Jenny Turney introduced Mardi Wareham who is a spirited story-teller and CEO and chief performer at Singing Telegrams of Austin. She personifies innovation and creativity. From the first time she put on a gorilla costume, she knew she wanted to disrupt the workplace. Mardi also facilitates team building – she teaches groups of people in the corporate workplace to play ukulele as a way to build and strengthen teams. Prior to starting her business, she held positions in marketing in the insurance, education and nonprofit sectors. Mardi moved to Austin from Vancouver, Canada in 2005, and is delighted to live in the Live Music Capitol of the World.
 

Mardi greeted us with her gorilla mask and ukulele singing about having fun. She said she now has the best job in the world, especially since she’s learned to be a rule breaker not a follower. She recommended that we all unleash our inner gorilla, be original and take action. Mardi discussed her varied experiences from being a newsletter editor for an insurance company (no fun) to trying out and finally winning a spot with a gospel choir (should have been fun but wasn’t) to singing Peggy Lee songs at area clubs (fun but no money) to becoming an original with Singing Telegrams of Austin (lots of fun!). She noted that she was more of an entertainer than a singe - like Lucille Ball in a gorilla costume!

We ended with the gorilla song and dance: UU-UU UU-UU HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE! What fun! Watch out next week when Mickie has promised to do something really outrageous!

Visit www.playthatuke.com for more details about Mardi’s team building classes, and we should have a link to the video of her presentation today shortly.

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