Two little words formed the foundation for my foray into improv comedy and they are, “yes, and”. I can remember being beside myself with excitement sitting in my first class at The Push Comedy Theater in downtown Norfolk a few weeks ago. Between watching SNL religiously growing up and my unexplored passion for comedy, the opportunity to learn the craft locally presented itself as a no brainer.

It needs to be mentioned that a huge powerhouse behind The Push is the teacher and veteran, local comic, Brad McMurran. My first impression went from teetering on maybe, to an all out obsession, due to the enthusiasm and excitement Brad brought to the stage. I had a sample, signed up for the 6-week course, and couldn’t wait for all that was in store for my Improv 101 education.

What unfolded would be more than a lesson in comedy, but lifelong lessons that I use in my work life as well.

1. I learned that it is incredibly difficult to step into an improv scene, impersonating what I think is a great Australian accent while also listening to my partner for how to respond. We were constantly reminded by our teacher to, “Listen like thieves.” In marketing, we work collaboratively on projects and individually. Often, we are busy brainstorming our own ideas; caught up in our own heads. This is where I find myself on the backline of the stage lost in my head, so many ideas swimming around. The backline is where a performer stands at the beginning of every scene. Once someone steps forward, off the backline, they are in a scene. What improv taught me about listening helps in all areas of teamwork and even presentations. It helps with responding to the new energy of the room and the new ideas. It taught me to get out of my head.

2. In the digital age, every brand must act as their own publisher. It’s a two-way conversation out there between customers and companies. Social media has made feedback instantaneous. Improv reinforced the importance of setting the stage quickly when writing for a brand. When creating in the moment we are tasked with setting up the “who, what, and where” in the first three lines. Stepping into a scene with a setting or a prop helps to set the stage for the next person. What I’ve learned here helped me to get to important details of a story quickly. Being tasked with engaging audiences for brands means being able to jump in and add to what’s there or create it from what I think the audience wants to hear.

3. Lastly, and maybe the most challenging life lesson here is learning to think three steps ahead. My improv 101 education taught us something called the “Asssscat,” a form of improv where the audience gives a one-word prompt, followed by one performer delivering a 2-minute monologue, which builds the entire performance. That’s where the performers on the backline are thinking three steps ahead as in three areas of the story that stood out. From those scene-starters, we are creating the setting in the first three lines, listening like thieves and responding authentically.

4. If there is anything equally important as following yes with and in improv, it is always making your partner look good. Teamwork is a big part of the marketing agency environment. Much like improv, success in marketing is based on the performance of a team as a whole, rather than the individuals themselves.

If you are still convinced improv is not for you, consider this: many fortune 500s are incorporating improv training into their leadership teams. From Google to Coca-Cola, businesses are seeing the value improv training has for their business.