The other day I tuned into a presentation from a $50M/year entrepreneur.

The guy was clearly brilliant. He had experience. Wisdom. Insight.

But here’s the thing:

I walked away remembering none of it.

Maybe I zoned out. But it got me thinking…

How often does this happen?

We sit through 60+ minutes of content, and walk away with nothing that sticks.

It’s frustrating, sure — but here’s the real question:

Do people remember you after your presentations?

Today’s guest, Meredith Grundei, is on a mission to make sure they do.

A seasoned performer, TikTok creator (100K+ followers), and former Second City improv teacher, Meredith helps entrepreneurs and thought leaders turn their message into unforgettable experiences.

She blends storytelling, theatre, and improv to make important ideas come alive.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• 🎭 How to turn any ordinary object into a powerful presentation tool (we do this live, improv-style)
• 🔥 How Meredith healed generational trauma through a one-woman show — and how your story can move people too
• 💡 How to find the “hook” in your message that leaves a lasting impression

Show Notes Generated With The Help of AI!

00:00 - Introduction to Beyond Curious and today's guest, Meridith Grundei

Brandon Fong opens the episode with enthusiasm, introducing Meridith Grundei—actor, Second City improv teacher, speaker coach, and TikTok creator. He previews the episode’s highlights: using improv to boost communication, Meridith’s winding journey through dance and acting, and her solo show that helped her heal generational trauma.

00:01:31 - Improvising with a Toy Boat: A Live Improv Demo

Brandon and Meridith engage in a spontaneous improv exercise, using a toy boat from Brandon’s Zoom background. They build a playful and creative presentation introduction on the fly, showcasing how props and improv can instantly energize communication.

00:02:14 - From Dancing Muskrat to Improv Queen: Meridith’s Creative Odyssey

Meridith’s journey from childhood dance, to performing as a muskrat on roller skates, to competitive cycling, and finally to improv and acting reflects her instinct to follow curiosity and non-linear paths to purpose.

00:04:26 - The Wonder Woman Moment That Changed Everything

Meridith recounts a pivotal moment at age 13 when she was asked to speak a line in a dance performance—"I want to be just like Wonder Woman"—which led a mentor to suggest she try acting, helping her break through shyness and discover her voice.

00:10:34 - Chicago and Second City: The Start of a New Chapter

After moving to San Francisco and dabbling in road cycling, Meridith moves to Chicago and finds her calling at Second City through an internship and a connection made while teaching after-school theater. She helps build the youth improv program and deepens her passion for performance.

00:19:07 - Bringing Play into Corporate Training: Improv at Amazon AWS

Meridith shares how she uses jazz hands, shimmy breaks, and unexpected prompts to dissolve resistance and infuse energy into high-stakes corporate workshops—including those at AWS. Her mantra: stop taking yourself so seriously, and play more.

00:24:05 - Using Movement and Humor to Shift Stuck Energy

Meridith explains how she breaks tension in daily life using movement, sarcasm, and humor, whether in workout classes or conversations. She emphasizes the power of being playful as a tool for emotional release.

00:26:33 - Healing Through Theater: The Birth of “Nothing Further”

Meridith opens up about her solo show “Nothing Further,” inspired by the sudden death of her father and the complex revelations that followed. She shares how the immersive performance became a powerful vehicle to investigate family secrets and generational trauma.

00:32:31 - Creating a One-Woman Exhibit: From Plexiglass Vision to Performance

After iterations involving other actors, Meridith takes center stage in a solo version of her show inside an imagined plexiglass box. Told largely in third person, it draws from police reports, childhood memories, and artistic metaphors like a dollhouse to create a voyeuristic, healing narrative.

00:41:10 - Artistic Healing for All: Theater as a Path to Personal Growth

Meridith discusses how theater and storytelling—especially solo shows and improv—can be accessible tools for processing trauma and reclaiming narratives, even for non-performers.

00:44:02 - Designing Immersive Retreats: From Recipes to Radical Expression

Brandon and Meridith explore her upcoming retreat, where participants ditch conventional “talks” and create expression-based “recipes” incorporating props and emotion, inspired by Meridith’s visual creativity and coaching background.

00:47:52 - Prop-Based Public Speaking: Reinventing the Stage

Meridith advocates ditching boring PowerPoints in favor of props and audience experiences. She and Brandon create an on-the-spot example using a dragon-boat toy to open a fictional talk about an overloaded schedule—complete with sound effects and humor.

00:57:23 - Finding Your Unique Voice: Unlocking Authenticity on Stage

Meridith encourages speakers to identify what truly sets them apart—even things they overlook as mundane. She shares her exercise of delivering unfiltered, 30-second stories to help clients uncover their most resonant messages.

01:00:04 - Breaking the Mold: A New Era of Presenting

From constraints in storytelling to shifting objectives in presentations, Meridith shares how each moment with an audience deserves its own emotion, action, and style. She urges all speakers to rebel against tradition and craft truly memorable experiences.

Links & Resources:

• Meridith Grundei on TikTok (@meridithgrundei)
• Grundei Coaching - Meridith's Speaking & Improv Services
• Episode #182 with Randy Molland – Go Big to Give Big