You could dream of getting the promotions you deserve...

Or you could decide to put yourself on that path.

You’ve been passed up for leadership so often that you’re starting to wonder if it's even worth staying in tech.

If you're like other tech professionals, you:

Struggle to play the corporate game as well as your non-techie peers.
Are wondering if somehow you lack the personal skills to thrive
Feel like you’re being held back but don’t know why
Can’t seem to connect - or understand why you’re not connecting
Struggle to get to the point when talking - or if you’re being honest - see the point others are trying to make.
Have a hard time “reading the room”
Lack an emotional connection with your team
Feel like you need to talk more and faster to get everything out to the person you’re talking to
Find it difficult to step into the spotlight, whether it’s presenting in meetings, leading teams, or engaging with clients.
Focus on your expertise but lack soft skills
You’ve all but given up on saying what you know is wrong because people take it the wrong way while others do the same and get ahead.

You want to break into leadership, but …

You don’t have a safe space to go where you can see what works and what doesn’t
Everything you’ve tried tends to feel stuffy, corporate-y, overly structured approach
Traditional methods of public speaking training feel intimidating, stupid, boring, or just aren’t effective
You don’t want to lose your identity as a tech

In the meantime, you:

X Are getting passed up for promotions because you’re so busy fixing the little things that you never get a chance to show your big-picture problem solving skills

X Continue to talk about things that interest you and know A LOT of details about, but it seems like others aren’t tracking.

X Can only see peoples’ eyes glaze over so many times before you clam up

X Feel like you’re falling further and further behind as others with your same skills land the roles they’ve always wanted

X Are in a mid-level position you no longer enjoy

X Are an introvert asked to do extroverted things

It seems like you should be making some real progress given that you:

X Have been much more serious now in meetings

X Are better at what you do than you’ve ever been

X Have been told that your company couldn’t live without you being in the role you have

None of that has worked

Because those things you tried were never going to work.

Why?

Because the corporate ladder wasn’t built for us.

Altogether now …

It’s. Not. You.

TO THIS DAY, INDUSTRY THOUGHT-LEADERS STILL PREACH:

X You have to be “more professional” with no explanation of when you weren't

X You have to communicate better, but no we don't provide training

X Be more serious in meetings, because that solves

X Be better at your job

X Make yourself indispensable

X Show up early

X Work late

X Be a team player

You're not falling for it.

You want something different.

Something better.

Something that feels more like you.

The thing is, you can't see how to get from here to

where you ultimately want to be.

You feel stuck. What you want feels out of reach.

You dream of:

✔ Being seen as a leader who says what’s wrong or broken without people taking it the wrong way

✔ Stepping into the spotlight on your terms

✔ Being the funniest person in the room

✔ Saying just the right thing at the right time

You would be plenty happy with:

✔ Leadership seeing what you can bring to the table

✔ Serious consideration when it comes time for a promotion or new role

But your career matters more:

✔ If you could just stop feeling like a fish out of water

✔ Then getting the powers that be to take you more seriously

✔ Then being trusted with roles outside of your job description

✔ Then being seen as a leader

…that would be amazing

At the end of the day you just want:

✔ The opportunity to be seen for what you can offer

✔ To get to a place where you feel good about yourself

✔ To feel thankful you get to do what you do for a living

These are your dreams. But they’re up on the shelf because you don’t know how to get there.

Not to worry: I know how to get you there.

IT’S NOT HAS HARD AS YOU THINK.

It’s a matter of:

✔ Knowing what you want (and don’t)

✔ Knowing the big picture of how to get there

✔ Knowing the next smallest step to take right now

✔ Making that next step

✔ Observe, learn, take next step

✔ Repeat

That’s all.

GETTING WHERE YOU WANT TO GO IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE

It’s not nearly as difficult as what you do now.

Nor is it reserved for people with some special superpower

It’s doable.

Getting where you want to go is for people who decide where they're going, and start going there. Period.

PERFORMING STAND-UP COMEDY WILL SHOW YOU THE WAY

It will help you:

✔ Be direct and to the point

✔ Read a room and connect with an audience

✔ Teach you to take ideas and shrink them down to the most important points

✔ Get over you fear of communicating

✔ Standing up in front of people and speaking

And let’s face it:

It’s pretty darn impressive to tell people

When we do this together, day after day, week after week, month after month, you will be amazed at the progress you will make.

YOU'LL NEED TO LEARN A FEW THINGS ALONG THE WAY.

I'll teach you concepts and tools you need to put yourself out there, like how to:

✔ Engage and entertain using the power of story

✔ Hone your performance skills into leadership

✔ Write a joke

✔ Hone your act

✔ Develop a professional-level routine

I'll provide you with methods and tactics like:

✔ How to turn your story into a standup routine

✔ How to get your five minutes down

✔ How to relate standup to your job

✔ How to be appropriately funny in meetings

✔ How to enjoy work more by “finding the funny” every day

…and so much more

You'll have everything you need to advance your career

based on your definition of success.

It's so much simpler than you think.

Here’s how I can help:

Stand Up 2 Stand Out

– Tech Comedy Mastermind –

8 Weeks

Next cohort registration opens 11/10/24 at the SXSW Comedy Festival

For the undervalued tech who can’t take one more road block to their attempt at advancing their career, wants a way to connect and implement changes and needs a place to practice their standup routine and get guidance on when, where and how to use it at work

If you like the idea of a cohort for accountability, support, and predictable cadence, Mastermind holds incredible value.

Most techs in IT Mastermind have been at it a few years, they know they have a good sense of humor and they know they want to implement improvements but they don’t want to do it alone.

If you’re interested in the

Stand Up to Stand Out

Tech Comedy Mastermind

keep reading:

It’s a delightful way to hone your natural comedic instincts to advance your career.

With the tools, guidance, and support, you’ll know how to attain the legendary comedy status your technical skills were made for.

IN Stand Up 2 Stand Out Tech Comedy Mastermind,

YOU’LL KNOW:

✔ How to connect

✔ How much time to allocate (daily? Weekly? 10 minutes? 20 minutes?)

✔ How to present your ideas

✔ How to take criticism without feeling defensive

✔ How to transform your complex ideas into something people can relate to

✔ How to use persuasive, clear communication to influence decision-makers

✔ How to get people to see your value without looking like a “self-promoter” or putting yourself in awkward situations where you look good

✔ How to tap into and develop your comedic genius

✔ How to develop the emotional intelligence necessary to lead

✔ How to gain the confidence to take on leadership roles in your organization

✔ How to be vulnerable to connect

YOU’LL SEE HOW TO:

✔ Transform the mindset that’s currently holding you back and into a strength

✔ Communicate better, faster

✔ Stand out in your industry

✔ Succeed in “your lane” without trying to be someone else

✔ Be the one who others look to for leadership.

✔ Get others to do what you need them to do

✔ Hold the room together

✔ Make new friends

✔ Allow people to focus on what you can bring to the table

✔ Change people’s perceptions of who you are and what you can do

✔ Turn what you want out of your career into what you do for a living

✔ Motivate yourself to take action

✔ Put the people around you at ease

✔ Give yourself the space to think big

✔ Transfer your newfound confidence on stage to the boardroom

WITH A:

✔ Fun, creative, safe outlet to take risks

✔ A safe space

✔ A comedy routine that gets laughs

You can be the funniest person in the room AND have an amazing career in tech!

With unlimited support,

Stand Up to Stand Out Tech Comedy Mastermind will get you
there in 8 WEEKS.

STOP

X Stop losing out to lesser qualified candidates

X Stop second-guessing yourself

X Stop not saying what you’re thinking

X Stop being satisfied as a low-level cog

X Stop believing the lies others are telling you

X Stop believing the lies you are telling yourself

Stop saving – because you think it’s safer, when the REAL RISK is not investing in your career and missing your life

Your brain and your sense of humor are your two most valuable assets.

Invest in both, and it will pay off.

Invest in Tech Comedy Mastermind, and it will pay off.

Tech Comedy Mastermind is a 2-month engagement. The investment is $499 USD.

You can sign up using the button below but before you do,

let me first say this…

Stand Up 2 Stand Out Tech Comedy Mastermind, is not for everyone. We go deep. You need to be prepared to change habits, shift your mindset, step out of your comfort zone, and be willing to be vulnerable.

Change can be scary. It’s hard for everyone. But if you want things to be better, you have to change something. If you think you’re ready, here’s the link to sign up:

THE INVESTMENT IN IT MASTERMIND IS $499

The investment is risk-free:

If you decide it's not for you, you can request a full refund within 24 hours of the first session. No questions, no hassles. Guaranteed.

Kind words from folks in Tech Comedy Masterminds

Everyone hesitates just a bit at the thought of putting yourself out there. If public speaking is one of the greatest fears for people, publicly speaking the material you crafted to make them laugh has to make-up the first 50% of that fear. However, the thought of being successful, even mildly successful, outweighs that fear.

It was clear to me in the workshops that despite any initial hesitations, folks that participated had an overarching sense they should be doing this, not just to prove a point, but to validate a long standing desire and unleash their inner stand-up comic or public speaker.

Working with a group of people that share a passion in a safe, encouraging environment was refreshing. Pushing past some of that fear that I mention above, as a collective, was rewarding. The feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment walking off stage after a successful set is a rush like no other. If one could capture it, bottle it, roll it up, what have you, well - let’s just say Vegas would need to triple its dispensary locations.

What I loved most was working through and nurturing each participant’s material as a team. First off, to see the unique perspectives and personas of the budding comics, and secondly, to see the marketplace of ideas that come forward as the group collaborated on editing and improving each other’s material; “what about this angle?”, “maybe too much on that, but more on this?” “I didn’t know you could do such a good Moroccan accent!” “I think your mute button is on”, etc.

I also loved …

Unleashing a creative process outlet to balance out all the analytic process thinking that comes with tech work.
The bonding that occurs with the groups going through a workshop, a ‘major shared experience’ human connection that can be cultivated for personal and professional goals going forward.
Using this process to advance audience connection, presentation approach and presence in my professional circles. Influence and connection remain a big part of what must be done to exceed as an IT professional - these workshops have been hugely beneficial in fostering and applying new skills.

I would highly recommend Jerry’s course, and have to many already. The Misfits brain trust have set-up this pretty great conduit to pursue goals, be it public speaking improvements, or longer-term pursuit of comedy (or both). I have been to public speaking seminars and stand-up classes, this was a clever balance of both.

Beyond working with the Misfits team, there is often additional collaboration with established comedy instructors and stage-tested comedians/comedy coaches, who will join the sessions! All of this access is not structured as some kind of “add-on” services, but simply a great advantage in getting a wide-range of ideas and input.

If you’re thinking about doing this, that’s too much thinking already! You wouldn’t have even read this far if you weren’t leaning into some kind of confirmation bias already. I can’t tell you exactly how it will go for you, but I can tell you what’ll happen if you don’t give it shot…nuthin’, safe, easy, hope-I-don’t-look-back-and -regret-it-nuthin’ and in the words of Billy Preston; nuthin’ from nuthin’ leaves nuthin’ I don’t know exactly what that means, but you get it. Less think, and more click on link…let’s go people!

~ Dave Pavone

Everything you need so you can Stand Up 2 Stand Out

WITH:

The structure of a guided program - weekly training videos to hone your act, structure your

The flexibility of a self-paced course - so you can learn when it fits into your day

A stand-up comedy show with a live audience reacting to …

Unlimited coaching & support - make progress taster with …

The power of a working group - with great minds addressing similar challenges and sharing their best thinking

A community of forward-thinking techs who are kind, progressive, open-minded, genuinely helpful, willing to trade best-practices, and want to create something much cooler than what they have

Downloadable materials - videos, trainings, worksheets and templates that are yours to keep forever

Individual coaching learning materials - including books, pdf’s and videos

AND THESE BONUSES:

T-shirt!

Personalized promotional material including your own custom web page to promote your set

Notepad to capture your ideas

Certification badge to put on social

Every week we work on our sets, practice performing, and relate everything you’re learning to your business career to drive toward your 5-7 minute set …

And your next promotion.

IMPORTANT DATES:

When is the next Stand Up 2 Stand Out Tech Comedy Mastermind?

✔ Registration is open from Friday Jan 5th - Friday Jan 12th

✔ Instant access to Slack Community & Video Content Library from the moment you register

✔ First official Office Hours: Wednesday xxx

✔ Last Office Hours: Tuesday XXX

✔ It runs for X weeks

✔ We finish

I'm all in! What now?

1. REGISTER

Make a decision to change the trajectory of your career

2. SEND PAYMENT, GET WELCOMED AND JOIN THE COMMUNITY

Then get everything you need to get started

3. GEAR UP

You can start working on your material, reading and learning standup, try jokes out, get comfortable writing material. No reason to wait for the workshop. Hit the ground running and spend 2 months getting ready for your debut.

Designed to give you 100% results.

I asked myself:

If I wanted to level the playing field for IT folks, what would they need to know?

What would I include to guarantee they’ll have a fast track to the career success they deserve?

How could I make it feel like the best decision ever, right away?

How could I design a system so that it doesn’t treat technical professionals like everyone else?

And then I went to work designing a program based on the fact that technical minds are particularly well-suited to comedy.

A program that advances your career as fast as possible with the least effort from you, and the least risk and sacrifice for you.

So you can have the benefit of laughing all the way to the top of your career.

This is Stand Up 2 Stand Out Tech Comedy Mastermind

An incredible program, designed around guaranteeing you get exactly what you want.

– Jerry Black

JOIN OUR NEXT COHORT

I'm all in! What now?

✔ Register - Make a decision to change the trajectory of your business

✔ Send payment, get welcomed - Then get everything you need to get started

✔ Gear up - You can start working on your material, reading and learning standup, try jokes out, get comfortable writing material. No reason to wait for the workshop. Hit the ground running and spend 2 months getting ready for your debut.

Most Frequently Asked Question:

WHAT IF I SUCK?!

I won’t let you fail.

You make the decision on what makes it on stage but my team, myself and the community are here to guarantee that you’ll have everything you need to perform at your best.

Next Most Frequently Asked Questions

What do we do the first day?

In the first session, we’ll cover:

What is standup vs what it isn’t.

The basic structures of jokes

The breakdown of the course

The session ends with a roughcut of you telling a joke – it could be a dad joke you read, or a 5-minute set you’ve prepared, any joke will do.

But … we go by the Fight Club rule: If today’s your first day, you have to tell a joke 🤣

What’s required?

You have to be willing to put the time and effort in, be willing to be vulnerable, choose not to be offended and be ready to laugh.

Who’s it for?

Anyone in tech who is hoping to advance their career, from desktop support to the CEO - for instance, Elon Musk (clearly) does not know how to tell a joke.

If you run into him, please forward him this page.

Anyone in the tech industry who wants to have a better time at work. It’s for programmers, data scientists, dev ops, and product managers who want to move up their career path. Infrastructure folks who may not have a place to say the shit you wanna say and not get in trouble. Systems engineers and developers who need a place where they can feel safe to express their humor in whatever way you feel fit. Network engineers, back end developers and IT CIOs who want a place where they can say the things they could only say to each other.

Anyone who wants to relate to tech professionals better (think: tech sales, accountants, recruiters.

Anyone who wants to write jokes or be on stage or simply would like to get better at talking to the most attractive boy or girl you’ve ever met or - it bears repeating - anyone who just wants to be happier at work.

If I take the course, will I be funny?

Here’s the thing, a course that teaches you to use humor to advance your career has to actually make you funny. If you put in the work, you will leave with an act that gets laughs.

Questions? Let's talk!

I can help you determine whether Stand-Up to Stand Out Tech Comedy Mastermind is the right thing for you right now, answer logistical questions, help you make a clear choice, and more.

Check out the FAQ or email me at [email protected] with “SU2SO Tech Comedy MM” in the Subject line. I will get back to you by the end of the day.

Go back up, there’s nothing left down here except the footer!

Make the choice to change the trajectory of your career - register now to get started.

We work with Tech Professionals

To help them Communicate, Connect, and Build Confidence through the power of Stand-up Comedy

If you’re interested in the

Stand Up to Stand Out

Tech Comedy Mastermind

keep reading:

You can be the funniest person in the room AND have an amazing career in tech!