In this interview, William Rader talks all about the ins and outs of selling tickets to your shows online and why he decided to create his own platform in an attempt to solve the issues from the big dogs in the industry.

For the past decade, William has traveled the country mesmerizing audiences at exclusive parties, universities, and corporate events with his show entitled, “An Enchanted Evening.” His show has been seen by thousands of people.

With his new project, WellAttended, William has also been working to solve a problem in the entertainment community of how to sell tickets to your show online without having to mess with the big dogs of the industry. WellAttended is a simple platform that makes it quick and easy to create a site and sell tickets online.  

Success Quote:

You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. — Jim Rohn  

Selling Tickets Online

• Tells how he started performing theater shows in restaurants.

• Discovered he could make more money doing a theater show rather than doing strolling magic.

• Tells how he was originally selling tickets online and why he decided to create his own platform, WellAttended.

• The exorbitant fees that the "big dogs" charge.

• Created a more intuitive ticket-selling process—essentially a better machine.

• How he's been listening to his users to find out what they need and implementing them as new features to his service.

• WellAttended is intended for performers producing smaller scale shows that they want to sell tickets to online.

• Breaks down his much more reasonable fee structure and how that works.  

What is WellAttended?

WellAttended is a simple platform that makes it quick and easy to create a site and sell tickets online. Feature your brand by uploading your logos, images, and social media profiles. You can use WellAttended if you already have a site or if you want to create one dedicated to selling tickets.  

The Creative Process: How He's Put it all Together

• Talks about working with a developer to build a product and bring his vision to life.

• Brainstorming and his creative process.

• Talking to people who are using similar services and building your product based on that.

• Building something you're passionate about.  

Biggest Professional Challenge

Finding new users for his system.  

Failure Moment

Found the "perfect place" to have a theater show at and gave them his promo materials. They promised to promote the show but never did. He trusted them, but ended up having to cancel the show.  

Favorite Success

Getting his first standing ovation for his theater show.  

Parting Advice

Don't be afraid to make mistakes.  

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!  

Resource:

A notepad and pen. Specifically "field notes" notebooks.

Pocket Mods

Soldout Run — Theatre Marketing | iTunes

Rocketship.fm | iTunes

Gigging Success | iTunes  

Books:

Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Levinson

Guerrilla Selling by Jay Levinson

Guerrilla Publicity by Jay Levinson

Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences by Nancy Duarte

Get it FREE on her website!  

Where can we find William Rader?

William's Performing Website

WellAttended

WellAttended Blog

Twitter @WilliamRader

22 Years ago, magician Phil Ackerly was laid off from his day job at Fujitsu Microelectronics with a wife, a ten month old son, and a brand new home that was just coming out of escrow. This ultimately resulted in him taking his passion of performing magic full-time, making it his career.

Success Quote:

In order to be successful, you have to fail.  

Things Learned from Working for a Talent Agent

• How to plan events.

• You can't be hung up on yourself.

• Finding out what the clients need and fill that need.

• Up-selling to your client.  

Failure Moment

Not showing up at a show because of a rescheduling and a paperwork mixup.  

Favorite Success

Being able to make a living performing magic. Also, performing at the Hollywood Magic Castle and having The Professor, Dai Vernon compliment him on his show.  

Biggest Professional Challenge

Balancing his "creative work" with his "business work."  

Other Topics Covered

• Tells his story about how he got layer off from his day job and then was able to transition into his passion of performing magic full time. He talks about his first year out there.

• Carving out a niche for himself in the family show market.

• Increasing your fees.

• Personalizing your show and differentiating yourself.

• Value and perception of value.

• The lengths he goes to confirm and re-confirm his bookings.

• Thank you notes.

• How he uses Yelp and how he gets reviews.

• How he uses his blog to connect with his clients on a personal level. He talks specifically about one post entitled Treasure the Moments. 

Parting Advice

"Make me care." — Max Maven

Make your audience care.  

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!  

Resource:

Arthur & Leslie Stead for writing custom music.

Doug Bennett the Magic Writer  

Books:

Beyond Deception by Tobias Beckwith

The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs by Carmine Gallo 

The Apple Experience by Carmine Gallo  

Where can we find Phil Ackerly?

www.MakePhilAppear.com

Phil on Facebook

In this interview, David Aiken talks about his juggling career, branding, interjecting comedy into real life, and a great story that involves him on the Barenaked Ladies Ships & Dip Cruise!

David Aiken, AKA the Checkerboard Guy is an award-winning interactive comedy juggler from the Great White North! Performing for corporate events, cruise lines, and at other various venues, David has traveled the world with his act including North America, Austrailia, Europe, and Asia, and even learned to perform his act in Japanese since he was invited back there so often. He’s performed for clients such as Air Canada, Honda, the Canadian Football League, The National Hockey League, and even had the opportunity to perform for Canada’s Prime Minister.

Royal Caribbean International says that David is "A wacky crazy man that will keep you laughing! and a delight to work with!"  

Success Quote:

Once you can laugh at your own weaknesses, you can move forward. Comedy breaks down walls. It opens up people. If you're good, you can fill up those openings with something positive. Maybe you can combat some of the ugliness in the world. — Goldie Hawn  

Failure Moment

Missing a flight to India because he didn't look at the time correctly. He showed up at 2:00 PM instead of 2:00 AM.  

Branding and His Checkerboard Guy Persona

• How he evolved into his persona.

• How he uses "trading cards" in his marketing efforts.

• Living his persona on stage and off stage.

• How his branding helps him generate "celebrity."

• When people want you specifically, that's the beginning of celebrity.  

Biggest Professional Challenge

Slowing down and not yelling during his show.  

Worked Best for His Business

Going out and being awesome, doing good shows, and exceeding expectations.

Fun Story from the Road

Hear about how he met and befriended the Barenaked Ladies, got to perform on some of their Ships & Dip Cruises, and took a huge group Barenaked photo with the Barenaked Ladies.  

Other Topics Covered

• Impostor syndrome.

• Using comedy in life to break down barriers.

• Talks about the support he had from his mother who put him on a bus at 14 years old to go to a juggling convention for a few days. It was a different world.

• Being a juggler/jester in the Society for Creative Anachronism.

• You become the average of the five people you spend the most time around.

• Working as the usher at his own shows helps him to interact and get to know his audience from the get go.

• Working in Japan and learning Japanese so he could perform his show in their language…and ask for his now wife's hand in marriage.

• Always trying to interject humor and find "places to play."

• Making mistakes and learning from them.

• Growing as a creative person.

• GGoL: Generous Gifts of Love

• Strategic thanking and marketing.  

Parting Advice

Have fun! If you're not having fun, you're doing the wrong thing!  

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!

Resource:

Scrivener — a powerful content-generation tool for writers.  

Books:

Negotiating Higher Performance Fees by Michael Ammar

The Comic Toolbox by John Vorhaus

Start with Why by Simon Sinek  

Where can we find David Aiken?

www.thecheckerboardguy.com

Stories from the Pitch Podcast

Another side of Lindsay Benner's Story about Shitman, as told by Pete Sweet.

Twitter @checkerboardguy | Facebook

In this interview, James Galea tells us how he spends every day having the best day ever! He also talks about how he's put together shows like the Band of Magicians, pitching his ideas, and getting funding for his visions.

James Galea is an award-winning magician, writer, songwriter, director and producer residing in both sunny Los Angeles and sunny Sydney Australia.

Trying to make every day his best day ever, he’s literally traveled the globe performing his magic. He’s the creator of and has toured with the acclaimed "Band of Magicians," performed at corporate events for the likes of Microsoft, Virgin, Ford, and Disney, and he’s headlined worldwide in places like the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Hollywood Magic Castle, and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

You may have also seen him on one of his many TV appearances on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, The TODAY Show, Good Day LA, his own series Urban Magic, or starring in the Discovery Channel series Breaking Magic along with fellow magicians Wayne Houchin, Billy Kidd, and Ben Hanlin.

Daily Telegraph says, "James has reinvented the art of trickery, taking it far from its traditional comfort zone."  

Success Quote:

Nobody knows anything. — William Goldman  

Failure Moment

James tells us about the most dismal failure that anyone could have on stage. Literally. Everything went wrong! James describes it in excruciating detail.  

Favorite Success

Whatever he's working on right now.  

Producing and Pitching Shows

• Talks about his musical about a magician.

• Pitching his ideas.

• How he started the Band of Magicians and his vision for it.

• How he promoted the Band of Magicians to get butts in seats.

• How he raised money for the show.

• How they're different from The Illusionists.  

Biggest Professional Challenge

Trusting his instinct and knowing what's right to do. That and telling people no.  

Other Topics Covered

• Being a life-long learner.

• How he spends every day having the best day ever and how he discovered that philosophy for himself.

• His first experiences on cruise ships.

• How he marketed himself early on.

• Learned by doing and observing.

• What his parents thought about his "professional pursuits."  

Parting Advice

Be careful who you listen to and take advice from.  

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!  

Resource:

Show Cues - iOS App  

Books:

Find the Stuff That's You by Chris Carey

War of Art by Steven Pressfield  

Where can we find James Galea?

www.jamesgalea.com

Twitter @jamesgalea | Facebook | Instagram