The “Yes, and…” Relationship Rule with Jacob Simmons & Tim Casper

[00:00:09] Hey everybody, this is Larry Little and you're listening to Crossing the Line, a podcast where I talk with people about the moments in their lives when they

[00:00:16] Cross that line from leading with their head to leading with their heart then from leading with their heart to leading with their head

[00:00:21] In other words, we really love to talk about leaders

[00:00:25] We love to talk about what makes leaders tick on this show and you know

[00:00:29] I had a very interesting event happen recently

[00:00:32] I was able to to sit in on a show an impromptu show with three guys who were improv comedians and

[00:00:41] They were amazing. So I asked two of them. Would you come on the podcast? And they said they would so Jacob Simmons is here today

[00:00:50] And Jacob is blue or not. He's a pastor. He's a preacher and

[00:00:55] And Birmingham, Alabama, but he is also a student and loves a student of I should say and loves improv

[00:01:03] And that's so for fun. He started fairway theater with these other guys and he teaches and performs

[00:01:11] Improv comedy on a regular basis the other guy that we're gonna talk to

[00:01:16] Is Tim, Tim Casper now Tim has spent the last 14 years

[00:01:22] Working as an accomplished actor both a stage and screen

[00:01:27] so he has incredible improv training from

[00:01:31] numerous places he has he has

[00:01:34] Worked with with stage plays. He's worked with network television shows

[00:01:39] He's worked with feature films music videos award-winning short films. He's really a

[00:01:46] professional improv

[00:01:48] Actor or professional actor if you will so when you get these guys together

[00:01:53] There's just no telling what might happen, but I did learn an awful lot from them

[00:01:58] In fact Tim has a business that helps other business leaders understand the power of improv and how it can help a

[00:02:07] Team navigate change how it can help

[00:02:10] Businesses perform at a higher level how it can help you to become a stronger leader

[00:02:15] So I want you to think about that and we're gonna listen to Tim

[00:02:19] We're gonna gonna listen to Jacob now. I'm gonna tell you

[00:02:23] I did not expect this interview to go where it was going to go in fact right after the show

[00:02:29] We decided to do an improv podcast so for the first time ever. It's an improv podcast

[00:02:35] I need to be quiet now so we can get in there and you can hear this this interview

[00:02:39] You're I think you're gonna take an awful lot away from it

[00:02:42] So let's jump in to the improv podcast with Jacob Simmons and Tim Jasper right now

[00:02:57] Well, this is the first and thank you guys so much. I know you're tired

[00:03:01] But you have just performed an improv show

[00:03:05] For a group of people and and did a tremendous job. It was amazing. It was funny. It was hilarious

[00:03:11] You're incredibly gifted and then for some reason you agreed to allow me to do a

[00:03:17] Improv podcast with you. Thank you that means

[00:03:26] Robin has everything locked up so she'll release us all when this is over

[00:03:33] I love it, I appreciate you

[00:03:36] I want to I want to take just a few minutes on this podcast

[00:03:38] It's very different podcast for crossing the line and I want you to teach us first about you

[00:03:44] I want to I want to learn about improv. I want you to tell us some things about that in a few minutes

[00:03:49] but

[00:03:50] You are incredible leaders and I want to know kind of kind of your backstory

[00:03:55] So Tim will start with you and let's just think go back with me to a day in the life of Tim when you were

[00:04:03] 6 7 8 years old. What was that?

[00:04:06] Shoo, it's a heavy question

[00:04:08] I don't know. I don't

[00:04:10] Be honest, I guess I don't have a lot of like positive memories from my childhood really my

[00:04:15] My mom she raised me by herself. It worked all the time

[00:04:18] So I was alone a lot and or with maybe people who didn't have my best interests in mind

[00:04:23] so I think I did a lot of like raising myself and I think those were years that was very like

[00:04:29] Concentrated yeah, yeah, that's just what yes what comes to mind

[00:04:32] You know Tim thank you for sharing that for being vulnerable and and those hard times

[00:04:37] You probably you know, although they was difficult not what you would have preferred not positive

[00:04:44] But there were some things that you learned from those times. Oh, absolutely

[00:04:47] There's some things that help make you who you are today. Oh, absolutely

[00:04:51] Yeah, and so we'll take that and we'll move forward just a bit to now you're in junior high school

[00:04:57] Who is junior high Tim?

[00:04:59] junior high school I just started to

[00:05:03] I was in band

[00:05:04] That was a very

[00:05:06] Formative experience sort of this is what I needed and then be part of like it was the first time

[00:05:10] I felt really like part of something that's what comes to mind when I think of junior high was I was in band and

[00:05:15] And since we're talking about leadership early on I think at junior high

[00:05:18] I was band president, you know, so took on those positions because I love really. Oh, yeah

[00:05:23] No section leader as a trumpet player. Yeah, and so because I loved it so much

[00:05:28] Like I want to be as as involved with this as possible

[00:05:31] And so it's just that's the position for it, right?

[00:05:34] and that that carried on in the high school where I was

[00:05:37] Played band again section leader by the end of it and band president in high school by the end of it. Wow

[00:05:41] Yeah, it yeah

[00:05:43] I found something like this is this is like the family unit or with a community thing that I've been like looking for and it

[00:05:47] Was very pivotal for me

[00:05:49] So did you want to do that in college or good at the next level or did you say I'm just gonna

[00:05:53] I'm good here. I think oh, yeah, I think I was kind of done. I didn't see a

[00:05:58] Career path for it necessarily and I knew earlier on I knew that I had a passion for

[00:06:05] Performing and working as an actor, which is what I do currently so I sort of knew that was a part of it

[00:06:09] But theater and especially film wasn't available to me at that time really so band was like the next big

[00:06:16] I got to perform. I got to be on stage. You got the trumpet trumpet players the ego

[00:06:20] The big ego is gonna play the trumpets. Oh, yeah

[00:06:22] Yeah, that's that's the stair every instrument has a stereotype and trumpets that and so it's more the more performative flashy ones

[00:06:28] So I got that I got to do the performative thing and then once I got at a high school

[00:06:32] That's what I sort of switched and sort of pursuing

[00:06:35] Performance art. How about that? Okay. Hold that thought for just a minute

[00:06:40] Jacob. Yeah six seven eight years old. Who are you? I was probably like a

[00:06:47] bookish

[00:06:48] Smart love school kind of kid. I had a great family that loved me well and was probably just kind of

[00:06:56] Trying to figure things out liked

[00:06:59] I like sports and I liked people and I loved being around my friends

[00:07:04] But yeah, that's probably the best way to describe me at six seven eight

[00:07:09] I think so so even in those years what I heard you say is you were trying to figure things out

[00:07:14] Yeah, I came from a blended family where my stepdad raised me

[00:07:18] So he earned the title of dad and so that that felt formative early on years later

[00:07:22] I realized I didn't have a father wound and was because my stepdad was just the best

[00:07:27] My dad is just the absolute best and so but it still is kind of wandering through there

[00:07:31] My brother was four years younger than me. So we were a great family unit

[00:07:37] But yeah, you're kind of figuring things out in those early days

[00:07:40] So as you kind of go up, let's go to junior high Jacob. Who are you there?

[00:07:44] I'll probably even more trying to figure things out if I'm honest. I remember

[00:07:49] Junior high like not having close friends but been able to kind of

[00:07:54] Be a butterfly between different groups

[00:07:56] But it's funny is that I loved being at church which no surprise

[00:08:01] I'm a pastor now

[00:08:02] and so I was a church kid and felt a

[00:08:06] Sense of calling and a sense of purpose and a sense of place at church in that community as well

[00:08:10] So it's it's no surprise that where we find ourselves in those formative years you go

[00:08:14] All right, I think I want to do this for others for that

[00:08:16] They could find their sense of calling here as well. So did that transcend into high school? Yeah. Yeah

[00:08:22] so I

[00:08:23] High school I got a good bit more confidence and learned who I was and what I was interested in and

[00:08:29] And made some really good friends in my high school years

[00:08:31] And then I really I think kind of took off in the college years because the school and the community and all those kind of things together

[00:08:38] Figured themselves out. I think

[00:08:40] So I want you guys to think a minute as you were growing up in those those years junior high high school

[00:08:46] Think about an obstacle that you had to overcome think about something that was difficult

[00:08:52] Not pleasant

[00:08:53] But you you had to go through it and think about what you learned from that

[00:08:57] And want to ask you to share that with us that you know, we know that we strengthen our leadership muscles through adversity

[00:09:03] I don't really like that but that is the truth and

[00:09:07] So in other words our struggles make us stronger or they can if we choose for them to

[00:09:12] And so think about your life with me for just a moment and a struggle an obstacle that as a young man

[00:09:21] That you had to face

[00:09:23] Tell us about that

[00:09:25] I've got I got a pick from mine. Yeah

[00:09:28] Man, I'm trying to think the lesson. Let's just go with and see if we find the lesson. So I was uh,

[00:09:32] We think about young man. This was eighth grade. I was I was kidnapped by uh, my father at the time

[00:09:38] Who's like wasn't present in my life and uh, this is not a bit. Is it? Oh, no, this is not a bit

[00:09:43] The true story. Yeah. Yeah, um, yeah, I'll give you the details later

[00:09:48] Yeah, just sort of like

[00:09:49] Creeped back in my into my life and sort of was like manipulating things behind the scenes and sort of uh

[00:09:54] Yeah orchestrated this whole thing and I spent uh

[00:09:57] Yeah, like a summer

[00:09:59] in in georgia, uh at that age and um

[00:10:03] Yeah, I don't know the the lesson from I think it um coming back was the lesson when uh, I finally came back home. It was like a

[00:10:11] I don't know it

[00:10:13] Um told me a lot about uh, I don't know my mom's love for me

[00:10:15] I guess and like about who I was

[00:10:16] I think I had to really just sort of grow up fast and think about my decisions and

[00:10:21] I was sort of coming at that age where it's like no, I'm autonomous

[00:10:24] Like I'm making decisions from it and do I want to make decisions like this that hurt people in the way that they did

[00:10:29] And who am I going to be this this hurt me and who is this for and it made me

[00:10:33] Uh, probably a little overcorrection of like uh lack of trust with people a little bit

[00:10:37] You know what I mean? So I think it I built up a lot of walls

[00:10:40] I think I became like really strong as an individual at that time

[00:10:43] Um, and so I think that that's carried me through a lot of my life

[00:10:46] Um, and I think those those sort of trust issues I've had to

[00:10:49] Break those walls down over time which has been tough

[00:10:52] But yeah, when you ask about an obstacle like that that was it

[00:10:55] It's sort of like this paradigm shifting sort of thing the

[00:10:58] It happening and then sort of like being in it and then knowing it was wrong and it just did

[00:11:02] I think it really fine-tuned my

[00:11:05] I don't know spiritual

[00:11:08] um

[00:11:09] I'll consciousness or

[00:11:12] Perceptions of like this is wrong

[00:11:14] You know and like going back home is right and I think it did fine-tuned a lot of that. Um

[00:11:18] Yeah, I think I think I'm still sort of unpacking the

[00:11:22] The benefit that I don't know if it's hard to say it's like this obstacle, but what good came from it

[00:11:25] Well, that's a tough one. Well, you know Tim

[00:11:28] One of the things that I noticed in doing these interviews

[00:11:31] Is that every leader every strong leader has this adversity that he or she has gone through

[00:11:38] And they've chosen to learn maybe not in the moment

[00:11:40] Maybe not when it was happening

[00:11:42] But even as they look back and and I can see what because what you just told us was that

[00:11:47] You learn from this you had to make better decisions than it maybe even your dad or those that were in authority

[00:11:53] You you had to say look, I don't want this. So you chose to find that strength

[00:11:57] You chose to find that independence you chose to find the the ability to persevere

[00:12:02] I mean think about all those traits of leadership perseverance

[00:12:05] In you know being independent being not allowing others to sway

[00:12:09] You into making those bad shoes saying I'm going to choose to make better decisions than what I had been exposed to

[00:12:15] I think that's

[00:12:16] Amazing absolutely because I'm the age right now

[00:12:19] That he was when that happened. Wow

[00:12:21] And so it's caused me to reflect on those things a lot of like who I don't know who I sort of chose to be

[00:12:25] Those qualities that you just described

[00:12:28] Um, I'm at least not perpetuating something, you know, I'm leading in a different direction than that for sure

[00:12:34] Yeah, that's beautiful. Wow. That's awesome. Thank you for sharing that. Oh, yeah

[00:12:38] Jacob weirdly enough. I was kidnapped by Tim's father

[00:12:45] What a terrible guy

[00:12:47] It was the best summer of my life. I don't know is that so rude?

[00:12:50] Wait, hold on. That was you? That was oh, I was around and yeah, Adam last

[00:12:55] You were the favored one during that summer. I remember I thought I recognized you

[00:12:59] Anything you say it was fun and after that it's like, uh, grades were tough

[00:13:04] Uh, you know, I couldn't run the bike very well

[00:13:06] Hey, you go first

[00:13:11] I should have started with you Jacob

[00:13:18] Yeah, so, um, I will say this was uh

[00:13:22] Kind of ongoing and I referenced it earlier. So it's funny that it's come back up but coming from a blended family

[00:13:27] Um, I very much feel you're always kind of finding your your place. Um

[00:13:32] It sounds obvious, but like my last name is different from my parents and my brother's last name

[00:13:36] And that kind of walks with you of okay

[00:13:39] I'm a part of a family, but I feel distinct and unique in some ways because of other people's decisions

[00:13:44] And so finding a sense and a place of belonging

[00:13:48] It was always really, um

[00:13:51] It took a while, you know, I mean what's interesting though is that years later susan says that that

[00:13:57] Because you know, you're visiting family of people you don't spend time with because they're kind of

[00:14:02] Distant or you know, biological father. It's his side of the family and I had a grandmother outside of love

[00:14:07] But I didn't just didn't know them all but she says that this actually gave you that jake

[00:14:11] I don't feel awkward in a lot of rooms like I know how to work a room and know how to

[00:14:15] Be uncomfortable or be comfortable in uncomfortable situations

[00:14:18] And it kind of trained in me a willingness to say like I kind of know who I am at this point because I've been through a lot of

[00:14:24] uncomfortable stuff

[00:14:26] Uh earlier on again

[00:14:27] I'm so thankful that my mother remarried the best man and erased me since I was two years old

[00:14:32] And so it's not a wound in this way

[00:14:34] But there are repercussions of those kind of decisions and those that kind of

[00:14:39] They stuck with me for a little while. So going through those awkward times

[00:14:43] Helped you today to know who you are and have confidence. Yeah to be who you are

[00:14:48] And it feels like nothing's gonna be as awkward as it was when you're 13

[00:14:54] spending

[00:14:55] Christmas or time with family that you don't know that well, you'll never be as uncomfortable as you are in those situations

[00:15:00] So there's a bit of there's a bit of confidence that comes along with that

[00:15:03] And and for our listener Suzanne is Suzanne is my wife and uh, we've been married for 10 years now

[00:15:10] So so from a leadership perspective

[00:15:13] Learning how to how to navigate that awkwardness

[00:15:16] Learning to to not allow your identity to be caught up in things you can't control

[00:15:21] Identity is not what your surroundings say but rather comes from the inside outward of knowing who you are

[00:15:26] Makes you look comfortable when you walk into the room. That's amazing

[00:15:30] So so guys, thank you first for sharing that we learn from you and we learn from

[00:15:36] More from hearing about your struggle and overcoming than we do from your successes

[00:15:40] But you both are incredibly successful

[00:15:42] You're

[00:15:43] Incredibly gifted and I want you to kind of talk to us a little bit about how you got first first

[00:15:49] So what is improv let's start there both of you are you know, you have this this company

[00:15:54] Where we do improv shows you have an improv theater amazing

[00:15:59] in Birmingham, Alabama

[00:16:02] And but tell us a little bit about let's let's define what we're talking about

[00:16:07] So improvisation is a relatively new theatrical art form kind of developed in the 1950s

[00:16:14] In Chicago, there were some precursors to it in Germany and Russia or whatever, but it really coalesced and

[00:16:22] One author said that it's really America's greatest contribution to the theater is improvisation

[00:16:27] And it started in Chicago through the compass players and

[00:16:31] Viola Spohlen and these theater games these games that were really meant for theater practice and rehearsals and getting out of your head

[00:16:37] And and getting into your heart and responding with emotions and made you better actors

[00:16:42] And this group realized that the games are really fun to play in front of an audience

[00:16:46] That they weren't just practice and they were actually performance

[00:16:49] And they would do these things and there's smart quick-witted people from the University of Chicago

[00:16:54] One thing led to another and they founded the second city theater

[00:16:56] And the best ones became a part of a review and a show and then they would do an improv set at the end

[00:17:01] So improvisation is really from one suggestion from an audience building a full

[00:17:07] scene a full collection of scenes a full piece of full play

[00:17:10] Before a live audience the suggestion shows to the audience that it's made up on the spot and through the rules and practice of

[00:17:17] Improvisation, which is really the rule of yes and

[00:17:20] Yes, and so that you say yes to whatever the person that you're doing the scene with the other player

[00:17:25] Whatever they say and then you add to it. So I break it down a little further into your listening agreeing and responding

[00:17:33] That's what you're doing. You're listening 80 to 90 percent of improvisation is listening being a good listener being listening to

[00:17:40] What they're saying what they're implying what they're suggesting what their body language is all you're listening and you're taking

[00:17:46] And you're agreeing so that if tim says hey have a hat that is a hat

[00:17:50] It's not something else it's it's exactly what they say and that how he says it suggests something about his character and our relationship

[00:17:56] You're listening to all these things

[00:17:57] You're agreeing to the truth of them and then you build on top of it

[00:18:00] You respond to them with something true from your perspective and from those back and forth

[00:18:04] You very quickly build a scene that has perspective that has

[00:18:08] Relationships and then from that maybe the next scene builds on top of that

[00:18:11] And you kind of start with this one suggestion and build the whole world and make wonderful discoveries and

[00:18:17] It's a blast. It's really really fun

[00:18:19] You know I saw that just a few minutes ago

[00:18:21] You guys took took just a something from the audience and you just continued to build and build and tell stories

[00:18:27] And you had us captivated and it was hilarious

[00:18:30] but

[00:18:32] I can't help but think why you're talking

[00:18:35] How important that is in leadership how important that is in relationships

[00:18:38] I want to break that down in a minute, but I want to let tim tell us about the theater

[00:18:42] Yeah, for sure. That was a really great explanation. Thanks top notch. Yeah, you've been studying. Yeah. Um, yeah

[00:18:47] So I'll sort of yeah to segue into that the way I sort of present

[00:18:51] When i'm starting out a class like week one

[00:18:54] Is uh, because that's always the question people know they want to do it, but they don't even know what it is sometimes

[00:18:58] You know, I'll ask them like, uh, so I'll ask what is improv and nobody knows what to say like they're

[00:19:02] I'm just here for it. I don't know what it is and I try to say that it's uh, it's a way of turning

[00:19:08] Chaos into order

[00:19:10] And that the stage is sort of this open chaos where anything can happen

[00:19:13] It's just a blank stage anything can and will happen and it's like how do we take those sort of chaos that that comes up

[00:19:19] And transform it into this thing that uh, has a bit of like order to and story to and structure

[00:19:23] And then when it's world building and relationship building and it's through those things jacob talks about it

[00:19:27] It's acceptance. It's a sort of easy way to look at it as like a virtue is really it's like acceptance. It's listening. It's um

[00:19:34] It's being vulnerable. It's being as trusting other people is trusting yourself in your own instincts and yeah those

[00:19:39] there's whole fields um of

[00:19:41] Applied improv to how we apply these for businesses or schooling

[00:19:45] I don't think there's any human relationship that those virtues don't touch and rich and so um

[00:19:51] What we found with uh, I always sort of think you know, of course we're on stage and like we've had training and like our shows are like funny

[00:19:57] But I do think that there's something when people witness

[00:20:00] Especially like three grown men up on stage being vulnerable each other trusting each other really truly listening

[00:20:06] It's so rare that there's almost a cathartic release to witness that in public

[00:20:11] You know that it's so rare, right?

[00:20:13] That yeah, and I think that that's what I think the laughs that people enjoy the night because of that

[00:20:17] But I think what brings people back is that cathartic release of witnessing those things and so

[00:20:21] Our shows we were starting doing you know show we've done this for a long time

[00:20:24] But our current group or you know, we're 30 40 people were coming sort of our friends and family and stuff

[00:20:29] And then our last show had 230 people at it

[00:20:32] It's just people there's a community that's begging to be born and we saw that happening

[00:20:37] And it's like we need to build a space for this to happen

[00:20:40] And so we found a space and it's humble for now

[00:20:42] We have big dreams

[00:20:43] But it's called the faraway theater and it's sort of the idea of this is a place where you can go

[00:20:48] And have this experience and uh right now we we started offering classes and right now we have currently 40

[00:20:54] active students right now and uh in the advanced levels of people that have gone through eight weeks and are starting their next

[00:20:59] Eight week of classes

[00:21:01] They are they've started like a walking group

[00:21:04] They've they've been going to each other's like birthday parties and other creative events like this whole community

[00:21:09] That because you don't act out those virtues and not build strong relationships. When you put those virtues on its feet

[00:21:15] Inevitably community happens and a celebration of one another happens

[00:21:20] My favorite quote about improvisations from a group tj and dav and they're out of chicago

[00:21:24] And they've been doing they're the best in the country at this

[00:21:26] But they wrote a book about it improvisation at the speed of life

[00:21:29] And they say when you get on stage, there's a million questions. Who are you? Where are you?

[00:21:34] But all of the answers to your questions are in your partner's eyes

[00:21:37] You lock it on your eyes and every

[00:21:40] Every answer to the question you have is found in there and between the two of you

[00:21:44] You're going to discover all the answers to the questions that you have

[00:21:48] Which wouldn't they was when I talk about listening say

[00:21:51] Everything you're looking for all the chaos that exists right now if you lock in on one another you're going to find it together

[00:21:57] Which I don't know that I would have put it that way

[00:22:00] But it's absolutely true because you don't know what's happening

[00:22:02] You don't want it's coming next but I know if we hang on to each other and we keep finding one another and keep those

[00:22:06] Lines of communication open that all the answers that we need are going to come

[00:22:10] And that exists in relationships that exist in groups that exist in churches that hey, it's

[00:22:17] We can find the answers but more important than the answers is the commitment

[00:22:20] We have to one another to move forward and I think that's a vital lesson

[00:22:24] So so let's unpack that just a little bit guys

[00:22:27] How do we use this improv?

[00:22:30] Philosophy, I'll call it that right. That's what it is. Yeah. How do we use that in our relationships?

[00:22:37] How can we use that because you talk about locking in

[00:22:40] To someone's eyes you talk about truly listening

[00:22:44] Break that down for me a bit if I because let's say our listeners

[00:22:47] You know, they want to have the ability to to improve

[00:22:51] You know from whether it's a professional relationship whether it's a personal relationship

[00:22:56] What are some things that they could do to kind of use these this improv philosophy to help enrich their their relationships?

[00:23:04] Uh taking improv class. Yeah

[00:23:06] At the faraway theater at faraway theater. Yeah, absolutely

[00:23:09] You can uh hire one of us to come in to your business and help you out then to run because I do think so these these sort of soft skills that we're talking about

[00:23:17] We don't get a chance to exercise. I mean, it's like the cognitive fitness that you usually I want bigger arms

[00:23:21] I'm gonna go to the gym and get bigger arms. I want to run faster. You can do that, but it's like I

[00:23:26] I want to be able to speak better in front of people

[00:23:28] You only get to do that when the pressure is on

[00:23:30] Yeah, you know and so the class you get this it's sort of like a gym

[00:23:32] You get to go to and work these things out

[00:23:35] And so I think that it's a very it's a joke answer, but it really is like it's a it's a chance where you have nothing

[00:23:40] But a safe supportive environment to go in there and do that and you find that a lot of times in an intro class

[00:23:45] There's people who for sure want to get up and like ham it up on stage and be funny

[00:23:49] But a lot of times you get people who are just trying to improve their you were saying this earlier tonight

[00:23:52] They're public speaking skills just being comfortable being in front of people

[00:23:56] Getting over a stutter or whatever it is, you know, and it really is a you you do that for two months basically

[00:24:03] And with loving people who are now at the end of it your friends that you get that work out in

[00:24:08] Yeah, to get to your question

[00:24:10] I I would go back to our basics of what is yes and and listening how good of a listener are you and not

[00:24:16] Assuming assuming is the worst thing you can do in improv

[00:24:19] It really is like oh, he knows what i'm talking about. So you don't you're in your mind

[00:24:23] And he's in his mind and and those lines of communication aren't open

[00:24:26] So how are you really listening to the other person and then agreeing not saying? Oh, it's fine

[00:24:31] They're okay, but like no maybe they're not fine trying to uh, what are we agreeing to?

[00:24:36] We would call it the base reality of a scene like what's the base reality?

[00:24:39] What is actually happening here? So any type of uh leadership

[00:24:44] Lesson would say you need an honest assessment of where you are before you know where you're going

[00:24:48] That's the exact same thing. That's an honest assessment of what's happening here

[00:24:51] What before we can move forward and then slowly taking one step at a time a lot of people want to jump

[00:24:56] Really far away you want to jump all the way to the end where there's things like no

[00:24:59] We have to build something here before we have fully realized characters on stage

[00:25:04] So you have to make those discoveries one at a time

[00:25:07] It feels elementary when you talk about it broken down

[00:25:10] But when you see it on stage, I feel like magic

[00:25:14] Uh when when you're both committing to the rules then you can really start moving quickly with a built-in trust

[00:25:19] But you've got to start at this

[00:25:21] 101 level of am i doing a good job of listening what am i catching on to?

[00:25:26] What am I how am I going to respond to that and then you start building it these

[00:25:30] Muscles and you can move much faster. Is that makes sense? That's so good. That is so good

[00:25:35] Um, and and I want us to man. I could I could talk about this

[00:25:38] You know forever with you guys, but I want to I want us to honor your time

[00:25:42] And I know you're tired. You've done the show for us tonight and it's kind of late

[00:25:47] Well, you've done a great job with sleep talking, but but I want to ask you just just a couple more things

[00:25:52] And I'll let you go so

[00:25:55] Take yourself out of improv for a minute

[00:25:57] There are there people listening who are trying to figure out their own identity their own their own way in the

[00:26:04] In the world of leadership not another leadership in the business sense, but leadership in their own life leadership and their relationships

[00:26:12] What would you say to someone who is just aspiring to learn they're aspiring to lead better

[00:26:17] They're aspiring to to grow in their life. Give us about two or three

[00:26:22] Hey, these are life lessons that just just from the topic for what you've learned just from from what comes to your mind

[00:26:28] Give us give us two or three

[00:26:30] Things that you would say hey guys you might want to think about this

[00:26:35] Uh, oh one thing that comes to mind for me is sort of the the cliche thing of um

[00:26:40] What is it? There's something I think like ellen or roosevelt or one of those who knows misquoted things

[00:26:44] But it's like everything you want on the other side of fear. I really think that

[00:26:48] fear is such an interesting concept and um

[00:26:51] And that sort of gets into like when students have like showcases when they're nervous

[00:26:55] And I think people are they're nervous to start. I'm working on like starting a business right now

[00:26:58] I'm so nervous to like and I have to remind myself. That's what I tell my students when they go

[00:27:01] I'm like you're nervous because you care, you know, and it's so easy to forget that right to feel like

[00:27:07] Oh, I'm so nervous. I shouldn't do it. It's like no, you're nervous because you want to do

[00:27:10] You know, and so I think it's to remember that nerves can be like a signal for that and fear can be uh

[00:27:16] A lot of times we have fears in our own head, right?

[00:27:18] And so to to embrace that and I always try to tell it's very specific but

[00:27:22] To tell to the students um that you're nervous to go up. It's like that's sort of free energy

[00:27:27] You've got to you got to almost like welcome me because if you try to treat it as the as an obstacle

[00:27:31] It is going to be an obstacle

[00:27:32] But you sort of like welcome it's like no like this means I cared

[00:27:34] Then I have them like sort of breathe it in and let it sort of like course through their body a little bit

[00:27:38] Very very artsy theatrical sort of uh exercises

[00:27:42] But it seems to help and that was very helpful for me

[00:27:44] I was talking about playing the trumpet or I used to shake so bad when I played and I this is

[00:27:49] I read about this stuff in a book about like nerves and stuff like that as soon as I started to welcome them

[00:27:53] It liberated my nerves and I could sort of like face and it's it's allowed me to trust my own instincts as I move through the world

[00:27:59] Yeah, well, that's great. There's a great nugget improv axiom called follow the fear like as a group

[00:28:04] Like what's the scary thing we can do and following that we're actually going to make richer discoveries

[00:28:09] Only that then the safe ones that would pursue on our follow the fear

[00:28:12] It's okay to be nervous. It means you care about it. These are great. Oh, yeah, good

[00:28:16] Yeah, I would add and this is probably from the christian perspective because I work as a pastor

[00:28:21] But I do think that we are uniquely and wonderfully made and that we are all made uh with a sense of purpose and a sense of calling

[00:28:28] And that um as we listen to ourselves and find out where our passions lie and where our hearts beat

[00:28:35] We actually we're tapping into the thing that God has made us specifically to do

[00:28:41] And pastoring young adults, you know say where's your greatest passion in the world's greatest need

[00:28:47] Intercept and that's probably right where you need to be the thing that you get excited about

[00:28:51] That you know the world or those around you really need follow that thing and you'll probably find some

[00:28:57] extreme satisfaction and joy

[00:28:59] Because God's made you who you are to do this very thing that you found

[00:29:04] That's powerful, isn't it? Yeah. Wow. Thank you for that guys. Listen. Thank you for giving us your time

[00:29:10] Thank you for speaking into the to the lives of our listeners

[00:29:14] Uh, I'm just truly a proud. I know you could be doing a lot of other things like going to bed and sleeping or whatever

[00:29:20] But but you chose to come and share and before I let you go

[00:29:24] Is there anything else that you'd like to leave with our listeners before we check out of here anything else?

[00:29:29] You got anything? No, man. I'm happy to do this

[00:29:32] Go see an improv show. Yeah

[00:29:35] What a challenge. We'll do it. Hey guys and listeners, I did it. It's an amazing experience

[00:29:41] If you've never been to an improv you need to go do it if you have been to one go back again

[00:29:46] You'll be glad you did. Thank you guys for joining us on crossing the line. Thank you

[00:29:58] Well, I'm gonna go ahead and admit that I did not see that one coming

[00:30:02] I had no idea of of what we would

[00:30:06] Be able to hear and learn from these two incredibly talented improv

[00:30:11] Actors and more than that improv leaders

[00:30:14] Just a huge thank you and

[00:30:17] Shout out to tim and jacob for for being willing to do an improv just on the spur of the moment

[00:30:23] Interview for this podcast. Uh, it was authentic. It was

[00:30:29] meaningful and purposeful

[00:30:31] Just so much appreciate the vulnerability of those guys

[00:30:34] Learning how improv can help us in our relationships help us to become better listeners help us to deal with change

[00:30:40] Help us to deal with conflict

[00:30:42] Help us to be innovative and think outside the box

[00:30:45] powerful stuff

[00:30:47] Just a lot of fun, but a lot of purposeful fun

[00:30:50] I hope that you enjoyed this interview and I hope that you took away some things

[00:30:55] Boy, I tell you I did and I learned a lot. I want to learn more about this this improv

[00:31:00] Now leadership skill this improv and relationship skills. I think it's a it's something that

[00:31:07] We could all learn from if we're willing to open our minds and hearts. Hey, thank you. Thank you for listening

[00:31:13] Thank you for being a part of crossing the line. I just appreciate you more than you know

[00:31:19] So we'll see you next time on crossing the line in order to make a difference in the lives of those

[00:31:24] We love live with and lead take care

[00:31:30] This has been crossing the line with dr. Larry little

[00:31:33] Thank you for joining us today

[00:31:35] To learn more about our guests jacob simmons and tim casper and the far away theater

[00:31:40] You can find them online at faraway be ham dot com and on instagram at gladdus improv

[00:31:49] You can support our work by subscribing or hitting that like button

[00:31:53] To find more episodes you can find crossing the line on itunes spotify or on our website in the show notes

[00:32:01] If you're interested in being a guest on the podcast or want to learn more about us

[00:32:05] Contact the show through our website eagle center for leadership dot com until next time. Thank you for tuning in