Jesters were professional entertainers who used comedy, music, storytelling, and acrobatics to amuse royalty and courts.

Beyond entertainment, they often acted as social critics, using their privileged position to mock political figures and offer witty, sometimes scathing, commentary without fear of punishment.

Their roles also included acting as diplomats, spreading rumors, and providing a unique form of comic relief.

You just read my job description. 🙂

In 1990, someone thought it was a good idea to add me to an already wildly successful medical imaging sales force.

My transition was bumpy, awkward and cause for second thoughts by the leadership.

I was the drunk at midnight choir.

I would be pulled aside after every meeting and given friendly lectures about being disruptive.

A dock working, musician, professional chef and stand up comedian was the square peg in their round hole. Ouch!

Not knowing the first thing about sales and marketing, I still added my five cents at business meetings.

I was the cause of uproarious laughter when I poked a little fun at things I thought ridiculous. What did I know?

I used the only tools I had at my disposal to reach and entertain customers.

I used to have lobsters flown in from the east coast on dry ice.

That night, I would cook, tell jokes, play the piano and hand out product brochures.

And then get all their business.

Other reps would complain that it wasn’t fair because they didn’t know any jokes. Can you imagine? 🙂

After one meeting, a product manager approached me about my idea of writing a song for the tenth anniversary of the product.

I was surprised because that went over like a fart in a space suit when I brought it up in the meeting.

Long story short, all my wild and crazy ideas were adopted over time.

I wrote and performed music and comedy skits all over the country, I created patient education videos for customers and the company.

I think “Taking The Test” might still be in circulation.

I had a company wide newsletter and a web site. The first.

I created my own new position as E-Marketing manager and built an in house video production studio at the home office.

I created the first e-mail marketing campaign.

I implemented ideas that were once considered laughable.

Stuff they don’t teach you at Wharton. Because they can’t.

The next time you have what they say is a stupid idea, think of me, I got a million of them.

And they all worked. 🙂