Laughter connects.
How are you leveraging humor to initiate connection, trust and action?
Image credit: Author’s own
Hello fellow Enablers,
Nothing significant gets done without the collaboration of others.
And, if you want people to listen to you more attentively, trust you and ultimately take the action you want them to take, you’re going to have to start by forming a human to human connection.
One of the quickest ways to initiate that connection is by getting someone to laugh or at least give a little smile.
This morning, our Aquilae Academy Peer Mentoring team was joined by the incredible Beth Sherman as a guest speaker.
Beth is a speaker, comedian, and Emmy-winning Hollywood comedy writer who has crafted jokes for some of the biggest names in entertainment. She now helps individuals and organizations harness the power of humor to create deeper, more genuine connections with clients, colleagues, and audiences.
Academy team members from the UK, Middle East, and Australia thoroughly enjoyed learning from Beth about how to make authentic connections quickly, whether on stage, on the page, or in everyday interactions.
As I listened to Beth explain how laughter connects I couldn’t help feel that I’d been missing something very important in my understanding of its role in the corporate world. I knew that a bit of humor made meetings more enjoyable, I knew it made colleagues more fun to be around and I knew that it helped to keep people engaged.
What struck me today was that all our Aquilae Academy team members are going into 2025 with significant challenges and opportunities ahead of them. They are going to need others to be fully onboard, trusting them and taking the action they want them to take. And some of the people they will be relying on, don’t even know them yet.
They will be standing up in front of expectant faces to communicate mission critical information. What will make their efforts effective will be not just how well their message resonates with the audience but also how quickly they are able to form a human to human connection and establish trust with their colleagues.
Beth gave us some practical guidance on how to do just that in a way that is appropriate for the corporate environment and authentic to each of us. A heartfelt thank you to Beth for sharing her expertise and energy with our Academy team.
If you’re curious about how to enhance your leadership journey, build meaningful connections, and tackle challenges alongside a global team of peers, check out our Aquilae Academy Peer Mentoring program (details below).
CAREER-VIEW MIRROR #202
Side Mirror: B.I.G. Iain and the Russian Dolls Part 2
What does it take to grow BIGR?
Last week, I introduced the concept of growing into your biggest Russian doll—the fullest version of yourself—and hinted at explaining the name BIG Iain.
In this week’s Side Mirror episode, we’re diving deeper into what it means to grow BIGR and what BIG Iain represents.
For me, growing into the fullest version of myself has been a journey fueled by Belief, Intentionality, Growth Mindset, and Repetition—the key ingredients of the BIGR framework. These qualities have guided me through a decade of iteration, experimentation, and growth, and I believe they can do the same for you.
In this episode, I also share a personal story of leaving the corporate world and stepping into the unknown to build something of my own—a process that’s taught me to embrace the joy of the journey, even when it feels uncertain.
If you’re curious about growing into the fullest version of yourself, take a listen. It’s about showing up consistently, learning as you go, and staying clear on what really matters.
🎧 Listen to the full episode here:
Apple Podcasts / Online / Spotify.
Check out the directory of all our guests and episodes on Instagram.
“Go to people” need people to go to!
The Aquilae Academy: Guided peer mentoring and coaching for executives, senior leaders and business owners.
Running a business or holding a senior position in an organisation can be very rewarding. At the same time it can be challenging and even lonely.
There are certain topics we are either unable or uncomfortable to discuss with colleagues no matter how self aware and open we are.
Sometimes it is just not appropriate to discuss an issue with a colleague. Maybe they are the issue!
Our partners and friends may want to listen and help but they may not have relevant experience or be completely independent.
The Aquilae Academy is for senior leaders and business owners who:
acknowledge that they can’t and don’t have to do it alone
value interdependence and
are looking to continue learning and growing with the support of a team of like minded peers
If this sounds like you, contact me and I’ll happily tell you more.
Thank you,
Andy
E: andy@aquilae.co.uk