Joe Van Haecke

My Story

For me, it began with a suggestion from a friend to audition for the Comedy Sportz team in Kansas City. There, I learned the beauty of collaborating with a team and the magic that is improv.

I brought my love of improv to Des Moines, joining Batteries Optional Improv Troupe, where I honed my skills. In 2003, I started my own troupe, CXP. Comedy XPeriment continues to thrive and perform for dedicated audiences to this day.

That led to coaching IHSSA large group improvisation for a local high school. I noticed my students’ confidence, communication, and connections growing. By the time they graduated, they were thanking me for the huge impact I had made in their lives. I often hear from them as they report back ways their improv training helped in a job interview, when meeting new people, finding their voice in a meeting, or calming their anxieties. Many have pursued further improv training and performance beyond high school.

When I started teaching English ten years ago, I recognized my students lacked these skills. While it was rewarding working with them on writing, literature, and the English language, I knew I had more to give. I knew the skills they would need post-graduation weren’t necessarily part of the curriculum. They needed to know how to problem solve, think quickly, take risks, be a team member, stay positive…all the skills automatically incorporated in learning improv.

After being introduced to success, or “life,” coaching, I recognized that a melding of improv skills and coaching relationships would provide a unique and powerful experience. Our coaching discussions lead to improv activities to build a skill, which, in turn, leads to further coaching discussions.

“A spirit with a vision is a dream with a mission.”

My favorite RUSH quote, which has guided me from childhood, says it all. My spirit, my vision, my dream spurs my mission: to take improvisation to the workplace, the classroom, the campus…to anyone who is ready to say, “Yes, and…” 

20 years in small business.
10 years education.
A lifetime of improvisation.

The art of improvisation is something anyone can learn. You don’t have to make a career out of it. Or be the next Bill Murray, Stephen Colbert, or Tina Fey. You don’t even have to perform in front of an audience at all!

Improvisation is a mindset that influences your social and emotional well-being.

The skills and tools that are the basis of improvisation make anyone a better communicator, a stronger leader, and a more confident individual. My mission is to bring these skills to you.

I’ve spent my life performing and studying improv. Applying these skills to my work, my teaching, and my relationships has brought me immeasurable joy and success. I want to help you experience the same.

Experience and Training

• Kansas City’s Comedy City (formerly Comedy Sportz)

• Batteries Optional (Des Moines)

• Comedy XPeriment (Des Moines)

• ioTheater (Chicago, workshops)

• Second City (Chicago, workshops)

• Jimmy Carrane (Chicago, workshops)

• Joe Bill (Chicago, workshops)

• Certified Elite Coach (The Coach Mindset, Mitch Matthews)

Performance Experience

• Des Moines, IA

• Chicago, IL

• Minneapolis, MN

• Kansas City, MO