My Joke Flopped In Front of 100 People. And I'm Glad It Did!
A few months ago, Canadian Association of Optometry Students (CAOS) invited me to speak to current optometry students at the University of Waterloo.
The moment I stepped into the building, memories came rushing back — the caffeine-fueled exam weeks, and the countless hours spent in Room 1129, the main lecture hall that every Waterloo optometry student knows all too well.
Standing at the front of that room — where my professors once stood — felt surreal. Only this time, I was the one giving the talk, and sitting in front of me were the bright-eyed future optometrists of Canada.
The Joke That Fell Flat
Midway through my presentation, I had a joke prepared about the perks of travel optometry.
It went like this:
“Private jets, champagne, five-star hotels! — wait, sorry everyone, that’s just my wishlist.”
Dead silence, followed by a few dry coughs.
My speaking coach and I thought it was clever!
The students clearly did not.
But here’s the surprising part — it didn’t throw me off at all.
I laughed it off internally, moved on, and ended up having a great session.
Why I’m Glad It Happened
On the drive home, I realized how much that tiny moment of failure meant to me.
A few years ago, I probably would’ve replayed that joke in my head for days, cringing at how awkward it was. But this time, it barely registered.
That failed joke was an unexpected proof of growth — that I could fail in front of 100 people, recover instantly, and still deliver something great.
In a weird way, it actually boosted my confidence.
Anything Worth Doing is On the Other Side of Fear
One of my biggest motivators in life is growth. And growth almost always requires discomfort — that anxious, heart-racing feeling you get right before doing something new.
Over the past few years, I’ve had to embrace that feeling repeatedly — from hosting a podcast to speaking in front of crowds.
I never thought I’d be a speaker or a podcast host. But every time I pushed past that nervous energy, my growth accelerated.
So yes — my joke bombed.
And I couldn’t be happier about it!
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