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Greg Schwem

HuffPost calls Greg Schwem, “Your boss’ favorite comedian.” That’s because Greg’s clean, razor-sharp wit and family-man stage presence has made him a favorite for corporate audiences worldwide, whether performing live or virtually. More than just a speaker, Greg is also a best-selling author, nationally syndicated humor columnist for the Chicago Tribune and award-winning greeting card writer. What, you’ve never heard of the prestigious Louie Awards?

As a business humor speaker and corporate emcee, Greg’s clients have included Microsoft, McDonald’s, Southwest Airline and even the CIA. During the pandemic of 2020, businesses in need of humor and motivation for their stressed-out workforces turned to Greg and his uplifting virtual keynote, You Can’t Quarantine Laughter.

When Greg travels, he often stays at Airbnb and other “home sharing” properties, treks that have resulted in a hilarious, ongoing web series, A Comedian Crashes Your Pad, winner of a Telly Award honoring outstanding broadcast content in the Television/Travel&Tourism category. The series is available on Apple TV, Amazon and Roku.

Categories: Emcee, Entertainers and Entertainment, Health Care - Wellness, Humorist, Motivation, Quality Virtual Keynote

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View Greg Schwem's

Videos

Topics

If Laughter is Healthy, Why Aren't We All OK?

A multimedia-intensive presentation, delivered live or virtually, that challenges audiences to see how stifling workplace humor can also stifle teamwork and productivity. Approved for SHRM credit

You Can't Cancel Laughter

The Presentation: The Will Smith slap. The Dave Chappelle/Netflix controversy. High profile incidents like this have corporate America 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, renowned business humorist and award-winning Chicago Tribune humor columnist Greg Schwem challenges his audience to realize that curtailing humor in the workplace also stifles creativity, teamwork and employee wellness. 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. Learn how to “engage but never attack” and why it’s best to avoid the “humor cop.” Greg also shows how humor helped lift this country’s emotions during the COVID-19 crisis while helping businesses cope with the worst possible scenarios. Don’t believe that’s possible? Then you haven’t heard of the suburban Chicago restaurant that offered a free roll of toilet paper with every takeout order!

Greg has delivered this presentation for the toughest of audiences, including the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Society of Government Meeting Planners (SGMP). Hey, if those groups can laugh, so can yours. The ability to research his audience and tailor his content is why companies such as Microsoft, McDonald’s, Southwest Airlines and even The CIA have turned to Greg for laughs, and why HuffPost referred to Greg as, “Your boss’s favorite comedian.”

Work, Laugh, Repeat

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. Audience members will put down their iPads and Blackberries and laugh along with Greg as he good-naturedly discusses topics such as Smart Phone abuse, social network overload, never-ending conference calls, "frequently" asked questions, and home office workers. His preparation includes company web site research, phone conferences and maybe even a personal visit!

Rock, Roll & Laugh Your Way to the Top

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 Lollapalooza. 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."

Meeting emcee/video host

A good emcee needs to multitask. He 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, pronouncing (correctly) the names of awards recipients, or conducting humorous on-camera interviews with meeting attendees.

Books

Text Me If You're Breathing: Observations, Frustrations and Life Lessons From a Low-Tech Dad

Text Me If You're Breathing: Observations, Frustrations and Life Lessons From a Low-Tech Dad

What does a Dad do when his eight year old asks Santa for a Wii Fit and a 4G iPhone? The answer is simple: laugh! In Text Me If You're Breathing, stand-up comedian and technically challenged dad Greg Schwem accounts his mishaps and struggles with parenting in today's digital world Whether accompanying his daughter to the New York City Apple store, purchasing a high-tech swing set, tweeting while coaching Little League or trying to lay down cell phone rules, Schwem shows readers that technology, while complicated, can be hilarious. Along the way, Schwem also aims his barbs at Tiger Woods, the Consumer Electronics Show, in vitro fertilization, the National Spelling Bee and the movie Avatar. Insightful, heartfelt and always funny, Text Me If You're Breathing is proof that parenting will never come with technical support. .

You can purchase this book here

The Road to Success Goes Through the Salad Bar: A Pile of BS (Business Stories) From a Corporate Comedian

The Road to Success Goes Through the Salad Bar: A Pile of BS (Business Stories) From a Corporate Comedian

For more than 20 years Greg has traveled the globe entertaining professional associations and Fortune 500 companies including Microsoft, IBM, McDonald's and Verizon Wireless. Greg makes the business world laugh at itself - while sharing serious takeaways that could only come from the mind of a stand-up comedian. Required reading for CEOs and cubicle dwellers alike, "The Road to Success Goes Through the Salad Bar" is also littered with hilarious observations on American business past, present and future. No wonder the Chicago Tribune calls Greg Schwem "king of the hill" in the world of corporate comedy...

You can purchase this book here

Testimonials

“Reviews from the morning are overwhelmingly positive! Really appreciate your preparation and execution. Fun, funny, personalized and exactly what we needed. All the best!”

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