Bliss, Chris
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About Chris Bliss
Chris was also one of the first surprise stars of the YouTube era, when his “Amazing Juggling Finale” video went viral to the tune of over 80,000,000 downloads. The video reprises the signature piece of his early career as an internationally acclaimed variety act, when he toured with superstars from Eric Clapton to Michael Jackson. Its internet fans included Ringo Star, who posted the video on his personal website, and Fatboy Slim, who asked Chris to star in his music video “Old Pair of Jeans”, and then invited him to perform the song live with the Paul Shaffer Band on the Late Show with David Letterman.
More recently, Chris branched out from traditional stand-up to deliver his first TED talk, “Comedy Is Translation”, which has been viewed by over half a million people. Invitations followed to speak at Images and Voices of Hope, an annual summit of thought leaders from across the media spectrum that explores the impact of media messaging on societies worldwide, and Chicago Ideas Week, a citywide event dedicated to “igniting change to positively impact our world”, that in it’s first two years has featured luminaries from Bill Clinton to Tom Brokaw.
Chris subsequently developed a full length keynote of the same title, which he debuted at the Louisville IdeaFestival in the fall of 2013. The talk explores how and why comedy works so well at overcoming our engrained perspectives, and how we can apply those lessons to be more effective communicators.
In the midst of all of this, Chris also launched the Bill of Rights Monument Project, a nonprofit dedicated to creating monuments of the Bill of Rights across America. He started the project after discovering there wasn’t a single monument to this cornerstone of our individual rights and liberties. That all changed on December 15, 2012, with dedication of the Bill of Rights Monument at the Arizona Capitol, a historic first for the State and the nation.
The dedication garnered coverage in both the New York Times and USA Today. Culminating seven years of hard work, Chris is now building on that success to organize a national endowment to bring the Bill of Rights to all fifty State Capitols.
The through line connecting all these dots is Chris’s passion for communication. Whether it’s his unique approach to juggling as a musical art, his scathingly funny comedy about the absurdities of our modern world, or his commitment to spreading awareness of our founding principles, Chris Bliss is continually searching for new approaches to old conventions, and fresh ways of expressing them. The result is entertaining and original presentations that are as refreshing as they are captivating.
One thing is certain. To paraphrase his write-up in the Washington Post, if you’re looking to laugh and think, you can’t do better than Chris Bliss.
Commitment to Excellence
Telling the story of his successful but questionable quest to become the world’s most famous juggler (“a claim to fame as unimpressive as it is difficult to refute”) Chris uses his incredible finale to demonstrate the power that mastering the basics has when combined with each individual’s passion for excellence. Depending on your conference schedule, this program can be augmented with interactive juggling classes for attendees either before or after the presentation.
Your Brain On Comedy
During his 30-year career as a variety artist, comedian, and corporate speaker, Chris Bliss has performed live on five different continents, in front of literally millions of fans, with 80 million more having downloaded his “Amazing Juggling Finale” on the internet.
This new keynote, “Your Brain On Comedy”, is based on his acclaimed TED talk (“Comedy Is Translation”). In it, Chris draws on his lifetime of experience as a verbal and visual communicator to share the artist’s perspective on how successful communication actually takes place.
Part personal memoir and part master class in comedy, Chris begins by exploring the barriers to successful communication we all face. He then uses some of his favorite material to illustrate how comedy and satire overcome those barriers, and to discuss the lessons that decades of performing all over the world have taught him about connecting with an audience.
The end result is an entertaining and thoughtful discussion of how we can open new paths to fresh perspectives and critical thinking, both within ourselves and in our professional and personal lives.
Comedy Is Translation: Lessons in Communication From A Lifetime of Laughter
This new keynote, “Comedy Is Translation”, is based on his acclaimed TED talk of the same title. In it, Chris draws on his lifetime of experience as a verbal and visual communicator to share the artist’s perspective on how successful communication actually takes place.
Part personal memoir and part master class in comedy as communication, Chris begins by exploring the barriers to successful communication we all face. He then uses some of his favorite material to illustrate how comedy and satire overcome those barriers, and to discuss the lessons that decades of performing all over the world have taught him about connecting with an audience.
The end result is an entertaining and thoughtful discussion of how we can open new paths to fresh perspectives and critical thinking, both within ourselves and in our professional and personal lives.
Testimonials
“One word – WOW!! Our membership consists of 100 chief decision makers spanning 33 industries. It was a huge risk requesting a comedian to add political material. The way you incorporated local and state politics and current affairs seamlessly into your performance made your show even funnier and so unique – the members loved it.
I highly recommend you, without any reservation.”
– Kareen Boutros, Executive Director, Broward Workshop
“I just wanted to say Thanks Again for the great job you did last Friday night! Everyone was still talking about you the rest of the weekend. One attendee said he was at a different investment firm’s conference a few weeks ago and they had Jay Leno as their entertainer. He said you blew him off the stage with your comedy and closing act on Friday.”
– Andrew J. Van Erp, VP – Business Development, Ameritas Investment Corp.
“Chris brought the house down. His uniquely intelligent and topical comedy was made all the more engaging and funny because of the work he did to prepare specifically for our audience. Chris attended the general sessions and was able to incorporate comical observations common to everyone in the room. I really appreciate Chris’s talent and professionalism. Most of all, I love looking around the room as the audience is giving him a standing ovation. Without reservation, I heartily recommend Chris Bliss.”
– Michael Morrison, Senior VP, Corporate Marketing, Davidson Companies
“I strongly recommend Chris Bliss to any company looking for a creative communicator to help them shape key events and deliver key takeaways in a memorable and impactful way. His commitment to becoming part of the team from start to finish, along with his unique performance background and skills, were critical in ensuring an entertaining and effective presentation that got the message across.”
– Lelia Konyn, Human Resources Director, Noble Resources
I want to thank Chris Bliss for the outstanding contribution he made to Noble Group’s annual Global Think Tank in Dubai. He is one of the best speakers we have contracted, because what he does comes from the heart as well as the head, and is absolutely tailored to the needs of the group. He was passionate about the project from the outset, brought to the table relevant and very creative ideas, researched the client, and was interested and interesting. He was an absolute pleasure to work with. I highly recommend Chris Bliss.
-Hillary King, Managing Director, DDK Communications