in transforming corporate culture. The conversation delves into Bill's personal journey, highlighting his struggles with perfectionism and self-acceptance rooted in his early experiences. Through humor, Bill has learned to embrace love over fear and build more profound connections within teams. His anecdotes and thoughtful insights illustrate how humor can be a catalyst for shaking teams out of complacency, fostering creativity, and enhancing collaboration.

Key Takeaways:

• Humor can shatter static routines and encourage a more engaged and creative work environment.
• Self-deprecating humor aids in self-acceptance and strengthens interpersonal connections.
• Humor fosters a safe, inclusive workplace culture that encourages team bonding and innovation.
• Effective use of humor in the workplace requires knowing and respecting colleagues' boundaries.
• Even in times of challenge, maintaining a humorous outlook can provide clarity and opportunity.

"I'm here to shock you out of your static daily routine." – Bill Williams

Resources:

• Website 
• Bill's Book: Electric Life

Additional Links & Resources:

• Interested in being a guest on Humor in the C-Suite? Reach out to book a call with Kate!
• Learn more about me and my work at katedavis.ca

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Humor in the C-Suite! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow the podcast, share it with your friends, and leave a rating or review. Your support helps the podcast continue to grow. 

Hosted by Kate Davis
Edited by Chris @ Wider View Studios

Transcript

0:00:03 - (Kate Davis): Hello, I'm Kate Davis and this is Humor in the C Suite, a show about how leaders use humor to create an extraordinary work culture.

0:00:13 - (Kate Davis): Hi everyone and welcome to this week's episode of Humor in the C Suite. Yeah. My guest this week is Bill G. Williams or Electric Bill. Bill's honest, distinct and enthusiastic approach to leadership has inspired and reshaped countless international organizations. With 35 years of experience in human resources and talent development, helping category leading companies lead engaged, effective and connected teams.

0:00:38 - (Kate Davis): Bill is able to shock people out of their static daily routines to remember the importance of incredible relationships, heartfelt leaders and thriving workplaces. As an author, MC and keynote speaker, Bill has been interviewed in Forbes magazine and has spoken to more than 75,000 people at conferences and events around the the world. His power comes from hearing your challenges and turning them into opportunities.

0:01:02 - (Kate Davis): Bill is the founder and CEO of the boutique leadership development firm the B4 Group Inc. And MC and brand ambassador of the Art of Leadership Summit and the Art of Leadership Women. Bill caters his solution based strategies to individuals and corporations in private, public and not for profit sectors. We had a great chat, we had a great interview, we had a great time. It was so much fun. I got so much out of it.

0:01:28 - (Kate Davis): His unique experiences both in the corporate world and speaking really lends to great ideas that you can really use for yourselves. You guys are going to love it. I loved interviewing him. So here it is. Bill Williams.

0:01:47 - (Kate Davis): Hello and welcome to this week's episode of Humor in the Sea Suite. Bill, how's it going?

0:01:53 - (Bill Williams): Oh, Kate, it is amazing here. The sweet, sweet C suite is a sweet spot. Spot to be in.

0:01:58 - (Kate Davis): Oh wow. That was a. That was a tongue twister, right?

0:02:01 - (Bill Williams): Clearly.

0:02:03 - (Kate Davis): I usually start with haikus. Doesn't matter.

0:02:07 - (Kate Davis): You know it's funny, I've gotten like a lot of LinkedIn response because it only lets you leave 300 characters. Oh, right. So I can never write what I want to say in 300 characters. So now I just write haikus and everyone's like, you wrote a haiku. I want to, I want to talk to you now. Anyway, it's a good, it's a good connection. Okay. So Bill, I'm so thrilled to have you as a guest on Humor in the SE Suite. I've been following you for years now.

0:02:33 - (Kate Davis): Not only you incredible host, but you're incredible speaker and you spent over 35 years in the corporate environment with HR and leadership. See, I do my research.

0:02:43 - (Bill Williams): I'm impressed.

0:02:47 - (Kate Davis): So I was just so excited to pick your brain about because you are always so Funny and, and more importantly than that, just really uplifting. So I really, I just feel like people are going to get so much out of this episode. So I thought I would just start by ask you how do you use humor in your day to day life?

0:03:05 - (Bill Williams): Oh my gosh. Kate. Humor for me in my day to day life is just to accept myself. Oh my gosh. You know, if I can't laugh at myself. I used to have a lot of negative self talk and that would just roll through my head. I never felt like I was enough, you know, I'm this, I mean, Kate, you know, so many funny things have happened to me in my life because think about even just my right. So you're calling me Bill Williams, but that's not my legal name. What's my legal name?

0:03:30 - (Kate Davis): Bill. Bill.

0:03:32 - (Bill Williams): Oh yeah. Damn close. That's it. That's what I love. Yeah, that's the one. William Williams. So I'm William Grant Williams. But even then it gets worse because I was born in northwestern Ontario. It's now Thunder Bay, but it's the amalgamation of two townships, Port Arthur and guess which.

0:03:47 - (Kate Davis): Fort Williamsburg.

0:03:49 - (Bill Williams): Yeah.

0:03:50 - (Kate Davis): So.

0:03:51 - (Bill Williams): Well, just Fort William.

0:03:52 - (Kate Davis): No. Berg. We're not a Jewish Williams. William Bogo.

0:03:57 - (Bill Williams): Maybe, Maybe we wish. But no. So I'm William Grant Williams from Fort William, Ontario.

0:04:02 - (Kate Davis): Wow.

0:04:02 - (Bill Williams): But Kate, I'm also the son of a mother who lived with bipolar disorder.

0:04:06 - (Kate Davis): Oh.

0:04:07 - (Bill Williams): And then my father to deal with that just sort of became a workaholic. He was an electrician by trade. So some people call me Electric Bill as well because of my energy and what I bring to the table. But you know, really it's the electrician dad. But, but Kate, what went down for me, you know, was just simply kind of owning at a very young age my mother's depression because that's all we really knew. That was the first thing they were able to easily diagnose was the depression. Not then they even called it manic depressive. And we didn't see that. So you know, this negative self talk was just little Billy Williams trying to be perfect all the time.

0:04:42 - (Bill Williams): And that became really hard. That perfectionism even came into my corporate world. So now, you know, like historically if I would spill a cup of tea or you know, drop something, I would use negative self talk. Now I laugh at myself and just go, you know, giggle, giggle, giggle, whoops a daisy and move on. So I think humor really helps me accept who I am. You know, just again, not to get too deep on you. This is supposed to be humor in the C suite.

0:05:08 - (Kate Davis): I Love it.

0:05:08 - (Bill Williams): But go.

0:05:09 - (Kate Davis): We're real. We're real.

0:05:10 - (Bill Williams): Yeah. The dichotomy for me is, you know, what are you afraid of? And the opposite of fear for me is love. And the highest form of love is acceptance. So through that self deprecating humor, you know, using it to connect more deeply with people, using it to really just if you will be authentic, Kate, it's like, you know, will the real electric bill please stand up? And so yeah, that's what I'm, that's what I'm trying to use humor for.

0:05:35 - (Bill Williams): How does that connect for you?

0:05:37 - (Kate Davis): I absolutely, like, I just find I'm, I mean I'm a comic first of all and well, speaker now but, but I, I find like I'm a comic because, you know, most of the time I hate myself or I have in the past and you know, finding a lot of humor is coping with all that or just with lack of confidence and, and stuff like that. And I feel like humor has really helped me build that up. But yes, so it's been, but getting a little vulnerable.

0:06:06 - (Kate Davis): So you know, you talk about negative self talk, you know, talk and all that stuff and, and having to compensate for your mother's illness and all that when there was no help. Like I used to have massive panic attacks and rush myself to the hospital all the time, like as a teen. And they would literally just send me home saying what, what is the matter with you? No one ever said it's an anxiety attack, a panic attack.

0:06:29 - (Kate Davis): This is the 80s. There wasn't anything like that. So I get that humor as a coping mechanism is huge. But also I love the fact that it led to self love and I think that's what we should be picking up on, you know, there. And I believe that there is only two emotions, fear and love. That's a course in miracles. Like that's so many books that I've read and, and stuff like that. So yeah, I, I, I'm really, I'm on that train with you for sure.

0:06:54 - (Bill Williams): Good, good.

0:06:55 - (Kate Davis): I am curious though. In your 35 years of, you know, HR and being in that corporate environment, when was the shift for you?

0:07:05 - (Bill Williams): Oh gosh. Well, really all all along, like I have to remember, you know, being so unique. So, so Kate, I have historically all of my career has been in industries dominated by women. Well, you know, in my experience I worked mostly with women. So whether it was retail banking, almost everybody. My, you know, branch manager was a woman. Then I got into travel and tourism. A woman recruited me into that.

0:07:27 - (Bill Williams): It's mostly women and gay men that are in that field, it seemed, you know, I'm sure there's some straight men too, and it's all great.

0:07:33 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:07:33 - (Bill Williams): But. And then to go back into a payroll environment was sort of the next one. And contact centers, call centers, so all of them. Industry is dominated by women. And so for me, I think I used humor. Right. Right from the very beginning just because of the fact that how am I going to be accepted? How are these women going to see me on the day in and day out? Because again, you know, I was sort of treading on new territory there. They weren't used to men being so much in their field.

0:07:59 - (Bill Williams): And then I noticed all of these, you know, as, as the leadership went on the C suite, they were still all men, but in women dominated industries.

0:08:07 - (Kate Davis): Right.

0:08:07 - (Bill Williams): So how can I help women rise up? So for me, humor has always been a part of it.

0:08:12 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:08:13 - (Bill Williams): You know, after being a banker, somebody tapped me on the shoulder and said, get into talent development. And in talent development, you know, the best way to get people to be engaged and want to learn from you is to have fun. And humor is a part of.

0:08:26 - (Kate Davis): Yeah. So, okay, well, let's get into this. How. How does humor help build stronger relationships, especially within that corporate environment? And if you're a C suite person, when you were doing all that.

0:08:40 - (Bill Williams): Well, what's, what's the intention of humor is to make people laugh. And in order to get people to laugh, that means that they have to have heard you, you have to have been listening, they have to have understood. They need to be able to relate to that before they can laugh.

0:08:55 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:08:56 - (Bill Williams): Like that, that's. I don't, I'm not a comic, but that's kind of where my brain goes with what's happening with humor.

0:09:00 - (Kate Davis): And I think in this, in that corporate environment, they also have to feel safe.

0:09:05 - (Bill Williams): Yeah. That it's okay to laugh.

0:09:07 - (Kate Davis): That it's okay.

0:09:08 - (Bill Williams): That brings me to another piece because this is back. Oh, my gosh, Kate. This would have been, you know, 30 years ago now probably. And we didn't have, you know, that.

0:09:17 - (Kate Davis): When you were an embryo. Go on.

0:09:19 - (Bill Williams): Well, no, no, I would have been 32. I would have been. It was like my late 20s, my early 30s, Kate, if you will, and a lot of my friends, because I was in hr, you know, I was very focused on diversity, equity and inclusion. Not even realizing it was going to be something that was a bigger issue, if you will.

0:09:34 - (Kate Davis): Wow.

0:09:34 - (Bill Williams): But I would always hold people account if they were ever telling a, you know, we're in hr and if you're telling a racist joke, it's. It's inappropriate.

0:09:41 - (Kate Davis): Right?

0:09:41 - (Bill Williams): And we went to a comedian and the comedian was telling jokes about his culture and everybody at the table just sort of like paused and froze. It's like, look at Bill. Just look at Bill. And what's Bill gonna do? Well, I started howling, I'm laughing. And they're like, well, hold on a second. Now it's okay to tell those kind of jokes. I'm like, that's his background. He's allowed to tell those jokes. You aren't because you're a racist.

0:10:04 - (Bill Williams): But when he tells the jokes now, it's not. He's just like it hilarious for all of us. So, so I think that those things were really, you know, how to make it safe for people that it is okay to laugh. And again, when the humor is self deprecating and you're just laughing at yourself, it just brings people closer together.

0:10:24 - (Kate Davis): 100 together. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 100%. And it also leads to that team unity. Right. That you need, you know, you need people to work together. So. Okay, so let's, let's talk about how it helps with collaboration and what you've learned over the years using humor. Because, you know, as an emcee, you're always bringing audiences together, right? So I mean, that's your job. Get them on the same page, get them, you know, in the moment and then, you know, set it up for everyone else. Which is absolutely a little thankless, but fine.

0:11:01 - (Bill Williams): Well, yeah, it is. But I mean, and you, you do some hosting, you do some MC as well. And so we, we know, right? Let's have this conversation for me, just again, creating that really cool space where people, hey, this is going to be fun. Like, I thought this was going to be serious. And it is serious. This is a, an important cause that we've come together. You know, the corporations want to get a great roi and I talk about making sure that they people get a great roti. So a great return on their time invested.

0:11:27 - (Bill Williams): And if it's fine.

0:11:30 - (Kate Davis): Yeah, but that's really the only currency. Time.

0:11:33 - (Bill Williams): Yeah, that's all we have.

0:11:34 - (Kate Davis): Yeah, yeah.

0:11:35 - (Bill Williams): So how do I make that time fun for you? And, and when it's fun, then it's memorable. And when it's memorable, then we do something. So one of my mantras in talent development has always been to know and not to do is really not to know. And then to learn and not do something with the learning is really not to have learned. So how do we make it memorable so that people can apply it. And so even in those teams or at these large events, it's like.

0:12:02 - (Bill Williams): Like, let's just lighten up a little bit. I think we all take ourselves a little bit too seriously and, you know, maybe even just look at another perspective.

0:12:10 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:12:10 - (Bill Williams): And that different perspective can be through humor and especially through improv. As a facilitator in the classroom, we always used to watch out for the. Yeah. But people. And so, you know, using improv, what do we want to say, you know? Yes. And so let's. Let's keep going with this and brainstorming, even. Let's make the longest list possible. And. And you know what's funny, Kate, is that when you're even brainstorming, it's usually the easy ones are your first abc, you know, like those. Those top three, like, they come out really easy.

0:12:42 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:12:42 - (Bill Williams): It's by using humor in the end that you can break through to extraordinary results, because these are things that People are laughable.

0:12:50 - (Kate Davis): Yeah, they're laughable.

0:12:51 - (Bill Williams): But when it's laughable, then it's like, well, hold on a second. Let's back that down a little bit. Let's just like, okay, maybe that is hilarious, but what if we could actually make that happen?

0:13:01 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:13:02 - (Bill Williams): And that's when people go, whoa, okay, hold on a second. Maybe we are onto something here.

0:13:06 - (Kate Davis): That's when it leads to innovation, new ideas, taking risks. Yeah.

0:13:11 - (Bill Williams): And being silly, you know, like, absolutely. Being silly. As silly as you possibly can. You know, so long as the humor is on point, it's not hurtful to anybody.

0:13:19 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:13:20 - (Bill Williams): Like, let's. How wild? How silly can we get?

0:13:22 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:13:22 - (Bill Williams): What. What can we share?

0:13:24 - (Kate Davis): And they really do find that teams. You know, I've said this before on the podcast, teams that bond in the good times work better in the bad times.

0:13:31 - (Bill Williams): Oh, well. Yeah.

0:13:32 - (Kate Davis): Right.

0:13:32 - (Bill Williams): Yeah. Yeah. And. Or even the worse, I think the other way around sometimes, like when we've made it through the bad times.

0:13:38 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:13:38 - (Bill Williams): And we're now able to. Because what's. What's the. What's the joke? I used to love Joan Rivers all the time. She used to say, oh, is it too soon? Is it too soon?

0:13:44 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:13:44 - (Bill Williams): It's like, yeah. So we're making jokes about things now that were difficult circumstances and situations.

0:13:50 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:13:51 - (Bill Williams): But when we. But now, when we can laugh about it, it's like, okay, yes, 100.

0:13:56 - (Kate Davis): I have a friend who has the best joke about Halifax. Yeah. So for. For a country that. For a city that's so hilly. Wait, what was it? Oh, no, I'm gonna mess up his joke. I'm the worst comedian's nightmare.

0:14:13 - (Bill Williams): It'll come to you. Stay tuned, folks. Kate's gonna close with that joke. She's gonna bring that joke.

0:14:18 - (Kate Davis): For a city that was leveled. I can't believe how hilly Halifax is. It's about the Halifax explosion. But his whole premise is too soon. Like, is it too soon? I mean, it was 200 years ago, so.

0:14:30 - (Bill Williams): But the thing is, what's the lesson learned, though? And the lesson really is that, you know, these are things that when we. When we can laugh together, then we can get through the hard times together. But more so when we get through those hard times together and we're now able and ready to laugh about it, it's like, it's okay. Yeah, we can now we survive that and we can laugh about it. And what did we learn from it?

0:14:50 - (Kate Davis): Yeah, I. It's. It's so, you know, and it's. It's those micro learning steps, and it doesn't have to be huge things. It's those little baby moments and enjoying those moments together, especially in the work environment. I mean, you even say.

0:15:05 - (Kate Davis): On your demo or whatever, you know, you're eight hours at. In work. You're eight hours. Like, when are you. Where is the time for yourself? Where is the time for these relationships? So if we can take those micromanaging minutes of bringing that moment of levity into it.

0:15:20 - (Bill Williams): Yes. Yeah. Because it just makes the day. Like, just, let's go home. Like, laughter generates energy for us. It increases, you know, our dopamines. Like, we're feeling good about ourselves. Cortisol is lowered. Like, there's so many benefits to the body. I mean, literally, I don't know if you did many of them, but once upon a time, what was it 10 years ago? We had laugh yoga. Like, you just got together and just laughed as hard as you could and, you know, just give me. I think I would laugh more at somebody's laugh than. And at the joke. Sometimes it's just sort of like, do you hear that person in the audience? And if there's somebody with a really wicked laugh, it's like you're just laughing at laughter. Like.

0:15:51 - (Kate Davis): Yeah. I mean, it really is contagious. You know, you watch the videos of someone starting to laugh at the sub on the subway, and then all of a sudden the whole car is laughing, but they're just watching a YouTube video anyway. It's just like, oh, God, love it. It really is. Have you ever had it fail on you in those Moments.

0:16:08 - (Bill Williams): Oh, gosh, yeah, I think those are, you know, those are some hard lessons learned, you know, whereby the humor wasn't appropriate, it was too soon. And so I think that again, those give great c. SU Leadership opportunities. Because when you can acknowledge that, oh, that wasn't appropriate, how do you recover from that? You know, what do you do? How do you, how do you own that and authentically just let people know, you know, I'm sorry, that, that wasn't appropriate. It wasn't funny.

0:16:38 - (Bill Williams): So I think that there are, you know, it's like that great public relations. Get out in front of it.

0:16:42 - (Kate Davis): Yes.

0:16:44 - (Bill Williams): You know, even, even the joke didn't work. You know, like, I just love watching stand up comedy comedians work their material and you know, oh, that one killed in Philadelphia. But, you know, it didn't work.

0:16:55 - (Kate Davis): Know your audience, you know, you're going to be different with people you work with, you know, every day, day in, day out, to a client who's new, who's coming in. Right. And it's really about, does this make, it's not about, does this make me sound funny? It's how does this make the other person feel? And I think for me that's a huge shift, especially within the corporate environment when it can, you know, really transition to something that, you know, where you lose a deal or, you know, what you've been working so hard to make.

0:17:24 - (Kate Davis): And I, I think it's really interesting when you're dealing with, you know, because so the Internet, the Internet has made the world so small, right? And it's really, so many people are dealing with like cultural differences because, you know, all the, you know, you have one company, they're not just in Canada now, they're, you know, in India or they're in England or they're, you know, in Thailand. Like, you know, and the humor in every place is so different.

0:17:52 - (Kate Davis): So I, I found that interesting.

0:17:57 - (Kate Davis): Hi, it's Kate. I can't believe you made it halfway through the show. Look, if you or anyone, you know, would like to be a guest on Humor in the C Suite, I would love to have you, so email me. Kate Davis, ca.

0:18:11 - (Kate Davis): Do you find that like, when you've been dealing with, you know, you mentioned you were out to dinner with all the people in HR and stuff like that, and the comedian was there. Have you found, like, it really has helped with team collaboration when you've, you know, really hit the wall or whatever with a team or.

0:18:27 - (Bill Williams): Well, yes, because again, you know, now that we know a little bit more, one of my favorite YouTube clips is Tina Fey. I'm trying to remember who it was on. And she was just talking about the whole. Yes. And that was the first time I learned about it. And so by just having that opportunity to now improv with your team.

0:18:43 - (Kate Davis): Yes.

0:18:44 - (Bill Williams): It is so much closer together. You know, humor does really bring us together at whatever it is. Like, it's interesting because I remember again, maybe back in the day, Kate, somebody could come in and scream and blow up and explode in the office, and no one would say anything. People would just get a little bit quiet, but they wouldn't say anything. But if all of a sudden a couple of people started laughing together, they go, everybody be quiet. Because this is a workplace. You're not supposed to be laughing at work.

0:19:08 - (Bill Williams): No.

0:19:08 - (Kate Davis): Like, my mom always said, like, stop laughing so hard. Someone's gonna get hurt. You know.

0:19:16 - (Bill Williams): Mama, what were you gonna hurt? My gosh.

0:19:18 - (Kate Davis): But yeah, yeah.

0:19:20 - (Bill Williams): No, like. And so I think that, you know. Yeah. Amongst teams, there's no question in my mind that the humor. And especially when you have a similar sense of humor or this is. This is really letting you know somebody. Well, is if you know what's going to make them laugh and what they're going to find funny. That's. That's really. Again, bonding. And I talk about recognizing, and I say, see the back row.

0:19:41 - (Bill Williams): Yeah, we see the back row. I want you to treat people as if they were special, valued and important and special means unique. Each and every one of us is unique. And so do I know what you find funny? You know, what are the reels I'm going to send you on Instagram and. Or if it's the office environment, you know, what are the things that I'm going to show you and come over to your cubicle and connect and bond with you on and. And those can be really great things. But I need to know you.

0:20:06 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:20:06 - (Bill Williams): So, you know, I was raised by the golden rule, Treat people the way you want to be treated. And then in about midpoint in my life, 45, I realized it's disrespectful.

0:20:16 - (Kate Davis): Oh, interesting.

0:20:17 - (Bill Williams): Because, well, people don't necessarily want to be treated the way I want to be treated.

0:20:21 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:20:22 - (Bill Williams): And so I elevated to the platinum rule, do unto others as they would have done to them. So you need to get to know them better. And knowing someone's sense of humor and really having that bonding moment where you can connect deeper with them.

0:20:33 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:20:34 - (Bill Williams): Yeah. That makes just for a so much stronger team all the time.

0:20:37 - (Kate Davis): Which is so interesting because your whole. All your keynotes and speaking are, are really rooted in connection.

0:20:45 - (Bill Williams): Yes.

0:20:46 - (Kate Davis): Right. And like that's what I noticed. Just, you know, researching you and stuff. Like it's all rooted in connection and how we're making that connection and the different connections. And to me, humor's always played such a powerful role in that and in building that. Do you find that?

0:21:01 - (Bill Williams): Oh, absolutely. Again, because if I'm not having fun, then I don't want to be there. I don't want to show up. Now the other thing for me, Kay, was all of my business career has been cleanups and startups. So either cleaning up, helping organizations clean up with their vision, mission, values, structure, developing their people, if you will, or starting up a new training department, a new division or something.

0:21:22 - (Bill Williams): But it is again, those moments when we can really go, wow, that was. We survived that and laugh about it and tell those stories at the end. I remember one project, you know, we went around the table and just verbally acknowledged every individual for what uniqueness they brought to the table. So that, that's the special part, you know, what makes you unique and knowing the humor you're going to love.

0:21:44 - (Bill Williams): Valued, means, appreciated. So I challenge people to stop saying thank you because it's a complete thought. But to replace that with I appreciate your sense of humor, I appreciate your teamwork. I appreciate. And those behaviors that you recognize are the behavior that get repeated. So, you know, when we know, we got, you know, yeah, Kate's the funny one on the team. She's going to make us laugh. It's like, Kate, we need you right now. This is a tough time.

0:22:07 - (Bill Williams): Give us something to laugh about. And away we go. And then important, special, valued and important simply means seen and heard for me. So again, through humor, how do I let you know that you've been seen and heard? I think laughter is the fastest connection.

0:22:24 - (Kate Davis): Oh, really, people? Yeah.

0:22:26 - (Bill Williams): 100 without question.

0:22:27 - (Kate Davis): Yeah. Because we can always relive those moments too, which makes it so magical. Remember the time.

0:22:33 - (Bill Williams): Oh, yeah. There's a couple of stand up bits that I, that I love. The whole routine that just will make me. I used to fly back and forth to New York City almost every week. And there was a time when Wanda Sykes, I'm a Me, was the name of her HBO special. Well, yeah, I would laugh so loud the flight attendants would come and tap me on the shoulders like, what are you watching? Like that is. And every week I was watching that same thing because it's just, just, it's memorable, it's laughable, it's still funny every single Time.

0:23:01 - (Kate Davis): And it's. She's so smart. Wanda Sykes is so on it. Oh, my God.

0:23:06 - (Bill Williams): Well, that's the thing though. There's nothing really great. Humor.

0:23:10 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:23:10 - (Bill Williams): Girl crush.

0:23:11 - (Kate Davis): I love it.

0:23:11 - (Bill Williams): But you know, like, when somebody's that smart that they can figure out that joke.

0:23:15 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:23:16 - (Bill Williams): And then even beyond that, you know, like the, the bigger thing. Anything else, Kate, for me is the timing to tell the joke. It's just like, oh, you laid that down perfectly.

0:23:25 - (Kate Davis): Like, yeah, brilliant. But at the same time, I. I think for regular people to know that they can trust humor and that they can bring themselves to that is important and that it doesn't have to be. You know, we're not stand ups. But everyone has that party story, right? That one story they tell at a party, right. They're just like, that's the way I'm gonna connect. Right? Like, everyone has that story.

0:23:51 - (Bill Williams): So that's the one exception, Kate. It's like, you know when you've got that partner person in your life and it's like, oh, they're gonna tell that story again.

0:23:57 - (Kate Davis): Again. Oh, my gosh.

0:23:58 - (Bill Williams): Telling it right. But it's their, it's their bit, it's their piece and it's like, let them do it. But you're just like, I've heard this 300 times. But then when you're the champion partner and you show up and you laugh like it's the first time you ever heard that story. That's again. Talk about making that connection.

0:24:13 - (Kate Davis): It's still funny. My poor husband, he. I used to love telling street jokes before I started stand up. I didn't even think about stand up. And I always tell like the same street joke. And I must have heard this joke like a hundred times. Like, I'm like, oh, poor guy. And now I was trying to remember it the other day and all I could remember was a punchline. And the punchline was, I, I told you I could piss all over your counter and you'd still buy me a drink.

0:24:41 - (Kate Davis): That is it. That's the entire.

0:24:44 - (Bill Williams): There's a story there, Kate. You gotta go over that story.

0:24:46 - (Kate Davis): I gotta like, think about like, what the hell was a joke? And it used to like, go on for out. Like, it was a good 10 minute setup too.

0:24:55 - (Bill Williams): Oh my gosh.

0:24:56 - (Kate Davis): Oh, I can't believe he's still with me. I can't. I love. Well, you know what? Like, it really does, like, just back to the humor. Like, it really does, you know, that playfulness that you're talking about, you know, that really leading to Innovation and more importantly, really rooting the connection with people. Like it really does. Do you have advice? What advice would you give to someone who's, you know, just starting out in the C suite, really trying to prove themselves, you know, how are they, you know, feeling safe to bring humor and themselves to, to the job?

0:25:31 - (Bill Williams): Well, I mean, and hire Kate Davis to write some good pieces for you because, you know, like, even as you talked about yourself, like, I mean, you talked about yourself as a comic first and a speaker and a host, an emcee. But quite frankly, the process that starts all of that is your writing.

0:25:47 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:25:47 - (Bill Williams): And you're, you're gifted and naturally talented at that. So. So what I would suggest is, is, you know, to, to just look in the moment stuff. Like it doesn't have to be a scripted joke all the time. It's just sort of like, you know, and again, it's. Oh, I mean, I'm William Grant. William from Fort William, Ontario. We opened with that. My dad had a wicked sense of humor. And oh my gosh, his sarcasm could be dripping like, I love, love, love, love, love sarcasm. But it's a dark form of humor humor.

0:26:15 - (Kate Davis): It is, yeah.

0:26:16 - (Bill Williams): So I would suggest, be very cautious, you know, if you happen to love that dark humor, maybe pause that for a bit.

0:26:23 - (Kate Davis): Yeah. Until they really know you.

0:26:25 - (Bill Williams): Yes.

0:26:26 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:26:26 - (Bill Williams): Again. And then when they know you do it.

0:26:28 - (Kate Davis): Yeah, yeah, 100.

0:26:29 - (Bill Williams): Now they're gonna get your sarcasm. But yeah, I had that question come.

0:26:34 - (Kate Davis): Up a few times. What happens if I love sarcastic humor? And it's like, you need to. Those people need to know you or else feelings get hurt.

0:26:43 - (Bill Williams): Absolutely right. And that's not the intention here, but, but we really need to pay more attention to the result versus the intention. And so I would invite them to look for what are the. What are the lightest, easiest little things. How can you really begin to sort of, you know, allow little pieces of you to drip, you know, to make a beautiful espresso, if you will. Like, just, just like I'm thinking about it, just, you know, how you draw an espresso and just allowing those small little things to come through. But, but I would definitely go with, with, with, you know, self deprecating first. A little, little make fun of yourself and go from there. I would really watch out. You know, I'm not a, I'm not a fan of, you know, one of my favorite YouTube videos of all time. All you have to do put in YouTube is model falling and. Oh my gosh, Kate, it's, it's not so Much the model falling. It's again, it's the news anchors that can't stop themselves from laughing about this. Yeah, it gets replayed over. But, but again, so, so I'm not about laughing at somebody, but I am about laughing with somebody.

0:27:39 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:27:40 - (Bill Williams): So when I watch that clip, it's not model falling, it's about, you know, how these news broadcasters actually deal with showing this clip and what they, what they're saying and doing about it. And so, yeah, even just laughing at laughter is a great thing as well. So, yeah, I would suggest, I guess my first piece of advice to anybody in the C suite who's just looking to start trying humor is take it slow.

0:28:04 - (Bill Williams): Yeah, yeah, start, start with yourself and then look at, you know, the current day to day events kind of thing and what can you draw humor from? What's funny there? But just be in the moment and just, just let it happen. Let it flow, Let it flow.

0:28:17 - (Kate Davis): That, Let it flow. Be in the moment. All those things are so important. You know, sometimes I ask guests like, do you think humor is important? And it's, it's, I mean, we already know the answer, people. You wouldn't be listening to this.

0:28:33 - (Bill Williams): Yes. Yeah, but it's critical. I think it is critical. But again, I'm not a stand up comedian. I would die up there. Like, that is something I would never want to do. And I think, you know, even the.

0:28:44 - (Kate Davis): The phrase levity is just looking for those moments. It's starting with a smile. You know, it's making someone just feel a part of something. You know, if a group of people are laughing, what's our first thought? What are they laughing at? Everyone wants to be a part of that. Like a great workplace, a great team, a great community. It's about connection. It's about inclusivity, which is so important.

0:29:06 - (Bill Williams): And you know, but for me, I even love to go back to one of my favorite firsts of all times. I don't know if you will remember him or not, but Red Skelton.

0:29:13 - (Kate Davis): Yes.

0:29:14 - (Bill Williams): You know, and the tears of a clown like he, that clown that he would do on just very special occasions. But yeah, you know, I think, you know, when we take a look at some of the greatest comedians that we've lost to suicide because again, the tears of a clown are, you know, really using humor to cover up some of the greatest sadnesses in our lives. And so 100. Maybe it's not too soon. And, and how can we laugh at those things that were really challenging and tough moments for us?

0:29:40 - (Bill Williams): But you got to Be a part of it. You got to be in it. But. And I love. You're right, because as soon as people start laughing, like if you're at a dinner party or an office gathering or whatever, and all of a sudden people are laughing, everybody wants to know what was so funny. What was so funny.

0:29:52 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:29:53 - (Bill Williams): And so though it just attracts people.

0:29:55 - (Kate Davis): Yeah. Really does. What benefits have you personally experienced from bringing.

0:30:01 - (Bill Williams): Oh, my gosh.

0:30:02 - (Kate Davis): I mean, you really started off that way by saying, you know, you grew up, you were mean to yourself and, you know, and you really found that self love through humor. Am I interpreting that correctly?

0:30:14 - (Bill Williams): Yeah, you're taking it. You're taking it the right way because again, it was. It was the ability. Because of my mother's depression, Kate. That's truly it. Right again. The tears of a clown, if you will. Because my mother was so depressed, anything Billy could do to make mommy laugh, oh my gosh, I made mummies depressed. Mummy's crying. Now, that was an interesting thing for me, Kate. Her laughter and her wallows. Her tears sounded the same.

0:30:37 - (Bill Williams): So when I would walk through the door at the end of a school day, I didn't know was mommy laughing or is mommy crying?

0:30:41 - (Kate Davis): Right.

0:30:41 - (Bill Williams): More often than not, was crying. So what silly stupid thing could Billy do that would get mummy to laugh? And so humor started early and it did start on the dark, but then go towards the light and, you know, that's what I invite people to really take a look at. How does this pull us so much closer together?

0:31:00 - (Kate Davis): Yes. Oh, yeah. Gold.

0:31:04 - (Bill Williams): Yeah. So. So I don't know. I don't remember what that actual question was that I was answering there.

0:31:09 - (Kate Davis): What benefits have you personally.

0:31:10 - (Bill Williams): The benefits.

0:31:10 - (Kate Davis): So, yes. So, yeah.

0:31:12 - (Bill Williams): So, you know, it brought me closer together to my mom because I felt the. The gift of giving. So I was being silly little, you know, Billy, whatever it was. I remember even at school we would do some friends and I would. Did some physical comedy where I would just completely relax my body and. And I would just be like this limp, you know, whatever. And. And everybody found that to be funny as they were holding me up and dropping my arms and things. But yeah, it's just easy. Physical humor that a kid could do that would make people laugh.

0:31:39 - (Bill Williams): And when you make people laugh, you feel accepted.

0:31:42 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:31:43 - (Bill Williams): By them in some way.

0:31:44 - (Kate Davis): 100%.

0:31:45 - (Bill Williams): So I opened up your heart.

0:31:47 - (Kate Davis): Queen of falling. Yeah.

0:31:49 - (Bill Williams): You know, great. Then, you know, and it's like. But just to make people laugh, like, why not? And when we can do that, that we can have some incredible breakthroughs to being memorable. To being that person that just brought something a little lighter to a dark day.

0:32:04 - (Kate Davis): Dark day.

0:32:06 - (Bill Williams): Yeah.

0:32:07 - (Kate Davis): I. You know what? I. I know. I hope. Are you okay to spend a bit more time on this?

0:32:12 - (Bill Williams): Oh, absolutely. Okay, good blast.

0:32:14 - (Kate Davis): Because you do say you shock people out of their routines.

0:32:20 - (Bill Williams): Yes, shock. I'm here to shock you out of your static daily routine.

0:32:23 - (Kate Davis): Absolutely.

0:32:24 - (Bill Williams): That's what I want to do.

0:32:25 - (Kate Davis): So I wanted to ask you about that. And is humor part of that shocker? And what do you mean by that? Tell me.

0:32:32 - (Bill Williams): Well, I just think that, you know, too often we are just in, you know, autopilot. We're just like. We just do the same thing over and over again. And it's not like we're insane. You know, Einstein's definition of insanity. Expecting anything different, but we just sort of like. So one of the things I love to talk about is, you know, you're invited to a friend's child's birthday party, right? And you get there a little bit early. Kate. Who knew?

0:32:54 - (Bill Williams): And they say, oh, great, you can help me decorate. And so it's like, what do you want me to do? Well, help me blow up these balloons, right? So you grab your favorite color balloon, you stretch it, you, you know, fill up your lungs with as much oxygen as you can, and you blow and you blow. And finally you get that balloon to pop and start opening up. And then you start to go and tie that balloon so that it can be a great decoration. And sure enough, just as you're about to get that, you know, balloon tied, you let it go and it's flutters all over the room and collapses down and it's done.

0:33:21 - (Bill Williams): So that balloon will never return to its original shape again. That pristine balloon was only ever that one time. And you filled it with. With air.

0:33:32 - (Kate Davis): You're making me feel like my. My pre pregnancy body.

0:33:39 - (Bill Williams): I had nothing to do with that.

0:33:41 - (Kate Davis): I had to interrupt. I'm sorry. Go on.

0:33:44 - (Bill Williams): It's good, it's good, it's good. No, so, you know, and our minds are like that as well. Our minds, once shaped and stretched by a new idea will never return to its original shape. So what I want to do is I want to. I just want to give people new perspectives. You were talking about the math before. We all only have 24 hours in a day. Yeah, we're supposed to get eight hours of sleep. And most of us are not doing well in our sleep hygiene.

0:34:06 - (Bill Williams): We're only supposed to work eight hours a day. Most of us are spending way more than that. With everybody going back to the office even more so now they're spending more than eight hours getting to and being at work. That only leaves you eight hours. Hours left to live your life.

0:34:18 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:34:18 - (Bill Williams): And if by the end of the day you're exhausted and you have no energy left to live your life, then why are you doing what you're doing? So in my book, I want to help. I want to shock people out of their daily routines by giving them new ways of thinking. And humor can do that. You know, the benefits for me of humor, levity, I've just. Number one, I feel lighter. Yeah, I'm walking on a cloud. Number two, you know, my heart rate is better, my oxygen is better.

0:34:44 - (Bill Williams): You know, like, just everything. There's so many physical benefits. You probably know them better than I do do. Of. Of humor.

0:34:50 - (Kate Davis): But I feel it releases stress, tension, anxiety. It is a great ab workout. It increases blood circulation. It lowers. You know, it lowers blood pressure. It is, you know, it releases all those endorphins that make you feel so good.

0:35:06 - (Bill Williams): And not that this is appropriate at work, but, Kate, it makes you sexy. Like, I mean, like, come on. Especially when somebody uses some really intelligent humor. It's like, that is sexy. Like that. That's a smart person that was able to do that, whether it's a comedy roast or whether it' something in the office. Sometimes it's the intellectual humor. Like, I was listening to the deputy chief economist of a major financial institution here in Canada, Kate. So funny. Like, I just did not expect that humor from an economist. And I'm like, that is brilliant. And it's just showing how intelligent somebody is when they can really get a good, you know, story going. That's hilarious. I won't even call it a joke, you know, because.

0:35:46 - (Kate Davis): No, is that. No, it doesn't. Yeah, it really. About those little moments of levity. We're not making people into comedians. We're saying you have a sense of humor and there are ways you can show it without even telling a joke. You know, just laughing at someone else's shows that you have a sense of humor. So I think it's all those, you know, little micro steps, the timing of.

0:36:08 - (Bill Williams): Just an eye roll, if you will, as well.

0:36:10 - (Kate Davis): Right.

0:36:10 - (Bill Williams): You know, like something as simple as an eye roll. And you might get challenged for that at work because you did an eye roll.

0:36:14 - (Kate Davis): But have you been talking about.

0:36:16 - (Bill Williams): That's hilarious.

0:36:20 - (Bill Williams): I love some of the news anchors that are interviewing politicians, and all of a sudden you'll see the eye rolls and just like, whoa.

0:36:24 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:36:25 - (Bill Williams): You know, you're not playing poker here today. And you let us all see what you really thought about that answer that question. So hopefully some great editors out there that can cut it out.

0:36:33 - (Kate Davis): Yeah, that's why I'm not a news anchor. I'd be like, this isn't so.

0:36:39 - (Bill Williams): Stop the insanity. Susan Powder.

0:36:41 - (Kate Davis): Remember her?

0:36:42 - (Bill Williams): Back in the day? Oh, my gosh.

0:36:45 - (Kate Davis): So good. I loved our conversation, I have to say. Okay, so I always like to end the podcast by asking, what is the funniest thing that's ever happened to you? Do you have a funny story you can share with us?

0:36:58 - (Bill Williams): Oh, well, Kate, I've got. So I'm keeping them work appropriate. They're all work stories.

0:37:02 - (Kate Davis): Okay. I mean, it's not a clean podcast. You can do whatever you want, but.

0:37:06 - (Bill Williams): You know, but here. Here you go. You have the choice between a rock star, a knight, or a president. Which story would you prefer to hear? A rock star, a knight or a president? Which one?

0:37:17 - (Kate Davis): Oh, my God. I'm gonna go with all three. Alex. No, I'm gonna do the night. What? Wow.

0:37:26 - (Kate Davis): It just was so. Like a knight. Like a knight, yes. Armor like a night. Night.

0:37:32 - (Bill Williams): Well, knighted by the queen back in the time, but it was Sir Ken Robinson.

0:37:37 - (Kate Davis): Oh, I love him so much.

0:37:39 - (Bill Williams): Oh, so good about childhood education and so many other things as well. Creativity and just amazing, you know, not just reading arithmetic, but like. Oh, God. And so dry. And a wicked, wicked dry sense of humor. Sarcasm dripping. Dripping.

0:37:53 - (Kate Davis): Perfect. Yeah.

0:37:54 - (Bill Williams): So. So here's the story. So I had worked with him in a couple of cities. We were doing a national tour of Canada, and so I kind of got to know him a little bit. Oh, it was amazing. Amazing Hosting the day. And he was our second speaker, and we were here in Toronto. There were arrangements that had been made, so you may not know, but he survived polio, and because of that, he had a deficiency in one of his legs.

0:38:19 - (Bill Williams): And he would not get into a wheelchair, but he would ride a scooter. So if they got a little electric scooter for him, that he would be great. So the first mistake that happened was that a car was supposed to pick him up at this luxury hotel that was just blocks away from the convention center.

0:38:36 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:38:37 - (Bill Williams): He didn't find the car, so he ended up just taking a ride over to the convention center. There were arrangements that were made with the driver to drop him at the right door to be able to pick up the scooter.

0:38:48 - (Kate Davis): Okay.

0:38:49 - (Bill Williams): But not only did he not get the. The car, he came to the wrong Door didn't get the scooter, but they did grab a wheelchair for him. But he was like, nope, not going to be doing that. So now this is a conference. There's probably about 3,000 people at the conference. We have had one speaker up only in the morning, and we're now into break, and we're coming back from break, and he is the second speaker of the day, and he's not there, but the person that is to introduce him. So a sponsor actually, you know, purchased the opportunity to introduce him.

0:39:20 - (Bill Williams): So the sponsor's there, but Sir Ken Robinson is not there. And I'm like, so, what are we going to do?

0:39:27 - (Kate Davis): Do?

0:39:28 - (Bill Williams): And they're like, well, just go out there and just, like, get the conference started again and, you know, work the audience. Work. Work the room, Bill. That's we hired you to do. And I'm like, there's only been one speaker. There's not a lot to work here. So I said, how? Like. And I'm out there naked. I have no communication in my ear. I've got nothing. Just me on stage. But as. As you probably know as a speaker and other speakers know, there's a countdown timer that's on the stage.

0:39:52 - (Kate Davis): Yes.

0:39:53 - (Bill Williams): So I said, listen, listen, When Sir Ken Robinson gets here, I'll go out and work the audience. But when he gets here, put five minutes on the countdown timer, and that will let me know that that's the five minutes for the sponsor to introduce Sir Ken Robinson. So as soon as I see five minutes, I know I'm done filling. So. So I get out there and I work, and I ask everybody to stand, you know, to think about what was their key insight from the first speaker. And they've got that. They're like, yes, I've got some key insights. I'm like, okay, so stand up and talk to your neighbors and really share your key insights and have that conversation.

0:40:23 - (Bill Williams): And so I'm standing up. I know. I. This is all, like, in the moment, Kate, because who knew that Sir Ken Robinson was going to be late? And then all of a sudden, I look down to the countdown timer, Kate, and it says, 30 minutes. No.

0:40:39 - (Bill Williams): And I'm like, there's only been one speaker. I've. Everybody's already thought about their key insight. They've partnered with a neighbor, They've shared with a neighbor. There's nothing left to do. And 30 minute. Like, how am I going to fill 30 minutes with this? There's not enough here. There's not enough. I need Kate to come up and tell a Few jokes. At any rate, a couple of seconds later, it flipped over to five minutes. I'm like, oh, my gosh. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Yeah, so I got to introduce the sponsor, who then introduced Sir Ken Robinson. But, yeah, that was one of the funniest things that's ever happened to me, is to just be up there on a stage in front of 3,000 people with no material, nothing to do.

0:41:12 - (Kate Davis): Yeah, I'm out.

0:41:14 - (Bill Williams): I'm done.

0:41:15 - (Kate Davis): Oh, so good. Hey, what were the other choices again?

0:41:20 - (Bill Williams): The rock star and the vice president? Oh, well, actually, he was the former vice president, so it was a.

0:41:27 - (Kate Davis): Was it. Who was it?

0:41:28 - (Bill Williams): It was Biden. It was.

0:41:29 - (Kate Davis): Oh, it was. Oh, okay. Go on. I want to hear this. I want two funny stories. Oh.

0:41:35 - (Bill Williams): It was another technical difficulty, though. It was amazing. So normally at these events, again, thousands of people, everybody's excited to see then Vice President Joe Biden.

0:41:43 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:41:43 - (Bill Williams): And it was a very different time in our lives. It was very positive time. People seemed happy and all. And so, at any rate, there was a huge technical setup here in Toronto for it. And so this is the event that I'm hosting is sort of like a cross between your favorite university professor, because you're learning something, and a rock star. Like a rock concert. So, like, you know, the music's pumping and the room is dark and the whole bit. And so they dim the lights, and they start to roll the opening video, and the opening video crashes, and then they roll it again, and it crashes again.

0:42:16 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:42:16 - (Bill Williams): And then they've got an audio introduction of me, and they roll that, and it crashes. And I'm like, what are we gonna do? And they're like, just go out there and just Billy Willy them. And I'm like, Will my PowerPoint work? And they're like, we don't know if your PowerPoint's gonna work or not. Just get out there and just do it. And I'm like, kate, I've opened I don't know how many conferences before, and I know. I know what I'm doing, but I just ran out there. And you know what the funny part was? The funny part was I just ran out and was honest. I'm like, are you guys excited to see Vice President Joe Biden? And then way wild.

0:42:45 - (Kate Davis): Yeah.

0:42:46 - (Bill Williams): Like, well, imagine how excited they were, and I just told the truth. So there's a way to start the humor. It's just like, imagine what it feels like. You know, if you're excited, imagine what's happening at the tech table back there, because they ran the opening video, it crashed. I told them that story. I told them the Billy William Williams story from Fort William.

0:43:01 - (Kate Davis): Oh, my God.

0:43:03 - (Bill Williams): By the time that was done, all they needed to do, Kate, was simply reboot the computers and everything came back fine. Right. Hello, back to tech 101.

0:43:10 - (Kate Davis): But.

0:43:11 - (Bill Williams): But we. We got everybody there. But again, it was. It was funny in the moment I was panicking, but then just use the.

0:43:17 - (Kate Davis): Moment, you know, but. And be honest. It's okay. We're allowed to be human. We're allowed to mess up. Happens and it's okay.

0:43:27 - (Bill Williams): The messier we are, the better sometimes we are.

0:43:29 - (Kate Davis): Messy world. I've had the best time chatting with you. I feel like we could just chat all day. Is. I'm so grateful for your time. And, like, honestly, just. Just. What a wonderful episode. So good.

0:43:44 - (Bill Williams): Thank you.

0:43:44 - (Kate Davis): All right.

0:43:45 - (Bill Williams): Thank you. You're amazing.

0:43:46 - (Kate Davis): Oh, thanks, Bill. Oh, yes.