A Brilliant Bad-Ass Leader You Should Know [#1]
This year I’m going to introduce you to a few of my favorite peeps in an interview series called
A Brilliant Bad-Ass Leader You Should Know.
Why should you care?
Because each of these brilliant folks offer sage advice & provocative perspectives that will shake up your thinking so you can be your biggest, most-brilliant, successful self too.
Meet my dear friend Katie Goodman.
Katie’s an award-winning comedian and her show, “Broad Comedy,” is currently running Off-Broadway at the Soho Playhouse.
Check out my quick interview with Katie below…
Hugs,
AmyK
AmyK: Do you have any quotes you live by or think of often?
Katie: Well, there is this meme of a quote of mine that is going around the internet. I didn’t even think it was a great quote till I saw people sharing it! “When you are truly genuine, there will invariably be people who do not accept you. And in that case, you must be your own bad-ass self, without apology.”
AmyK: Amen, Sister! This quote is exactly why I wanted to start the series with you! Not everyone is in our peep circle – nor wants to be. So focus on those who love you and want to play in your sandbox and let the others go play in theirs. And let ‘em be so long as they’re not infringing on anybody else’s sandbox. Katie, what is something you wish you would’ve realized earlier in your life? What does this realization give you now?
Katie: I wish I’d known that fame and outside validation is not going to give me anything at all. I have totally let go of that and now I work to inspire real live people I come in contact with and just hope that my work helps the world. Meaningful purpose has replaced recognition. What a waste of time it was working toward recognition. Our whole culture is set up to make your Ego believe that recognition will make you happy. It’s the biggest scam going.
AmyK: I think quite a few of us entrepreneurs have been scammed going down this slippery slope. We need brand awareness to grow but we get caught up too much in the celebrity, the number of likes, etcetera. What is 1 nugget/gem you can share right now to significantly ignite brilliance in someone’s biz or personal life?
Katie: Invest in yourself. It took me years and years to trust to invest in staff to help me. I thought I had to do it all myself to be a responsible entrepreneur. Once I got people on board who were fabulous (and it took a little trial and error – give it some time) our business suddenly skyrocketed because I had the time to do the deep thinking, strategizing, creative brainstorming, and also now I’m enjoying managing people in a fun way that made everyone happy. The TEAM thing is incredibly important to me. I also invested in a social media company to help me not reinvent the wheel all the time.
AmyK: What habit or behavior have you pursued/implemented for at least a year that has most improved your life?
Katie: Small tests of change. If something isn’t quite working, don’t start all over or give up. Change just one small aspect and see if that works. Consider everything an experiment.
AmyK: Oh, I love this advice. Too many times we throw the baby out with the bath water when one small tweak might make all the difference. One tweak! Sooo, on that note, what’s one thing you do to fuel your own brilliance in business & happiness in life?
Katie: I choose really smart, fun people to work with who don’t necessarily have the same skills as me. We get along, but we have different skills. They are all fun and kind and centered…and still totally different. I’m smart to hire diverse people who are smarter than me. 😉
AmyK: Yes you are, Katie. And we’ll be smart too if we implement even 1 of the gems you’ve shared with us today. Learn more about Katie, buy her book, or check out Katie at one of her live events. Thanks again, Katie, for kicking off my new series, A Brilliant Bad-Ass Leader You Should Know.
About Katie Goodman
Katie Goodman is an award-winning comedian, author, speaker, actress and social activist. She is a nationally touring keynote speaker on the topic of using the tools of improv comedy in every day life. Her show, “Broad Comedy,” is currently running Off-Broadway at the Soho Playhouse. She has been seen on Showtime’s The Green Room With Paul Provenza, on Current TV as a pundit, and on TruTV. She recently signed with Comedy Dynamics, North American’s largest independent record label, and her new album “Halfway Closer To Dead” is available on iTunes, her books on Amazon, and her comedy music videos can be seen, having amassed 2 million hits on Youtube and 3 million on Facebook. Katie is the author of Improvisation For The Spirit, a featured blogger for The Huffington Post, has contributed to O, The Oprah Magazine and co-authored the funny children’s book, The Night Our Parents Went Out. She is the creator and headliner of “Broad Comedy,” an internationally touring satirical musical show that she and her husband Soren Kisiel write and direct. Her solo show plays in New York City where she received a Time Out New York Critic’s Pick for Best Cabaret. Katie & Soren ran their own theatre company for 15 years acting and directing in over 125 plays, as well as performing improv with her troupe for 20 years, called Spontaneous Combustibles. Katie and Soren were nominated for The EPIC Award from The White House Project and were also nominated for the MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant for their extensive work in theatre. www.katiegoodmanconsulting.com
