Day-of-show-routines are interesting. When I’m somewhere remote, it’s easy to exercise, relax, write and generally pretend I have my life together. Put me in a city, though, and I’d much rather get outside and absorb the buzz and energy of the place. Unless it’s raining. This hair mustn’t get wet. Then I usually spend an hour doing something that probably surprises people. I study. Not my material. Them. I’ll deep dive into the company I’m performing for — their culture, what matters to them, how they communicate, what they’ve been talking about, and what the other speakers are sharing. Not because I want to completely rewrite my show around them, but because understanding the mindset of the room before I walk into it helps me find the right tone. And that matters. Yesterday was 400 people. Today is 40. That changes the dynamic massively. Big audiences are often much easier to perform for. If the opening is strong and the content is solid, there’s an energy that builds almost a...