Denis Grignon

Denis Grignon

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Peterborough, Ontario

Bilingual, Corporate Standup Comedian & Keynote Speaker, Broadcaster, Writer & Freelance Journalist

Denis Grignon is a bilingual keynote speaker, corporate standup comedian, and author. An award-winning broadcast journalist, Denis has contributed to CBC local and national radio – from news and current affairs to sports and culture – for more than 25 years. Denis Grignon is a "sharp and personable entertainer who respects his audience's intelligence," according to The Ottawa Citizen. Meanwhile, The Globe and Mail described him as "wonderfully easygoing."

DENIS GRIGNON BIOGRAPHY

Denis Grignon, an Eastern Ontario native who speaks both English and French has been a featured comedian for more than 20 years. Early in his career, Denis came to the conclusion that he preferred comedy that was effective above the neck rather than below the belt.

Denis Grignon is a “sharp and personable entertainer who respects his audience’s intelligence,” according to The Ottawa Citizen. Meanwhile, The Globe and Mail described him as “wonderfully easygoing.”

He has performed stand-up comedy on the nationally broadcast CBC shows The Debaters, DNTO, and Marketplace. Denis Grignon is the driving force behind the No Foul Language Comic Tour, which was taped for Laugh Out Loud, the premier comedy show on CBC Radio.

Knowing the audience is paramount for a standup comic—at least, for a smart and conscientious one. And when it comes to empathizing with corporate culture, Denis can relate. He spent 10 years as an on-air staff reporter and documentary producer with CBC Radio, where he is still a frequent contributor.

His writing has been featured in the Toronto Star, the National Post as well as numerous periodicals. Heck, he’s even contributed feature articles for the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s magazines . He’s insightful enough to know what his audience wants…and funny enough to deliver it.

Denis Grignon’s documentaries are praised for their creative use of sound, clever writing and great interview clips. He also understands the unique sensibilities and culture of Kawartha Lakes and recognizes it’s important to get out of the studio – (okay, it’s his home office near Dunsford) – to hear people’s stories on their turf.

Denis Grignon connects just as easily with farmers and tradespeople, as he does with politicians and business owners (All of whom he’s played hockey with here, eh).

What sets Denis Grignon apart from other broadcasters is his professional experience as a comedian – a skill he often incorporates into the Advocate Podcast, blending solid journalism with occasional moments of humour and levity.

Denis Grignon had the honour of performing for the Canadian military in Afghanistan in August 2010. A recognized journalist, his radio documentaries can still be heard on CBC stations across the nation. He also regularly contributes to The Toronto Star and other national publications.

Denis Grignon has a realist but not a crude sense of humour. In fact, it’s a performance that avoids insulting remarks and deftly navigates issues of politics, business, family, education, and even his own shortcomings as a veteran hockey goalie.

Denis is no clueless city boy. In fact, he’s not a city boy at all. Though his work often takes him downtown, his hometown is in rural Ontario. Indeed, there aren’t a lot of standup comics who have to feed the ducks and shut in the laying hens before they head out to do a show.

Rural audiences react enthusiastically to a brand of humour that’s just as likely to be inspired by a classified ad in a small-town newspaper as by headlines in the Globe and Mail. Currently, Denis Grignon, his wife, and their two sons reside on a 50-acre farm outside of Peterborough where they rear a variety of hens and turkeys.

Videos

Podcasts

Play

The Lindsay Advocate

SBC

The Advocate Podcast

Denis Grignon Topic Presentations

set up. segue. sell. - a seminar on perfecting that sales pitch

  • Virtual PresentationKeynote PresentationWorkshop SessionHalf Day TrainingFull Day Training
  • A successful sales call isn’t that different from a successful standup comedy performance.

    The jokes are the product. The delivery is the pitch. The audience is the customer.

    This fast-paced presentation draws on Denis’s experience as a professional comedian and seasoned journalist to give participants practical, immediately applicable strategies for fine-tuning that pitch—and making the sale.

    Not only will participants leave Denis’s unique one-hour seminar with fresh new insights and tips for success, they’ll be buzzing about the short standup comedy interludes that kept them interested and drove it all home.

    Set-up. Segue. Sell. opens with a carefully chosen five-minute comedy routine that subtly introduces ideas Denis will refer to as the session unfolds. Denis highlights four key areas where his extensive experience as a standup comic and journalist enables him to provide a uniquely valuable perspective on creating and presenting a truly effective pitch.

comedy with a rural sensibility

custom writing

Testimonials

This was the first year we started our four-day event with a set by a comedian, and Denis Grignon was a great choice for our group of empty nesters.  His observations and anecdotes were thoughtfully tailored to our age group, and he connected easily with folks in the audience.  It was such a treat to be in a room surrounded by laughing people after two years of relative isolation.  I happily recommend Denis Grignon as an entertainer.

Catherine Loudon

Fall Fiesta Coordinator
Golden Lake, Ontario

I have only received positive comments about your show. One of our staff commented on the fact that you were able to swing back and forth between both languages and still keep everyone laughing. Thank you for an intelligent and funny performance. I should mention that I was very impressed by the time you put into researching our organization and becoming familiar with our ‘hot’ topics.

Canadian Institute of Steel Construction

Although his jokes are intended for an adult audience, they are not crass or offensive. His material was quite varied, and he was able to appeal to the entire audience. A jolly good time was had by all.

Ryan

Lamontagne Financial
Ottawa

You tailored your opening remarks to our participants and to the event, including appropriate humour. ..outstanding

Public Works Canada

Denis Grignon was better able to connect with us and what we do because of the research he did beforehand.

Aquaculture Canada

You managed to find humour in both the banking industry and farming that allowed you to strike a familiar chord with us.

TD Bank

Articles & Media

Baseball's teen umpires grow up quickly or strike out

CBC

No matter your age, when you're behind home plate you have to handle the hecklers In youth baseball games across Canada, it's not uncommon to see teens and even pre-teens working behind home plate, wearing wire masks and shouting out calls like the pros. No matter how young they are, they're still umpires, and therefore the target of shouting from players, coaches and parents. Yet they're still willing to take on the big job. Listen to the umpires According to Baseball Ontario, there are more than 2,700 certified umpires under 18 in the province, including nearly 130 girls. They umpire a couple of games every week for about $20 an outing.
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Comedian uses laughs to teach teens about financial responsibility

Peterborough Examiner

When you think about it, there’s nothing really that funny about money. A lack of it can be frustrating. Trying to manage it can be stressful. But then again, some people act funny when you ask them about money, so maybe that’s part of Denis Grignon’s shtick. Grignon is a stand-up comedian. He also provides financial advice, incorporated into a comedy routine. Grignon, who lives just outside of Peterborough, is bringing the show/seminar Funny Money to PACE (Peterborough Alternative and Continuing Education) Tuesday. The “fun-ancial” seminar uses humour to teach important lessons about finance. It’s an important subject, he said, but one that’s typically taught...
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Comics rant against smoking... and bugs

Sudbury

Two comics, Denis Grignon and Rick Currie, will be deriding smoking with their best jabs Friday at Little Montreal, 182 Elgin St. at 9 pm. It is part of the It’s Canada’s Time to Quit Comedy Tour, which has focused on the benefits and challenges of quitting smoking. Grignon, a standup comic and comedy writer, has made appearances on the Comedy Network’s Comedy at Club 54, and has a three-part series on camping, airing on CBC Radio One stations across the country. He has also written humorous pieces on rural living for Harrowsmith Magazine and performs mostly at rural conventions and shows around the province. He was in Sudbury as a Yuk Yuk’s performer in the late 1990s.
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CBC

SBC

White Men & Chicken or Egg
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Books

Coming Soon!

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