Media Moments for Laughology
January didn’t so much ease itself in as kick the door open – and what a way to kick off our 20th birthday year that a month of media calls!
January has been a month for media, conversations and recognition — with Stephanie Davies, Laughology’s Head of Happiness, firmly stepping into the spotlight as a trusted voice on happiness, humour and how we cope when life (and January) feels a bit… much.
Stephanie has been a regular on the airwaves, appearing on LBC, BBC Radio (via a national programme broadcast across stations at 10pm), and a range of local radio shows and podcasts across the UK. She was also the promotional voice for Jet2 Holidays, following their research into boosting mood during the post-Christmas slump — sharing practical, science-backed ways to lift energy, perspective, and resilience. (SD to share clips)
And then there was This Morning.
If you missed it, Stephanie appeared live with Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond, talking about the psychology of happiness and humour. What viewers didn’t see — but what made us smile most — was what happened afterwards. Dermot and Alison carried on laughing behind the scenes, reminiscing about the photos and stories long after the cameras stopped rolling.
This, in many ways, sums up Laughology perfectly. The learning and laughter stick long after a session!
Penguin Random House International Services and Laughology
Stephanie was invited to Penguin Random House International Services to work with their senior leadership team on communication and change. With new systems and ways of working on the horizon, the focus was on how leaders show up under pressure — and how they can better support their teams through uncertainty and transition.
There was also a quietly proud moment when Stephanie found herself standing in the very warehouse that once stocked her own book, Laughology: The Science of Laughter. From a dyslexic child who thought she was “stupid”, to author, behavioural expert and business owner — not a bad place to pause and reflect.
The session explored profiling, the change cycle, curiosity-led thinking and the importance of communication when the stakes are high — all practical, human tools leaders can actually use when things get uncomfortable.
Chetwood Financial Supercharge Team Communication
We were also delighted to be back working with the Chetwood Financial Group, following previous work on their Big Chats, Little Chats programme.
This time, the focus was on profiling and communication — understanding how different people think, speak and respond, especially under pressure. Because when teams understand those differences and use them well, something powerful happens: misunderstandings reduce, trust increases, and performance improves.
The result? Teams that don’t just function — they work with their differences, not despite them.
Growth Mindset and Resilience Training with Smurfit Westrock
Smurfit Westrock are a ‘global leader in sustainable packaging’ with numerous sites in the UK. Despite the challenges and increased workload they’ve recently experienced, their people have rallied, worked hard and supported one another admirably.
With the start of a new year, Smurfit Westrock had a new project to tell their people about and, whilst exciting, they planned for the inevitable bumps they might encounter along the way by inviting Laughology along. The aim? To help their people to continue to build their resilience and take on new challenges positively.
Therefore, Laura Drury arrived armed with plenty of curly wurlys to deliver some FLIP it Thinking and Growth Mindset sessions, helping the team learn to continue building and supporting their resilience – and to think differently.
Working with both operational and office-based people, Laura wanted to make sure that the learnings from the session were applicable to all, so, along with our usual fun activities selected to support each piece of learning, there were plenty of opportunities to apply that learning to existing challenges from each department, through lots of discussion and, of course, fun!
A good sense of humour isn’t just something that works in singles ads (are they even used on dating apps?) but is a brilliant skill to develop to challenge our thinking or biases, connect us better, and build resilience.
For both Growth Mindset and FLIP it Thinking, the biggest piece of learning is really to build self-awareness of when our thinking becomes unhelpful, or as we like to say here at Laughology, ‘wonky’. Quite often, the biggest obstacle is how we’re thinking about something. If we can pinpoint that, we then know what the thought is that’s getting in the way.
With that knowledge, we use our curiosity to consider how we might reframe that thought and focus on what’s within our control to think and do differently.
If you’d like to find out more about either of these sessions, or how they can work together, why not contact Doug – doug@laughology.co.uk to discuss.
Menopause Awareness with MetLife
As part of their DEI commitment, the team at MetLife is keen to increase awareness and support for people in the organisation who are going through menopause, or who may be affected by it, including friends or family.
Sarah Creegan delivered a 90-minute hybrid session and was delighted to see a range of people attending, all happy to have open chats and contribute their thoughts.
As well as discussing some of the myths, truths, signs and symptoms of menopause, the session looked at Laughology’s FLIP-It Thinking model, a coping and resilience tool. It helps people to:
- Feel less ‘done unto’, and more in control
- Check their thoughts and language around the menopause and how these can be flipped to be more solution-focused
- Think about what more the organisation can do, in terms of support and understanding
- Address any unhelpful patterns of behaviour, e.g. Thinking, ‘My mum went through a terrible time with the menopause, so I will too’
Everyone took away new knowledge from the session and enjoyed the relaxed, fun approach.
Victoria Maitland Passes Her Insights Discovery Accreditation
Early January saw Laughologist Victoria Maitland pass her Insights Discovery accreditation with flying colours (literally). This brilliant news further strengthens our ability to deliver engaging, impactful Insights sessions for our customers.
Alongside building skills as an Insights practitioner, the four-day course created space to pause and feel grounded. Victoria was able to gain a clear understanding of her own preferences and a shared language for behaviours which are often tricky to name.
Exploring colour energies reinforced the belief that there is no right way to be. Just different strengths, different needs and different ways of showing up that matter more when we understand them. Learning how to consciously adapt energy to support others is incredibly valuable. The week was filled with honest conversations and excellent company. Victoria is ready and raring to go to put this learning into practice.
At Laughology, we believe better understanding leads to better relationships — and better relationships lead to better results. Having another accredited Insights practitioner on the team means we can continue to support individuals and teams to play to their strengths, manage challenges more positively, and bring more energy, empathy, clarity and drive – not to mention humour and laughter into the workplace.
If you’re interested in bringing Insights Discovery into your organisation, get in touch with Doug to find out more – doug@laughology.co.uk
