S8E11: Steve Chezaday - Tips & Tricks from a Rockstar Magician
Release Date: 02/26/2016
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
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
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
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
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
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
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?
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
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
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...
info_outlineThis 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.
Chezaday is a magician who’s pretty much done it all from close up magic to grand illusion. His energetic show has taken him all over the country. He’s toured with Abbott’s Magic Festival and is also quite handy when it comes to building props and stage illusions. And he can do it all while rockin’ an air guitar!
Success Mantra
Always be prepared.
Always have your money work for you.
Personalizing & Maintaining Show Props
• Personalizing props.
• Custom painting goes a long way.
• Putting your own twist or spin on routines.
• Constantly capturing your own ideas on paper so you don’t lose them.
• Importance of quick reset.
• Preparing and maintaining larger props.
• Having protective cases for everything in a stage show.
Other Topics Covered
• Talks about how he gets shows.
• Stacking shows. Knowing your setup & teardown time and being efficient.
• The importance of saving and investing your money.
• Talked about how he had a part time job for a long time which helped him to build his magic career.
• How his correspondences with clients are mainly online through email now.
• Making your clients feel like they’re getting a bargain.
• The psychology of charging $295 instead of $300.
• Don’t sell your magic, sell you. You want them to want you, not just “a magician."
• Don’t let people wait, because someone else will get back to a potential client if you don’t.
• Talks about working with the best and the worst in the industry while doing the Abbott’s show.
• Don’t be a prima donna. Try to make everything as simple as you can and treat everyone well. Be reasonable.
Failure Moment
Talks about a last-minute hell gig that came about because of miscommunication.
Favorite Success
Some of the charities that he’s able to work with.
Parting Advice
Love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life.
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:
Rising Card App by Chris Kenner
Books:
Beating a Dead Horse by Sandy Marshall
The Magical Life of Marshall Brodien