“Yes, And”: Improv Principles for Creative Breakthroughs with Holly Mandel — Part 1

In this episode of Time Billionaires, Rebecca Shaddix explores how improv training builds better leaders, more creative teams, and faster collaboration with Holly Mandel, an improv professor and corporate trainer who has worked with PwC, IBM, and Pfizer to bring improv principles into their team dynamics.

Trained at Los Angeles’s Groundlings Theater, Holly explains why the core improv principle “Yes, And” isn’t about agreement, but about creating momentum and collaboration by acknowledging someone else’s version of reality. Together, Rebecca and Holly unpack how improvisers build trust, interrupt cycles overthinking, and easy ways to unlock creativity, confidence, and adaptability with easy improv warm-ups anyone can do in 5 minutes.

This conversation goes beyond “being present.” You’ll learn how:

• Swapping “but” for “and” subtly rewires trust in meetings and feedback
• Taking up space before you feel ready builds confidence faster than preparation
• Low-stakes discomfort (like improv) strengthens decision-making under pressure
• Five-minute micromoment exercises inspired by improv can improve team collaboration and everyday communication skills

They also dive into the neuroscience behind improv, explaining how shifting out of a fight-or-flight brainwave can reduce stress, spark fresh insights, and rewire your default mindset toward openness and innovation. By the end of this conversation, you’ll understand why improvisers don’t fear not knowing the next step, because they realize they already have all the tools they need to use uncertainty to create something entirely new.

Timestamps

1. Why Improv Builds Better Thinking, Communication, and Leadership–00:00
2. Overthinking at Work: Breaking Rumination Spirals with Improv Principles–01:21
3. “Yes, And” vs “Yes, But”: Communication Skills That Build Trust–03:11
4. Taking Up Space: Confidence, Authority, and Creative Leadership–10:35

Connect with Holly

Website: https://www.hollymandel.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-mandel/

For simple daily mindset tips, follow Rebecca and the Time Billionaires Podcast on LinkedIn.

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Chapters

• (00:00:00) - How to Become a Billionaire in 30 Seconds
• (00:00:52) - Why Holly Mandel Is One of Time Billionaires
• (00:01:35) - In the Elevator With an Improviser
• (00:03:39) - The Importance of Improvisation for Business
• (00:05:12) - The Importance of Yes anders in Improvisation
• (00:11:43) - Do You Have to Do "It All"?
• (00:14:23) - Being Fully Present in the Moment
• (00:18:05) - Why Improvisation Is Important for Your Brain