About
I study what happens to people under…
Services
Courses by Kathy
-
Humor: A Leader’s Guide to Connection, Safety, and Trust29m
Humor: A Leader’s Guide to Connection, Safety, and Trust
By: Kathy Klotz-Guest
Articles by Kathy
Activity
12K followers
-
Kathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA shared thisBombing on stage taught me that life is a lab. My life got better the moment I stopped treating mistakes like failures and started treating them like experiments. Fast forward 25 years, yup. Every speaking gig, every comedy show, I try something new LIVE. I want to be in it with my audience. Every time I walk onto a comedy stage, I’m running a live experiment in front of strangers. I built my life the same way I build material: test it, fail publicly, rewrite, repeat. Some people live by certainty. It isn't a given. experimentation is the only reason I know who I am. My life is better because I experiment. That is where boldness lives. Happy Friday! What are YOU experimenting with lately? #experimentation #keynotespeaker #comedy
-
Kathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA shared thisPerformative stuff kills teams. Uncertainty, rigidity, fear changes how people show up. Often we shrink under pressure because it feels safer. Without safety, risk feels high. There are many signals of healthy teams. In my years leading teams in tech comms, marketing and product…. Here are 3 really important signals many leaders miss. They are the precursor to bold speaking, collaboration and big ideas. Teams burnout not just out not just because of work load or cognitive heaviness; they often burn out under the weight of performative bs. It is mentally exhausting. Team culture doesn’t have to suck. Reach out. I offer interactive keynotes and humorous workshops for that make bold possible. Kathy(at)keepingithuman. I have spoken at companies including Cisco, Kaiser Permanente, Stanford University and Hospital, AAA, Amazon AWS, The Ohio State University, Gatorade and more. Q: which resonates with you? What would you add? #leadership #teamculture #highperformingteams #healthyteams #humor #laughter #burnout
-
Kathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA posted thisTY to all who served our country honorably. I have uncles I never met who gave everything for this country. Like my uncle, Wilbur 'Red' Klotz because of his red hair. He was offered a spot on the San Diego Padres. He was a killer pitcher. Instead, he went to war and never came home. I found his name in the wall of heroes in DC. Ty to all who served and gave everything. #Memorialday #leadership
-
Kathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA shared thisSAY the thing. Imperfectly. Unpolished. Have the conversation. We cannot fix what we don't talk about. Embrace the awkward. If it's in the air, you can't move forward in your teams until you GO THERE. With humor, humility and humanity. Me: "Before we start, can I get you coffee, water, a running start for the exits?" Your people just want you to SAY it. It is where trust starts. #memorialday #leadership #TRUST #highperformingteams #
-
Kathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA shared thisWant to lead better? Think like a comedian... No, not being funny. (tho, it doesn't hurt. And it is fun). Most leaders SKIP the BIG elephant in the room. They ignore how people are feeling. Comedians SAY IT! And instantly people feel seen. They see themselves. It's recognition and relief because FINALLY, someone said it. Too many leaders scan for participation, not for disengagement on what isn't being said. THEY FAIL TO READ THE ROOM. The truth is skipped over. People stay silent. IF YOU WANT TO SHIFT THE ROOM People need their reality SEEN. Acknowledge the reality THEY LIVE. Laugh, and say Let's go there! When I was asked to speak to Social Security Admin employees, they were swimming in uncertainty and fear. I said, 'let's play a game! If your team this past year were a movie, what would it be?! Jaws! Get Out! Fast and (very!) Furious! They engaged. leaned in. Because they felt SEEN and safe to say 'this isn't working' and do it with laughter. It's a YES AND on their reality. When we allow the truth to be said, trust SHIFTS. THEN they can move on to writing a new story. You can't ask a team to create a new story by ignoring the truth of their current story. And these teams did write a new story - at least what they can control. Save this post. I offer interactive, playful and humor-filled keynotes and training that unlocks your team’s boldest. I am what happens when a former tech exec and comedian have baby. Visit keepingithuman(dot)com. #workshop #laughter #eventprofs #highperformingteams #keynotespeaker #workplaceculture #leadership
-
Kathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA shared thisTy Stephanie Ruffridge for sharing your insights on my #linkedinlearning course. 🙏❤️ Companies think humor and play are risky. What they get very WRONG when they discourage because a few folks get it wrong: THIS: They shrink the connection, EQ, flexibility, creativity and trust capacity of their employees by doing it. Cuz it’s not about being funny at work. NGL, that part is fun, too. My course: ‘Humor: A Leader’s Guide to Connection, Safety and Trust.’ Ty Madecraft 🙏❤️😀. They said no to this idea after my first course. Years later, they said ‘yes and!’ #humor #linkedinlearning #keepingithuman #keynotespeaker #eventprofs #transformationKathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA shared thisHumor, when used appropriately (and I’ll admittedly say I have learned when it isn’t) can elevate a team, through trust and competence. I’ve had too many managers in pharma that take themselves WAY too seriously because they thought they had to provide an ‘image’. Plus, it’s just my personality to add some levity to potentially stressful situations. Just finished "Humor: A Leader’s Guide to Connection, Safety, and Trust" by Madecraft, and Kathy Klotz-Guest! Check it out: https://lnkd.in/gYdkWE3J #interpersonalcommunication, #buildingtrust, #leadership.
-
Kathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA shared this"My team doesn't have time for laughter..." An exec said this at an event and the room laughed. 😂 From a place of empathy. We all felt that stress ourselves. It sounds funny because we've all thought it. FULLY HUMAN! I know from experience working with companies and leading teams back in tech.... AND...THAT's when we need laughter the most. When our brains say, "ain't no one got time for that!" It's not frivolous; it's how we lower fear, stagnation and build trust. Laughter is PART of how we bust stalled innovation. It allows us to SEE differently. We need laughter ESPECIALLY when we are stressed. It calms our nervous systems. Healthy laughter is THE SIGNAL your team culture is healthy. Your brain on stress ain't effective. So working harder and 'seriously,' when your brain is jacked, friend, is running in a hamster wheel: never arriving and feeling EXHAUSTED. Laughing together reduces rigidity and cortisol and allows us be more productive by releasing that amygdala jacking. NOW teams can do bolder, braver, better work in less time than trying to FORCE work when your battery is dead. BTW Laughter isn't a break from work per se; laughter is PART of how high performing teams and cultures DO their work. How they approach problems, solve them and take smart risks. Positive laugher says, "we do that here!" PICS Before my closing keynote at this brand conference, where I talked about comedy-thinking for innovating, I led an open improv meetup. We played games celebrating risk-taking. And had a ball. When was the last time your team or culture did this? If you can't remember, it's been too long. ✅ Save this post ✅ Visit keepingithuman(dot)com to for more ways I can help you and your teams make bold 're-possible!' #play #highperformingteams #laughter #bravery #keynotespeaker
-
Kathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA shared this68% of people don't trust leaders. The rest ARE leaders. 🤣 It's time to write a new, better story: trust and safety SHIFT results. I led teams for > 2 decades and have performed comedy for 25 years. If you build a great foundation that lifts people up, makes it safe to learn, and says "smart mistakes are ok" - then humor can make a difference. It never substitutes for leaders who don't give a F. If you are working to build safety and a great foundation, improv thinking expands possibility and humor can help leaders connect and build trust. TWO LINKEDIN LEARNING COURSES TO BUILD TRUST AND ADAPTABILITY *and my humor course in comments had tips on Leadership storytelling I got two #linkedinlearning courses (comments) to unlock adaptability, trust, connection and innovative thinking... Need a funny, interactive keynote to playfully write a new story of what's possible? Reach out. keepingithuman(dot)com. #leadership #humor #improv #trust #psychologicalsafety #linkedinlearning #keynotespeaker #keepingithuman #leadershipstorytelling
-
Kathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA shared thisWhen I am not speaking at associations, and conferences or working with companies like Amazon, Cisco, even the SSA to help people speak up boldly and spark more breakthroughs while laughing and growing…. I am on improv and comedy stages. I perform at clubs, stages, festivals across the country. Below.. Performing sold out Mother’s Days shows. I have taught and performed for 25 years. It shifts mindsets, skill sets, everything. I love that I get to do this and still enjoy every part of it after so long. The world needs more playfulness, humanity and laughter. It turns fear and friction into boldness fuel. Laugh more, live better. Happy Saturday
-
Kathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA liked thisKathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA liked thisHave you been sayng things are hard? Think again. As Brian Tracy said, “Never tell yourself anything you don’t want to come true.”
-
Kathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA reacted on thisKathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA reacted on thisMe: Former welfare kid. Most likely to say "dude" on a call. No chill. My clients: PhDs. Venture capitalists. Guy with a $100 million exit. Shark Tank winner. It's often been a daily struggle to not feel like a fraud while working with all these brilliant people. I don't come with a pedigree. But then I remind myself what I've done: I've overcome more than most people encounter in a lifetime, and I did it without any sort of support network for most of my life. I have survived chronic parental neglect, couch-surfing to avoid the living-on-the-street kind of homelessness, countless missed meals, being left in the "care" of adults who just inflicted more trauma — and I painstakingly worked my *ss off to crawl out of the hole and build a normal life for myself. You don't learn this kind of work ethic at a fancy college. This is the kind you only learn from fighting for survival. There's at least a few minutes of every day that I wish my journey to get here was softer, easier. But I also know without a doubt that in any given room on any given day, no one — NO ONE — has more resilience, fortitude, or work ethic than I do. I know how to survive some truly scary sh*t and still thrive after. I know how to build something from less than nothing. That sheer faith in my own ability to keep going is confidence-building. So I've stopped apologizing for myself when I feel like a misfit. I belong in every room I'm in, because I've absolutely done the work (and often done it tenfold more than most of the people there) to get that seat at the table. Don't underestimate the underdogs. We've probably come farther than you can imagine. And we'll keep going...
-
Kathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA reacted on thisKathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA reacted on thisThe Living Funeral: Hearing the Eulogy Before It’s Too Late Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post called “The Month I Died.” (https://bit.ly/4uGSsEC) No, I don’t plan to die any time soon, but I am taking a full month off next February with nothing planned on my calendar and virtually no access to my texts or emails. I’m even going to spend the month being known as my given name “Steve” as a further ritual to see what it feels like if I left the planet based upon the question: “What would people honestly say about me if I died this month?” That question led me to the concept of the “social eulogy”—the emotional legacy we leave in the hearts, nervous systems, and memories of other people. Not: - What did you accumulate? - What title did you hold? - How optimized was your calendar? But: - How did people feel in your presence? - Did you help others feel seen? - Did you create belonging? - Did you make people more whole? Tomorrow, I’ll be giving my mother’s eulogy. And perhaps because of that, I’ve found myself deeply moved by several recent articles on the growing phenomenon of “living funerals.” Yes, funerals for people who are still alive. At first, the idea sounds a little emotionally overachieving—as if Marie Kondo and hospice care collaborated on an event. But the more I’ve read about them, the more profound they seem. A recent Washington Post article (https://wapo.st/3RwAtC9) described people gathering while they’re still healthy enough to attend and participate in what is essentially a celebration of their life in real time. Family members share stories. Friends express gratitude. People say the things we usually save for after someone is gone. One person described hearing affirmations and memories they had never heard in decades of relationships. Another said it allowed them to stop wondering whether their life mattered. That’s the tragedy of traditional funerals: the guest of honor misses the entire show. Another article from Dignity Memorial (https://bit.ly/3S6LoT4) explained that living funerals are becoming more popular because they allow people to express appreciation, create emotional closure, repair relationships, and reduce regret. In other words, they transform the funeral from an event about loss into an experience of connection. And then I read something fascinating in a medical journal article (https://bit.ly/4u5QvR4) on end-of-life psychology. Researchers noted that consciously engaging with mortality often increases emotional authenticity, life satisfaction, gratitude, and relational depth. Apparently, death is very clarifying. This shouldn’t surprise us. Mortality is life’s greatest editor. It removes the trivial. It sharpens attention. It forces us to ask: “What actually matters now?” To read the rest of my blog post visit: https://bit.ly/4o3z8yU
-
Kathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA reacted on thisKathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA reacted on thisJust finished "Humor: A Leader’s Guide to Connection, Safety, and Trust" by Madecraft, and Kathy Klotz-Guest! Check it out: https://lnkd.in/dfpQr9ii #interpersonalcommunication, #buildingtrust, #leadership.
-
Kathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA reacted on thisKathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA reacted on thisSexism behind women's back can derail their careers. One woman told me that she served on a search committee where a female committee member commented, "I can't take this candidate seriously. She wasn't wearing pantyhose!" It derailed the woman candidate's opportunity. In Karen Teller and Elaine Lyerly's article a male manager noted that a female candidate had 'big breasts'. While a male ally called out his colleague, this women was "branded and devalued as a sex object even before the interview happened." If you are in the room or on the thread where sexist comments are being made, call them out -- and ensure that they don't impede the woman's opportunities. https://lnkd.in/gDE52TVd
-
Kathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA reacted on thisKathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA reacted on thisI was supposed to be on vacation. But I was poolside somewhere listening to Daniel Priestley on Steven Bartlett's Diary of a CEO (for me, that counts as relaxing, haha) and he just described my entire framework. He said this is the fundamental difference between employees and entrepreneurs: Employees face a problem and say: "I was never trained for this. No one gave me a rulebook. That's not my problem." Entrepreneurs face the same problem and ask: "How would I build something quickly and cheaply? How would I test that? How would I scale that?" It’s the same situation with completely different internal responses. Priestley didn't name it, but I have. That internal response is a relationship with emotion, not a personality type. When you hit a problem that triggers fear, frustration, or overwhelm, most people treat those feelings as stop signs. A Change Enthusiast treats them as data. Fear signals there's something worth protecting. Frustration signals that something can be done better. Overwhelm signals you care about the outcome. Those emotions aren't telling you to stop; they're pointing you toward the opportunity. The moment you stop running from the signal and start getting curious about what it's showing you is when you stop being reactive and start building. Priestley made this point in the context of AI. He said as we get deeper into the age of artificial intelligence, this mindset shift isn't optional. It's imperative. I've been saying the same thing from stages for years: the leaders who thrive through AI disruption won't be the ones with the best tech strategy. They'll be the ones who learned to treat the discomfort of uncertainty as intelligence rather than a threat. The scary part isn't that AI is changing everything. It's that the gap between people who treat disruption as signal and people who treat it as threat is about to get a lot wider. Which side of that gap are you on right now?
-
Kathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA reacted on thisKathy Klotz-Guest MA, MBA reacted on thisA Mid-Year Reset: What Do You Need to Let Go Of? Can you believe it’s June next week? Soon the year will be half over, then we’ll blink and it’s another year. It feels like we were just setting New Year’s resolutions, choosing our word of the year, and making big plans. And now here we are, heading into a new month, looking at summer, and realizing this year is moving fast. That makes right now the perfect time for a reset. Not a restart. Not a “beat yourself up because you’re behind” moment. A reset. A chance to pause, take a breath, and ask yourself two important questions. 1. What are you carrying that you need to let go of? Sometimes the things keeping us from the front-row of our lives are not dramatic. They are sneaky. Procrastination. Perfectionism. Comparison. Clutter. Old resentment. Self-doubt. Trying to do everything for everyone. These things take up energy. And when your energy is tied up in what no longer serves you, it is hard to fully show up for what matters most. So, ask yourself: What am I carrying that I could put down? Maybe it is a habit. Maybe it is a mindset. Maybe it is a pile on your desk that has been quietly judging you for months. No shame. Just awareness. Letting go creates room for something better. 2. What step will move you closer to the front row? Living a front-row life does not happen by accident. You must define what your front-row looks like. Think about the different “seats” in your life: Your health seat. Your relationship seat. Your work seat. Your attitude seat. Your faith seat. Your finance seat. Where are you sitting right now? Are you in the front-row, fully engaged and intentional? Are you in the balcony, watching from a distance? Or are you somewhere in general admission, waiting to see what happens? The good news is you get to choose a new seat. And you do not have to change everything at once. Just take one step. Make the appointment. Clear the clutter. Have the conversation. Move your body. Set the boundary. Write down the goal. Choose a better thought. One intentional step can shift your energy, your focus, and your confidence. New Month, New Intentions New Year’s resolutions get all the attention in January, but the middle of the year is a beautiful time to set new intentions. Ask yourself: How do I want the rest of this year to feel? What do I want to experience? Who do I want to become? What would make me say, “It doesn’t get any better than this”? You are not behind. You are not stuck. You are simply being invited to choose again. Let go of what no longer serves you. Define what your front-row looks like. Then take one step closer. Because where you sit in life is a choice. And your seat of success is still waiting for you.
Experience & Education
-
KEEPING IT HUMAN, INC.
View Kathy’s full experience
See their title, tenure and more.
or
Volunteer Experience
-
-
Silicon Valley Product Camp Director and Conference Organizer
Product Camp Silicon Valley
- 2 years
Product Camp is the largest (self-organizing) annual un-conference gathering of product managers and product marketing managers in Silicon Valley. A volunteer organizer for 3 years, I have been the marketing director for the last 3years of the conference. In 2014, I was the marketing director and conference organizer - proud to bring together a group of nine people to plan and execute the conference. With half the resources of 2013, 2014 was a fab event!
-
Conference Marketing Chair for the AIN World Conference in SF 2012
APPLIED IMPROVISATION NETWORK
- less than a year
I created marketing messages and tactics for promoting the conference. I also created outreach to speakers and sponsors using a combination of channels including social media.
-
Program Chair
Women In Consulting (WIC)
- 5 years
Secure and book all speakers and manage speaker topics, logistics, and introductions
Publications
-
Stop Boring Me! How to Create Kick-Ass Marketing Content, Products and Idea Through the Power of Improv
Substantium
See publication*While this book is for many folks, it was designed especially for CREATIVE DIRECTORS, MARKETERS, CONTENT TEAMS, SPEAKERS, CX TEAMS, CULTURE AND HR LEADERS
Coming up constantly with a steady stream of marketing content, stories, and ideas that inspire excitement, interest and banish boring can be challenging. Your content-weary audience is saying "Stop Boring Me!" And most business marketing stinks because it is transactional and not transformational.
Time to kick boring to the…*While this book is for many folks, it was designed especially for CREATIVE DIRECTORS, MARKETERS, CONTENT TEAMS, SPEAKERS, CX TEAMS, CULTURE AND HR LEADERS
Coming up constantly with a steady stream of marketing content, stories, and ideas that inspire excitement, interest and banish boring can be challenging. Your content-weary audience is saying "Stop Boring Me!" And most business marketing stinks because it is transactional and not transformational.
Time to kick boring to the curb!
Well, it doesn't have to be that way because everyone is creative. Your inner kid knows how to play. By applying key concepts from the world of improvisation, your marketing, sales, branding and products can go from boring to soaring! While this book will help you be more funny, it's focused on fun as a creative catalyst for content idea orgasms: when different things come together in a fresh and engaging way that makes your audience say "aww yeah!"
-
The Marketing Executive's Bedtime Guide to Presenting with Humor. Don't Present: Connect!
Kathy Klotz-Guest / Keeping it Human, Inc.
See publicationDon't present; connect! Humor is human and it creates a powerful pattern disruption. Humor lowers the intellectual shield people have up all day long, so you can connect in a more human and memorable way. Humor doesn't start with being funny; it starts with having fun!
-
The Executive's Guide to Bedtime Storytelling, vol. 4: Big Marketing Lessons From Comedy and Improv
Kathy Klotz-Guest
See publicationThis ebook features a lot of great lessons about great marketing from the world of comedy and improvisation.
-
The Executive's Bedtime Guide to Storytelling vol 3: Adding Humor and Comedy to B2B Content Marketing
Keeping it Human
See publicationHumor is human. It cuts clutter, establishes a connection with audiences, and sets you apart from the herd. It's an important pattern-disruption device and it works! This ebook is full of examples.
-
The Executive's Bedtime Guide to Storytelling vol 2: A More Human Model for Product Storytelling
Keeping it Human
See publicationThis short ebook presents an effective model for telling a better story about products and services. Hint: it's never about your products and services. It's about how they help people do something better!
-
Busting the "Women Aren't Funny" Myth
The Glass Hammer Magazine
See publicationThis is an interview I gave on women, humor and leadership and why it matters!
-
The Executive's Bedtime Guide to Storytelling vol 1: The Human Case Study
Keeping it Human
See publicationShort ebook on how to write compelling, human case studies
-
How CXOs Can IMPROVe Innovation
Kathy Klotz-Guest
See publicationImprovisation can improve business outcomes. It's so much more than just teambuilding. Find out more in this ebook.
Projects
-
Seriously Funny Podcast....
See projectBy Kathy Klotz-Guest
Humorous women changing the rules? Hell yes. We don't hear many stories of women leaders doing their thing, being themselves and using THEIR unapologetic humor THEIR way. By doing that, they're blazing new paths, upending expectations and changing the status quo. There are a few stories and in the press; I know there's so many more. This podcast is dedicated to those stories and conversations. Who are these women? How are they doing it? What have they learned? What's…By Kathy Klotz-Guest
Humorous women changing the rules? Hell yes. We don't hear many stories of women leaders doing their thing, being themselves and using THEIR unapologetic humor THEIR way. By doing that, they're blazing new paths, upending expectations and changing the status quo. There are a few stories and in the press; I know there's so many more. This podcast is dedicated to those stories and conversations. Who are these women? How are they doing it? What have they learned? What's funny to them? Oh and we'll laugh. Part comedy; part interview, this podcast will change how we talk about funny women and work. -
Closing Keynote Speaker - Women's Center 35th Annual Women's Leadership Conference
- Present
I was the closing keynote for the conference which brings almost 1,000 women and men leaders across the country for a day of learning about topics important to women.
Honors & Awards
-
Leadership Award - Women's Center 35th Annual Leadership Conference
Women's Center D.C.
Awarded to women who advance women's causes with their leadership, thought leadership and voice in the world.
Languages
-
Conversational in Spanish
-
Recommendations received
37 people have recommended Kathy
Join now to viewOther similar profiles
-
Desiree L.
Desiree L.
Inspirational Speaker | Event Host | Emcee | Coach<br><br>An accomplished and dynamic professional with a diverse background spanning various industries and roles, I am passionate about inspiring and empowering others to reach their full potential. As an inspirational speaker, event host, emcee, and coach, I specialize in delivering engaging presentations, facilitating memorable events, and providing personalized coaching to help individuals and organizations thrive.<br><br>With a proven track record of success in public speaking, event management, and coaching, I bring a unique blend of charisma, expertise, and authenticity to every endeavor. My ability to connect with audiences on a personal level and tailor my approach to meet their specific needs has earned me recognition as a trusted leader and influencer in my field.<br><br>Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working with diverse clients and audiences, from corporate executives and entrepreneurs to community groups and nonprofit organizations. Whether I am delivering a keynote address, hosting a conference, or coaching clients one-on-one, my goal remains the same: to inspire, educate, and empower individuals to unleash their true potential and achieve their goals.<br><br>In addition to my professional pursuits, I am committed to ongoing personal and professional development. I actively seek opportunities to expand my skills, knowledge, and expertise in areas such as leadership development, communication strategies, and personal growth techniques.<br><br>I am passionate about making a positive impact in the lives of others and am dedicated to using my platform to effect meaningful change. If you are looking for a dynamic and inspiring speaker, event host, emcee, or coach to elevate your next event or empower your team, I would be honored to collaborate with you.<br><br>Let's connect and explore how we can work together to create memorable experiences, inspire growth, and drive success.
Explore more posts
Explore top content on LinkedIn
Find curated posts and insights for relevant topics all in one place.
View top content