- January 8, 2026
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Darcy Eikenberg, 61, a Southwest Florida-based executive coach, speaker and author. Credentialed by the International Coaching Federation and pursuing the Master Certified Coach credential, she’s worked with senior leaders and their teams for 17 years to help them lead more effectively through constant change.
Improv. Eikenberg first went to an audition at Arts Bonita on a whim but ended up finding a new pastime. “I had done improv and theater in high school, but I really hadn’t done anything since then,” she says. “I wasn’t expecting anything of it.” But after that first audition she kept it going and wound up becoming a member of the Bonita Improv Group (BIG) at Arts Bonita.
Benefits of being a beginner: Eikenberg had gotten to a point in her career where she realized she needed “to shake it up a little”—and maybe also have some fun along the way. Improv checks both boxes. “I kind of took it as a challenge to get back to a beginner's mind again, which, in my world, I don’t have that on a regular basis,” she says. “People pay me a lot of money not to be a beginner.”
Relieving pressure: Eikenberg’s day job comes with expectations about everything from how she dresses to the information she provides. “There are so many things where if I show up, I’ve got to contribute. If I show up, I’ve got to have the answers,” she says. “And I realized no one was asking me to be good at improv. Plus, the nature of improv is that it’s fresh and new every time.”
Broadening her circle: Eikenberg enjoys that Bonita Improv Group has members of all ages and backgrounds. “We have a geologist in our group. We have a lawyer; we have a high school student,” she says. “These are people that I really would not have probably crossed paths with in any substantive way in all the other parts of my life.”
Building community: Eikenberg had some nerves before her first show. But when she talked to people in the audience afterward, she realized that just putting herself out there was what really mattered. “Everybody is kind of hungry to connect and be together,” she says. “And to be together in a casual night where somebody’s up there making a fool of themselves to make you laugh? I thought, that’s kind of special to be involved in, and that’s why I’ve stuck it out.”
Silence is golden: “The hardest thing about improv for me, personally, is saying less and doing more,” says Eikenberg. “I mean, I’m a word girl, right? I’ve got two books; I speak…But in improv, you also want to make sure your body and your physicality and what you’re doing is communicating, and not just your words. And that’s my continued learning point. Because we all think we can tell a story, but showing the story can be so much more powerful.”
Trust the process: Business is often focused on hitting goals and targets. But improv has helped teach Eikenberg that the journey can matter just as much as the results. “In improv, there is no ‘there,’” she says. “It is really in the moment of, where are you now? And I think I’m trying to apply more of that to my business. Because often in our businesses, we have our project plans and our schedules and our goals. But to some degree, does that matter as much as am I making progress? Am I continuing to feel like I’m growing and learning?”
Lighten up: Doing improv has demonstrated to Eikenberg the value of fun in everyday life. “You have to decide what’s fun for you,” she says. “I thought this was something different, with no pressure, in a sense, other than the pressure I put on myself. And if I fail, so what?”
Team effort: Eikenberg works frequently with business teams, and she brings that experience to her new hobby. “It does take time to build connection and understanding, to be able to create a space where people feel comfortable and free to try and fail,” she says. “And I think for myself, personally, I need that interaction with people with different viewpoints.”
Follow the leader: In her work, Eikenberg is typically the leader or facilitator. But in the Bonita Improv Group, that’s not always the job she needs to do. “It’s recognizing what’s the role that I need to play right now,” she says. “To be one of many, as opposed to feeling like you have a bigger responsibility.”
Take the leap: Eikenberg’s key words of wisdom for someone who wants to learn a brand-new skill? “Be kind to yourself,” she says. “It’s easy to compare yourself to others. But everybody’s on their own path.”
