What if laughter wasn’t just a reaction to something funny, but an intentional tool for changing your mindset, strengthening culture, and navigating difficult moments?

In this episode of Anything But Typical, Gary and Ben sit down with Kim Coleman, a laughter strategist, laughter yoga instructor, TEDx speaker, keynote speaker, and performer. Kim shares how her background in theater, education, writing, stand-up comedy, and improvisation ultimately led her to recognize the power of intentional laughter.

Kim explains that she wants people to remember her as someone who listens, makes others feel comfortable, and helps them laugh. For her, laughter is something that can be intentionally introduced into everyday life to help shift your mindset and change the atmosphere around you.

• Why laughter can be an intentional part of your daily routine

• How leaders influence the emotional atmosphere of their workplace

• Using humor to create connection and make people feel more comfortable

• How Kim’s theater and improvisation background shaped the way she reads people and communicates

• Kim’s journey through writing, stand-up comedy, and laughter yoga

• Giving yourself permission to experience difficult moments instead of forcing positivity

• Why failure and bombing on stage can become powerful opportunities to learn

• How business owners can become more comfortable experimenting, failing, and trying something new

• Using music, art, meaningful objects, and relationships to intentionally influence your mindset

• Why the people you surround yourself with can have such a major impact on your energy

• Learning to take yourself a little less seriously

Kim also shares an important lesson from her own difficult seasons: sometimes the right response isn’t trying to make someone laugh. It’s listening, being present, and meeting them where they are.

For entrepreneurs and leaders, Kim encourages creating intentional moments throughout the day that help reduce stress and bring more joy into both work and life. She also emphasizes being willing to experiment and recognizing that failure is often where some of the biggest lessons are found.

The conversation ends with a simple challenge: find small things—music, people, art, memories, routines, or even laughter itself—that you can intentionally place into your day to help move your mindset in the direction you want it to go.

LinkedIn: @KimColeman Instagram: @kcolemanlaughs

Christian Klender’s career has taken him from software engineering and professional motorsports to building Watches of Charlotte.

In this episode of Anything But Typical, Christian shares how he broke into racing, helped build McLaren’s presence in Charlotte, and eventually made the jump into entrepreneurship.

We also talk about turning a passion for watches into a business, building trust with customers, raising capital, managing risk, and why sustainable growth matters more than simply getting bigger.

In This Episode:

• Breaking into professional motorsports • Working with IndyCar, NASCAR, and McLaren • Leaving the stability of a traditional career • Building Watches of Charlotte • Turning a passion into a profitable business • Building trust in high-value sales • Managing risk, investors, and growth • Staying grounded through career and life transitions

Learn more about Christian: WatchesofCharlotte.com Instagram: @WatchesofCharlotte

William McKee didn’t set out to become an entrepreneur. His path moved through engineering, technology, philosophy, travel, teaching, and eventually into building Knowmad Digital Marketing.

In this episode of Anything But Typical, William McKee joins Gary Frey and Ben to share how curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to keep evolving helped shape both his life and his business.

The conversation explores William’s early exposure to technology, the unconventional journey that led him into entrepreneurship, and what it has taken to keep Knowmad relevant through decades of change. From the early days of the internet to SEO, digital marketing, and now AI, William explains why staying curious has become one of his greatest advantages.

He also opens up about the realities of business growth, including costly pivots, finding the right support system, working alongside another visionary, building stronger processes, and learning when to step back and let the team operate in their strengths.

Resources Mentioned

Knowmad Digital Marketing, EO Accelerator, HubSpot, Marketing AI Institute / SmarterX, Charlotte Business Exchange, and EOS.

Connect With William McKee

Learn more about Knowmad Digital Marketing at www.knowmad.com. You can also find William McKee on LinkedIn by searching for William McKee in Charlotte.

About Anything But Typical

Anything But Typical shares real stories from entrepreneurs—not just the wins. Subscribe and share for more conversations about entrepreneurship, leadership, growth, and everything that happens along the way.