Workday Playdate

By Erin Diehl - Workday PlaydateBusiness Education How To Careers Management

Workday Playdate episodes

May 26, 202156. The Gifts of Going Blind with Chad Foster: International Motivational Speaker
“I wasn't responsible for my blindness, but I had to be accountable for my life and its outcomes. It's my life. I have to own it. It's your life. You have to own it.” - Chad Foster Failed it! Fam, on today’s episode we have inspirational speaker, Chad Foster with us! He truly took lemons and made lemonade with the visual impairment he acquired in college. With his blindness, he has done so much more than thought possible – a Harvard Business School Leadership Program graduate who climbed the corporate ladder and only wants to share his story so people don’t have to go through what he’s gone through to learn what he’s learned. Please give a warm welcome to Chad Foster! In today’s episode, Chad talks to us about:

Living life blind

Overcoming challenges through resilience

“Ambitionitis”

#SargeTheGuideDog

Links from show discussions:

Book an improve it! Virtual Workshop

https://chadefoster.com/

https://www.facebook.com/FindChadEFoster

https://www.instagram.com/FindChadEFoster

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadfoster

https://twitter.com/ChadEFoster

Blind Ambition Book

About the Guest: Chad Foster is a husband, a father, and an avid snow skier who is not just competing with his condition, he is competing with the world's most successful people. Chad believes he is not successful in spite of being blind, but rather he is successful because he is blind. He embraced his problem and turned it in to a solution. Can you imagine going blind as a teenager? When most people were preparing for the adventure of adult life, Chad Foster was watching the world he grew up in fade to black, but that didn't stop him from becoming the first blind person to graduate from the Harvard Business School Leadership Program and climbing the corporate ladder as a successful sales executive throughout his career. His financial strategies and decisions have resulted in the creation of countless jobs. Billions of dollars in revenue industry leading growth and best in class margins. He works at Red Hat, one of the most innovative tech companies and the world's largest open source software company, which was recently purchased by IBM for 34 billion. With determination, ambition and drive, he created what Oracle said would be impossible. He gave millions of people the ability to earn a living by becoming the first to create customer relationship software for the visually impaired. While with speaking invites from London to Beijing and the Atlanta Opera commissioning an opera inspired by his life story, Chad inspires people to overcome their own blind spots. About the Host: Erin Diehl is the founder and Chief “Yes, And” officer of improve it! and host of the failed it! Podcast. She’s a performer, facilitator and professional risk-taker who lives by the mantra, “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin has created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow. Her work with clients such as United Airlines, PepsiCo, Groupon, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, and The Obama Foundation earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has nominated her for the 2015-2019 Chicago Innovations Award. This graduate from Clemson University is a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre. When she is not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys running and beach dates with her husband and son, and their eight pound toy poodle, BIGG Diehl. You can follow the failed it! podcast on Instagram @learntoimproveit and facebook, and you can follow Erin personally on Instagram @keepinitrealdiehl here. You can also check out improve it! and how we can help your organization at www.learntoimproveit.com. We can’t wait to connect with you online!

For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.
Connect with Erin Diehl
🌟 Learn more about Workday Playdate: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/podcast-page
🎤 Book Erin to speak: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/keynote-speaker
📚 Workshops & Team Experiences: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/experiential-training
💌 Learn more about Erin: https://www.itserindiehl.com/meet-erin
📱 For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.
Loved this episode?
If this conversation made you think differently about work, leadership, or building joyful teams, please follow Workday Playdate on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who could use more play in their workday.
44 min
May 19, 202155. 5 Tips on How to Lead Remote or Hybrid Teams
“Celebrating is so good for the soul. Celebrating the fails reminds everyone that they're human, that they're trying, and that they can come up with solutions to make the place they work, a place that they want to come to for years to come.” - Erin Diehl Do you lead a team at work and are prepping to go hybrid? In this episode, Erin reflects back from when the pandemic started to now and how much change we’ve endured. Listen in as she provides tips on how to lead rock star remote or hybrid teams! In today’s episode, Erin talks to us about:

improve it!’s evolution

Helpful tips for leaders during this time

The importance of celebrating wins and losses

Links from show discussions:

Book an Improve it! Laugh Break

Minisode 1: How to Throw a Failure Party

About the Host: Erin Diehl is the founder and Chief “Yes, And” officer of improve it! and host of the failed it! Podcast. She’s a performer, facilitator and professional risk-taker who lives by the mantra, “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin has created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow. Her work with clients such as United Airlines, PepsiCo, Groupon, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, and The Obama Foundation earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has nominated her for the 2015-2019 Chicago Innovations Award. This graduate from Clemson University is a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre. When she is not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys running and beach dates with her husband and son, and their eight pound toy poodle, BIGG Diehl. You can follow the failed it! podcast on Instagram @learntoimproveit and facebook, and you can follow Erin personally on Instagram @keepinitrealdiehl here. You can also check out improve it! and how we can help your organization at www.learntoimproveit.com. We can’t wait to connect with you online!

For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.
Connect with Erin Diehl
🌟 Learn more about Workday Playdate: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/podcast-page
🎤 Book Erin to speak: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/keynote-speaker
📚 Workshops & Team Experiences: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/experiential-training
💌 Learn more about Erin: https://www.itserindiehl.com/meet-erin
📱 For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.
Loved this episode?
If this conversation made you think differently about work, leadership, or building joyful teams, please follow Workday Playdate on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who could use more play in their workday.
30 min
May 17, 2021 MINISODE #3: How to Own Your Confidence at Work
Failed it! Fam – Are you confident in your career? On today’s minisode, our improve it! Director of Talent, Cristy Mercier, is here to talk to us about owning your confidence at work and how it can benefit you both professionally and personally. About the Guest: Empirical evidence has shown that improvisational training has the ability to improve an employee’s trust, teamwork, communication, presentation skills, creative problem solving, and can improve a company’s overall corporate culture. No one knows that better than Cristy Mercier, she’s studied and performed this amazing art form at many institutions, some of which are The Second City, the iO Training Center, the Annoyance, and Comedy Sportz . As the Director of Talent for improve it!, Cristy has conducted workshops across the country, leveraging improvisational techniques to improve employees’ skills in corporate settings, facilitating sessions for clients such as Exelon, Motorola Solutions, Groupon, Elkay Manufacturing, Accenture, The PrivateBank, Quicken Loans, Milhouse Engineering, Crowe Horwath, and many more. About the Host: Erin Diehl is the founder and Chief “Yes, And” officer of improve it! and host of the failed it! Podcast. She’s a performer, facilitator and professional risk-taker who lives by the mantra, “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin has created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow. Her work with clients such as United Airlines, PepsiCo, Groupon, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, and The Obama Foundation earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has nominated her for the 2015-2019 Chicago Innovations Award. This graduate from Clemson University is a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre. When she is not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys running and beach dates with her husband and son, and their eight pound toy poodle, BIGG Diehl. You can follow the failed it! podcast on Instagram @learntoimproveit and facebook, and you can follow Erin personally on Instagram @keepinitrealdiehl here. You can also check out improve it! and how we can help your organization at www.learntoimproveit.com. We can’t wait to connect with you online!

For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.
Connect with Erin Diehl
🌟 Learn more about Workday Playdate: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/podcast-page
🎤 Book Erin to speak: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/keynote-speaker
📚 Workshops & Team Experiences: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/experiential-training
💌 Learn more about Erin: https://www.itserindiehl.com/meet-erin
📱 For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.
Loved this episode?
If this conversation made you think differently about work, leadership, or building joyful teams, please follow Workday Playdate on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who could use more play in their workday.
15 min
May 12, 202154. Climb Your Own Everest with Sara Safari: Advocate, Adventurer and TedX Speaker
“Start right now. Don't wait for anything to happen. Don't wait for the next car, the next house, the next relationship. Don't wait for something else to happen for you to start pursuing your dreams, to take one step towards your dreams.” - Sara Safari Failed it! Fam, today we have an inspirational and passionate woman who converted sadness and darkness into a powerful, positive experience to help raise awareness, donate, and fight a cause that’s so important. Please give a warm welcome to Dr. Sara Safari! In today’s episode, Dr. Safari talks to us about:

Outfluencer v. Influencer

Not letting fears make decisions

Women empowerment

Links from show discussions:

Improve it! Five Day Challenge - scroll to the bottom and enter your email!

http://www.sarasafari.com/

Climb Your Everest | Sara Safari | TEDxIHEParis

Sara’s Instagram

http://sarasafari.com/iwanttoclimbmyEverest/

Would you like to join Sara to the entire trip to Nepal?! Contact her at [email protected]!

About the Guest: Dr. Sara Safari is an author, speaker, mountain climber, college professor, Electrical Engineer and advocate for women empowerment. She has received the award for The Global Citizen from United Nations Association in 2015. She is a board member and director of development in Empower Nepali Girls foundation. She also has received the award for Outstanding Practice with Broad Impact in the area of women and leadership from International Leadership Association in 2017. Sara will be the first Iranian in history to climb the Seven Summits, the seven highest peaks in each continent. She is climbing to raise funds for seven organizations who are empowering women. About the Host: Erin Diehl is the founder and Chief “Yes, And” officer of improve it! and host of the failed it! Podcast. She’s a performer, facilitator and professional risk-taker who lives by the mantra, “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin has created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow. Her work with clients such as United Airlines, PepsiCo, Groupon, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, and The Obama Foundation earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has nominated her for the 2015-2019 Chicago Innovations Award. This graduate from Clemson University is a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre. When she is not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys running and beach dates with her husband and son, and their eight pound toy poodle, BIGG Diehl. You can follow the failed it! podcast on Instagram @learntoimproveit and facebook, and you can follow Erin personally on Instagram @keepinitrealdiehl here. You can also check out improve it! and how we can help your organization at www.learntoimproveit.com. We can’t wait to connect with you online!

For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.
Connect with Erin Diehl
🌟 Learn more about Workday Playdate: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/podcast-page
🎤 Book Erin to speak: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/keynote-speaker
📚 Workshops & Team Experiences: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/experiential-training
💌 Learn more about Erin: https://www.itserindiehl.com/meet-erin
📱 For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.
Loved this episode?
If this conversation made you think differently about work, leadership, or building joyful teams, please follow Workday Playdate on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who could use more play in their workday.
41 min
May 05, 202153. MOM AF: Real Talk with Christine Michel Carter - The #1 Global Voice for Working Moms
“Matrescence is a very big deal and it changes you forever, personally and professionally, so any support that I can give to those women, I want to continue doing that.” - Christine Michel Carter Failed it! Fam, today we have a parent, teacher, entrepreneur, speaker, author, and multi-passionate person. Please give a warm welcome to Christine Michel Carter! In today’s episode, Christine talks to us about:

Being a working mom

A balanced, fluid workforce

Advocating for others

Links from show discussions:

Celebs on Sandwiches

Improve it! F Words at Work

Mom AF Book

Christine’s Facebook

Christine’s Website

Twitter and Instagram: @cmichelcarter

About the Guest: Best-selling author Christine Michel Carter is the #1 global voice for working moms. Her writing has reached parents and working families in more than 150 countries. At home she’s Mommy to Maya and West, the two cutest damn kids on the planet. Featured in The New York Times and The Washington Post, Christine contributes to ForbesWomen as a senior contributor. She has written hundreds of articles with over one million views for several publications, including TIME and Parents. Christine’s insights have been included by other authors in their books. Her own best-selling children’s book Can Mommy Go To Work? was ranked as an “empowering book” and a “life changing book to guide feminist parenting.” Her book MOM AF is a sister circle in a book, inspired both by Carter’s life and her published articles. Christine clarifies misconceptions about working mom consumers and multicultural consumers for brands and serves as an amplifier of their personal truths. From delivering consumer insights and brand marketing content to helping HR and diversity teams attract and retain these hardworking professionals, Christine works with advertising agencies, research firms and companies to ensure they’re at the forefront of the minds of female consumers. Christine also works to advance policies on a range of health issues that affect women and families. She does this particularly through collaborations with other organizations focused on eliminating racial disparities in maternal health, addressing the social determinants of health, and a range of women’s health policy issues. Christine has worked with the Congressional Caucus on Black Women & Girls, the Fam Tech Founders Collaborative, the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on maternal and child care related issues. She has also received a Congressional Citation from the U.S. Senate for going “above and beyond in ensuring that Black Moms and Moms of Color have access to important health information for their children and families.” In addition to interviewing former Senator and the first female Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris, Christine has also worked on her maternal initiatives. Christine is the founder of Mompreneur and Me, the nation’s first free mommy and me professional development event. Christine’s co-hosted conference, The State Of Black Mothers In America, is the largest global conference for Black mothers. As an executive committee member of Mom Congress, Christine wants Black mothers around the world to stop suffering in silence. About the Host: Erin Diehl is the founder and Chief “Yes, And” officer of improve it! and host of the failed it! Podcast. She’s a performer, facilitator and professional risk-taker who lives by the mantra, “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin has created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow. Her work with clients such as United Airlines, PepsiCo, Groupon, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, and The Obama Foundation earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has nominated her for the 2015-2019 Chicago Innovations Award. This graduate from Clemson University is a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre. When she is not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys running and beach dates with her husband and son, and their eight pound toy poodle, BIGG Diehl. You can follow the failed it! podcast on Instagram @learntoimproveit and facebook, and you can follow Erin personally on Instagram @keepinitrealdiehl here. You can also check out improve it! and how we can help your organization at www.learntoimproveit.com. We can’t wait to connect with you online!

For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.
Connect with Erin Diehl
🌟 Learn more about Workday Playdate: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/podcast-page
🎤 Book Erin to speak: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/keynote-speaker
📚 Workshops & Team Experiences: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/experiential-training
💌 Learn more about Erin: https://www.itserindiehl.com/meet-erin
📱 For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.
Loved this episode?
If this conversation made you think differently about work, leadership, or building joyful teams, please follow Workday Playdate on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who could use more play in their workday.
40 min
May 03, 2021 MINISODE #2: Feeling Defeated as a Leader?
Failed it! Fam – Are you currently feeling defeated as a leader? You’re in luck, because on today’s minisode we have our improve it! Lead Facilitator, Catharine Savag on to talk through tips and tricks on how to change your mindset through improv. About the Guest: Originally from Massachusetts, Catharine Savage is a graduate from Brown University with a degree in History and Gender Studies. She has trained at iO and The Second City and is a performer with The Second City's National Touring Company. Off the stage, she has five years of corporate experience, having worked in sales enablement and management/technology consulting. She loves bringing levity to the office and finding ways we can be better people at our jobs. Catharine has conducted workshops with improve it! across the country leveraging improvisational techniques to improve employees’ soft skills in corporate settings, facilitating sessions for clients such as HUB International, Quicken Loans, Embarc Chicago, Vantage Leadership Consulting, Motorola Solutions, Elkay Manufacturing, PepsiCo, and many more. About the Host: Erin Diehl is the founder and Chief “Yes, And” officer of improve it! and host of the failed it! Podcast. She’s a performer, facilitator and professional risk-taker who lives by the mantra, “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin has created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow. Her work with clients such as United Airlines, PepsiCo, Groupon, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, and The Obama Foundation earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has nominated her for the 2015-2019 Chicago Innovations Award. This graduate from Clemson University is a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre. When she is not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys running and beach dates with her husband and son, and their eight pound toy poodle, BIGG Diehl. You can follow the failed it! podcast on Instagram @learntoimproveit and facebook, and you can follow Erin personally on Instagram @keepinitrealdiehl here. You can also check out improve it! and how we can help your organization at www.learntoimproveit.com. We can’t wait to connect with you online!

For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.
Connect with Erin Diehl
🌟 Learn more about Workday Playdate: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/podcast-page
🎤 Book Erin to speak: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/keynote-speaker
📚 Workshops & Team Experiences: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/experiential-training
💌 Learn more about Erin: https://www.itserindiehl.com/meet-erin
📱 For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.
Loved this episode?
If this conversation made you think differently about work, leadership, or building joyful teams, please follow Workday Playdate on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who could use more play in their workday.
15 min
April 28, 202152. What "Soft Skills" Parenting in A Pandemic Adds to Your Resume
“The fact we wear so many hats and still manage to get so many things accomplished should allow anyone to feel more confident about themselves.” - Erin Diehl Failed it! Fam, first and foremost, Happy (early) Mother’s Day to you or your loved ones. We’re dedicating this episode to all the mothers, those who have mothers, or the special individuals in your life who act like a mother. On today’s episode, our host, Erin Diehl, is sharing the importance of achievable parenting skills you can incorporate anywhere. Listen in as Erin talks to us about "soft skills” parenting in a pandemic. Links from show discussions:

Improve it!’s Virtual Trainings

Episode 49 - Failures in Fertility: Why our Fertility Stories Matter

Episode 51 - Leaders, It's Time to Talk About Infertility: with Dr. Angie Beltsos of Vios Fertility

About the Host: Erin Diehl is the founder and Chief “Yes, And” officer of improve it! and host of the failed it! Podcast. She’s a performer, facilitator and professional risk-taker who lives by the mantra, “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin has created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow. Her work with clients such as United Airlines, PepsiCo, Groupon, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, and The Obama Foundation earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has nominated her for the 2015-2019 Chicago Innovations Award. This graduate from Clemson University is a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre. When she is not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys running and beach dates with her husband and son, and their eight pound toy poodle, BIGG Diehl. You can follow the failed it! podcast on Instagram @learntoimproveit and facebook, and you can follow Erin personally on Instagram @keepinitrealdiehl here. You can also check out improve it! and how we can help your organization at www.learntoimproveit.com. We can’t wait to connect with you online!

For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.
Connect with Erin Diehl
🌟 Learn more about Workday Playdate: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/podcast-page
🎤 Book Erin to speak: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/keynote-speaker
📚 Workshops & Team Experiences: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/experiential-training
💌 Learn more about Erin: https://www.itserindiehl.com/meet-erin
📱 For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.
Loved this episode?
If this conversation made you think differently about work, leadership, or building joyful teams, please follow Workday Playdate on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who could use more play in their workday.
25 min
April 21, 202151. Leaders, It's Time to Talk About Infertility: with Dr. Angie Beltsos of Vios Fertility
“We have an opportunity on social media to empower and educate and to really just kind of loosen it up a little bit so people can hear some of the opportunities to become parents.” - Dr. Angie Beltsos Failed it! Fam, we have an incredible, selfless guest who helps bring humans into the world. Literally. She recognizes the power of social media to help educate and normalize infertility. Please give a warm welcome to Dr. Angie Beltsos! In today’s episode, Dr. Beltsos talks to us about:

How she educates and normalizes infertility on social media

Three forces to take leadership to a new dimension in culture

The importance of creating safe spaces internally and externally

How to share your “gifts” with the world

Links from show discussions:

Episode 49

Improve it! Laugh Break

Conscious Leadership Book

Beltsos’ Website

Beltsos’ Instagram

Beltsos’ TikTok

Vios Fertility Instagram

Vios Fertility Facebook

Vios Fertility YouTube

About the Guest: Angeline N. Beltsos, MD is the CEO and Chief Medical Officer of Vios Fertility Institute. She is double board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI). Dr. Beltsos completed medical school at Michigan State University. Shen then went on to do her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Loyola University in 1995 followed by a fellowship in REI at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, completed in 1997. Dr. Beltsos is also part of the Clinical Research team at Vios and participates in a number of research projects and scientific publications. She has received numerous awards in teaching and has been honored as “Top Doctor” from Castle Connelly for several years. She is a popular speaker, both nationally and internationally, and a frequent media resource on the topic of infertility. Dr. Beltsos is the executive chairperson for the Midwest Reproductive Symposium International, an international conference of fertility experts. She helps educate future OB/GYN doctors as the previous REI Division Education Director for the Obstetrics and Gynecology residency programs of Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Lutheran General Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital Chicago, and Mercy Chicago. She is also a Clinical Assistant Professor for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Illinois at Chicago. She continues to mentor REI doctors as well as students of all stages of education. About the Host: Erin Diehl is the founder and Chief “Yes, And” officer of improve it! and host of the failed it! Podcast. She’s a performer, facilitator and professional risk-taker who lives by the mantra, “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin has created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow. Her work with clients such as United Airlines, PepsiCo, Groupon, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, and The Obama Foundation earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has nominated her for the 2015-2019 Chicago Innovations Award. This graduate from Clemson University is a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre. When she is not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys running and beach dates with her husband and son, and their eight pound toy poodle, BIGG Diehl. You can follow the failed it! podcast on Instagram @learntoimproveit and facebook, and you can follow Erin personally on Instagram @keepinitrealdiehl here. You can also check out improve it! and how we can help your organization at www.learntoimproveit.com. We can’t wait to connect with you online!

For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.
Connect with Erin Diehl
🌟 Learn more about Workday Playdate: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/podcast-page
🎤 Book Erin to speak: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/keynote-speaker
📚 Workshops & Team Experiences: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/experiential-training
💌 Learn more about Erin: https://www.itserindiehl.com/meet-erin
📱 For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.
Loved this episode?
If this conversation made you think differently about work, leadership, or building joyful teams, please follow Workday Playdate on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who could use more play in their workday.
42 min
April 19, 2021 MINISODE #1: How to Throw a “Failure Party”
Failed it! Fam – Have you ever thrown your team a failure party? What is a failure party? Why should you throw one? Welcome to our first of many minisodes on the failed it! podcast. Today we have our Podcast Manager, Rachel Oliveros, on to talk through the importance of these fabulous failure parties, as well as what to expect from these mini episodes moving forward. Welcome to failed it! (minisodes). About the Guest: Rachel Oliveros is a Loyola University Chicago alumni where she majored in Marketing and studied abroad in Rome. Rachel has had a history with improve it! prior to working on the podcast, starting as an intern to a Client Services Associate. And now, as the Podcast Manager of failed it!, she works closely with Erin to do all things podcast and help listeners understand that you must fail in order to improve. On top of being creative with show graphics and communicating with inspiring podcast guests, she also enjoys working in Digital Advertising Sales with ViacomCBS. Reach out to her if you're interested in being a guest on The failed it! Podcast! About the Host: Erin Diehl is the founder and Chief “Yes, And” officer of improve it! and host of the failed it! Podcast. She’s a performer, facilitator and professional risk-taker who lives by the mantra, “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin has created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow. Her work with clients such as United Airlines, PepsiCo, Groupon, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, and The Obama Foundation earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has nominated her for the 2015-2019 Chicago Innovations Award. This graduate from Clemson University is a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre. When she is not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys running and beach dates with her husband and son, and their eight pound toy poodle, BIGG Diehl. You can follow the failed it! podcast on Instagram @learntoimproveit and facebook, and you can follow Erin personally on Instagram @keepinitrealdiehl here. You can also check out improve it! and how we can help your organization at www.learntoimproveit.com. We can’t wait to connect with you online!

For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.
Connect with Erin Diehl
🌟 Learn more about Workday Playdate: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/podcast-page
🎤 Book Erin to speak: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/keynote-speaker
📚 Workshops & Team Experiences: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/experiential-training
💌 Learn more about Erin: https://www.itserindiehl.com/meet-erin
📱 For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.
Loved this episode?
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15 min
April 14, 202150. Improvising through Adversity with Dionna Griffin
“We have to embrace all of who we are, the mistakes, the good part, the bad part. I mean, it is who we are. I think there's some valuable lesson. There is some source of inspiration that can help another person.” - Dionna Griffin Failed it! Fam, we have an amazing guest who is such a light in the improv world. Get ready to hear the crazy journey that Dionna Griffin went through as she strived to overcome failure by embracing her true self. In today’s episode, Dionna talks to us about:

How fearing a huge pivot in her life was exactly what she needed

How a stint in jail changed her life

The importance of sharing failures

Links from show discussions:

Improve it!’s Laugh Break

Dionna Griffin’s Website

Dionna Griffin’s Instagram

About the Guest: Dionna Griffin-Irons is a writer, comedy producer, and the longtime former Director of Talent Diversity and Inclusion for The Second City U.S. and Canada. She’s delighted to share her story on the "You Failed It" podcast. For two decades, she's used her inclusion and belonging strategy "finding your truth voice" in boardrooms, prisons, shelters, classroom spaces, and stages, to create personal transformation around leadership, empathy, and resilience. As an instructor and consultant, Griffin-Irons has facilitated 200+ workshops to corporations, organizations, and students around the globe including Embassy Norway and Latvia, using improvisation as a creative tool for social change. Her work has been featured on ABC, NBC, American Theatre Magazine, Diversity Journal, and with University of Chicago's TEDx, The Incredible Unknown. Griffin-Irons teaches at DePaul University in the Computer Digital Media program, core faculty with Story Studio Chicago, Chicago Dramatists, and The Second City Film School nurturing the next wave of storytellers. Her signature class "Telling Your Truth" has helped students and professionals who fear the writing process, go from one page to 15 pages in a month. #slaytheegoandwrite About the Host: Erin Diehl is the founder and Chief “Yes, And” officer of improve it! and host of the failed it! Podcast. She’s a performer, facilitator and professional risk-taker who lives by the mantra, “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin has created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow. Her work with clients such as United Airlines, PepsiCo, Groupon, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, and The Obama Foundation earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has nominated her for the 2015-2019 Chicago Innovations Award. This graduate from Clemson University is a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre. When she is not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys running and beach dates with her husband and son, and their eight pound toy poodle, BIGG Diehl. You can follow the failed it! podcast on Instagram @learntoimproveit and facebook, and you can follow Erin personally on Instagram @keepinitrealdiehl here. You can also check out improve it! and how we can help your organization at www.learntoimproveit.com. We can’t wait to connect with you online!

For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.
Connect with Erin Diehl
🌟 Learn more about Workday Playdate: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/podcast-page
🎤 Book Erin to speak: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/keynote-speaker
📚 Workshops & Team Experiences: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/experiential-training
💌 Learn more about Erin: https://www.itserindiehl.com/meet-erin
📱 For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com.
Loved this episode?
If this conversation made you think differently about work, leadership, or building joyful teams, please follow Workday Playdate on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who could use more play in their workday.
44 min

About Workday Playdate

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TOP 1% GLOBAL PODCAST for People-First Leaders Formerly the "improve it! Podcast." #9 in BEST 100 SELF LEADERSHIP PODCASTS. I’m Erin Diehl, keynote speaker, business improv edutainer, and founder of…