Wayne has one mission — to make the world a better place, one smile at a time.  For more than three decades, he has developed and presented programs that inform and entertain.  Using his "Making Learning Memorable" approach Wayne weaves humor and magic into every event to guarantee that the information lasts long after the final applause.

“Laughter- It’s more than good medicine, it’s essential to the soul!
Now more than ever.”
— Wayne Gignac

WAYNE GIGNAC (JEE-nak)

A popularizer on a number of subjects, Wayne mixes his passion for research & inquiry with his entertainment background to create an experience that people won’t soon forget.  Recently Wayne decided to focus his efforts on spreading the Gospel message using the gifts God gave him and the experience he has accumulated over a lifetime of working with corporate clients.

In case you were wondering how he came to this point in his career, please read on.

  • Wayne's career path began at a very early age, spending every Saturday at the Otis Library he could be found sitting on the floor in section 793.8 – the Dewey decimal classification for magic books. It wasn’t long before he had developed an act and was performing for classmates. At the age of 9, he had his first paid show performing at a neighborhood Halloween party for 250 children and their parents.

    Wayne went on to earn a degree in communications and a teaching certificate. After years working in the corporate world and a stint as a high school teacher, he set off for the footlights to begin a rather successful career as an edutainer (the art of presenting educational content in an entertaining way). He focused on creating and performing motivational programs in schools throughout New England, educating over 250,000 students and their families on a variety of subjects from honesty, responsibility, self-esteem, goal-setting, doing good, and the importance of reading.

  • In 1989, while still in the corporate world, a visit to a doctor would change the trajectory of Wayne's passion, focus, and ultimately his career. Apparently, severe chest pains of the “heart-attack” that he thought he was experiencing was just one of the many symptoms of stress. This led him to read dozens of books on stress, uncovering the positive effects and health benefits that humor and laughter have on reducing stress.

  • Wayne began consulting and was enlisted as the first outside consultant to assist the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe in writing and presenting the first customer service training program for Foxwoods Casino. Personally training over 16,000 employees in his Taking Care of You™️ approach, Wayne was soon “discovered” by other industries, leading to a number of cross-country training tours for the banking and healthcare fields.

    2001 was a year filled with ups and downs. Awkward Moments in Everyday Life, a book Wayne coauthored, was published just a few months before that tragic day in September.

  • The subsequent downturn in the economy and the insistent habit that his family had grown accustomed to–EATING–led to a decision to once again join the security of a steady paycheck in corporate America. This turned out to be a 14-year “field study” in Dilbert’s world as Wayne rose through the corporate ranks. He "clawed" his way from a series of cubicles to eventually occupying a corner office where he could put the techniques that he had previously taught to other corporate brethren to the test.  This led to some wonderful insights, encouraging him to take more courses and read dozens of books on a variety of subjects (thanks to Audible and a long commute). This newfound knowledge, ultimately led to the development of new techniques and programs, to aid in developing a better more productive, and joyful work/life experience.

  • A cradle Catholic, Wayne attended St. Mary School in Norwich. His education in the One, True Faith didn’t end there. After the chest pain scare in 1989, Wayne’s desire to learn more about the faith he was baptized into grew.

    After attending 10 years of retreats and reading countless books on all aspects of the faith and with the encouragement of the Parochial Vicar at the Cathedral, Wayne embarked on discerning a vocation to the Permanent Diaconate. He attended Holy Apostles College and Seminary and graduated with a degree in Diaconal Studies.

    However, ordination to the Diaconate wasn’t what God had in mind.

  • Wayne is currently the Director of Communications for the Diocese of Norwich and the Editor of the Four County Catholic.

    Wayne has discerned that although not ordained a deacon he can still be of service in helping fulfill Jesus’s mission.