A New Keynote from...
The Golden Globe winning founder of the COMEDY CELLAR:
"Kindness as a Competitive Strategy"
Driving innovation, loyalty, and customer obsession in a cutthroat business.
A practical case study drawn from 44 years of Comedy Cellar success.
(Not a prescription. Steal whatever fits.)
What People Are Saying
Jon Stewart on Bill Grundfest
Bill has employed these techniques at
"Bill Grundfest did the best thing for me ever, I learned how to be myself. It was the thing that made me want to be good."
Jon Stewart
Host, The Daily Show
"Serious Business class was nothing short of amazing... You brought the course to a whole new level of funny this year."
Stanford Graduate School of Business
Prof. Jennifer Aaker
"Bill has appeared three times at our conference for a reason - attendees love his mentorship sessions. He's easy to work with and one of the most fun presenters we've ever had."
Eric Ries
The Lean Startup
About the Keynote
I'm not going to swoop in and tell you how to run your business - I'm going to reveal the success secrets of how we run our business, and invite you to steal them and adapt them for your business.
In the most cutthroat business in the most cutthroat city, the key to the 44 year success of the Comedy Cellar is... a Culture of Kindness.
Kindness Drives Innovation
Innovation means failing - a lot. The Comedy Cellar's culture makes it safe to innovate, and iterate. Innovation can't be bought with a paycheck, it comes from your people loving you.
Talent Acquisition & Loyalty
Churn is expensive. In a world where people change jobs every 2-3 years, the Comedy Cellar's relationships with the world's best performers and staff have lasted for decades. A Culture of Kindness attracts and retains the best.
Customer Obsession
The Comedy Cellar dominates the comedy club market - yet charges significantly less than its competitors. We don't hide from negative feedback, we seek it out, so we can constantly improve.
BONUS - BY REQUEST
The 10 Minute MFA In Storytelling for Business
(hint: your story is not about you)
About Bill Grundfest
Bill Grundfest is the Golden Globe winning founder of the Comedy Cellar, widely considered the most important comedy club in America. And hence, the world.
Ah, the Origin Story: A native New Yorker, Bill was an aspiring comedian who couldn't get spots at the established comedy clubs and decided to "flip the script" by opening his own comedy club - as one does. The only problems: he was 26, had no money and didn't know what he was doing. That didn't stop him.
From the beginning, the Comedy Cellar was built on the DNA of Kindness. As a comedian himself, Bill knew the only way he could get the best comics to travel from the uptown incumbent clubs to a downtown start up in the Village was to give them the things they weren't getting uptown and that comics want more than anything: Kindness, respect, and free food.
Along the way, Bill went to Hollywood, won a Golden Globe award and three Emmy nominations for a career spanning classic sitcoms ("Mad About You") and global telecasts such as the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys.
Bill is the father of two humans and numerous animals. His wife of 26 years still has a blind spot shaped like him.
FOR INFO ON BOOKING
Founder of the COMEDY CELLAR:
"Kindness as a Competitive Strategy"
No agents. No hype.