Joshua Routh is an internationally known speaker, performer, author, corporate trainer, and owner of one of the largest variety talent agencies in America, Circus Kaput.
He is an experienced speaker and facilitator who focuses on the topic of Connection and Creating A Complaint Free World. He has conducted workshops for corporations such as Edward Jones, Wells Fargo, and Google.
As an entertainer, he has worked in a wide array of venues; TV commercials, comedy clubs, circus, theater, the Smithsonian and for Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!
Most recently, he was seen onstage at TEDx St. Louis, shared the stage with comedian and actor TJ Miller on his tour, and authored a book titled Mind Blowing Presentations.
In his free time, Joshua Routh enjoys writing, cuddling with his rescue dogs and shopping for flamboyantly designed dress shirts.
More About Joshua
With Bill Clinton while working the Florida Fire of 1998. Joshua is on the upper far right, second from the end.
As an internationally known entertainer, speaker, facilitator, and founder of the performing troupe Circus Kaput, Joshua Routh brings a wealth of expertise and experience to his work as a keynote speaker, corporate trainer, complaint eliminator and connection expert.
With a background in the variety arts, including magic, juggling, hypnotism, comedy, and acrobatics, Joshua has honed his ability to connect with audiences and captivate their attention. He draws on his experience as a performer to craft engaging and inspiring speeches that motivate individuals and teams to build stronger connections and achieve their goals.
In addition to his many unique experiences, Joshua also runs one of the most successful variety arts talent agencies in America, Circus Kaput. CK boasts a roster of over 50 performers that entertain at over 850 events annually. They have performed for the biggest names in sports and entertainment. Through his work, he has built a vast network of performers, agents, and clients, honing his ability to connect with people from all walks of life. Through leading and managing his team he has gained a deep understanding of the power of connection and how it can be used to build relationships and achieve success.
As a former circus acrobat, Joshua knows firsthand the importance of building trust and connection with others. In the circus, performers must rely on each other to execute complex and dangerous routines, and a strong sense of connection is essential for success. Joshua has taken this lesson and applied it to his work as a speaker, helping individuals and teams build stronger connections to achieve their goals.
Joshua's experience as a former forest firefighter has also taught him the importance of teamwork and collaboration. In high-pressure situations, effective communication and collaboration can mean the difference between success and failure. Joshua draws on this experience to share practical strategies and techniques for improving communication and collaboration in the workplace.
Joshua has performed in almost every one of the United States in many diverse venues, including TEDx, Ripley's Believe It Or Not and the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC. He is an accomplished magician, juggler, hypnotist, comedian, and acrobat.
Joshua began his journey in the variety arts at the age of 12 when he took a clown class at a community college and fell in love with making people laugh. He began volunteer clowning at hospitals and nursing homes, and it was here that he learned that entertainment was his calling.
During his later teens and early 20’s Joshua continued to master his craft as a performer while he traveled the country with his guide and mentor, the magician Jeff Lefton.
In 1998, he took a yearlong break from performing to serve AmeriCorps on a team that helped communities cope with natural disasters. Joshua worked with FEMA, SEMA, and the US Forest Service fighting forest fires and assisting in the aftermath of ice storms and hurricanes. In between disasters he founded a group using AmeriCorps members called ClownCorps. ClownCorps performed for many underserved communities and brought joy in the face of disaster.
Joshua then worked with Hank Schafermeyer who ran a program called the St. Louis Regional Experiential Adventure Movement (STREAM). It was with STREAM that Joshua found his love of team building, ropes courses, and orienteering by leading school groups on wilderness adventures. Joshua, Hank Schafermeyer, and Jeff Lefton then launched a successful project facilitating team skills for the corporate market.
In early 2001 Joshua decided to intensify his performance skills and moved to San Francisco where he attended and taught at the San Francisco Circus Center. While there he trained for two years with Master Lu Yi of the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe. Joshua was one of the first full year students of the Clown Conservatory where he graduated "Class Clown".
While at the Circus Center, Joshua combined his passion for facilitation and performance by leading several circus-based team building excursions for huge Silicon Valley corporations including Google.
In addition to performing for a long list of corporations, Joshua has been a company member of the New Pickle Circus, the San Francisco Youth Circus, the Famous Reynolds Circus, Ballet Eclectica, and the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival.
In 2003, the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission awarded Joshua a CAT fellowship for his work as a social artist.
Joshua has been a featured artist for Major League Baseball’s World Series Gala. He has also performed multiple times for the St. Louis Blues, The St. Louis Cardinals, the St. Louis Rams, Missouri governor Matt Blunt, California governor Gavin Newsom, and San Francisco mayor Willie Brown.
On the small screen, Joshua has been in TV commercials for Maxwell House, Ameren UE, H & R Block, and many others. He has been featured on the TV shows ‘Best of California’ and ‘House Calls’, performed on NBC, FOX, ABC, PBS and UPN, and appeared in the film ‘Class Clowns’.
In the his most recent history - He opened for and performed with comedian TJ Miller on his Perpetuity Tour, published his book Mind Blowing Presentations Using the Element of Surprise, completed Seth Godin's altMBA, created the revolutionary Members For Life Program for Sana Lake Recovery Center and gave a TEDx St Louis talk on the topic of connection. He also joined world renowned author and speaker Will Bowen in his quest to create a Complaint Free World.
Overall, Joshua's diverse background and experiences have uniquely prepared him to give keynote talks about the power of connection in the workplace. His ability to draw from his personal experiences, as well as his expertise in building relationships and connecting with people, makes him a compelling and inspiring speaker who can motivate and empower individuals and teams to achieve their goals through the power of connection.
