Laughing Matters
Welcome to Peppercomm's Laughing Matters! A podcast that explores how great minds from the world of business, journalism and beyond are using the incredible power of humor to boost morale, engagement and productivity. Hosted by CEO Steve Cody and Senior Vice President Paul Merchan.
Episodes
35 episodes since 2021
Episode 35: Put off adulting and don’t worry about your SATs: Sage advice from Pat Fitzgibbons, M&T Bank/Wilmington Trust
Join us on this episode of Laughing Matters as we chat with Pat Fitzgibbons, Senior Public Relations Manager at M&T Bank/Wilmington Trust, whose career journey is filled with humor, from newsroom antics to his family’s political legacy in N...
July 08, 2024
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Episode 35
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27:06
Episode 34: Let that 18-wheeler merge! How Jenni Ruiz finds humor in trucking
Life is a highway for most of us, but especially for Jenni Ruiz, the Bronx native who works as a senior marketing manager for trucking software company Transfix. Jenni is our latest Laughing Matters podcast gu...
June 21, 2024
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Episode 34
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22:31
Episode 33: How To Be a Baddie in PR- A Discussion with IBM’s Brandi Boatner
On today’s episode of Laughing Matters, Brandi Boatner, Manager of digital and advocacy communications at IBM, joins us to talk about how she uses humor as a dynamic public speaker and advocate for her profession. Her insights include:
May 14, 2024
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Episode 33
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27:52
Episode 32: Bringing Latino Humor to PR and to the President of the U.S: Gloria Rodriguez, Founder of Comunicad
In this episode of Laughing Matters, Paul Merchan and Steve Cody interview Gloria Rodriguez, the founder and president of Comunicad, a Ruder Finn company, and a pioneer in multicultural communications and advocacy for the Latino community. She ...
March 27, 2024
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Episode 32
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25:49
Episode 31: Having a Workplace Conflict? Bake a Cake! Tips from David Dye
Tune in to the latest episode of Laughing Matters, featuring David Dye, President of Let’s Grow Leaders and co-author of “Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Workplace Conflict.” David shares tips on what to do when faced with a workplace conf...
January 26, 2024
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24:26
Episode 30: Did you hear the one about the neuroscience professor who walked into the wrong bathroom?
Dr. Phillip Gable, Director of the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Graduate Program and Professor at the University of Delaware, recently joined the Laughing Matters podcast to dissect the intricate world of human emotions and humor with the...
November 07, 2023
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24:18
Episode 29: Kenough is Enough: Leading with Emotional Intelligence and Laughable Self-Awareness with Ken Jacobs
On today’s episode of Laughing Matters, we welcome our first returning guest, Ken Jacobs, Principal of Jacobs Consulting and Executive Coaching. Ken emphasizes that leadership is about being someone people choose to follow, not just holding a s...
September 29, 2023
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23:24
Episode 28: Forget “Human Resources,” HR need to be the “Heart Rate” of an Organization: Kendra Prospero
HR & management consultant expert, entrepreneur and keynote speaker Kendra Prospero joins the Laughing Matters Podcast to talk about what business leaders need to do to create the conditions for people to thrive. She discusses the “peopl...
September 18, 2023
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22:09
Episode 27: What to do when you’re humor-blocked at work: Kathy Klotz-Guest
Author, podcast host, keynote speaker and comedian Kathy Klotz-Guest shares how she helps companies infuse humor into their everyday practices through the tenets of improv and comedy through her company, “Keeping it Human.” Kathy shares her app...
August 29, 2023
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Episode 27
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22:10
Episode 26: Welcome to Spublic Peaking (or something like that); Dr. Don Waisanen Baruch College
Do you think today’s politicians are too scripted? Or maybe they’re a little too comfortable “winging it.” Or maybe they need to go old school and take a page out of President Lincoln’s joke book. Dr. Don Waisanen from Baruch College joins Laug...
August 24, 2023
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Episode 26
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24:36
Episode 25: From Harlem to Philly to DC: All rise for the Honorable Judge Nelson Diaz
A funny thing happened on the way to the courthouse for Judge Nelson Diaz. In fact, lots of funny things happened on his journey from the inner city to the inner sanctum of Washington, D.C. power politics. From his childhood days playing baseba...
August 16, 2023
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Episode 25
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24:18
Episode 24 - Using humor in DEI training? No kidding! Dr. Malcolm Frierson, Loyola Marymount University
Have you ever thought about how humor can play a role in our work in diversity, equity, and inclusion? Award-winning author and college professor Dr. Malcolm Frierson shares how his research on African American history led him to explore stand-...
May 02, 2023
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24:54
Episode 23: An economist, his wife and 4 kids walk into a bank: Luke Tilley, Wilmington Trust
You might groan when you hear you’re about to listen to an economics presentation, but Chief Economist Luke Tilley of Wilmington Trust explains how working at the Philadelphia Fed and a premier financial institution has shown him that his peers...
April 24, 2023
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18:49
Episode 22: How to keep your cool when you’re shooting bricks in the Metaverse: Stacey Jones, Accenture
Being a leader at a global consulting firm for over two decades taught Stacey Jones many things, not the least of which is that she was a MUCH better basketball player in real life than in the Metaverse. Stacey joins Laughing Matters to talk ho...
April 17, 2023
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21:17
Episode 21: Using humor in a sensitive setting? Punch up, not down: Dr. Luvell Anderson, Syracuse University
Some people may think hot-button topics like race and humor have no business together. But when done right – minus the cringe – it can be a powerful tool. Dr. Luvell Anderson, associate professor of philosophy at Syracuse University, joins the ...
April 06, 2023
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28:40
Episode 20 - The longest journeys (and biggest laughs) both begin with a single step: Sam Sanders of Marriott Vacations Worldwide
Think you've got a full plate? Just listen to some of the mega personal and professional changes former Peppercommer "Smiling" Sam Sanders (née Bruno) of Marriott Vacations Worldwide has experienced in the past few years. She joins the podcast ...
March 09, 2023
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31:54
Episode 19 - How to use humor to become an award-winning global CMO superstar
Episode 19 – How to use humor to become an award-winning global CMO superstar. Sometimes you have to use humor to tell the same stories in a completely different way from what your competitors are doing. Laughing Matters recentl...
January 12, 2023
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Episode 19
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29:58
Episode 18 - Tinkling, Toilets and Thought Leadership
Tina McCorkindale, the first female president & CEO in the Institute for Public Relations’ storied 65-year history, shares LOL stories that include: Hiking in the Cascade Mountains (and figuring out how one manage...
December 19, 2022
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Episode 18
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33:43
Episode 17 - You Know You’ve Made it When You Can Call a Rapper by Their Middle Name
Tone Viera, producer at SiriusXM, stand-up comedian, and content creator joins us on the Laughing Matters podcast to talk how comedy fuses with hip hop. He breaks down how he fell in love with comedy and his experience working with some of the ...
September 29, 2022
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Episode 17
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21:43
Episode 16 - How humor and laughter can turn your organization into a World Series contender
Wayne McDonnell (aka Doctor Baseball), a sports consultant, college baseball broadcaster, and part of the faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill, joins us on Laughing Matters and takes a headfirst slide into the reasons why laughter separates the great pla...
September 22, 2022
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Episode 16
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31:46
Episode 15 – Don’t worry, be happy… two years later
A recent Oracle survey found that nearly half of participants haven’t felt happiness for more than two years! People want to smile and laugh, but the survey also found 95% of business leaders fear using humor with customers. Ruder Finn CEO Kath...
July 28, 2022
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26:21
Episode 14 - How Southwest keeps it funny at 30,000 feet
Riding for hours in a constricted, highly pressurized cylinder with a bunch of total strangers can be tough, especially if you don't have a sense of humor. Luckily, the airline industry has Linda Rutherford, executive vice president of people &...
June 15, 2022
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31:38
Episode 13 - Life got you down? Reframe it!
Comedian David Horning joins Laughing Matters and teaches us a fresh take on how to reframe even the most difficult situations (hint: make a conscious choice to poke fun at yourself). In this podcast, you'll learn:How he wen...
May 20, 2022
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29:17
Episode 12 – How to decompress: the “Coach” dishes on his game plan.
Teaching business execs how to be leaders is no small feat. Our latest Laughing Matters episode features renown executive coach Ken Jacobs, who talks about critical ways for leaders to blow off steam. His insights include: The ...
March 14, 2022
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34:38
Episode 11 - Putting smiles back on people’s faces
Listen to our insightful discussion with renowned comedian Clayton Fletcher, as he weighs in on how the business world has gone from looking at comedy and humor as a “nice to have” to a necessity that helps solve different challenges and pain p...
January 14, 2022
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28:40