Jim Melis

FULL BIO

What a difference a year can make in someone's life! Just ask comedian Jim Melis.

Though he's been a stand-up comedian for most of the last 12 years, Melis also held down a full-time job as CFO of a local institution of higher learning until last year when he created a life where he could be with his newborn son and work with both his passions: numbers and comedy. In doing so, he started The Melis Group and works as a financial consultant.

"I'd go straight from the office to the comedy clubs, still in my business suit," Melis recalls. "I am great with numbers. Finance and business has always come easy to me but it's not what I love."

"Carrying the one," Melis quipped about math, "doesn't make people laugh. Ever since I was a boy I loved to make people laugh. I find the instant feedback you get from the audience to be very exciting. It's like no other job out there. You tell them your story and the audience tells you instantly if you are funny or if that joke needs a little work or if you need to go home and hide under the bed because you were so bad. You don't have to wait days to read a review or in the case of financial matters, months for an underwriter to tell you whether or not you were successful."

Melis is also a new dad. Last year his wife, Michele, gave birth to their son, Grayson. He tells his fans, "If you didn't figure it out from that little baby I'm always carrying around, then you may have come to this conclusion from the puke on my shirt, or the poop in my hair."

His comedic style is really not a stretch from the real Jim Melis. "I take the stage and just be myself," he said. His delivery is very mellow and relaxed. Most people find it refreshing to hear someone who can be very funny with clean jokes. Those buying tickets to a Jim Melis show will hear his commentary on dating, marriage, divorce, pregnancy, fatherhood, sleep deprivation, food, his parents (he calls his father the "Greek Archie Bunker") and a host of other subjects. He said, "I talk about everything in my life, good or bad, as well as cheese, my wife and other things I like to touch."

Melis got his start in 1999 and still works the New York area comedy club circuit where high-caliber comedians go from one club to another. He has performed at top-quality comedy clubs such as the Broadway Comedy Club, the New York Comedy Club, the Eastville Comedy Club, the Gotham Comedy Club as well as the Comic Strip, where Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock and Adam Sandler were discovered and the Duplex where Joan Rivers and Woody Allen were discovered.

Inspired by Grayson, Jim and Michele recently started the Making a Difference One Laugh at a Time Foundation. This 501 (c)(3) charitable organization brings awareness and funding to charities and projects that provide relief to the poor, distressed, ill or underprivileged. This is done through laughter, by producing comedy shows with amazing top professional comedians such as Wanda Sykes who will appear this year.

Corporate Speaking Bio:

"Success Through Laughter"

Mr. Melis has been a member of NACUBO for 6 years the National Association of College University Business Officers. NACUBO specifically represents chief business and financial officers through advocacy efforts, community service, and professional development activities. The association's mission is to advance the economic viability and business practices of higher education institutions in fulfillment of their academic missions.

Through his company, The Melis Group, Jim works with clients from all industries as a CFO Consultant. He is also a stand-up comedian that has performed in clubs all over NY City and up and down the east coast. If that is not enough he is also the founder of the not for profit charity (501c3) Making A Difference One Laugh At A Time. The mission of the organization is to bring awareness and funding to charities, and projects that provide relief to the poor, distressed, ill or underprivileged through laughter by producing comedy shows.

"The world is changing...fast. Fast enough that by next week, the iPad will be thought of as Amish furniture. It's time to laugh about it."

Jim takes you on a hilarious journey through the ups and downs of dealing with change. Through motivational humor, Jim helps audiences snuggle up to change, stomp on suspicion, and open their minds to progress.

Jim will help your audience laugh as they examine:

• How to change the "soap opera" of the office by changing your perspective
• From Leave It To Beaver to texting--the evolution of communication
• How workplace personalities the conserver, the pragmatist, and the originator deal with change
• The value of staying current, being flexible, and creating a supportive environment

Packed with humor and insightful tips, this keynote is ideal for organizations looking for a lighthearted way to deal with the heavy topic of change.

Highlights include:

• Effective communication, power struggles, and team dynamics
• The dos and don'ts of getting along at work
• Creating a supportive environment
• Building momentum as a team

Everything Jim does is based on his foundation tools of humor and improvisation. Jim believes in the power of fun. To Jim, the improvisation games are the perfect form of comedic entertainment for a corporate environment. Comedy is a shared experience. Jim does not rely on stand-up comedy bits that may or may not work. The improvisation games are successful 100% of the time because the humor is based on three levels: the uniqueness of the game; watching your peers play the game; and Jim's ability and interaction with the audience and volunteers.

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