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S8E14: Joe Monti - Great Advice on Show Business show art S8E14: Joe Monti - Great Advice on Show Business

Successful Performercast by Kris Sheppard | Successful Performer Cast | Weekly Interviews with Professional Entertainers | Show Business, Showbiz, Performer, Magic, Magician, Juggler, Comedian, Musician

In my final interview here in this chapter of Successful Performercast, I have Joe Monti who gives us some valuable advice when it comes to show business and shares some stores from his career that will have you at the edge of your seat. ...

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S8E13: Bill Gladwell - Stationary One Man Show show art S8E13: Bill Gladwell - Stationary One Man Show

Successful Performercast by Kris Sheppard | Successful Performer Cast | Weekly Interviews with Professional Entertainers | Show Business, Showbiz, Performer, Magic, Magician, Juggler, Comedian, Musician

In this interview, Thought Reader Bill Gladwell who talks about the ins and outs of having his own stationary one-man, mentalism show and how he’s been able to make it a success. ...

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S8E12: Al The Only - General Practice Magician show art S8E12: Al The Only - General Practice Magician

Successful Performercast by Kris Sheppard | Successful Performer Cast | Weekly Interviews with Professional Entertainers | Show Business, Showbiz, Performer, Magic, Magician, Juggler, Comedian, Musician

In this interview, Al The Only talks about how he's found success in being a "general practitioner" of magic. He also talks about how he came up with his brand of Al The Only. ...

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S8E11: Steve Chezaday - Tips & Tricks from a Rockstar Magician show art S8E11: Steve Chezaday - Tips & Tricks from a Rockstar Magician

Successful Performercast by Kris Sheppard | Successful Performer Cast | Weekly Interviews with Professional Entertainers | Show Business, Showbiz, Performer, Magic, Magician, Juggler, Comedian, Musician

This week, I bring you an interview with Steve Chezaday who shares some advice and insights from his years performing full-time. Topics include dealing with clients, pricing, managing your money, and customizing and maintaining your props. There’s a lot insight to be gained from this chat. ...

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S8E10: Angela Parrish - Multiple Streams of Income show art S8E10: Angela Parrish - Multiple Streams of Income

Successful Performercast by Kris Sheppard | Successful Performer Cast | Weekly Interviews with Professional Entertainers | Show Business, Showbiz, Performer, Magic, Magician, Juggler, Comedian, Musician

This week I have singer/songwriter Angela Parrish who shares with us about the importance of having multiple streams of income and how she runs her business. She also talks about how she saved for and completely self-funded $20,000 to record her latest album, . ...

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S8E9: Fantastick Patrick - Juggling, TV, & Generosity show art S8E9: Fantastick Patrick - Juggling, TV, & Generosity

Successful Performercast by Kris Sheppard | Successful Performer Cast | Weekly Interviews with Professional Entertainers | Show Business, Showbiz, Performer, Magic, Magician, Juggler, Comedian, Musician

In this episode, Fantastick Patrick talks about his juggling career which includes performing on TV, dealing with fear & failure, and having a mindset of giving. ...

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S8E8: Tom Ameen - Building a Career as a Musician show art S8E8: Tom Ameen - Building a Career as a Musician

Successful Performercast by Kris Sheppard | Successful Performer Cast | Weekly Interviews with Professional Entertainers | Show Business, Showbiz, Performer, Magic, Magician, Juggler, Comedian, Musician

In this episode, Tom Ameen talks about how he's built a successful career as a classical pianist. Topics include restaurant gigs, getting private parties, and selling albums. He also talks about his new solo piano Star Wars album, which is awesome! ...

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Bonus: How are Jay Alexander & Christian Cagigal Building the Fog City Magic Fest? show art Bonus: How are Jay Alexander & Christian Cagigal Building the Fog City Magic Fest?

Successful Performercast by Kris Sheppard | Successful Performer Cast | Weekly Interviews with Professional Entertainers | Show Business, Showbiz, Performer, Magic, Magician, Juggler, Comedian, Musician

I've invited back onto my show Jay Alexander and Christian Cagigal because they have been putting together a four-day festival of magic up in San Francisco called the Fog City Magic Fest and I wanted to get them on to talk to them about how they’re putting it together. They take us behind the scenes and talk about the nuts and bolts of how they're going about putting together this four-day festival of magic.   ...

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S8E7: Katie Marchese - Running a Magic Biz & Working with Her Husband show art S8E7: Katie Marchese - Running a Magic Biz & Working with Her Husband

Successful Performercast by Kris Sheppard | Successful Performer Cast | Weekly Interviews with Professional Entertainers | Show Business, Showbiz, Performer, Magic, Magician, Juggler, Comedian, Musician

Last week I interviewed Mario the Magician. Katie is his wife and other half. She works with Mario as a team and handles all the business and marketing aspects of their business. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s essential for your spouse to be onboard and supportive of your entrepreneurial efforts, and this week, we’re diving into that very perspective!   ...

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S8E6: Mario the Magician - Generosity & Building His Own Props show art S8E6: Mario the Magician - Generosity & Building His Own Props

Successful Performercast by Kris Sheppard | Successful Performer Cast | Weekly Interviews with Professional Entertainers | Show Business, Showbiz, Performer, Magic, Magician, Juggler, Comedian, Musician

In this episode, Mario the Magician talks about how he makes all of his own props. He also talks about generosity and gratefulness and how those play a part in his business. Mario is a magician who performs primarily on the East Coast entertaining children and their families. The thing that really makes him stand out is that he’s a creator and inventor, making all of his own props for his show including fun, educational robotics. He’s an advocate for the Maker Movement, STEAM/STEM educational initiatives, and can be seen on a recent episode of Sesame Street. He’s Buster...

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In this episode, variety entertainer Carisa Hendrix takes us through some of her personal steps to success which includes hiring a full-time assistant, Facebook Ads, press releases, and doing things out of order!

Hailing from Calgary, Carisa is a variety entertainer who for the past ten years has professionally performed magic, sideshow, circus, and fire acts. She’s taken her act all around Canada and the world. She’s been featured in Ripley’s Believe it Or Not, Vegas Strip Search, and the Guinness Book of World Records where she holds the record for “longest duration fire torch teething.”

She’s a skilled entertainer with a wide range of talents which also includes artistic director of Ballyhoo Entertainment where she crafts and designs custom entertainment options for corporate and special events.

She’s a trusted authority in fire eating and teaches on the subject via her blog at Firepedia.com.

Let’s just say she’s not the sort I’d like to happen across in a dark alley.  

 

Sponsors:

Acting for Magicians by Richard Ribuffo — Pick up your copy today and SAVE $5!

ManageGigs.com — a system that helps you manage all your customers, gigs, set lists, and more! ManageGigs is looking for a small group of working performers to serve as beta testers. Click here to sign up for your chance to be a part of the Beta program.

 

Contest: Win a Book!

I'm proud to report that we've recently gotten to 50,000 downloads! Thank you for all your support! As  thanks, I'm giving away a free book to one lucky winner. The book is Dan Kennedy's No BS Direct Marketing book.

To enter, click here and leave a comment telling me your favorite moment in one of my episodes, or one thing you've picked up from an interview that's helped your business. I'll announce the winner in a couple weeks.  

 

Interview with Carisa Hendrix: Success Quote

• A generous spirit.

• Authentic relationships.

• Consistent, considerate, and complete work.  

 

Carisa’s Road to Success

Carisa tells about the broad topics of knowledge she has that have contributed to her entertainment business success.  

 

Hiring an Assistant

• Hiring a full-time assistant, and what’ she’s learned in the process.

• Hiring someone that wants what she’s accomplished, so she’s also mentoring someone as well as paying them.

• The value of having a personal assistant.

• How she realized that she needed an assistant.

• How to interview and pick your assistant.

• Writing a good job description.

• Bringing a non-biased third party to the interviews.

• Job duties of her current assistant.

 

Press Releases

• Cultivating relationships with the press.

• How write press releases.

• Have something to offer them.

• Write it so the editor doesn’t have to do anything.

• How to spin things to be more attractive to editors.

• What needs to be in a press release?

• Try to figure out what would make a good story. An interesting hook. Why now? What’s happening now?

• Who do you send press releases to? How do you build your press list?

• Not limited to just news press, but blogs and other new media avenues  

 

Facebook Ads

• Using Facebook ads to reach very specific audiences.

• Using ads to build their community.

• Getting in front of and staying in front of the people who have already seen their shows. Top of Mind Awareness

• Starting conversations around their brand.  

 

Doing Things Out of Order

• When working on a goal, take a step back and see if you should be doing things in a different order.

• Don’t obsess over the specific order of things. Sometimes, it may be more effective to do things out or order.

 

Other Topics Covered

• Sometimes you need to fire clients.

• Entertainment is art in the pursuit of joy.

• Talks about some of the “normal” jobs she’s had.

• How she almost went down a different road entirely.

• Having to re-learn some things.

• Her parasol act that she uses as a CEO piece.

• The things that get measured, get managed.

 

Parting Advice

If there’s something you really want to do, find out under what circumstances it would be pleasurable, and make you feel successful. Know why you’re doing what you’re doing.  

 

Recommended books and resources:

Note: Many of the links in this section are affiliate links, meaning we earn a small portion of any sales. If you're enjoying our podcast and decide to purchase one of the recommended resources or books, please consider using our affiliate links to help support the work we're doing here at the Successful Performercast. Thanks!

 

Resources:

Quickbooks or Manager Sal

Carisa's Fire Eating DVD  

 

Books:

Step by Step to Standup Comedy Workbooks by Greg Dean

Workbook 1: How to Write Jokes

Workbook 2: How to Improve Jokes and Routines

Workbook 3: How to Remember Jokes Naturally

Workbook 4: How to Be a Funny Performer

Workbook 5: How to Get the Experience to Be Funny

 

Four Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

The Practicing Mind by Thomas M. Sterner

 

Where can we find Carisa Hendrix?

carisahendrix.com

Learn Fire Eating