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What If the Secret to Productivity… Is laughter? What do you do when your career disappears overnight? When GPS kills your bestselling book? Or when your team is drowning in stress and silence? For award-winning journalist and humorist Bill Williams, the answer wasn't hustle—it was humor.
In this episode of Productivity Smarts, host Gerald J. Leonard sits down with Bill Williams—award-winning journalist, former trombonist, and the brilliant mind behind 20 Years of Internet Humor, Volume One. For over two decades, Bill has delivered daily doses of joy through his "Thought of the Day" emails, and now he's sharing how laughter can transform not just your mood—but your productivity.
Bill dives into his incredible journey from film and finance to publishing and performance, showing how humor helped him lead teams, overcome major life transitions (including two bankruptcies), and adapt to everything from the death of film photography to the rise of GPS. You'll discover how a funny email boosted his sales team's performance, why "nobody ever bought something from a grouch," and how one book is helping readers around the world start their day with a smile.
If you've ever needed a reminder that joy and success can go hand in hand, this conversation is for you.
What We Discuss
[00:00:05] Introduction to Bill Williams
[00:06:27] Adapting to change in careers
[00:09:33] Impact of humor on productivity
[00:12:28] Organizing content for the book
[00:15:10] The role of humor in sales
[00:17:35] Using humor to navigate transitions
[00:19:29] Staying focused in a digital age
[00:20:21] Discussion on negativity in media
[00:22:49] Productivity lessons from career transitions
[00:26:19] Adapting to challenges in journalism
[00:27:28] Closing remarks
Notable Quotes
[06:27] "One of the biggest things that I can say I have had and what I advise anybody to do is be adaptable, because things change. And when things change, you need to change with them." — Bill Williams
[15:10] "Nobody ever bought something from a grouch. If you're not smiling, if you're not ready to have a joke with somebody and, you know, have them smile, you're not going to be a very good salesman." — Bill Williams
[17:35] "I don't want to be a grump, okay? And nobody ever was a good manager when they were always grumpy, you know, and so, hey, if I can use humor, which is something I've always tried to do, things work out better." — Bill Williams
[26:26] "You have to change with the situation. We put the disaster information on grocery bags so that they could get the information." — Bill Williams
Resources
Bill Williams
Website: https://www.billwilliamscomedy.com/
Productivity Smarts Podcast