Designing Work-Optional Lifestyles for Women & Couples with Dynamic Financial Plans | Financial Consultant for Executives & Business Owners in Sports & Tech | Financial Wellness Speaker

Most financial advice wasn’t made for women with full lives.
It was made for simplicity, and usually, for men.


The people I work with aren’t starting from zero. They’re earning well, making smart choices, and juggling a lot of moving parts - work, family, and future plans all at once.

Some make financial decisions on their own, others share them with a partner. Either way, they want to see how it all fits together and feel confident that the choices they’re making now won’t limit their options later.

I’m Renee Cohen, CFP®, founder of Nexa Wealth, a life-first financial planning firm for women in their 40s and beyond, and the partners who plan life alongside them.

I started Nexa because I was tired of watching capable women follow generic advice that ignored their real lives. Money touches every choice: career shifts, equity compensation, real estate, caregiving, stepping back or leaning in and each one deserves context.

My role is to be your steady partner in decision-making:

• To make complex choices feel clear and manageable
• To help you weigh trade-offs without judgment
• To keep your plan flexible enough for both now and later

Together, we build a living financial roadmap that evolves with you, so you can move forward knowing every dollar has direction and every decision has perspective.

My clients describe me as calm, direct, and easy to talk to. I’m here to help you think things through, not judge your past decisions or tell you what you “should” do.

Most of the people who find me don’t have the time or desire to become experts about money.
They just want someone they can trust to make sense of it all, explain things clearly, and help them make smart choices without turning it into a second job.

If that sounds like you, and you’d like a partner who helps you make confident financial decisions without putting life on pause, you can reach me here or at nexawealthplanning.com.

Renee Cohen, CFP®

My brain is still buffering.

Week one of 2026 is done.

I've opened the same email three times without reading it.
I wrote 2025 on a client wide message I sent yesterday.
My to-do list looked at me and laughed.

Somewhere along the way, we decided that "back to work" means "immediately performing at peak capacity."

That's not how humans work.

But I showed up. The work got done.
Just maybe not at full speed and that's okay.

If your first week back felt more "survival mode" than "CEO mode".  Same.

We made it. That counts.

Happy Friday. 💙

→ What's the most "week one" thing you did this week?

Renee Cohen CFP®

Financial planning that puts life first | Partnering with women and couples to make confident money decisions | Founder, Nexa Wealth

“Okay, maybe a dumb question…”


“Don’t you just make money off managing investments?”

She said it halfway through our intro call.

Fair question.
You’ve probably wondered it too.

I hear that all the time.
And I don’t blame you.

The industry hasn’t done a great job of explaining how this actually works.

So let’s break it down.

Financial advice has often been pitched as a “free perk” if you buy a product:

A mutual fund.
An annuity.
An insurance policy.
(Take your pick.)

But the advice?
It’s not really free.
It’s just buried in the fine print or baked into a commission.

So the real question becomes:

Was that advice truly in your best interest
or was it about meeting someone else’s sales quota?

That’s why I charge for advice first.

When you’re paying for a plan,
you know the recommendations are built around your life, goals, and values,
not what someone’s trying to sell you.

And yes, sometimes we implement investments or insurance too.
But that comes after the strategy is clear, not before.

And when we do place a product?
It’s because it fits your plan.
Not because there’s a bonus attached.
Not because it’s the “recommended option” from a brokerage firm.

Financial planning should feel like clear, unbiased guidance across all the pieces of your financial life.

If no one’s ever walked you through how this works, that’s not on you.

This industry hasn’t always been transparent.
But you don’t have to stay in the dark.

You deserve to know who’s truly in your corner
and who’s working off a commission.

📌 What’s one thing you wish you understood more about working with a financial advisor?

My nephew checking his inbox during the holidays.

Zero unread.
Full focus.
Very serious business.

I unplugged for the holidays, but my inbox didn't get the memo. 847 emails waiting.

Hope your holidays were filled with good food, good people, and maybe even some real rest.

The kind where you actually put the phone down and didn't feel guilty about it.

Now back to reality. 😅

But I'm back now and glad you are too. Happy 2026.

What does your inbox look like this week? Clean or chaos?

Financial planning for women | Real conversations about money for women in their 40s and 50s | Financial Planner + Founder, Nexa Wealth

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The biggest drain on your money usually isn’t what you’re spending.


It’s the mental load of carrying all the decisions at once.

Not the obvious, one-time choices.
The ongoing ones that never really turn off.

Should I change this now?
Am I missing something?
Is this still the right move given everything else going on?

What wears my clients down isn’t lack of discipline.
It’s having too many moving parts living in their head at the same time.

This week alone, that showed up in a few different ways.

One client is moving overseas.
Exciting, yes. But it comes with layers of decisions around what happens to her accounts, what can stay in the U.S., what needs to change, and how to handle taxes without creating problems later.

Another client has several big expenses coming up at once, all competing for the same dollars.
The question wasn’t whether she could afford them.
It was how to prioritize them without putting unnecessary pressure on cash or derailing what she’s building.

And another client inherited a large stock position years ago.
It’s now a big part of her net worth, right as she’s planning a major home renovation.
So we had to think through diversification, taxes, timing, and how to fund the renovation without everything feeling tangled together.

This is the part of money work most people don’t see.

It’s not one decision.
It’s how every decision touches several others.

A big part of my role isn’t telling clients what to do.
It’s helping them get everything out of their head and onto the table.

We look at how the pieces connect.
We talk through trade-offs.
And we make decisions in a way that fits their life.

That’s the kind of work I do with clients, and I don’t open it all the time.
I do have two spots for my 3-month planning work right now.

If you want to talk through whether it’s a fit, just DM me.

Some of the costliest money decisions don’t look risky when you’re making them.


They look reasonable.
It’s the choice that lets you move on and get back to your life.

When clients come to me, this is usually where they are.

They haven’t made some obvious “big” mistake. For the most part, they’ve been making “good moves”. 

But they’re carrying a lot of decisions at once, and decisions feels like it impacts five other things. 

Something that worked a few years ago may not be working the best now. 

Using cash for one thing changes what’s available later.

Moving investments affects taxes and timing in ways that don’t show up right away.

Because nothing feels wrong in the moment, it’s so easy to keep going as is. 

By the time we talk, they’re usually overthinking the same questions.
And wondering if they missed something.

This is the point where I slow things down.

I don’t start by fixing anything.
I start by separating the questions that have been competing with each other.

What needs attention right now.
What can wait without causing a mess later.
And what decisions would limit you in if you made them too soon.

Once those pieces are no longer tangled together, their decisions start to feel easier to make.

Because the client isn’t trying to solve her entire financial life in one conversation anymore.

She’s deciding the next right thing, with the bigger picture present.

Most of the time, there isn’t something wrong with your money.

You’re just carrying more decisions than you should have to on your own.

And that’s usually when money starts to feel reactive, instead of something you can actually see and steer.

“I know it’s dumb, but I still feel like I’m not where I should be.”

I hear this every week.
Usually from women with more money than they’ve ever had.

You may not have said it out loud.
But you’ve probably thought it.

“I should be further along by now.”

Further along than who?

An article that says you need $3M to retire?
A calculator that doesn’t know your life?
A coworker who talks big but has no real plan?

The goalpost keeps moving because it was never yours to begin with.

What’s usually missing isn’t money.
It’s a definition that actually fits.

Most people aren’t behind.
They’re measuring against someone else’s formula.

Instead of asking “Am I on track?”
Try asking, “What does enough actually look like for me?”

→ Anyone else feel this way right now?

In your peak earning years, this feeling is common.

You're earning more than you ever have.
And yet money doesn't feel simpler.

You thought higher income would bring relief.
More confidence.
A sense that you were finally "there."

Instead, the questions got harder to answer.

This is usually when money stops being a math problem and starts becoming a decision problem.

Every choice affects something else.
Saving affects spending.
Spending affects flexibility.
Work affects energy.

Nothing exists in isolation anymore.

In your 40s, you're often carrying more at the same time.

Career expectations.
Family needs.
Future planning.
Your own health and bandwidth.

So money isn't just about growth.
It’s about support.

And that shift can feel unsettling if no one names it.

Many women I talk to assume this discomfort means they're doing something wrong.
Maybe not saving enough.
Maybe not thinking far enough ahead.

But that's rarely the issue.

More often, it means your income has outgrown the way you're thinking about money.

You're using old questions for a much more complex season of life.

Clarity at this stage doesn't come from chasing the "right" move.

It comes from understanding what your money needs to do for this phase of your life and what it doesn't.

If money feels heavier now than it used to, that's not failure.

It's a sign that your growth requires a different perspective.

→ Anyone else feel like the questions got harder, not easier?

“New year, new me.”
(The lie we tell ourselves every January.)

I don’t really have a morning ritual.
No cold plunge. No 5am journaling. No vision board.
I just start.

Some years I hit January running.
Other years I’m still mentally on the couch, halfway through a Netflix binge.

This year, I’m somewhere in between.

I keep seeing every January:

The pressure to have it all figured out by week one is another way to feel behind.

I see it show up with money, too.

The urge to treat January like a hard deadline.
New goals. New systems. All at once.

One client finally started her business at 51.
She didn’t launch in January.
She launched in March after two false starts and changing her mind more than once.

Another client left her marriage and rebuilt her finances from scratch.
It took her until April to open her new accounts.

Most meaningful financial moves don’t always happen because the calendar flipped.

They happen when someone finally has the space to look at things honestly and decide what actually matters next.

January isn’t magic.
It’s literally a calendar page we assign a lot of pressure to.

The reset happens when you’re ready.
Not when the date tells you to be.

If you’re still easing back in this week, that’s fine.
If you’re already in full work mode, also fine.

There’s no right pace.
Just the one you’re actually in.

→ Are you fully back or still mentally on vacation?

You can think you’re “on track”
and still feel unsure where it’s headed.

At some point, “Am I on track?” stops being a yes-or-no question.

You’re doing what you were told was responsible.
And yet, something doesn’t sit right.

Most advice makes this feel simple.

Hit the number and you’re fine.
Miss it and you’re behind.

But a lot of women I talk to have solid numbers.
They still don’t feel settled about where things are going.

That’s because being “on track” isn’t really about how much you’ve saved.

It’s about where all of this effort is actually leading.

You can make good decisions for years
and slowly realize you’re building toward something you never really chose.

In your 40s, this gets harder to ignore.

Career decisions are more impactful.
Family needs change.
Time and energy matter more than they used to.

One reasonable choice quietly shapes the next.
And changing direction starts to feel more costly than it once did.

So maybe the more useful question isn't
"Am I saving enough?"

It's whether the way you're using your money is still supporting the life you want now.
Not just the plan you set five years ago.

One keeps the plan intact.
The other helps you decide if the plan still fits.

→ Does anyone else's 'on track' feel different than it used to?

If money hacks could make you rich, we’d all be millionaires by now.

There’s no magic financial tip waiting to “blow up” your wealth overnight.
If there were, everyone would already be using it.

It’s why so many women earning multiple six figures still wonder if they’re missing something.

The issue isn’t income.
It’s that most advice points you toward hacks instead of building a strategy that fits your life.

When you step back and create a plan that reflects your goals and values—
Your money stops feeling scattered.
And it starts working for you.

Here’s what that looks like in real life:
→ Big decisions feel easier
→ You’re in the right financial vehicles for growth
→ You keep more of what you earn
→ And you have breathing room to actually enjoy your money today

The “secret” isn’t another hack. It’s this:
→ Knowing where every dollar goes without feeling restricted
→ Choosing investments that fit your future, not someone else’s
→ Walking into tax season without the “what if I missed something” pit in your stomach

That’s what a strategy built around you delivers.

—

📌 What’s the best money tip you’ve ever received?

Making more money doesn’t automatically make you feel safer.


For many women in their 40s, it actually makes decisions feel more complicated.

By this point, your income is higher than it used to be.
You’re more established in your career.
You’re not starting from scratch anymore.

So there’s an expectation that money should feel simpler now.
Instead, decisions start to require more thought.

Not because anything is going wrong, 
but because each choice affects more parts of your life than it used to.

In your 40s, money decisions rarely live in isolation.
They touch your time, your energy, your family, your career flexibility, and the options you want to keep available later.

Changing direction (slowing down, stepping away, or reworking priorities) feels more consequential than it did before.

I hear this a lot from women in this stage:

“I have more money than I ever thought I would…
and I’m less certain about what I want next.”

So you find yourself standing at a point where the old path doesn’t quite fit anymore.

The risk isn’t making a bad decision.
It’s staying on autopilot because everything looks fine.
That’s how drift shows up in your 40s.

That discomfort isn’t a sign you’ve failed with money.
It’s a sign that the definition of “doing well” you built earlier in your career needs to be updated for where you are now.

Feeling secure in this season comes from understanding what your money is meant to support and what it needs to stay flexible for.

When that’s clear, decisions start to feel steadier and more intentional.

→ Anyone else in this phase right now?

You shouldn’t need to justify enjoying your money.

But somehow, every time you book the flight or splurge on the birthday dinner… guilt taps you on the shoulder.

This past weekend, I bought the $1,000 shoes I’ve been eyeing.
And for a split second, I hesitated.
Not because I couldn’t afford them,
But because that little voice whispered,
“Shouldn’t you be saving this instead?”

That voice doesn’t vanish when you start earning more.
Or when you “know better.”
Or even when you build financial plans for a living.

It sticks around when your money feels disconnected from your life.

Because enjoying your money and being smart with it shouldn’t feel like opposites.
But for a lot of high-earning women—it still does.

Not because they’re reckless.
But because they’re not 100% sure what’s already handled and what isn’t.

That’s where the doubt creeps in.
That’s where the overthinking starts.

What changes everything?

→ Knowing what’s going toward the future
→ Knowing what’s fueling the life you want right now
→ And knowing you’re allowed to enjoy both

That’s the kind of permission that doesn’t come from a budgeting app.
It comes from a plan that gets you.

Not just the numbers.
The way you want to feel when you spend, invest, save, and live.

If you’ve been earning well but still feel like you have to justify every “fun” purchase…
This isn’t a money problem.
It’s a strategy gap.

And that’s fixable.

“What should my financial goals be for this year?”

I get this question every January.

But I never answer it directly.

Instead, I ask:
“What do you actually want your life to look like in December?”

If you hesitated, that’s the point.

Most people set financial goals backwards.

Save more money
Max out my 401k
Pay off debt faster

These aren’t goals.
They’re tasks without a destination.

Here’s how I work through this with clients:

1. Start with the life (not the number)

Ask yourself:
→ What do I want to say YES to this year without hesitating?
→ What would I do if money wasn’t the thing holding me back?
→ What does my ideal Tuesday look like in five years?

Write it down. Get specific.

2. Work backwards to the money

Once you see the life clearly:
→ The lake house = X amount by Y date
→ The career pivot = Z months of runway
→ Early retirement = a real drawdown strategy

Now you have targets that mean something.
Not arbitrary benchmarks from an online calculator.

3. Identify what’s actually in the way

It’s not always “not enough money.”

It’s usually:
→ Cash sitting idle instead of working
→ Tax inefficiency quietly eating gains
→ No system connecting income → investments → real life goals

4. Build the bridge

Map the gap between where you are and where you want to be.
Then reverse-engineer the quarterly actions to close it.

That’s a financial plan.
Not “save more.”

Because “enough” is a moving target.
A number on a calculator.
A fear dressed up as math.

But:
Take my daughter to Portugal without guilt.
Leave this job by 50 on my terms.
Buy the vacation home.

Those are goals.

The number isn’t the goal.
The life is.

→ What’s one thing you want to say YES to this year?

Being gifted stock can quietly turn into a tax headache if you don’t know what you’re dealing with.

On the surface, it sounds like a win.
But the rules matter more than most people expect.

A lot of people assume gifted stock works like an inheritance. It doesn’t.

There’s no step-up in basis.
You get the stock and you also get all the built-in gains that come with it.

Most of the stress isn’t about the money itself. It’s the uncertainty.

You’re holding something valuable, but you don’t really know what it costs to use it.

That’s usually when it becomes clear this isn’t a simple decision.

If you sell everything without a plan, the tax bill can be massive.
And once that happens, there’s no undo button.

Most people come in asking, “Should I sell?”

I’m usually focused on what decisions are still open before anything is final.

That’s how I worked with a client who was gifted just under $4 million in a single stock, with about $2.5 million of gains.

We sold shares over time in years when her income was lower.
We used some of the most appreciated stock for charitable giving.
And we rebuilt the portfolio so it supported her goals, not just what she inherited.

Once she could see the path forward, it stopped feeling like a guessing game.

Sometimes the most important money decision isn’t earning more.

It’s knowing how to use what you already have without creating a problem you didn’t need.

If this is something you’re navigating, it’s worth talking through early, before taxes make the decision for you.


→ Did you know gifted stock works this way?

I'm a blue-collar woman wrapped in a PhD package. I'm also "Construction-bred" and "Construction-wed" which is why I'm a solid option for your upcoming blue-collar event that's in need of a keynote speaker on the role our work and workplaces play on mental health. Workplaces don’t just affect productivity or performance, they affect people. And I'm here to help build those that are safe, supportive and lifesaving, for everyone. 

Sure, I spent many years as an Organizational Health Leader and have published nerdy research articles specific to the workplace and health, but that's not why I stand out from others (although it's nice to have). I stand out because I bring lived experience from two family-run construction businesses (sheet metal and roofing) along with a personal story that began at age 13, when I first learned how work could quietly unravel a life. This lesson is what I carry with me into every room; challenging the silence around mental health and tackling what many overlook: how the workplace can be a root cause of anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts and suicide.

As a speaker, I'm not going to talk at you or your attendees, I'm going to speak with you (and them). Past participants have described my talks as “raw,” “powerful,” and “game-changing,” given they offer much more than awareness. They offer a plan of ACTION that helps everyone acknowledge risk, connect through conversation and operationalize "easy-peesy" mental health strategies that include kindness and accountability.

My keynote speeches include: 
1. Mental Health at Work: It’s About We
2. Leading with Kindness: A Risk Management Approach to Mental Health and Suicide Prevention* 
3. Permission to Prioritize - Redefining Selfishness as Self-Care
4. He Carries the Business, We Both Carry the Weight*

I'd be honored to serve you at your next event. Please DM me and we'll get the conversation started!

(*Co-presented with my husband, the college drop and owner of an industrial roofing company.)

Colleen Saringer

Let's do more of this, yes? 👇 


The benefits of "being the reason" are endless:
- Your mood gets a boost.
- You've made someone else feel seen.
- You might even save a life because of it.

The opportunities are endless,
And it's never too late to start. 🩷 

#mentalhealthatwork #workrelatedsuicide #kindess #keynotespeaker #leadershipinsights 

(Note - The actual author of this quote is unknown.)

Dr. Colleen Saringer

Professional Keynote Speaker helping turn blue-collar workplaces into suicide prevention systems | Workplace Mental Health | Kindness is a Solution | Construction-Bred & Construction-Wed

Suicide doesn’t start with a decision.
It starts with feelings.

And many work conditions create these feelings, 𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:
➡️ Trapped (high job demand, low control can do that to you)
➡️ Alone (isolation, lack of support can do that to you)
➡️ Invisible (incivility, lack of recognition can do that you)

We’ve normalized many of these as “part of the job.”
I'd argue they're suicide warning signs
And a big reason for the labor shortage. 

𝗦𝗼, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀/𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿, 𝗜'𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀:
What would happen if we fixed the workplace instead of blaming the worker?

#workrelatedsuicide #suicideprevention #laborshortage #kindness #construction

Oh! Love Ya Dawn Company – nicely done. 👇 


I’m not actively looking for a job, but I skim job descriptions often.

It helps me see how companies are positioning their mental health efforts.

And this one summed up why I believe HR should not oversee a company's organizational health efforts.

HR role, as a department, is compliance and discipline. 

Which impacts the psychological safety of many.

Making it hard to pull off mental health efforts successfully.

Positioning matters. 

It alone is a mental health and/or suicide prevention solution. 

#mentalhealthatwork #suicideprevention #workrelatedsuicide #organizationalhealth #leadershipinsights #keynotespeaker

𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 #𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵? 𝘕𝘰𝘱𝘦. 

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦.

Construction News and Review, thank you for the opportunity to share my perspective on the role kindness plays in mental health and suicide prevention.

#kindness #workrelatedsuicide #suicideprevention

View company: Construction News and Review

Big thanks to Crete United for sponsoring Construction News and Review's latest print edition, devoted to the closely intertwined topics of jobsite safety and mental health.

To start your week, here's a thoughtful perspective on the immensely important role that kindness plays in all of this, courtesy of Dr. Colleen Saringer. 

https://lnkd.in/gFDgXC7f

Open article: Kindness: The Risk Management, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Strategy We’ve Been Ignoring by mycnr.com

Kindness: The Risk Management, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Strategy We’ve Been Ignoring

James Kellock - thank you for capturing who I am as a person alongside the work I am doing as a professional speaker. 

Cindy Khoury Ashton - thank you for making this connection.

Happy Friday!

#workplacesuicide #mentalhealthatwork #suicideprevention #bekind #kindness

Founder of All We Can Foundation & RippleCore | Scaling kindness into measurable social impact for businesses, communities and schools worldwide - #kindness

Kindness as Courage in the Workplace 👉 Dr. Colleen Saringer

Some conversations arrive at exactly the right moment. My time with Colleen was one of those. Thoughtful, grounded, and quietly important, it sat naturally alongside the wider community of people exploring kindness, mental health, and how we show up for one another at work and in life.

Colleen’s focus is clear and deeply human. She speaks about kindness not as niceness or surface politeness, but as something braver and more truthful. The kind that notices when someone is struggling. The kind that says the hard thing with care. The kind that helps people feel seen, heard, and valued, especially in environments where that is often missing.

Much of her work centres on suicide prevention, particularly within blue collar and high pressure workforces. She shared how workplaces can quietly become risk factors when demand is high and support is low, and how small moments of kindness can act as lifelines. Not as a programme or a tick box, but as everyday human connection.

Colleen also spoke about her own journey, including stepping away from corporate life when it no longer aligned with who she was becoming. Her move into public speaking feels less like a career change and more like a widening of impact. Reaching people from the stage with language that is practical, compassionate, and rooted in lived experience.

What stayed with me was her clarity. Kindness, in her view, is not fluffy or optional. It is a foundational tool for safety, belonging, and survival. Especially in workplaces where silence can cost lives.

Thank you, Colleen, for the time, honesty, and care you bring to this work. I am truly excited to watch your work grow and who knows potentially do some work together in the future.

#KindnessCounts #SplashMakers #CaughtBeingKind #Kindness #AllWeCan #OneVoiceForKindness Dr. Colleen Saringer Speaks

Although I'm not in love with how my face is captured in this photo 🤣 

I do love Renee Lynn Frojo and all I've learned, and continue to learn,
When it comes to storytelling!

Amanda Austin - it was so much fun to learn from you last week!

#storytelling #humor #itschaosbekind

They tell you to tell your story. I show you how. | Brand storytelling, strategy, and training to help you get heard or hired. | Ask about my Short-Form Storytelling Workshop for your community or organization.

Want to be funnier and faster on your feet? Me too, my friend. Me too.

Not only does being funny make you more likable and relatable, it also helps release the pressure valve during unstable, chaotic times. (Yes, like the one we’re very much living in.)

So that’s why I decided to kick off my community speaker series with an Improv Masterclass taught by the one and only Amanda Austin. And boy, did she deliver.

In an hour(ish), Amanda gave us the upshot on what it takes to be funny. She led us through a handful of unpredictable, ridiculous games to get over ourselves and unlock a buttload of new ideas for turning our personal experiences into story drafts.

One thing I took away is that all humor comes down to surprise. We laugh because:

1. We can see ourselves in you or the thing, or
2. We can’t relate at all, and what you just told us is totally absurd or novel.

Either way, the element of surprise is the mechanism for the funnies. 

So, if you want to be funnier, start by trying these 3 things:

1. Become a better listener and observer so that you can notice that surprising thing that sticks out (known as the “bright, shiny object” in improv), and build on it.
2. Say “yes and” to all of your dumb ideas. Good, funny ideas start with a lot of imperfect volume. 
3. Let go of your ego and trust the process. Related to number 2, we are our biggest blockers to great ideas. Just start writing that draft without getting attached to where it’s going.

The most profound takeaway for me was that instead of trying to “be funny,” you simply need to be more observant and honest.

It’s the same thing that makes you a better storyteller. 

Funny how that works, ey?



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If you’re looking for an extremely fun and practical workshop for your community, I highly recommend you GO HIRE Amanda RIGHT NOW. (Sorry to yell.)

And if you want to become a better storyteller and learn from a diverse range of speakers like this, you can join my next group in Short-Form Storytelling for Brand Building. 

Next month, we’re hearing from the CIA’s former head of content (!!!) on how to tell stories about top secret or sensitive stuff. It's going to be fascinating. Enrollment for the February cohort closes in 6 days.

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