How to Handle Anything

About How to Handle Anything

How to Handle Anything explores how to navigate uncertainty, change, and unexpected challenges with more ease, flexibility, and humor - through stories, conversations, and improv-inspired insights. lifeimprovised.substack.com (https://lifeimprovised.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Hosted by Mary Lemmer

Category

business · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

3 Jul 2023

Latest episode

5 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

37 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   5 Oct 2026

   How to Handle Injury

   In this episode of How to Handle Anything, Brian and I talk injury, uncertainty, and what happens when life forces us into a scene we really don’t want to be in. Brian shares how an Achilles surgery that was supposed to have him on crutches for six weeks turned into five months of recovery, and how, even after more than three decades of practicing improv, it took time for him to stop fighting the situation and accept the scene he was actually in. From there, we explore how the skills Brian has developed as an improviser have helped him navigate uncertainty, make choices when there is no clear answer, manage anxiety, communicate more effectively, and find more room for joy along the way. We discuss… - How playing the scene you're in can help us accept circumstances we can’t immediately change - Why making a choice, even when you don’t know if it’s the “right” one, can help you move through uncertainty instead of getting stuck - How practicing improvisational principles and mindsets can help us become more comfortable with ambiguity, failure, and not knowing what comes next - Using emotional choices to shift how we respond when we’re feeling anxious, uncomfortable, or overwhelmed - Why giving ourselves a little grace, and lowering the stakes, can make it easier to try, fail, learn, and try again - How listening, expression, and a yes, and mindset can help us communicate and connect more effectively - Why playing isn’t just for kids, and how making space for it as adults can give us a much-needed break from the demands of everyday life A bit about Brian… Brian Palermo is an engaging actor and comedian with an impressive resume of performances in television, film, and top comedy venues. Brian grew up in New Orleans before spending 30 years in Los Angeles working in the entertainment industry. He is perhaps best known for his longtime association with The Groundlings Theatre in Los Angeles, where he has performed, directed, and taught for more than 25 years. Brian has guest-starred on a delightfully ridiculous range of Hollywood projects, including Friends, Modern Family, and all the way back to an episode of Baywatch. Today, Brian teaches internationally, facilitating workshops around communication skills for the science community as well as improv. If you enjoyed this episode, or found something inspiring or useful in it, share it with others, so they can enjoy it too! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeimprovised.substack.com/subscribe (https://lifeimprovised.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

2. 

   21 Sept 2026

   You Can Handle This

   This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit lifeimprovised.substack.com (https://lifeimprovised.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7) With less than two months til publication day of How to Handle Anything (http://howtohandleanything.com), and coming off the heels of sharing the conversation with content strategist and mom Alyssa Greenfield (https://lifeimprovised.substack.com/p/how-to-handle-lice-and-other-parental?r=2jm8az&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web), and how she’s navigated life’s parental and work curveballs, I thought this is a better time than any to share an audio Bonus Elixir for those times when you’re facing a curveball. This Bonus Elixir, for paid subscribers only, is designed to help you try the ideas in your own life, not just hear about them. And, to celebrate my book coming out in COMPLIMENTARY PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS for 100 days to anyone who pre-orders my book, How to Handle Anything (http://www.howtohandleanything.com/). So, if you want this Bonus Elixir and others, and other perks for paying subscribers, check out all the ways to pre-order and how to redeem your free 100 day subscription here. (https://lifeimprovised.substack.com/p/100-days-til-publication-day?r=2jm8az&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web) The Elixir: You Can Handle This In this Elixir, I ask you to think of something you’re dealing with right now that you didn’t expect, plan for, or maybe just really wish wasn’t happening right now. It doesn’t matter how big or small. It could be a kid with lice, a client canceled a project. Or, a leak in your ceiling, a flight delay. Or, you got a “no” from someone when you hoped for a “yes”, or just simply something in life isn’t unfolding the way you hoped it would. Whatever the curveball is, think about it. And I walk you through it using the four principles I write about in How to Handle Anything (http://howtohandleanything.com). 🔒 Bonus Elixirs are available to paid subscribers, and are released a couple weeks after each main episode as a space for deeper reflection and integration. To receive this and other Bonus Elixirs, and other paid subscriber benefits, join as a paid subscriber.

3. 

   1 Sept 2026

   How to Handle Lice & Other Parental Curveballs

   In this episode of How to Handle Anything, we talk parenting, entrepreneurship, and the many curveballs that come with trying to manage a life you can't fully control. Alyssa shares how she's learned to navigate the unexpected—from the ups and downs of building her own business to a particularly chaotic stretch of parenting that included a thrown-out back, a sick kid, an ER visit, and, yes, a household-wide case of lice. Along the way, she shares how community, humor, and learning to play the scene she's in have helped her find a little more ease amidst the chaos. We discuss… - Why finding your people can make life's unexpected moments easier to navigate - How to know when you need advice, a sounding board, or simply someone to listen - What "playing the scene you're in" looks like when you're dealing with a situation you really wish you weren't in - Focusing your energy on what you can control—and learning to let go of what you can't - Finding the humor in difficult moments without minimizing how hard they are - How parenting and entrepreneurship can challenge our desire to optimize, plan, and control everything - Why intentionally building your "ensemble" (at work and in life) can help you handle whatever comes next A bit about Alyssa… Alyssa Greenfield is a business owner and trusted thought partner and ghostwriter to venture firms and startup founders. She helps leaders bring clarity to their stories and meaning to their message—building visibility without sacrificing substance. Her clients range from first-time founders to seasoned investors, and her approach blends editorial rigor with a deep understanding of how ideas move in the venture ecosystem.Before launching her own business, Alyssa led global content programs in-house and at agencies, and brings more than a decade of experience across complex industries. She’s also a parent, which means her days run on sharp time management, clear priorities, and a deep appreciation for the kind of work that matters. When she's not writing for leaders, you'll likely find her with her six-year-old daughter, crafting, playing outside, or having a dance party in the living room. If you enjoyed this episode, or found something inspiring or useful in it, share it with others, so they can enjoy it too! This conversation is part of How to Handle Anything my ongoing interview series with people about how they’ve handled uncertainty, change, and unexpected moments with more ease, flexibility, and humor. To receive bonus content, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lifeimprovised.substack.com/subscribe (https://lifeimprovised.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Contact How to Handle Anything

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.