Why Every Business Needs More Punchlines (and Fewer Spreadsheets)

Most people think business growth is all strategy, spreadsheets, and serious faces. (Yawn.) Our Dames founder would disagree.

On Drink from the Well, Meghann shares how humor became her secret weapon in leadership and community building. From improv classes to edutainment on stage, she shows why laughter stands as a catalyst for trust, creativity, and authentic connection.

Why humor belongs in business:

• It’s the ultimate icebreaker. Psychological safety goes up, defenses go down.

• Creativity explodes when improv shakes people out of their spreadsheets and into flow.

• Trust builds faster when leaders show they’re human (and yes, a little goofy).

• Lessons stick when they’re funny. Consider this: nobody remembers slide #47, but they do recall the punchline.

Meghann’s journey with humor:

• Once ran her marketing firm in “serious mode” (because that’s how people “took you seriously”).

• Everything shifted after improv classes + a humor coach: courage to play cracked her open.

• Developed “edutainment”: teaching through sketch characters and comedy so the lessons stick.

Meghann’s not-so-serious journey:

• Once upon a time, she ran her marketing biz in “serious CEO” mode. (Because apparently fun = unprofessional. 🙄)

• Then came improv classes + a humor coach. Cue courage to play, experiment, and let her quirky characters out.

• Edutainment was born: blending sketch comedy with strategy so people learn while laughing.

How The Dames keeps humor front and center:

• Every major Dames event kicks off with a comedian. Nothing cracks women open faster than laughter.

• Mastermind sessions start with improv-style warmups, shifting the vibe and supercharging creativity.

• Even on “ugh” days, a dash of humor flips the energy and keeps momentum moving.

The ripple effect:

• A CEO who’s lit up = a team that’s thriving. Period.

• Vulnerability + humor don’t just change events, they transform whole company cultures.

• Growth gets a whole lot easier (and way more fun) when joy and play are part of the plan.

Humor fuels. It builds trust, sparks creativity, and makes scaling feel a whole lot less like “work” and a whole lot more like play.

That’s why The Dames makes it a point to weave in laughter wherever we can. When women feel safe, seen, and inspired, they stop holding back. That’s where the magic (and the growth) really happens.

If you’re done with serious-face business and ready to scale with strategy and belly laughs, apply to The Dames today.