The Unscripted Edge: Jo McGinley on Finding Power in Presence

When Jo McGinley was called out of the audience to replace an injured magician's assistant, she didn't know it would be a defining moment. But standing on that stage, improvising a routine and getting sawed in half in front of 300 people, something clicked. "That was so much fun," McGinley said. "It actually made me realize, ‘Oh, I love being on stage.’"

That moment sparked a path that would blend performance and communication into a career few could predict. Today, Jo McGinley is the co-founder and senior coach at 333 Communications, where she helps professionals ranging from Olympic athletes to Fortune 500 executives become better communicators by tuning into something deeper: presence, clarity, and connection.

From Theater to Boardrooms: Building Bridges with Improv

McGinley's journey has never been straight. With one foot in the arts and another in business for more than 30 years, she's carved out a niche few others occupy. Early in her career, while working at the San Francisco Bay Club in employee development, she had a realization: "Every new employee should take improv. It's the perfect training for hospitality. Your whole job is connecting with the client and making them look good. All the qualities someone would need in hospitality are fundamental improv tools."

That idea, that improv techniques could sharpen customer service and communication, was ahead of its time. But it stuck. She's since made a career out of bringing those same tools to leadership teams, keynote stages, and training rooms across industries.

Advice for the Anxious Speaker

Public speaking triggers anxiety for most people, even high-level executives. According to McGinley, that's usually because they're focusing on the wrong thing. "When I'm nervous backstage before a keynote, I know my thinking is messed up. I'm thinking about myself: how I'm going to do, what I'm about to say, what's my opening line. That's all the wrong focus."

Instead, she coaches people to reframe their mindsets: It's not about performance; it's about purpose. "I'm here to share something, to be of service to my listener's mind. That calms my nervous system fast."

One of her signature tools is what she calls the "B to E" framework:

• B: Where is your audience starting mentally? What are they thinking right now?
• E: Where do you want them to be by the end of your talk?

Whether you're prepping a keynote or a 15-minute team update, knowing your B and E helps structure your message and reduce overthinking. "The best openings are about the listener, not about what you want to say. It's an act of respect."

Improv as a Leadership Tool

McGinley lights up when talking about improv. But it's not just for the stage. She believes it's one of the most underused tools in leadership, especially the principle of "yes, and." In improv, "yes, and" means accepting what another person has offered and then building on it.

"Even if I don't agree with someone, 'yes, and' is a way of saying, ‘I heard you. Let me stay with your idea longer before we shift,’" she explained. "It's an act of respect."

She runs exercises in corporate settings where teams first respond to ideas with "yes, but" (which is basically "no") and then with "yes, and." The difference is obvious. Not only does it improve communication, but it also creates a culture where people feel heard.

Presence Beats Perfection

One of the biggest myths McGinley wants to bust is the idea that content is everything. "For the speaker, they think it's words first. But for the listener, it's voice first, face first. Ideally, it all matches, but voice and presence matter more than people realize."

She also shared a technique from her acting days: rather than memorizing scripts word-for-word, connect each line to a thought. "Our brains work like this naturally. Someone says something, you have a thought, and then you respond. If you focus on the thought that leads to the line, it will feel more natural and you'll actually remember it."

This applies to corporate scripts, too. Especially when the goal is to sound less robotic and more real.

On Boundaries, Burnout, and Saying No

As someone who thrives on connection, McGinley has had to learn when to pull back. "If I don’t acknowledge that I need inward time, I get exhausted or sick. I had to explain to my husband that I need about an hour of nothingness to be present again."

She admits it's not easy, especially for people who are naturally curious or eager to help. But those boundaries matter. "Every time you say yes, you're closing the window on another potential opportunity. I started noticing that saying yes out of fear of missing out usually made me grumpy."

Advice for People Finding Their Path

McGinley's early passion was interior design. That changed. Then she thought film production. That changed, too. What stayed consistent was her love of communication and curiosity. Her advice for people figuring it out?

"Follow the breadcrumbs. You may not know the final destination, but your internal fire will lead you closer to the work you're meant to do."

And when you get the opportunity you really want? Don't be shy. "I made it my business to get the job I knew I would crush. It wasn't subtle."

Three Tips to Go to the Next Level

McGinley ended her interview with this advice for anyone ready to grow:

1. Be clear and bold about what you want.
2. Give 110%, even in roles that aren't your dream job.
3. Let the path be winding. Follow the things that give you energy.

"Even if it wasn't my dream job, it led to the next thing that was more suited to me," she said. And that’s the unscripted beauty of career growth: sometimes, it starts by saying yes to the unexpected.