So you got the job. Now what? Join me, Eleni Mata, on HBR's new original podcast, New

Here, the Young Professionals Guide to Work, and how to make it work for you. Listen for

free wherever you get your podcasts. Just search New Here. See you there!

Welcome to the HBR idea cast from Harvard Business Review. I'm Allison Beard. You probably

know today's guest from her parody lip syncs of President Donald Trump, which spread like

wildfire on social media during the pandemic. Some might have taken offense. I and millions

of others found them hysterical. But before all of that, this comedy star was poking fun

at something even more pertinent for our listeners, the absurdities of the corporate world. Drawing

on her experiences and observations, working as a designer and manager at Google, she wrote

two humor books. How to appear smart in meetings, and how to be successful without hurting

men's feelings. And thanks to her Trump era fame, she's now involved in TV, film, and

more book projects, including the forthcoming Let's Catch Up Soon, How I One Friends and

Influence People Against My Will. Sarah Cooper is an actress, comedian, writer, producer,

and global TikTok star. And she talked with me earlier this year about how to find humor

in the most serious circumstances, from the Oval Office to your own, how she's navigated

the ups and downs of her career, and how leaders can make corporations better places to be.

So, you started your work life at Yahoo, and then Google, your designer on important projects

at one of the top companies in the world's fastest growing industry. Why did you decide

to quit? Well, I quit many times. I mean, I really, you know, my childhood dream was to

be an actress, because I couldn't sing. Performance was something that I was always drawn

to, fascinated by, and writing as well. Digital design, that was kind of a creative outlet

for me. But then when I turned 30, you know, I remembered this pack that I made with myself

...