About
Us
Funny Women helps women to perform, write and do business with humour. Recognised comedy experts, we deploy some of the tried and tested tricks of the comedy trade to provide insights and inspiration for your business.
Founder Lynne Parker created Funny Women in 2002 as a response to the myth perpetuated that women aren’t funny. Now the landscape has changed, and women are proving that they are as funny, if not funnier, and every bit as successful as their male counterparts.
This change has run parallel to women becoming more prominent in business, politics, public life, industry, media, sport, the armed services and beyond and we have been working with some amazing companies and organisations using humour to develop confidence, build teams and improve creativity and wellbeing.
We originally ‘gave birth’ to HERlarious, as a way of changing the narrative around how women are represented in the workplace, advertising and the media and to promote the fact that a gender balance equates to sustainable success and stability for businesses.
Despite our best efforts and those of our clients, a recent study by Unilever and the #SeeHer campaign revealed that only 3% of advertisements show women in leadership positions, 2% show women being intelligent, and an even more lowly 1% show women with a sense of humour!
With some help from our friends in top advertising agencies and marketing networks, we created our ongoing HERlarious – Comedy for Creatives events to encourage collaboration between women in comedy and the creative industries – from script writing to casting, and having the confidence to sell our work. Where better to influence public opinion and showcase even more great female comedic and creative talent than by changing the face of how products and services are advertised.
Now we’ve expanded our HERlarious offer to bring businesses and organisations face to face with our community of Funny Women – performers, producers, directors and creators who can make your products and services look and feel good in today’s highly competitive marketplace.
Don't just take our word for it
Here's what just some of our clients have said
We love the part that Funny Women has played in what we've done for our Havas team building programme this year, and adored having you with us.
Canada Life is so proud to have worked with Funny Women to deliver HERlarious to our employee community earlier this year. Aside from being the right thing to do, empowering women – and men - in the workplace is a great step towards building a more inclusive and productive workplace that reflects Canada Life’s values.
It was an absolutely amazing feeling to hear the peals of laughter emanating from each of the workshops and hear first-hand from our colleagues the difference that the creative, fun workshops made to their own professional and personal development. The event is still referenced across the company over 10 months on. A true measure of the HERlarious value in my opinion!
It was an absolutely amazing feeling to hear the peals of laughter emanating from each of the workshops and hear first-hand from our colleagues the difference that the creative, fun workshops made to their own professional and personal development. The event is still referenced across the company over 10 months on. A true measure of the HERlarious value in my opinion!
We used Funny Women last year as part of our week long colleague engagement workshops. They helped us provide colleagues with an opportunity to laugh and come together in a series of short 10 minute comedy sessions during the breaks.
The sessions were brilliant, all focusing on a relevant topic like how to present yourself online and improvisation. Our colleagues came away having laughed and learnt a lot. We can’t thank the team enough for their support in making these sessions work for our business. They’re brilliant, and very funny women.
The sessions were brilliant, all focusing on a relevant topic like how to present yourself online and improvisation. Our colleagues came away having laughed and learnt a lot. We can’t thank the team enough for their support in making these sessions work for our business. They’re brilliant, and very funny women.
Funny Women contributed hugely to the success of FM Global’s inaugural women engineers conference in Paris. Lynne and Jenny both took the time to understand the company and what we wanted our engineers to take away from the sessions, and they fitted these in beautifully with the overall theme.
Even with attendees from 11 different European countries/cultures, they got everyone participating from an early stage and our women commented on how much they enjoyed the workshops.
Even with attendees from 11 different European countries/cultures, they got everyone participating from an early stage and our women commented on how much they enjoyed the workshops.
I have worked with Funny Women as part of the HERlarious initiative on three separate occasions with content being delivered both face to face and virtually. The first event was held in one of our Edinburgh offices and brought a group of strangers together to use hints and tips from the world of comedy. They laughed, overcame fear and challenges and made personal and business connections. Feedback from the event was extremely positive with many commenting that it was one of the most interactive events they had attended that year.
Two subsequent events were hosted online due to covid-19 but once again the connection between comedy and business ensured an entertaining and informative session. I was able to select topics relevant to my invited group of women in business delivered by a variety of speakers.
Two subsequent events were hosted online due to covid-19 but once again the connection between comedy and business ensured an entertaining and informative session. I was able to select topics relevant to my invited group of women in business delivered by a variety of speakers.
We were delighted to partner with Funny Women to bring their HERlarious initiative to life. A superb event! Our research at Kantar shows a strong desire amongst consumers for brands to embrace humour in their advertising, and especially to depict women being funny.
There is a huge opportunity for the creative industry to connect better with women through comedy, which Lynne and the team really champion. Those of us who took part in the coaching and workshops found them incredibly inspiring and confidence-boosting. Thank you!
There is a huge opportunity for the creative industry to connect better with women through comedy, which Lynne and the team really champion. Those of us who took part in the coaching and workshops found them incredibly inspiring and confidence-boosting. Thank you!
Healys Women in Business collaborated with Funny Women to host a leading networking event in Brighton for International Women’s Day. The HERlarious workshop and comedy were fantastic! Our guests really enjoyed the entertainment and we would highly recommend Funny Women’s services for corporate and private events.
We will certainly be working with them again in the future. A special thanks to Funny Women founder, Lynne Parker, for her support and assistance – it was an absolute pleasure to work with you!
We will certainly be working with them again in the future. A special thanks to Funny Women founder, Lynne Parker, for her support and assistance – it was an absolute pleasure to work with you!
Working with Funny Women to deliver a fun, engaging and different development opportunity to people in my office was an excellent experience. People who usually run a mile from situations in which they have to speak or share couldn't believe how comfortable they felt and how enjoyable and useful the workshops were.
The facilitators are not only experts in their fields but fabulous people to work with and get to know. I can't recommend working with Funny Women enough!
The facilitators are not only experts in their fields but fabulous people to work with and get to know. I can't recommend working with Funny Women enough!
Funny Women has curated a hugely entertaining and diverse comedy finale for our Dive In festival over the last five years. Our aim was to bring humour to diversity and end our festival on a high note.
Funny Women’s ability to interpret our brief and produce the event from start to end has ensured the ‘Comedy Fest’ to be a sure-fire hit addition to programme, which always leaves our audiences wanting more.
Funny Women’s ability to interpret our brief and produce the event from start to end has ensured the ‘Comedy Fest’ to be a sure-fire hit addition to programme, which always leaves our audiences wanting more.
Working as experts in technology and virtual communications it is easy for us to forget how important it is to talk to each other when we work closely together. Lynne’s Stand Up to Stand Up workshop certainly got us talking! She showed us how important humour can be to convey a message and how we can make what we say memorable.
Lynne also demonstrated how humour can bring diverse teams together with a series of fun exercises that took us out of our comfort zone. This proved that even though men and women may think and operate differently in the workplace, we all have an equally valid voice.
Lynne also demonstrated how humour can bring diverse teams together with a series of fun exercises that took us out of our comfort zone. This proved that even though men and women may think and operate differently in the workplace, we all have an equally valid voice.
We briefed Funny Women to deliver a workshop for our women’s network focusing on confidence in communication.
The soft skills employed were fun and engaging and the opportunity to test the barriers of your comfort zone in a safe creative space are invaluable in business life. Highly recommended
The soft skills employed were fun and engaging and the opportunity to test the barriers of your comfort zone in a safe creative space are invaluable in business life. Highly recommended
I would like to say a huge FSB thank you to Lynne for hosting our Awards Ceremony and making them such a huge success.
Feedback is excellent and the atmosphere at the event was second to none.
Feedback is excellent and the atmosphere at the event was second to none.
In a sea of samey skills training Funny Women offers something different.
Inspiring, energising, empowering and fun(ny), I can’t recommend them highly enough.
Inspiring, energising, empowering and fun(ny), I can’t recommend them highly enough.
You are a pro, Lynne. I was amazed at your depth of knowledge and how you tie the various humour concepts into practical experience. The exercises were great fun, yet meaningful and the way you drew more out of the participants was masterful as well. Thanks so much.
I am truly grateful that we found one another for the benefit of the Womentorship program at the Edwards School of Business, Saskatoon.
I am truly grateful that we found one another for the benefit of the Womentorship program at the Edwards School of Business, Saskatoon.
Coaching with Lynne was a thoroughly enjoyable and very helpful experience. She helped me to identify why I have confidence issues which enabled me to start to conquer them, and with her help, decided on the steps to take to improve this.
I left the coaching feeling very positive and inspired, with the tools I need to move forward.
I left the coaching feeling very positive and inspired, with the tools I need to move forward.
Lynne ran an excellent workshop for my HR team. We wanted to do some team building, get to know each other better and have some fun at the same time.
The team really got stuck in and Lynne facilitated the session extremely well resulting in some great discussions which were very relevant to the work place. They are still talking about it! I would highly recommend Funny Women.
The team really got stuck in and Lynne facilitated the session extremely well resulting in some great discussions which were very relevant to the work place. They are still talking about it! I would highly recommend Funny Women.
Thank you so much for recommending Laura Smyth, winner of the 2019 Funny Women Awards to host our Restaurant & Marketer & Innovator Awards - you were right, she was spot on and went down a storm!
Always a pleasure dealing with Funny Women and we will be back!
Always a pleasure dealing with Funny Women and we will be back!
We worked with Funny Women to deliver a series of workshops to support and inspire our Women in Business customers.
We received great feedback from our guests who enjoyed the interactive nature of the workshops and left feeling energised, motivated and inspired.
We received great feedback from our guests who enjoyed the interactive nature of the workshops and left feeling energised, motivated and inspired.
The feedback from the students was tremendous. A real score.
Thanks for stepping in and making the night the success it turned out to be.
Lynne, thanks for organising this so quickly. A real pro!
Lynne, thanks for organising this so quickly. A real pro!
Lynne Parker's workshop at Sotheby's Institute of Art was a resounding success. Her professionalism and engaging approach resonated with our business and entrepreneurship students.
The session was not only enjoyable but also immensely beneficial, equipping participants with valuable skills and confidence. Lynne's ability to blend humour with practical insights made the experience memorable and impactful.
We highly recommend her services for any further educational setting.
The session was not only enjoyable but also immensely beneficial, equipping participants with valuable skills and confidence. Lynne's ability to blend humour with practical insights made the experience memorable and impactful.
We highly recommend her services for any further educational setting.
We have had so many compliments on the Stand Up to Stand Out workshop that Lynne ran for our company. She created such a welcoming, safe and fun environment to allow creativity to flow.
Our team was a mixed group of female, male and non-binary participants and Lynne gave time and focus to every member. Many of the team have a desire to perform but feel daunted at the prospect, or are unsure of how to start.
Lynne provided the confidence boost that allowed them to shine - by the end of the workshop we definitely had some budding comedians!
A wonderful experience - thank you so much!
Our team was a mixed group of female, male and non-binary participants and Lynne gave time and focus to every member. Many of the team have a desire to perform but feel daunted at the prospect, or are unsure of how to start.
Lynne provided the confidence boost that allowed them to shine - by the end of the workshop we definitely had some budding comedians!
A wonderful experience - thank you so much!
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