Show Notes
Ever wondered how to navigate life's challenges with a smile? Join Gail Zugerman in a hilarious and insightful conversation with Greg Schwem, a well-respected corporate comedian and cruise ship entertainer who has turned life's gut punches into punchlines. Discover how Greg's superpower – humor – helped him navigate a gray divorce and a cancer diagnosis, all while keeping his audience laughing. Plus, get ready for some witty insights on online dating, the importance of human connection, and the power of laughter in the face of adversity.
Greg has recently written a book about his personal life called, “Turning Gut Punches Into Punchlines“.
He is on SIRIUS Radio and Comedy Central and has shared the stage with Jay Leno, Celine Dion, and Keith Urban!
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The Power Of Humor: Navigating Life's Ups And Downs With Greg Schwem
How To Use Humor To Get Through Life's Curve Balls
Welcome to the show. This is a show that provides a platform for older people who are growing older in a positive and productive way to come on stage and dispense their wisdom. You can find out more about our show by going to www.GrowingOlderWithGusto.com. We have a very special guest for the holidays from the start of the new year who happens to be a comedian from Chicago. He is navigating the ups and downs of life by utilizing his superpower as a comedian and using his great sense of humor. His name is Greg Schwem. He spends much of his professional time on stage and onboard cruise ships.
The Chicago Tribune has proclaimed him as “The King of the Hill” in the growing world of corporate comedy. He's been on Sirius Radio and Comedy Central and has shared the stage with the likes of Celine Dion, Jay Leno, and Keith Urban. We're going to talk to Greg about how changes later in life don't necessarily have to be as scary as you might think if you find the humor in difficult, challenging, and unfamiliar situations. Greg has also written a very funny book based on his own personal life called Turning Gut Punches into Punch Lines. There's a lot to talk about with Greg so let's get going.
Welcome to the show, Greg.
Thank you for having me. Superpowers, I love that. I don't think I've ever been introduced as having superpowers. That's a lot of pressure.
From Journalist To Comedian: Greg Schwem's Unlikely Path To Success
Why don't we begin by having you tell our audience a bit about how you got started as a corporate speaker which the Huffington Post has called you “Your boss's favorite comedian”?
It's weird. I quit my job in journalism. I was a newspaper and a TV reporter in West Palm Beach, Florida. I did that for the first five years out of college. I was always a comedian though. I always did it as a hobby. I started doing it in high school. I finally decided after five years in journalism, which doesn't sound like a lot but it is a lot. It takes a toll on you, particularly with the kind of stories that I was covering which were certainly not funny. They were very depressing. I told a lot of morbid stories. I would do that during the day and then I would go to comedy clubs at night and make people laugh. I eventually decided I liked doing that better so I moved back to Chicago.
I became a club comedian, the guy who goes around to clubs around the country and makes people laugh. Little by little, I started getting approached because of the type of material that I was doing in my standup act. I was doing material about computers, business, meetings, and that kind of stuff. I would have people come up to me afterward and invite me down to their Christmas party, their golf outing, or little stuff like that. That snowballed. The more shows that I did for business groups, the more I got noticed by people who booked those kinds of events on a much larger scale. I was getting approached by corporate speakers bureaus, corporate booking agents, and meeting planners.
It is a word of mouth marketing, so to speak.
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