Many of us may think of laughter as great medicine. But what about laughter as a source of deep insight about consumer behavior and human nature? My guest Rajiv Satyal takes the concept of “funny ‘cause it’s true” and turns it into a hilariously powerful approach to learn about what truly resonates with people. Rajiv learned to blend what he learned as a marketer at Proctor & Gamble with the skills he has honed as a professional comedian for nearly two decades.
In this episode Rajiv and I talk about what he learned working at Procter & Gamble, the difference between being a “perfectionist” and an “excellentist,” his journey going pro as a stand up comedian, observations on creative process and making comedy accessible for audiences, the difference in mindset between getting laughs and giving laughs, his disagreement with Yoda, transforming failure into gold, his approach to applying “Funny ‘Cause It’s True” (FCIT) with brand and marketing teams, and how we can make work more enjoyable and meaningful.
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Rajiv Satyal is a Los Angeles-based comedian, host, and speaker. His TV-clean act has made him one of the most versatile comedians working today. He has performed stand up and spoken to audiences in over 100 colleges and at Fortune 500 companies. His corporate clients include P&G, GE, Google, General Mills, Quaker, Toyota, Cisco and more. Rajiv has shared the stage with comedians including Russel Peters, Tim Allen, Sebastian Maniscalco, Jo Koy, Kevin Nealon, and Dave Chappelle. He has written and performed three one-person shows, developed his podcast The TanGent Show, and his talk show What Do You Bring to The Table? where he interviews guests including Hasan Minhaj, Aasif Mandvi, Preity Zinta, and Deepak Chopra. His videos have amassed 100 million online views, including his massively viral video I am Indian, which has been seen over 50 million times, shared by Bollywood stars, and used to introduce the Indian Prime Minister in Shanghai and Dubai. Rajiv is the first (and only) person to perform standup comedy on all 7 continents. He performs regularly at the major comedy clubs in LA, including the Hollywood Laugh Factory, The Hollywood Improv, and The Comedy & Magic Club.
You can find Rajiv on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and at www.funnyindian.com.
ABOUT MAKING BUSINESS ART
Making Business Art is a podcast for curious people where we draw lessons and inspiration from creative leaders, entrepreneurs, artists, designers, and scientists about making a beautiful business and life. We have conversations about how to create a powerful connection with the people we serve while making our craft an engine for personal growth.
This podcast is the creation of and hosted by me, Ezequiel Williams. I am an entrepreneur, innovation strategist, facilitator, and business designer. I help leaders and teams see their challenges differently and find ways to deliver value that are more desirable and satisfying for the people they serve. I am very curious and love to learn about how things work, what makes people tick, and how to create more joy in the world.
