Slow Living Radio welcomes Frank Ford to tell of the
fabulous story of Four Day Weekend’s rise to success, and their new book, “Happy
Accidents”. Be entertained and amused in this enlightening interview with host
Stephen Andrews.
"Happy Accidents" Offers The Secrets To
Success From A Fresh New Perspective
Lessons from two
decades of success from one of America’s most prominent improv/comedy troupes,
Four Day Weekend
Wiley Publications has announced the September publication
date of “Happy Accidents” The
Transformative Power of “Yes, And” at Work and in Life. Written by the
co-founders of the improv comedy troupe Four Day Weekend, the book is a way of
bringing the guiding philosophies of improvisation to develop successful
practices in both interpersonal and business communication.
Drawing from examples gathered over two decades of turning a
weekly Fort Worth comedy show into a full-time business that has them traveling
the world and serving as Entrepreneurs in Residence at the business school at
Texas Christian University, co-authors David Wilk, David Ahearn, and Frank Ford
demonstrate how “yes, and” thinking helps improve communication skills,
facilitate creative problem solving, and generate new ideas that can refresh
and rejuvenate. From understanding the value of open minded, active
listening (the ability to say “yes” to anything and mean it); to a willingness
to offer out-of-the-box ideas without prejudgment (putting the “and” into
action); to demonstrating authentic respect for the ideas and intentions of
others, Happy Accidents shows how the same elements that make for great
teamwork on stage prove to be immensely successful strategies in the workplace
and board room.
“The philosophy of ‘yes, and,’ worked so well for us on
stage,” says Frank Ford. “We asked, well, what if that was our business
model as well? It not only opened up our ability to communicate within
the group, but opened us up to so many different business opportunities.”
One story in the book – about how the group parlayed an
under-funded offer from a major company into a positive magazine article that
eventually lead to delivering a major keynote presentation to members of the US
Congress and meeting the President and performing for the troops – exemplifies
how “we use the ‘yes, and’ philosophy to find solutions,” says David
Wilk.
“Business books rarely use the word ‘empathy,’” admit David
Ahearn. “But the ‘yes, and’ philosophy helps you as a person. You
look at life differently – you don’t see mistakes, you don’t see obstacles –
you see workarounds, choices. You learn about active listening, how to be
a better communicator.”
Four Day Weekend now finds themselves speaking to and
presenting their philosophy to businesses, conferences, and political
organizations all across the country, and now those same valuable life lessons
are available to a general readership in Happy Accidents.
About Four Day Weekend
Anyone who
has spent any time in corporate America knows that there is nothing more
painful than the “annual meeting” or “company awards show” that typically
offers nothing more entertaining than an endless parade of stale
Powerpoints. Unless, of course, your
corporation has done what hundreds of others have done in recent years – hire
the group Four Day Weekend to make that gathering the highlight of every year
in your workplace. As savvy as they are
funny, Four Day Weekend has taken the basic improvisational tenet of “yes and”
– a philosophy of agreement, collaboration, and enthusiasm for the potential of
every moment – and turned it into a workable and profitable business
model. It’s also lead to publishing,
television, and even an appearance before congressional leaders.
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| Frank Ford of Four Day Weekend |
“We’re the
guys who save the awards banquet,” explains David Wilk, CEO and co-founder of
Four Day Weekend, which has been entertaining audiences in the Dallas/Fort
Worth metroplex for nearly twenty years.
Wilk and his colleagues – troupe members David Ahearn, Oliver Tull,
Frank Ford, Josh Roberts, Anthony Bowling, and musical accompanist Ray Sharp -
defy the assumption that comedy ensembles can only be successful in New York,
Chicago or Los Angeles. From their home
in Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth, Four Day Weekend has grown into one
of the most impressive and lucrative comedy-based organisations in the
nation. They have their own 212-seat
theatre with adjoining bar; perform to packed houses in four shows every
weekend; run a series of successful comedy/improv training classes; sold a
half-hour show to FOX and have even received the key to the city for being Ft.
Worth’s greatest ambassadors. Anyone who
has ever believed that it was impossible to make a living out of simply being
funny simply haven’t heard about Four Day Weekend.
Perhaps
that is what makes Four Day Weekend the ideal troupe to speak at corporate
events – whether the assignment is an awards ceremony devised to celebrate
success, a national sales meeting, company-wide conference, or hosting
incentive trips - Four Day Weekend don’t just show up to provide a few minutes
of laughs. Having founded, managed, and
marketed their own business, the hilarious performers on stage are
entrepreneurs who can identify with the struggles and challenges that all
companies face.
“At the
beginning, our goal was just to put on a great comedy show,” remembers Wilk of
forming the troupe in the mid-1990s.
“Our long-term goal was to be referred to as the Second City of the
southwest, but that wasn’t going to happen until we had a great show. For a long time, our life was 95% creativity
and 5% business.”
Slowly but
surely, Four Day Weekend found its audience:
the success of the troupe eventually led to appearances in television,
film, and commercials - and bigger and bigger audiences. Like many businesses, Four Day Weekend
discovered that their biggest challenge would be turning that initial rush of
success into something sustainable and permanent. “We decided that we were going to run our
business the same way we
run our show,” says Wilk.
“What works on the stage will work off the stage – we are the ‘yes and’
company.”
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| Acclaimed Four Day Weekend Improv Troupe |
Students of
improvisation understand that “yes and” is the smart improviser’s most
important tool and point of focus. The
idea is that in order to see the most interesting possibilities in every
moment, one only needs to say “yes and” to what is being offered. It requires actively listening to your
partner on stage, acknowledging and accepting what they are doing as real and
important, and then adding onto it. Experienced
improvisers develop these on-stage communication skills by “slowing down” the
process of creating, so that everyone’s idea is given equal consideration. The result is not only effective
communication and teamwork, but also a shared responsibility for what is being
created – and a collective delight in the possibilities of surprise and
inspiration. “We listen and we retain
information and we build on the pertinent information of our partners,” says
David Wilk about the philosophy. “I
don’t know what I am going to say until you finish what you say.”
These exercises and techniques, perfected over the last
century by theatre artists, acting teachers, and comedy ensembles, have in
recent years found critical connections to fields of study such as drama
therapy, educational practices, and special needs care – and Four Day Weekend
brings the same philosophy to their business and corporate work. Every member of the team is always ready to
embrace and enhance any idea offered to them – even if it is from the
outside. For Four Day Weekend, comedy
shows lead to classes when audience members asked if the group offered any
instruction – they said yes, and we’ll start them right now. When someone asked if they wanted to do
commercials, they said yes, and they started doing commercials – more than 100
national spots to date.
“It’s important to be ready to see everything as an
opportunity,” Wilk explains. That means
being prepared for the benefits that come from success, especially when they
are unexpected. When a magazine article
about the group was read by United States Representative Linda Sanchez, she
gave the article to Representative John Larson, chairman of the Democratic
Caucus in the House of Representatives, saying “We need these guys to work with
us.” Larson then contacted the group to
appear at an exclusive DC event designed to build teamwork and communication
among elected leaders. “When he called I
thought it was one of the guys pulling a gag,” Wilk admits, saying that he
offered a not-so-polite comment about Congress before realizing he was actually
talking to a Congressmen. Fortunately,
the comment did not scuttle the deal, and Wilk points to the value of the “yes
and” philosophy. “All of those tenets of
improvisation are things we do in our business, and that’s what’s given us all
of these different revenue streams and opportunities.”
The proof
is in the group’s continued success.
“Three of us put seven hundred dollars into the business in 1997,
because that’s all we had,” remembers Wilk.
They haven’t had to raise or contribute any capital since then. As a result, they are now being approached
specifically by businesses and universities that want them to “teach” their own
business model, and they recently appeared not as “the hired entertainment,”
but as keynote speakers at the United States Association for Small Business and
Entrepreneurs convention. Other
prominent companies to benefit from the Four Day Weekend magic include
Southwest Airlines, Dish Network, FedEx Office, and American Express.
And while
the troupe is dedicated to making the most of their work with corporations and
organizations, they still know that the focus is always needs to be in the
present moment – whether it’s performing in a commercial or in front of a sold-out
house or leading a class of students new to the form. Rather than pack up their bags and move to
Hollywood, the group has chosen to remain close to their roots in Texas while
pursuing a national reputation. “We have
no problem pursuing success, but we’ve been able to do so on our own terms,”
says David Wilk. “Every moment of work
is simply another chance to look at your circumstances, accept them, and then
make your mark. Just imagine how
productive you can be in that work if you never had to worry about hearing ‘no’
again.”
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