show episodes
 
Join John Register, Paralympic Silver Medalist and combat veteran and Kat Koppett, organizational psychologist, improviser and theater owner as they share their experiences, insights and tools for navigating change. If you've ever wondered what it takes to achieve remarkable success to overcome obstacles and transform your performance in the face of BIG CHANGE, then you are in the right place. Want to share a moment of change? Reach us at: hello@koppett.com or john@johnregister.com
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In our uncertain, unscripted world how do we Dare to be Human? How can we become more aware of how we show up in our lives moment to moment? How can we expand our range of options? Hosts Kat and Livia will explore human identity, performance, and connection in each episode through the lenses of applied improv, storytelling, psychology, and more!
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show series
 
Join us on this transformative journey with Jason O. Harris, where we unravel the intricate layers that contribute to personal and professional success. Jason, a seasoned commercial and US Air Force pilot, delves into his past experiences, highlighting how critical moments from our upbringing to our careers shape our approach to change and success.…
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Unlock the secrets of thriving in the face of change with the guidance of Amy C. Horner, an executive and CPA whose innovative approach will change your perspective on personal and professional transitions. Our conversation with Amy unravels the art of "Hugging the Porcupine," a strategy for embracing the prickly edges of change without getting hur…
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Join us on a compelling journey with leadership expert Nitya Shekar as we challenge conventional wisdom and redefine leadership. Nitya, a New York City-based professional with an eclectic background in law, executive coaching, and neuroscience research, adds an interesting dimension to our discussion with her insights on shaping values-driven compa…
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Are you ready to turn your conflicts into stepping stones to success? This episode brings you deep into the intricacies of conflict, power dynamics, and transformation. We, your hosts, Kat Koppett and John Register, are on a mission to equip you with the tools you need to navigate conflict and emerge victorious. Unpacking the nature of conflict, we…
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In a world where our voice is our most powerful tool, we sat down with Kimberly Mohne-Hill - a revered dialect coach, voice coach, and professor of voice and acting at Santa Clara University - to unravel the intricacies of our vocal cords. Kimberly's decades of experience have seen her master the art of voice and speech, a journey she so generously…
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How does a fashion industry titan navigate the seismic shifts brought on by a global pandemic? What happens when she decides to reinvent herself amidst the chaos and uncertainty? Join us as we explore these pressing questions and more with our guest, Melissa Cohen. A fashion maven consultant and founding member of Chief, Melissa has journeyed from …
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When John, a two-time Paralympic athlete and a combat army veteran, found himself struggling on a hike, he turned to Dr. Teresa Larson for help. The journey they embarked on, navigating the path of accepting help and embracing change, forms an inspiring and heartwarming narrative that we share in Episode 13 of the Performance Shift podcast. Dr. Lar…
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In Episode 12, John and Kat unlock the power of storytelling for personal change and leadership. We explore the role of narratives in navigating change phases, delve into leadership, vulnerability, and grit dynamics, and discover the impact of positive narratives on personal growth. You'll be intrigued by our discussion on how these self-created st…
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Kristen van Ginhoven is a leader, theatre director, arts educator, change-maker and social entrepreneur who works at the intersection of arts and activism. Since 2010, Kristen has been the co-founder and Producing Artistic Director of WAM, a theater company that creates theatre for gender equity and has a vision of theatre as philanthropy. Join us …
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For the 10th episode (double digits!) John and Kat unpack the common themes they are noticing as they engage with clients from the high-tech world, to start-ups to non-profits. We discuss the difference between change that is chosen and change that is thrust upon us, the percentage of people who follow through on John's challenge , the power of acc…
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The creator of Palette, a social destination dedicated to supporting women in career and in life, joins us to talk about creating the community you most need, the power of mutual support, and how to get unstuck. Palette has quickly become a sought after haven for 250+ remote workers, solo entrepreneurs and working mothers who need a safe space, but…
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Cited by Oprah Magazine as "one of our favorite creative thinkers," Dion Flynn is a comedy writer, speaker, U.S. Army veteran and Founder of The Improvisor’s Mindset a corporate training and consulting firm. On TV he's best known for playing Barack Obama (and 15 other characters) in over 100 appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Yo…
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Join Kat and John for a conversation with Paralympian and DEI professional Patty Cisneros Prevo who is transforming children's literature and by extension our views of ourselves and our world. In 2019, Patty received the Lee & Low Books New Voices Award Honor for Tenacious: Fifteen Adventures Alongside Disabled Athletes. Tenacious highlights 15 dis…
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Sylvia Hoffman is not only a 2022 Olympic Bronze Medalist. She is also an engineer, a national, international and Olympic record holder, an undefeated national champion, and a keynote speaker. Join John, Kat and Sylvia for an exploration of: the mindset it takes to tackle "impossible" goals, how to embrace opportunity, even when it is unexpected or…
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In this episode, John shares the details of his amazing personal journey and how he has mined it to create his five-step "Hurdling Adversity" framework: Rebuild, Redefine, Release, Rebirth and Resolve. He'll share stories of navigating mind-boggling change from his time in military service, training for the Olympics and competing in the Paralympics…
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In this delicious episode, John and Kat chat with candy-maker and entrepreneur and super optimist, Carrie Abbott, as she shares her journey navigating a series of life and business hurdles with optimism and faith. We discuss: How accepting unexpected offers grew into a new opportunities How daring to be obvious can lead to the most creative ideas T…
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Garrett Reisman, Astronaut and Professor of Astronautical Engineering knows what he is talking about when he discusses embracing risk-taking, celebrating failure (even big flashy, public failure) and surprising even ourselves with what we can achieve. Join John and Kat for this truly "out of this world" conversation with Performance Shift's officia…
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In this episode, John shares how he employed Kat's counter-intuitive "Sabotage" game, taught to her by the great Sivasailam Thiagarajan (Thiagi), to turn around the U.S. Olympic bobsled team. And we demonstrate how you can use the game yourself to uncover hidden opportunities to get out of your own way. Kat also walks us through the 6 core improv s…
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Are you ready to master the art of successfully navigating change? Welcome to "Performance Shift," the live-stream podcast exploring the strategies and mindsets behind top-performing individuals and teams and how they artfully manage life's twists and turns. In this week's inaugural episode, our hosts will share how they learned to appreciate the s…
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Meet Koppett's new VP of Leadership and Culture, Chris Esparza. Chris shares his dare to be human story on transition and the humanity of change and we discuss yes, and-ing with joy, the multidimensional power of play, and seeing the opportunities (or treasures) everywhere around us. Find Chris on LinkedIN (https://www.linkedin.com/in/unscriptedchr…
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Educator, social worker, writer, and President/CEO of the McLean Group, Kathleen McLean, joins us to discuss the power of noticing and asking “why” in the context of equity, power, and purpose. Kathleen’s work has been recognized as one of the top 50 influential people in the Capital Region and as a leader/ champion in DEI. Join us as she shares he…
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We welcome back Theresa Robbins Dudeck and Caitlin McClure to discuss their new book The Applied Improvisation Mindset: Tools for Transforming Organizations and Communities. Theresa and Caitlin share their dare to be human stories on risk, safety, and leaning into discomfort to do the right thing. We explore the power of being average, doing the ne…
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World-renowned actor, teacher, improviser, director, author, and playwright Patti Stiles joins us to talk about her new book Improvise Freely: Throw Away the Rulebook and Unleash Your Creativity. Patti shares her dare to be human story as we discuss courage and fear, creating spaces for creativity to thrive, the great "yes, and" debate, unlearning …
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Authors of Life Unscripted: Using Improv Principles to Get Unstuck, Boost Confidence, and Transform Your Life and DTBH veterans, Jeff Katzman M.D. and Dan O'Connor join us to discuss their new book Ensemble!: Using the Power of Improv and Play to Forge Connections in a Lonely World. Jeff and Dan share their dare to be human stories of leadership th…
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What do two classic improv performance games (Sit, Stand, Kneel and Family Dinner) and the world-famous Story Spine have in common? Kenn Adams! Our guest this week is the Artistic Director of Synergy Theater, the author of the book How to Improvise a Full-Length Play; The Art of Spontaneous Theater, and longtime pal, Kenn Adams. We explore Kenn's c…
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Corey Rosen, author of Your Story, Well Told joins Kat and Livia. As much of the USA transitions out of pandemic mode, life becomes all about adapting to the "new normal." From his unique perspective as an improviser and story coach, Corey supplies some valuable techniques for those times when we need some fresh new ideas--now. Corey coaches people…
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If the words "positive psychology" make you think of a mashup of canned affirmations and shallow optimism, you aren't alone. But in this episode, Shannon Polly, coach, theatre person, trainer, facilitator, and one of the first 100 people to get a Masters in Positive Psychology, sets the record straight. From a tale of a taping with Paula Poundstone…
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Michael Burns is Kat's husband and the Artistic Director of our improvisational theatre company, The Mop & Bucket Co (mopco.org). Michael joins Kat and Livia to celebrate our 50th episode AND the 25th anniversary season of the Mop & Bucket Company. (but is it really? All is revealed in the podcast!) Among other things, we talk about what cargo cult…
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Self-described improv nerd (and renowned improv performer and teacher) Joe Bill talks shop with Kat and Livia. Be forewarned, there's a fair amount of inside baseball in this one--if you aren't an improviser you may scratch your head at some of the references to names or exercises, but these few improv-specific moments keep company with an abundanc…
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Can you find a living point of connection between powerlifting, Laplandic reindeer herding, biology and anthropology, damaging gender stereotypes in the sports world, and improv? We can! Her name is Cara Ocobock. Dr. Ocobock is the Director of the Human Energetics Laboratory at Notre Dame University. Her research program integrates human biology an…
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Tom Floyd's company, Flouracity, creates " space for managers, leaders and other mammals to grow." He comes to this venture after years inside a number of large and wildly successful companies, the most recent, a fast-paced, fast-growth environment where radical prioritization and charting one's own course is imperative. Tom shares the story of his…
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Charles Silberstein is an esteemed psychiatrist, author, researcher, and fascinating, tireless observer of humanity, his own and others’. He also happens to be Kat's cousin! In this conversation, Charles and Kat discuss awakening to their own privilege, how awareness of conscious and unconscious bias is a never-ending journey, therapy as a form of …
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Our friend Pam Victor, a teacher, writer, entrepreneur (and of course, improvisor) talks with Kat and Livia about her 30 Day Happiness Experiment- and lots of other things. This far-ranging conversation touches on unexpected results, joy, awareness, self-help, helping others, privilege, social justice, and much more. It might sound like a lot, but …
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Paul Z. Jackson, a founder of the Applied Improv Network, is a journalist, a philosopher, and of course an improviser who came to improv from the from the "offstage world." Paul joins Kat and Livia to unpack some ongoing conversations. Among other things, they discuss learning from success, improvisation as an evaluative exercise, art vs. engineeri…
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Kat talks about facilitation with Jeff Mitchell, President of Proteus International. Proteus and Koppett partner on a number of projects, including a series of programs to develop, coach and measure Facilitation Excellence. Through this lens, Kat and Jeff and Livia muse on collaboration, what's different and what's not at this strange time, and how…
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Morgan Heyward of Illuminate Theatre returns to update us on her work, her thoughts on the state of the arts at this moment in our national consciousness, and some exciting new opportunities she has coming up. Check out our first DTBH follow-up episode! https://www.facebook.com/IlluminateTheatre518 https://teespring.com/illuminatetheatremerch?pid=2…
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Broadway performer Adam Grupper recounts the tale of his real-life actor's nightmare, which happened to take place on the night of his Broadway debut in a starring role. In this conversation Adam and Kat talk about dedication, process over product, and the critical importance of the improv precept "make your partner look good." A fascinating hour w…
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WAM Theatre is a professional theatre company based in Berkshire County, MA, USA, that operates at the intersection of arts and activism. WAM creates theatre for gender equity and has a vision of theatre as philanthropy. The founding artistic director of WAM, Kristen van Ginhoven, talked to us about the new performance called for in this unique tim…
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Kat and Alex discuss improvising in a time of crisis. If we weren't on the mark about us all improvising all the time, we certainly are now. Cancellations. New rules and guidelines. The ways things were can't be, so how do we keep moving? We discuss some basic improv principles that you may find helpful as you navigate and adjust to challenges, dis…
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Kat and Alex discuss a Dare to Be Human Story Alex shares about bumping into someone at a concert. They discuss awareness, our internal stories, the differences that emerge in "shared" experiences, and how first reactions can be the wrong ones. Be sure to share this episode with a friend and to share your own Dare to be Human stories with us! _____…
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Kat and Alex talk with Lindsey Caplan about her work on helping us to gather more effectively. We discuss Lindsey's journey discovering that she needed to do this work and begin to turn it into a book. She shares some insights into why gatherings can feel like a let down to those gathered and shares some tips to gatherers about how to be more inten…
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Kat and Alex discuss mindfulness, what it is and some methods toward being more mindful. Alex shares a DTBH story about trying to be a better hitter in baseball to get things rolling as we pull at the threads of a very tangled web of topics. We discuss how we can approach mindfulness, conscious and unconscious competence, self-fulfilling prophecies…
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Kat and Alex talk about the differences between something that is habitual and something that is truly authentic to you. How can we tell the difference? Where do these unhelpful habits come from? How can we make sure our habits are aligned with our intentions and reflect or desires? With a few stories and discussion, Kat and Alex explore how we can…
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Kat and Alex chat with their friend and colleague Brenny Rabine. The coach, facilitator, and actor shares a story about being told about your inner strength and how we can approach helping to grow strength in others. We discuss performing, deciding to make the career you want to have against expectations, and some of the realities of being a workin…
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Kat and Alex talk with game designer Jason Morningstar about "meta techniques" to create games where we can play safely, bringing FIASCO to the Mopco Improv Theatre, the brilliance of the group, social engineering through games, and why his work his like making a fine table leg. Support Jason and Bully Pulpit Games on Patreon! Jason Morningstar Jas…
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Our very own Livia is now Livia Armstrong Walker! It got us thinking about weddings and what a complex and intense moment they can be in our lives. So we gathered the team together to share some stories dive deeper in! Send us your advice from kids for our collaborative project, questions, comments, episode ideas or your very own Dare to be Human s…
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