What is it that makes a great commencement address? Look no further than Charlie Day’s rollicking address for his alma mater, Merrimack College, for the answer. Here is what he does in order to make the speech successful:

1) He keeps it loose – There are “glitches” in the execution of this speech, but one hardly notices: a hoarse throat, a baby crying, a skipped word or two. Why does the speech work regardless of theses issues? Because Mr. Day keeps the ball rolling. He improvises when his throat goes dry on him, or when a baby cries in the middle of a great laugh line. Life happens during our speeches, it’s best to let it happen, and use it to our advantage.

2) He starts with his strengths – Mr. Day is not known for his wisdom and sobriety, and yet the occasion demands gravitas. How does he solve this dilemma? He starts with a lot of bawdy stories and jokes to get the audience laughing, to warm them up before dropping some of the more serious life lessons on them.

3) He loads the speech with personal anecdotes – Every great commencement address needs to have the speaker’s life journey in it. The more personal and detailed the delivery, the better the address. Here we learn about Mr. Day’s penchant for dorm room pranks, his hilarious first interview with Fidelity, and his life altering decision to shoot and star in “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. We get to know him, so we are more willing to listen to his advice.

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