Patrice Tanaka, Founder & Chief Joy Officer of  Joyful Planet LLC, interviews people who are actively living their purpose and contributing to a more joyful planet. This interview spotlights  Steve Cody, co-founder and co-CEO of  Peppercomm, a full-service, strategic communications firm with offices in New York, San Francisco and London and the  Holmes Report 2016 Corporate/B2B Agency of the Year.

PT:  Steve, what I love and admire about you is how you’re pursuing your passion and living your purpose in both your personal and professional life, including through your work at Peppercomm, which has been recognized among the best places to work within and beyond the PR industry, and putting yourself on the line doing standup comedy and engaging in the (sometimes life-threatening) sport of mountain climbing. Steve, can you share your life’s purpose, which we both define as one that leverages your greatest talents, expertise and passion in service of people and planet. SC:  My life’s purpose is to have fun and to bring fun to others. We obviously live in a very depressing, scary world that seems to be punctuated by one negative news item after another. I’ve been blessed with a self-deprecating sense of humor. As a result, while I’ve always taken our clients’ business very seriously and our business very seriously, I have never, ever taken myself seriously. So, I’m the first person to poke fun at my own mistakes and shortcomings. I believe that shows my vulnerability and humanity, and sends the message to the rank-and-file that, since the co-CEO is never afraid to accept blame for a faux pas, they shouldn’t be either.I also go out of my way to walk around the office, engage with the employees and always look for a way to interject comedy in any discussion. Making employees who work in a high-stress, high-stakes industry laugh out loud is the single best stress reliever I’ve come across.PT:  When did you discover your life’s purpose? Was there a triggering incident?SC:  I don’t think there was a single, seminal moment, Patrice. Rather it was an evolution that, as I entered midlife, I realized that while, I had achieved professional and personal success, I really didn’t have a personal purpose or compass to guide me. While I’d always believed in enjoying life and finding the right ways to inject fun in the workplace, it was sporadic at best.It wasn’t until I’d studied, and mastered, stand-up and improvisational comedy that I felt the confidence to have fun every day and make sure I brought fun and laughter to my own workplace. I had no idea it would become the hallmark of our culture, set us apart from our competition and provide a totally separate revenue stream for us (via client comedy workshops).PT:  And once you determined your purpose did you find yourself begin to actively live it? How did you begin? What did you do?SC:  It wasn’t an overnight, eureka-type experience. As I mentioned, I studied and performed stand-up comedy every single week for two years before introducing it to our management training program. During those first two years, I noticed my personal and professional purpose began to evolve slowly, but surely. From there, it just naturally became my professional and personal calling card in life. Btw, I was an extreme introvert in grammar and high school. The people who know me then would never believe that I’ve become the polar opposite.PT:  Did knowing your purpose in life change what you do in your professional life in any way? And, in your personal life?SC:  Definitely. Being focused on fun, and making sure others have fun has enabled me to better manage the roller coaster ride of being an entrepreneur. So, while I’m still devastated when we lose a major piece of business, a new business pitch or a key employee, I immediately interject humor to lift my spirits as well as those of my peers. I also concentrate on my non-verbal signals, making sure to always project an upbeat, “this too shall pass” attitude.Finding my purpose has had a huge impact on my personal life. I make sure I either climb, or perform comedy, every month. Both are beyond fun, and both enable me to completely decompress and forget about my business challenges completely. The beauty of climbing and comedy is that the former stimulates the “high” (pun intended) of intense physical exercise, a spiritual calmness and a genuine sense of accomplishment. Comedy is a pure adrenaline rush that takes me to emotional places I’ve never been. Regardless of how well I do, I’m always sky high after a performance, and need hours and hours to come down from the high. And, trust me, there is nothing cooler than making a roomful of complete strangers laugh out loud at something I’ve just said.Btw, finding comedy enabled me to truly give back. We’ve held countless stand-up comedy charity fundraisers for the likes of Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Autism Speaks, the ASPCA and the Young Survival Coalition. I’ve personally raised tens of thousands of dollars for these charities. I cannot tell you how good that makes me feel and it’s a direct result of my having found my purpose in life.PT:  How does it feel to be living your life’s purpose? Specifically, how would you describe it in terms of the success, fulfillment and joy you experience?SC:  In a word, it’s liberating. I also feel there’s absolutely no artificial shield that prevents me from seeking fun for me and my employees/circle of friends. Prior to discovering my purpose in life, I hesitated to express what had always been in my DNA (or soul, if you prefer). I may be many things, but I’m 100 percent authentic when it comes to having fun every day and doing my best to make sure others have fun as well.PT:  What is the result of knowing and actively living your life’s purpose? Is there a power that comes from knowing your life’s purpose in being able to actively live it?SC:  I would call it a peacefulness (or sense of satisfaction), not a power. I feel completely comfortable within my own skin and know that I’m thinking and acting in exactly the way I want to live the rest of my life. Finding one’s purpose also overcomes the fear many people feel deep down inside that they’re not being true to themselves or others.PT:  What are your greatest hopes and dreams for the life purpose you have chosen?SC:  I believe I’ve pioneered comedy, humor and fun in the workplace (most certainly I’ve done so within our industry). But, I did so 10 years sooner than fun became politically acceptable in Corporate America. I can’t tell you how cool it is to see more and more companies embrace fun, comedy and humor to drive their culture and, indeed, their corporate storytelling. I hope this trend will continue to gather momentum as we move forward. As noted earlier, the entire world is in desperate need of fun at the moment.PT:  What do you think you would be doing now if you hadn’t determined and then actively begun to live your purpose?SC:  I’d still be successful, but I’d have a huge hole deep in my gut (or psyche, if you will). I’d be playing “the Man’s” game instead of being myself and doing what I felt was right. I wouldn’t be feeling very good about not expressing the real me or sharing it with others.  And, I’d know I wasn’t making any meaningful contribution for the greater good.PT:  How important is it for individuals to discover their life’s purpose? And, do you think that businesses would be wise to help employees discover their purpose?SC:  I think it’s absolutely critical for everyone to discover their life’s purpose and live it every day. As far as employers helping individuals discover their purpose, that’s a slippery slope. As I said, I eased comedy and humor into the body Peppercomm and allowed it to take hold. Many embraced it and, I believe, saw it make a difference in their life’s purpose. That said, others rejected it outright.PT:  What advice would you give others about discovering their life’s purpose?SC:  Dig down deep and determine what makes you happiest. Focus on THE action, feeling, etc., that makes you feel great about yourself and that you believe also helps others. It’s that simple, and that difficult.PT:  One final question. Please indulge me as you know how important the idea of “joy” is to me. Tell us what you mean when you wrote in one of Peppercomm’s recent blog posts that “Joy is the new black.” How important is the idea of joy and happiness in business and in life?SC:  I believe joy is the new black because, as I mentioned earlier, we need a whole lot more joy, fun, humor and positive moments in life. I believe the most progressive thinkers and marketers have recognized the strategic edge that joy brings to their organization and their ability to break through the clutter and connect with a country that’s never been more divided (save pre-Civil War era). I predict you’ll see more and more previously serious businesses embrace joy as their purpose for being.PT:  I’m with you Steve! I believe if we are coming from a place of joy this is how we will engage with others and our contributions to the world will be joy-filled. And, together, we can create a more joyful planet for all! Steve, please keep living your purpose of having fun and sharing it with others. Our people and planet need this! [author] About the Author: Patrice Tanaka is a serial entrepreneur, having co-founded three award-winning, PR & marketing firms and, most recently, Joyful Planet, a Business & Life Strategy Consultancy.“Through Joyful Planet, I am doing what I love and do best, leveraging my creative, problem-solving talent to help individuals and organizations discover and live their purpose and unleash greater success, fulfillment and joy in business and life,” says Patrice. This is the subject of Patrice’s new best-selling book, Beat the Curve, co-authored with world renowned management consultant and coach, Brian Tracy, and other business leaders. Her chapter is entitled, “Live Your Life’s Purpose and Unleash Your Joy.” Connect with Patrice@JoyfulPlanet.com and via LinkedIn/Patrice Tanaka and Twitter/Patrice Tanaka.  [/author]