Bayard reflected vividly on a question her mother asked her, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Her answer as a contemplative, self-assured 10-year-old was that she wanted to play for a living. She reasoned with her mother telling her that because eight hours was for sleeping, being one-third of each day, and working is another third of each day, that only one-third was left to do everything else she wanted. “I figured if I played for work, my day would be much more enjoyable,” she said.
“I remembered that and wondered, I’ve always said I wanted to play for a living, why am I not doing that? So, I decided that’s what I would do, since it seems life is short & tomorrow is not promised.”
BECOMING A BARREL OF LAUGHS
In 2008, Bayard started her own business called, Whole Body Laughter, which offers playshops and fun-infused training programs. Since then, the sparkly eyed woman with bounds of enthusiasm has worked with thousands of people internationally, including leading a workshop at Trinity College in Ireland and designing & facilitating a series of team building playhops at Disneyland.
But the New York-born comedian and facilitator of fun wasn’t always leading a humor-driven life. Bayard joined the U.S. Army shortly after graduating from college and served for four years. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, she re-enlisted and served an additional 2 years as an Arabic linguist.
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