Getting a book into print and into the hands of eager readers is no easy task. It’s a complex journey with many steps along the way, many obstacles to overcome and of course many people to help and support along the way. With that in mind, as a precursor to season 4 of the Humourology podcast we have an unusual guest, my publisher Peter Freeth of Genius Media Publishing.
The Humourology journey began with an idea to build on my years of experience, using humour to thrill and delight business audiences whilst driving home some vital messages about the tangible value of humour in business today. One of the reasons that I’ve been working with Peter for so long is that he isn’t a pushover, he challenges my ideas and encourages me to focus on my strengths, and he saw Humourology as the weaving together of the various threads of my life’s work; comedy, business and psychology. He was delighted that, finally, my stories about Morris Minor and the Majors and The Calypso Twins had a home where they could shine, and that’s why Peter calls his business ‘Genius’ – it’s about unleashing everyone’s innate genius, their talent, their uniqueness.
I find it an interesting idea; that a genius is not some special, clever person who isn’t like us, a genius is actually a guardian spirit, the spirit of inspiration that we are all born with. I find that this idea encourages me to find that special spark, and to help other people to do the same. One of the most obvious ways in which that spark comes to the surface is when people laugh. We launched the book at The Martinez on 20th September in a night filled with inspiration and laughter. New connections were made, old friends were reunited and ideas were born. But most of all, the sound that echoed throughout the evening was laughter.
Laughter is like a wave of energy that rolls through a room. It’s an experience that bonds people, unites people, helps people to overcome their differences and see life from a new, shared point of view. There’s no doubt that the world needs more laughter, now more than ever.
Listen in to my interview with Peter on the Humourology podcast. It’s full of funny stories, ideas and thought-provoking conversation and, who knows, you might find your own spark of genius in it too.
