About Me

Mark and Janis met at the copy machine in the teacher’s lounge that fateful day in 1982. They went on a date and…

Well, I’ll fast forward to 2013. It was 2 years into my pharmacy career and there I was: a hopelessly left brained pharmacist, struggling to adapt to the unscripted (pun intended) world of pharmacy and healthcare.  Anything that didn’t “follow the script” (pun also intended) of my pharmacy education caused me to struggle to find the right words and actions in the moment. 

On paper, I had checked all the boxes that said I was supposed to be a competent, intelligent, and effective (and dare I say subjectively handsome) pharmacist: a nearly perfect academic record, a pharmacy practice residency at a highly competitive program, and board certification. 

However, all of the pharmacy school classes and fancy letters after my name that said I was qualified couldn’t teach me to create meaningful connections in the moment with those I worked with and cared for, adapt and remain flexible to uncertain work demands, and effectively communicate all of my hard earned knowledge to a diverse patient population. These challenging moments made me question my ability as a pharmacist and my belief that I would ever be truly qualified to provide the care and share the knowledge I had worked so hard to learn to obtain.

In 2013, I stepped into my first improv class and the two simple words I learned that day would change everything for me: “Yes, and.”

These two words are the foundation for improvisational comedy, “Yes, and” means agreeing and building together, and since learning those powerful words (amongst many other improv skills and lessons), I have gone on to teach, coach and perform improv in front of thousands of people.  

Beyond the laughter and fun, I have reaped the benefits of improv training by applying the lessons I have learned as a healthcare provider since.