Jimi Gibson says we all have magic within us...
Dave Wakeman's The Business of Fun Podcast
Release Date: 03/25/2025
Faisal Hoque tells me AI might steal my job...or, it might not.
Dave Wakeman's The Business of Fun Podcast
My guest today is Faisal Hoque. He has a new book, Transcend: Unlocking Humanity in the Age of AI. This is a very hopeful conversation because Faisal definitely knows that there are always going to be things that people can do that AI and computers can't. Our conversation covers a lot of territory including frameworks to make your use of AI effective. We talk about humanity and the important things that AI can't do. We cover some of the hot topics like "will AI steal your job". This was a good one...especially when we hear so much stuff about AI. I...
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Jimi Gibson says we all have magic within us...
Dave Wakeman's The Business of Fun Podcast
My guest today is Jimi Gibson. Jimi is a trained magician. He's used his magic skills to help us understand marketing and strategy a little bit better. This is a fun conversation. We talk about Jimi's work at The Thrive Agency and how the unique culture drives impact. We discuss audience bullseyes and dehumanizing language. We talk about humanity. Jimi shares a great lesson from his training in Canada while he was standing on a stump. Jimi also shares a . This one is great. Let me know what you think by sending me an email at Sign up...
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Lawrence Armstrong teaches us about leadership, creativity, and strategy.
Dave Wakeman's The Business of Fun Podcast
My guest today is Lawrence Amstrong. He's written a new book, Layered Leadership: Drive Double Digit Growth and Dominate Your Competition With Creative Strategies and Execution. This conversation is even more timely than it was when we had it a few weeks ago because we talk about creativity, innovation, and strategy. Lawrence talks about how his path has taught him resilience. And, a lot of these lessons are more important than ever. I'm doing a FREE webinar series on selling tickets in times of uncertainty. The first one is on April 1st at 1 PM Eastern...
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Jill Schulman is a bad ass! She teaches us about being brave!
Dave Wakeman's The Business of Fun Podcast
My guest today is Jill Schulman! A total badass. She is a Marine that focuses on teaching people the power of positive psychology so that they can be braver. This was a conversation I was excited to have because I feel like we all can use a bit more bravery in our lives. We talked about a ton of cool stuff including: Toxic Positivity Challenges Psychology v. Positive Psychology Taking action And, a lot more. You can connect with Jill at Visit my website at and sign up for my newsletters to get assessment, action tips, and more! Do me a solid: Rate Review...
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John Reider is 'The Bubble Man'
Dave Wakeman's The Business of Fun Podcast
My guest today is John Reider! He is 'The Bubble Man'. Seriously, it says so on his Teams' handle! We had a great time talking about John's businesses. He is the king of bubbles and has a number of businesses built around bubbles. More importantly, we had a chance to uncover a lot of important ideas that will help you with your business like: Listening to your customers. Understanding that you bring joy and transformation to your customers. The importance of evolving your ideas. Plus a lot more. Check out the Bubble Bus at You can find Atomic...
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Steven Burchard owns a smile factory!
Dave Wakeman's The Business of Fun Podcast
This is amazing! Happy 2025 to you all! My guest today is the owner of Magical Memories Entertainment, Steven Burchard. We had a great talk about relationships and creating experiences for folks. This conversation had some serious range because we got from Lambeau Field and the Green Bay Packers to Fort Knox to Guantanamo Bay and beyond. A key part of the conversation is how Steven was able to shut down for Covid and rebound almost immediately. There are some lessons there for all of us. Visit me at The pop up gets you my newsletters. I'm going...
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Zack Sugarman & Superplastic Bring a New Experience to Area 15 in Las Vegas
Dave Wakeman's The Business of Fun Podcast
Love this episode! A great conversation with Zack Sugarman. Zack is the Chief Strategy Officer at Superplastic. Superplast just opened a brand new IRL space in Las Vegas at Area 15 called Dopeameme. Dopeameme is called "The Institute for Pleasure Research". This is a way to bring the virtual and the physical together. The experience is includes a RFID tag that will help give you a personalized experience! (I don't want to spoil it for you.) Get your tickets here: We talked about all kinds of cool stuff besides Dopeameme such as: "Demented Disney"...
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John Kinsner has walked a diverse road in the world of entertainment
Dave Wakeman's The Business of Fun Podcast
I love this conversation with John Kinsner because John has done so many things as he has made his way to becoming CEO of Black Ink Presents that I can't call our conversation anything less than a love letter to the business. We discuss a ton of things today: We talk about the tour for 'Labryinth'. John's experience sweeping floors, cleaning bathrooms, and all the other jobs he did on the way to being a CEO. Producing and creating content using existing IP. Symphony audiences and helping reach a new generation of fans. I talk about my love of LCD Soundsystem and we hit...
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Key Performance Indicators: Why Are You Using the KPIs you are using?
Dave Wakeman's The Business of Fun Podcast
This is a special conversation that comes from a LinkedIn Live I did with Bruce Eckfelt and William Lieberman. We discuss KPIs. You can find me at Sign up for my newsletters on my website. Tell me who you want to hear from and what topics you want to learn about by sending me an email
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Jon Allen teaches me how to approach a new market
Dave Wakeman's The Business of Fun Podcast
My guest today is Jon Allen from TKT.com. We had a good time talking about TKT's move to the European market. Jon teaches me about taking a US tech focused approach to the hospitality ticket market in Europe. We talk about opportunity. We also hit upon the importance of speaking the language of the market you are in. Jon talks about staying in line with GDPR. And, much more. You can find Jon and his partners at You can find me at Let me know who you'd like me to talk with by sending me an email at Get the 'Talking Tickets' newsletter at Rate!...
info_outlineMy guest today is Jimi Gibson.
Jimi is a trained magician.
He's used his magic skills to help us understand marketing and strategy a little bit better.
This is a fun conversation.
We talk about Jimi's work at The Thrive Agency and how the unique culture drives impact.
We discuss audience bullseyes and dehumanizing language.
We talk about humanity.
Jimi shares a great lesson from his training in Canada while he was standing on a stump.
Jimi also shares a key takeaway from his TED Talk about the magic we all have within us.
This one is great.
Let me know what you think by sending me an email at [email protected]
Sign up for the first in a five part webinar series on selling tickets in uncertain times. April 1st at 1 PM Eastern time "Understanding the Premium & Single Ticket Buyer Mindset in a Downturn".
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