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!
Minisode 3 Transcription
Erin (00:00):
Welcome to failed it!
Erin (00:09):
Oh my God, Cristy! Welcome to failed it! Sister.
Cristy (00:17):
Hi, glad to be here.
Erin (00:18):
Um everyone at the failed it! Fam, I'd love to introduce you to our Director of Talent at improve it! The lady who said yes when I said I'm starting this business, would you join me back in 2014, Cristy Mercier.
Cristy (00:42):
Hello!
Erin (00:42):
So tell the failed it! Fam how you came to improve it!, how you started out as the Director of Talent.
Cristy (00:50):
Sure. okay. I met this amazing woman in my level three class who had this wonderful nasal twang. And she convinced me to be her friend and it was easy because I wanted to be her friend. And it was you. So we met and we hit you know, we really talked, hit it off. And then we went out to dinner with both, both of our husbands. Like, no, I think you weren't married at the time, but you told me about this amazing idea. And I was like I want in right now this is awesome. Whenever you start it I'm in 100%. And that really is the short version and then you and I went on to do some crazy workshops and had to hire a lot of employees and you made my title Director of Talent. And I took on the role and learned how to manage a bunch of improvisors while still being one myself.
Erin (01:58):
This is also true. This is also true. First of all, when you say crazy stories too, I wish we had, I wish this wasn't a full mini or a mini-sode and we did a full, because I think the whole thing could just be workshop fails that you and I have done meaning.
Cristy (02:12):
100%.
Erin (02:12):
Oh my God. Oh my God. But also the best time. And we've gone to some crazy places, done some crazy things.
Cristy (02:20):
You'll have me back. And maybe we just tell stories like that, of all the failures. We'll caveat though, with some little successes.
Erin (02:30):
And I'm also so glad that you're like, I want to be her friend because I to the failed it! Fam I saw Christie in our improv class and thought she literally was the funniest girl I've ever seen perform improv. And to this day I still think she is hilarious, but I thought to myself, I want to be friends with her and we did, and we are, and we've been, how long has it been 10 years? We were saying.
Cristy (02:57):
I think it's 9 or 10. It's kind of insane. Uh,it makes me feel old.
Erin (03:04):
Yeah me too. But we've been through so much and it's just awesome too. I mean, from what that dinner was to now is just crazy. So had to have you on the show and I want you in three words, if you could, just to somebody who's listening, who's never experienced an improve it! Workshop. Could you describe an improve it! Workshop in three words?
Cristy (03:26):
Sure. Okay. I'd say they're always hilarious. Like, no matter what, there's going to be some hilarity they're moving watching people transform is just crazy and I'm going to end it on life-changing both for myself and to watch a lot of the participants. It is truly life-changing.
Erin (03:49):
I agree with all three of those and it's fun for you and I to watch people come in and then leave, right? Like they're totally different in terms of the ensemble, the relationship, the vibe, the energy. So, okay. Well, thanks for going on this ride with me sis. I'm so, so happy we created all this together. So let me ask you this. Why have you chosen improv as your life's work?
Cristy (04:15):
Okay. So I think improv chose me because I think I was so confused in college and I was like, Oh gosh, what am I going to do with my life? And I met someone who taught me what improv was. And I realized that I think, I didn't know it growing up, but I truly am a creative brain. I am always seeking new challenges. Change truly excites me. Like if I am sitting in contentment, I'm like, Oh my gosh, I'm not content. So improv allows that constant movement in my life. You know, the rotation of always doing, trying something new. So it sort of does this thing, which people are so afraid of change, but it incites that change. It encourages it. And it keeps my creative monster fed. And that's what improv does. And so as long as I live, I will continue to do improv. It will be my life's work.
Erin (05:11):
I agree it chose you. I don't think you could. I honestly think if there was one thing in the world that the universe, God, whoever you believe in was like, you're supposed to do. You were supposed to do improv, like it's, it's who you are. And yes, friends, failed it! Family. I can attest Cristy and I are friends and we worked together for a really long time. Change is a constant for both of us. So it truly, it's so true because you just, with improv, you have to be adaptable and change. So one of the reasons I want to have you on the show today is because going back to our very first improv class where we met each other, what, back in the day what I really noticed and loved about you as a performer was, and what I still see is the confidence that you provide to not only yourself, but to the audience. And it's not a cocky, arrogant, confidence. You feel like you belong on that stage. So let me ask you this. How has confidence played a role in your improv and your facilitation career? Because just side note to failed it! Fam Christy facilitates a lot of the workshops. Like if I've done 700, she's done like 699. So how has that played a role? How has confidence played a role in your improv and your facilitation career?
Cristy (06:36):
So it's so funny because my whole life, I have been truly told you have so much confidence and not like you said, not in a bad way, but I'm always like, Oh, so that's what I'm putting out there. And to the point where sometimes I'm like, Oh my gosh, am I putting out too much confidence? People would rely on me in like a zombie apocalypse and that's too much pressure.
Erin (06:58):
I probably would. I would, I would do, Oh my God.
Cristy (07:03):
It's honestly been the thing that's given me everything. So my mom always said to me, and it's something that always stuck with me even from early on, she said, act like you're meant to be in the room, even if you don't feel it. And it's so simple to say that and then be like, Oh yeah, okay. But I carry that. So every time I step on that stage and let me tell you, I have felt nervous. Okay. And I it's so many times facilitating. I'm like, I'm not up for the challenge of this group. I just say to myself, I take a beat, I take a breath. And I say, I got this. I'm meant to be here. This is my room. It's a mind shift. It's what got me into improv. It's what helped me succeed. Right. So confidence is what got me there.
Cristy (07:47):
So I don't know. It's always, when I walk into a room to facilitate no matter what, if it's CEOs or it's kids, which we have done kids, I don't know, which is scarier to be honest.
Erin (08:00):
High school kids. High school!
Cristy (08:02):
High school teenagers are so scary. And let me tell you, I like, I have felt so intimidated, but I remind myself every single time. I say that even if, maybe I'm not feeling that confident that day, or I maybe don't have it. I just say, I got this. I meant to be in this room. I have purpose for being here and truly that's, that's how the confidence has played a role. It's made me you know, get where I am today.
Erin (08:28):
I love it. Thank you, Brenda. That's her mother. Thank you, Brenda. Thank you, Brenda. That is awesome. I want you to take that too. And I want us to dive a little bit deeper because our failed it! Fam is here for the quick and dirty. They want some tips to help them be more confident in their career. So what are three tips that you would give to a member of the failed it! Family who's listening right now that will them be more confident in their career today?
Cristy (08:59):
Okay. okay, great. Okay. Get rid of the fear. I know that's simpler you know just to say, get rid of the fear, but I do this thing where I play worst case scenario out, so doomsday, but I do it in everything. I always think about the worst case scenario and when I play it out, it's never something I can't handle. Every scenario I play out that the ways that it could go, I'm like, Oh, I actually could do that. I could handle that. So when I take the fear off the table, I feel the confidence again, right? So it's, it's again, that mindset of going, Hey, let me take a beat and think every single way that this could go wrong and take it back and go, Oh, I could actually handle that. That brings the confidence back up. So that's that's number one.
Cristy (09:46):
So get rid of that fear. And then this one took me a while to learn. I think I mostly was living it, but wasn't like truly living it, but look your best and feel your best. And and I want to caveat by saying I'm really not pushing people to lose weight, wear makeup, go buy an expensive suit. I'm just saying, learn to love the skin that you're in and realize your beautiful, whoever you are, you know, like own it, improve on yourself, but don't change yourself. And I don't know. A part of me always thinks like, you're, you're an expert on you. So be you. When you're an expert on you, you can have the confidence to walk into anything. So once I realized that and I truly just stopped caring what people thought and I realized that what truly mattered was what, what do I think about myself? And when I truly loved myself and I'd get up on stage and go, I love who I am and the comedy that I put out there. That's where that confidence came from. Okay. My last one that I'm thinking about and I think I need to bring it home, Erin. Bring it home here. Cause this is your podcast. It's about, it's about failure. So embrace your failures, man. Laugh at your mistakes.
Cristy (10:59):
I mean, I have failed so miserably so many times, I can't tell you how many times in front of an audience, I just had to laugh. I used to go home at the beginning of my career and sit and dwell in it and go, Oh my gosh, I could have done this. I could have done this, but I honestly started laughing at those mistakes and just saying, I'm going to do better next time. So don't, you know, like don't dwell on it. Don't sit in it for too long. And it kind of, again, I'll bring back, Brenda, my mother here as a, I was a young horseback rider and she always said if, and I would say, not said like when this happened, if a horse bucks you off get right back on. So the reason you do that is because if you don't get back on that horse, you start to get nervous about getting back on the horse. So you get back on right away or else you're going to lose your confidence. So I actually take that truly to heart, with everything I do. If I fail, I take an actionable item from it and I get back on that horse. So that's the confidence that I would give you. You know, I do it with everything that I do. If I fail at an email that I wrote to someone, I learned, I resend the email, you know, I learned again from the next time. So that's my three things.
Erin (12:13):
Heyyyy! Hay is for horses, but hey, these are three awesome tips. So I'm going to recap for failed it! Fam. So one, you said get rid of the fear, two look your best and feel your best and three embrace your failures. Get right back on that horse. Okay, giddyup, let's go. Okay. This is super tangible. You can put them into motion today, failed it! Fam. So write them down. Get rid of your fear. Look your best, feel your best and embrace those failures. Get back on that horse. Let me ask you this final question. Cristy Mercier, what did you fail at today?
Cristy (12:54):
Oh man. Erin. So much. I mean, we've already talked at 8:00 AM this morning and I failed that early. So I believe I told myself this was a week in practice. Don't check that email when you get up out of bed. Guess what I did? I checked my email right when I got out of bed, so hashtag failed it.
Erin (13:18):
#Failedit. And then we talked right after that. So you were like, I haven't even had a sip of this coffee yet. So well I'm still proud of you. You're nailing it. You're not failing it. And I'm so happy you came on the show, failed it fam.
Cristy (13:30):
Yes, thank you for having me.
Erin (13:32):
Of course! And the fam stay tuned. There'll be more Cristy in our future. Take these three tips, run with them and fail forward. Fail yeah, fail yeah. Hey friends, thanks for tuning into failed it. I am so happy you were along for the ride. If you enjoyed this show, please head on over to iTunes, leave us a five star review and subscribe to the show. So you never miss an episode. New episodes drop every Wednesday. Now, if you're really feeling today's show, please take a screenshot and tag me on Instagram @keepingitrealdiehl and share it to your stories so we can bring more people to the failed it! Family. I'll see you next week, but I want to leave you with this thought, what will you fail at today and how will that help your future successful self? Think about it. I'm so proud of you and you are totally failing it. See you next time.