Whatnot Fun: A Podcast on Work + Play The Improv Agency

Playing school and caring for dolls as a child led Julie to a career focused on building relationships and supporting others in their personal and professional development. Her experiences directly impact how Julie embraces diversity across the world today. She taught English and facilitated trainings in the Peace Corps for three years and currently leads team-building activities based on the CliftonStrengths assessment in the workplace. She feels engaged when new things are put on her plate and she has the opportunity to learn and grow. Some main takeaways Julie shared:



*There’s value in taking the CliftonStrengths assessment and having a conversation around it; it’s a place to start thinking more deeply about who we are
*It’s a powerful thing when we start to focus on what’s right with people rather than fixating on what’s wrong with them
*You don’t have to imitate someone else or become a different person to be successful; be the best of version of yourself
*Each of us are different; what’s fun for me might not be fun for someone else
*To figure out what is most fun for you, you can ask yourself: What do I pick up easily? Which part of the work am I most interested in? What am I doing when I lose track of time? What have I been known or recognized for? What do I finish and can’t wait to do again?
*We’re able to shape our fun at work if we really pay attention to the activities that we most enjoy and then communicate that to other people – if we don’t talk about what we need in order to feel engaged at work, nobody is going to hand it to you on a silver platter
*Keep everything in perspective and realize that nothing is forever; if you find yourself feeling frustrated at work, don’t let that last too long – remember that things change, and there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel

After our talk, Julie had some additional points that she wanted to share:



*I think engagement = fun. Gallup has what they call a “Q12 Index” which is a survey that measures engagement at work. One of the questions is “Do you have a best friend at work?” Other question topics include having opportunities to learn and grow, knowing what is expected of you, having the opportunity to do what you do best every day, being recognized, and having someone at work who cares about you as a person. I have fun at work and am at my best when at least some of those things are present, meaning when I’m feeling engaged.

*After reflecting more and searching for other parallels, I think using different handwriting for my dolls as a child is connected to how I view people now – seeing everyone as unique and appreciating that. We can’t be good at everything or be all things to all people; we need each other to be successful. One of the core messages I try to get across in my trainings is that “differences are advantages but only if we take advantage of them.”

A warm welcome goes to our latest guest, Jessie Wilcox! Little Jessie is always here and ready to play! Jessie grew up playing a lot, from role playing and games to engineering her own toys out of found objects, she found a way to routinely create stories and narratives. Her first computer was an inet with windows 3.1 and somewhere between 2015-2020 she discovered that they don’t make hard copies of software anymore. It’s all digital! Jessie shared a lot with us and suggests merging work + play in the following ways:

* You need to think expansively “What are all of the possibilities?” “Can we find a way through this obstacle?”
* You have to put yourself in the narrative, and into the shoes of multiple parties
* If you can show vulnerability, open yourself up to play, be colorful, and show them your belly, others will show theirs too
* To get along with someone, you have to play well with them
* Anyone on any kind of team have to be playing the same game. This can be the goal of a task or the goal of the company. Without a clear goal, you can’t win the game. With a goal, you can win.
* Be clear and understand your constraints
* You never learn how to swim if you’re thrown into the deep end. You may learn how to survive but you’ll never be better unless somebody is there to help you. It takes a lot of team effort to teach you how to swim.
* Remember everything we approach in life is new and you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help
* Support people in being interested beyond what’s in front of them

She created my new favorite term #aggressiveadulthood, look out for merchandise with it coming soon.

Tanya Ferrell is guest numero uno. From construction toys, imaginative play, and being bossy to writing fiction, starting businesses, and tackling marketing challenges, Tanya surely uses her imagination to create endless possibilities. In this episode, Tanya suggests merging work + play by:

* Having a sense of humor and understand business is not life or death
* Socializing and building relationships with individuals on your team and within the company
* Setting up challenges for yourself and your team to develop dream ideas that may or may not be able to be executed
* Letting your imagination take you where it wants to take you
* Creating a playlist then challenge yourself to come up with a story based off of each song
* Taking a walk around the street to reset and connect better with people

Tanya left us with these words of wisdom, “Take inventory of your life and know what your priorities are then you’ll be able to approach work differently.” Be happy, develop relationships with people, and make that money!