What if the secret to handling life’s biggest challenges isn’t having a better plan—but getting better at what happens when the plan falls apart? 🎭
On The Kara Goldin Show, I sit down with Mary Lemmer, entrepreneur, leadership consultant and author of How to Handle Anything: Four Improv Principles for Navigating Life’s Curveballs.
Mary started her first business at just 15, went on to work in venture capital and high-growth startups, and eventually discovered something unexpected: the principles of improv comedy could help people become better leaders, make decisions under pressure and navigate uncertainty with more confidence.
We talk about how Mary’s own experiences with unpredictable health challenges led her to rethink the need for control, what she learned training at The Second City and other renowned improv institutions, and how those lessons became the foundation for her Improve Method.
Mary also shares the four principles behind her new book—including “Yes, And,” “Take Everything as a Gift,” and “Play the Scene You’re In”—and how they can help us navigate setbacks, quiet our inner critic, embrace discomfort and become more adaptable in business and life.
We also get into what she’s learned working with organizations including Google and Pfizer, why resilience isn’t simply about pushing through, and how learning to improvise can change the way we lead, communicate and respond when things don’t go as planned.
If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, leadership, personal growth, resilience, or simply getting better at handling whatever life throws your way, you’ll want to hear this conversation.
Listen here or anywhere you get your podcasts. 🎧

Are you interested in sponsoring and advertising on The Kara Goldin Show, which is now in the Top 1% of Entrepreneur podcasts in the world? Let me know by contacting me atkaragoldin@gmail.com. You can also find me @‌KaraGoldin on all networks.

To learn more about Mary Lemmer and How to Handle Anything:
https://www.marylemmer.com/
https://www.marylemmer.com/book

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Check out our website to view this episode’s show notes: https://karagoldin.com/podcast/917