S8E12: Al The Only - General Practice Magician
Release Date: 03/04/2016
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. ...
info_outline
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. ...
info_outline
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. ...
info_outline
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. ...
info_outline
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, . ...
info_outline
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. ...
info_outline
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! ...
info_outline
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. ...
info_outline
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! ...
info_outline
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_outlineIn 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.
For over 35 years Al has traveled the country with his magic, performing for corporate clients doing their trade shows, conventions, business meetings, hospitality suites and holiday parties. This includes companies like Apple, General Motors, Coca Cola, AT&T, and McDonald’s. You may also remember him from “Ask The Only,” which was his column in the Magic Menu where he fielded questions about the business side of magic. Today he’s here to share his thoughts on show business with us.
Success Mantra
Perception is everything.
Don’t sweat the big stuff.
You never know when you’re making a memory.
Being a General Practitioner of Magic
• Defining general practitioner as it applies to being a full-time magician.
• Accomplishing the needs of his clients’ magical needs whatever they may be.
• If the client asked him if he could do something, he always said yes.
• Talks about “niching down."
• Weren’t really any gigs he wouldn’t take, but there are some that he wishes he had been able to do.
• Talks about how he’s now in the school show market and how he couples them with corporate gigs he’s doing.
• Talks about some of his selling techniques and strategy.
• How he travels with two shows.
• He has two of everything he does.
• Talks about the most unusual show he did which was being hired to steal from a department store.
• Talks about hiring a colleague sometimes to help serve the client in which he becomes the producer of a show.
Other Topics Covered
• Being “present” with the people you’re performing for.
• Talks about some of the things he did to get gigs initially after getting laid off from his day job.
• You can get anything you want in life if you help enough people get what they want in life. — Zig Ziglar
• How his full-time restaurant job was the foundation of his business.
• Talks about his branding of Al The Only.
• How his name is instantly recognizable.
• Does the name make the individual, or does the individual make the name?
• His take on successes and failures.
• Dealing with multiple time zones.
• It’s not about the magic, it’s about the people you’re working with.
Failure Moment
Tells about how he’s lost all his money three different times within his career.
Favorite Success
The relationships with his clients.
Parting Advice
1. Don’t do free shows.
2. If you think a show is out of your league, pass it up to another pro.
3. Never say you can’t do something for a client.
4. Don’t believe your own PR.
5. Marry a spouse with a job that has benefits. #tongueInCheek
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:
We all have smart devices, but the smartest device we have is our brain! Listen to people. Listen to your friends.
Books:
The Business of Restaurant Magic by Al The Only (Out of Print)
Confidential Booking Reports by Dick Ryan (Out of Print)
Doug Scheer’s book Entertaining Education (Also listen to Doug Scheer’s Interview)
Danny Orleans The Art of Presenting Magic for Children