Greg Schwem

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Corporate Comedy Sizzle Reel

Meet Greg Schwem

Greg Schwem Emcee

Speech Topics

Humor is Serious Business is perfect as a standalone keynote or a breakout session. As corporate America returns to work and struggles with topics such as wellness and retention, everyone is also talking about the role of humor in the workplace and the definition of “funny.”

What Gen X finds uproarious, Gen Z might find “offensive” or “inappropriate.” Who is correct? In a hilarious yet thought provoking presentation, Greg challenges his audience to realize that curtailing humor in the workplace also stifles creativity and teamwork. For those who say, “we aren’t a funny company” or “this isn’t a good time for us to be laughing,” Greg disagrees. Using real world examples, Greg explores how companies have increased sales and overcome negative publicity through humor. Unlike speakers who dub themselves “humor experts,” yet provide no answers, Greg, a 30-year standup comedy veteran, offers suggestions for how to navigate this slippery slope while laughing the entire time.

This address is perfect for any group that needs a humorous break from the serious side of business. In spite of its therapeutic qualities, laughter is often absent from the business environment. Greg shows it is possible to laugh at work and about work. This presentation is loaded with customized material—check out this Pinterest observation—that Greg develops with the help of his clients. His preparation includes company website research, phone conferences, and maybe even a personal visit!

A good emcee needs to multitask. He or she must keep the event moving, be adept at improvisation and work efficiently with all participants onstage. Greg Schwem has hosted everything from a one-hour awards ceremony for 200 BAE Systems engineers to a three-day conference for 6,000 McDonald’s restaurant managers, to a virtual webinar for IBM customers. He is equally at ease chatting with a company CEO live on stage, (correctly) pronouncing the names of awards recipients, or conducting humorous on-camera interviews with meeting attendees.

Greg Schwem knows a thing or two about rock and roll. As a comedian who has opened concerts for stars ranging from Keith Urban, to Celine Dion, to Enrique Iglesias to (wait for it) KC And the Sunshine Band, Greg has seen how rock and roll is really a business. Like your business. In short? Every company and employee has “rock star” potential. Greg shows you how to achieve that potential in a presentation that combines hilarious comedy, live concert footage and a musical soundtrack featuring everything from classic rock to country to techno. Topics include “Why Every Office Needs a Keith Richards,” “Are you Team Taylor or Team Kanye?,” and “Don’t Let Your Company Become a Country Song.” Rock on!

Biography

Greg Schwem is more than a comedian; Greg Schwem is a motivational corporate comedian, and the corporate world has taken note. Greg’s take on the 21st century workplace and work/life balance has landed him on SIRIUS Radio, Comedy Central, and the pages of Exceptional People Magazine. More than just a business humorist, Greg is also an author, nationally syndicated humor columnist, TV travel host, award-winning greeting card writer, and creator of funnydadinc, which was voted one of the top “dad humor” sites of 2020. He has also shared the concert stage with the likes of Celine Dion and Keith Urban.

A graduate of Northwestern University’s prestigious Medill School of Journalism, Greg never envisioned a career in laughter. Instead, he settled in Florida, becoming an award-winning reporter for NBC-owned WPTV in West Palm Beach. But the comedy bug bit Greg hard and he returned to his hometown of Chicago where he honed his standup act in nightclubs. When he began inserting material about business and technology into his act, audience members approached him and said, “You really should come down to my office and tell those jokes.” Behold! A new approach to comedy was born.

Greg’s show provides a hilarious look at today’s corporate environment and the latest tools used to conduct business. Indeed, Greg’s client list includes such corporate heavyweights as McDonald’s, Microsoft, General Motors, IBM, and even the CIA. “Yes, even America’s covert intelligence community can laugh at itself!” Greg says. What sets Greg apart from other corporate entertainers is his ability—and willingness—to customize material for his audience while working within the parameters of the corporate environment. That means no profanity or politically incorrect material. “That’s never been a part of my show anyway,” Greg recently told a reporter.

When Greg hits the stage, he already has perused the company’s website, combed the internal message boards, and even sifted through PowerPoint presentations. “There is no such thing as too much information,” Greg says. “I know corporate audiences like to laugh at themselves so the more ammunition I get, the funnier it will be. Just don’t give me a 10-K report. There is NOTHING funny about that.”

Greg’s preparation always includes a conference call with company executives and, in some cases, an onsite visit.

Besides customized material, Greg entertains audiences with stories about tedious business meetings, smart phone addiction, “frequently” asked questions, and his fascination with the American Girl Doll company. In addition to his hefty speaking schedule, Greg writes a bi-weekly humor column nationally distributed by Tribune Media Services. He also is the author of Text Me If You’re Breathing: Observations, Frustrations and Life Lessons from a Low-Tech Dad and The Road to Success Goes Through the Salad Bar: A Pile of BS (Business Stories) From a Corporate Comedian. Greg’s hilarious travel series, A Comedian Crashes Your Pad is distributed worldwide by Fantastic Films, LLC.

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