Kids Entertainer Podcast: Recent Episodes
Zivi Kivi
Kids Entertainer Podcast shares information on the art of entertaining children. The weekly podcast features specialists who share tips, tricks and advice within their entertainment niche. We interview face painters, balloon twisters, kids magicians, ventriloquists, clowns, circus workshop artists, costume characters, children’s musicians, games leaders and more. The aim of the Kids Entertainer Podcast is to inform and educate professional children’s entertainers by providing accurate, up-to-date information. Topics include behavioural aspects of working with children as well as theory and practice of the various disciplines of the art. The podcast is hosted by Julian Mather and Ken Kelly, both Ken and Julian are professional magicians who work mostly for kids and family audiences. The topics you would find on the Kids Entertainer Podcast would include face painting tips, kids magic tutorials, the psychology audience management, balloon twister tips and tricks, games that work for children, how to manage the business of being a kids entertainer, clowning sketches and advice as well as interviews with leading kids entertainment professionals. The Kids Entertainer Podcast is hosted at kidsentertainerhub.com which is a website dedicated to the continuing professional development of children’s entertainers. KEH is the one stop spot where professional children's entertainers can meet, share and grow.
Kids Entertainer Podcast is hosted by Julian Mather and Ken Kelly who interview children's performers from around the world.
Welcome to Season 7 chapter 145 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! We are wrapping up a spectacular season with this final episode. Today's guest is Dan Evans, president of Totally Zany, LLC and an established clowning professional. Dan has performed at prominent venues and presented workshops on behalf of noted clients, as well as other satisfied clients from multiple sectors.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * Dan is also a teaching artist aside from being a performer * Dan teaches circus arts class with 75 to 150 kids for 10 weeks * Dan shared what kind of stuff he does and how it started for him * Dan doesn't do a lot of magic, he just knows 2 tricks * Dan didn't want to use makeup because he wanted to show who he really is * Dan is currently working on a virtual circus class * Dan shared how his birthday shows is like * Dan also talked about what KEA has done for him * www.totallyzany.com
Welcome to Season 7 chapter 144 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Today is the second to the last episode of the season. Our guest is a great ventriloquist and performer, Colin Dymond!
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * Colin shared his life before and during the pandemic * Colin also shared what happened on his shows when COVID19 struck the world * Colin talked about puppetry and ventriloquism * Colin's take on why puppets are funny for kids * How people can learn about puppetry and where starter could go and learn * Colin also shares his plans for the coming holiday season * Learn about Colin's talent and life on this special episode, listen now.
Welcome to Season 7 chapter 143 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! In today's episode, we have Chad Jacobs aka Chef Bananas. Today he shares with us about cold calling, branding and stuff about marketing plus how you can make use of your basement.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode:
- Chad shares what went on when the pandemic started
- Chad talks about how he transitioned to Virtual Shows
- Chad made use of his basement as a virtual studio
- Chad shares his best practices in cold calling
- What Chad thinks about cold calling and why he does it
- Chad also talks about his Foam business
- More on this episode so listen to the full episode
Welcome to Season 7 chapter 142 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Our guest for today is Ms. Annie Banannie, the Balloon Storyteller. Today we talked about keeping herself healthy during the pandemic and
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * July 2018 is when she started taking care of herself and lose weight * Annie talked about how it's going during the pandemic * Annie shared how she continues the journey of helping people * How she keeps herself motivated during this time * What's gonna be the best practices before performing for a kids audience next * When is her plan to do the next show * Many more from Annie on this episode, listen now.
Welcome to Season 7 chapter 141 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Silly Jilly is our guest in this episode today. Today we talked about adaptation and innovation as an entertainer.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * Jilly shared how her pandemic season went and what happened to the bookings * What Jilly did to help her business during the pandemic * How it is like working with a director like Dave Brenn and how it helped * Jilly recommendations on what to do during the challenges * Many more inside this episode so listen now.
Welcome to Season 7 chapter 140 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Drew Ripley is our guest in this episode today. Today we talked about how Drew spent his time during the pandemic.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * Before the pandemic Drew had big schedule already planned. * From 200 shows to 0 in 48 hours * Because of the pandemic, he loves his job more than ever * Drew talked about the KM Challenge * Drew realized that all he has during the pandemic was time * Drew recalls his favorite positive moments of the lockdown * Drew's experience in doing virtual shows * Drew's story on how he started from the bottom * More fascinating stories from Drew in this episode, listen now.
Welcome to Season 7 chapter 139 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Meet Magical Katrina Kroetch on our episode today. Today we talked about her experiences in doing zoom shows during the pandemic.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * Katrina is a performer and an actor * Started her acting career at the age of 17 * Katrina shares how the pandemic affected her bookings in the beginning * Katrina told us what she's up to these days * What she prefers - standing up vs sitting down in a zoom show * What advice Katrina has for kids entertainers in the time of the Pandemic * What Katrina loves about performing for family audiences * What Katrina said about kids vs adults magic in a zoom show * http://www.katrinakroetch.com/
Welcome to Season 6 chapter 138 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Today we talked about Kids with short attention spans. Kids and adults in the audience. Engaging the adults at kids gigs and audience management. Listen to this exciting episode to learn more.
[su_spacer]Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * How do you keep everyone in the audience engaged, both adults and kids? * How to Be really good! * How to speed up your routine up by 25% * Adding surprises * For Adults - have a skilful mind-blowing trick “Monkey jumping through hoop of fire” * Be engaging with your show structure, and your patter and questions * Setting up the chairs in lines * Different humour levels * Listening to the kids and react in the moment * Have prepared tactics for disruptive kids - What are those? * On booking - ask if there will be special needs kids there that might not like loud noises. * Different levels of humour for kids & adults.
Welcome to Season 7 chapter 137 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! In today's episode, Zivi and Danny shared about Performance Techniques #2 - How to shine on Zoom and win in the virtual parties game. Listen to this episode to get more.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * Virtual Vs. Live! You can win at both if you know the secrets! Techniques and tips
* What are the benefits of performing Virtual shows?
* Do you need to spend lots of money on new equipment?
* What if I’m not very good at technology?
* What material should I perform?
* How do I market a virtual show?
* Techniques - Look into the camera - windows to the soul.
* Using the medium to max advantage, smiling and looking at the camera
self zoom, hiding props out of sight, get to know Zoom as best you can
set up your space in a corner where you can leave it.
* Involve the kids
* Virtual backgrounds
* Back ups!
* You can win at both by having a new product - A virtual show, a new online market and also having your normal live kids shows.
Welcome to Season 7 chapter 136 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Zivi and Danny are back for this new episode. Today the topic is about Games, listen to the episode to know more.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * Why games? As people come into a party. * Get the energy out or up. * Introduce yourself as the leader & expert - they need to listen to you for clear instructions. You get to know the kids before a show/ or after your show. * Party games * Non contact games * GMD * Zoom Games https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMCTUAd5b3c&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2zClK-r1jT5rCg68DFcE7oJ3-2OQYZCmNDurtUIF5VcKJdg_X6fxlO35s * Adapting games to online or socially distance.Musical whatever online and socially distanced. * Kids games * Gameshow * Auction * New games
Welcome to Season 7 chapter 135 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Today Zivi and Danny are back to talk about Getting a show together or a new routine - How to build your next show or even a new routine. Listen to the episode to learn more.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * Virtual or Live - Your show and each routine should have a beginning, middle, and end. * Is it a modular show or a narrative show? The benefits of each. * Danny’s first show - Lighter Than Air, a balloon show - made up of cabaret acts * How do you know what order to put routines in? * Get ideas, try stuff out, get a director/coach, get creative, don’t be a perfectionist * Pre-sell your idea so it's funded and you have an aim, you know the demand and have bookings to help with costs of creating a new product. * Theatre in the UK experience - Danny * Test your show out with a local school, library, party, etc free or cheap but with feedback/ video/ photos/ testimonials. * Market and sell your show. * After each show for the first few - review, record on video if you can, and tweak the bits that aren’t working so well.
Welcome to Season 7 chapter 134 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Today is the 4th episode of this new season and co-hosts Danny and Zivi talked about How to create original routines for your kids show in today's episode. Listen Now!
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * Why be original? * Principle of the trick, idea for routine * Inspiration, research, looking outside your field. * Adapting ideas -Let’s take a look at the Colouring book trick; standard, other versions, make your own * Make your own props - cardboard 1st to test, then make a better version 2, eg three little pigs story * Combining ideas (Danny’s Three Little Pigs show concept) * Pushing limits - What do you do now? Which bits do you like? How can you improve it? The look? The skill level? The originality? Upsizing? Miniaturizing? * Character Development: eg Regina Martinez - Silly Sparkles - Danny Directs * How crazy can you get? * What is the end feeling you want for your audience that they go home with? * https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cabaret+du+monde
Welcome to Season 7 chapter 133 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Today, Zivi and Danny talked about Your Joy in the time of a pandemic - Your true role as a kids entertainer. Listen to the episode to learn more.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * What is joy? * Where to find joy in difficult times? * Why are we performers? Let's get back to basics. * Check the Book - “Joyful” by Ingrid Fetell Lee * Remembering the ultimate goal - to make people happy, entertain and create memorable events for your customers and their guests. * Danny on Discovering gardening & creating gags * Remembering the smiles and laughter - Danny’s 1st twisting gig after 5 months * Time of sorrow -> Need for joy, fun, distraction, and entertainment. * Story of Danny's hardest show EVER, but possibly the best, and why.
Welcome to Season 7 chapter 132 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Danny is back again as co-host on this episode today. Today we talked about how to shine while performing so that even the adults will love you.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * How to practice = Skills. How to rehearse = Routines * Tools like Mirror X, Camera/video, Director/Outside eye * Confidence = preparation; Smiling with eyes, being genuine, practice & play * Eyes are windows to the soul * Keep your windows clean & fresh technique * Eyes wide open, healthy body too * Including the adults - Perform for everyone in the room principle * Connect with the kids AND adults by asking them to help * Interact with kids improvise on their answers to enchant the adults. * Be Brilliant at what you do - be spectacular and be different!
Welcome to Season 7 chapter 131 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! In this new season, Danny Schlesinger is coming back as a co-host with Zivi Kivi. Today we talked about how to perform in the midst of this pandemic.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * How entertainers adjust to the pandemic situation * What adjustments are necessary for doing a performance * Live Performance vs. Virtuals Shows * Important things to consider in live performances during this pandemic * Why it is important that you know what you are doing when performing outside * The precautions you have to consider if you perform outside * Why this is the best time to reinvent your routine * The best things to do to improve yourself while you don't have a performance lined up * Why learning a new skill is a great opportunity during this time * How KEA helps entertainers by having all available skills ready to be utilized to learn and improve * How keeping the ideas flowing helps big time
Welcome to Season 6 chapter 130 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Julia Huffaker is our guest in this episode today. Today we talked about how she started Facepainting and how she evolved as an entertainer.
[su_spacer]Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * Julia has been entertaining kids for 7 years now * Julia started Facepainting way back in her college days * Julia stopped for a while after she got married * Julia went back to Facepainting after having her daughter * She wanted to be with her daughter all the time and that's what pushed her to go back * Julia attended a convention and found some people that does Facepainting with balloons * After a few months she attended a twisting event * Julia already doubled her rate since she started entertaining * Julia started practicing magic in her 4th year as an entertainer
Welcome to Season 6 chapter 129 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Colin Dymon from UK is our guest in this episode. Today we talked about ventriloquism, puppetry and magic.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * Colin is a veteran for 24 years and performed all around the world * It all started for him when his gave his eldest son a magic set * Colin started to go to magic shows and learned from it * Colin joined the magic circle and became an associate for 12 months only * Colin went into some kind of a meet and found a puppet parrot * Colin then started to learn ventriloquism * From one puppet he has several puppets along the way * Colin developed a full show starring all his puppets * In the next 5 years he would work on his schedule management
Welcome to Season 6 chapter 128 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Jelly Otis is our guest in this episode. Today we talked about her unique business and reptile show.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * They are planning to change their business name from Blazing Balloons to Jellyfish Entertainment * Jelly started when she was 19 as a part timer * Jelly went to Hawaii and brought her balloons their but did not get in touch with the balloon community * Jelly transferred to Utah and found a mentor Jeremy * Face painting was kind of a challenge for her because of her creativity * Jelly never does balloons and face painting at the same time in one show * Jelly's husband is an Entomologist and that's where the reptile show came into the scene * The reptile is going on for about a year now and has become aligned to kids entertainment * Their company's work ethic is what they are proud of (always on time, always a great show) * More exciting and informative things when you listen to the episode..
Welcome to Season 6 chapter 127 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Chad Jacobs aka Chef Banana from Missouri, USA. Today we talked about his journey and transition from a Restaurant manager to a Magician.
[su_spacer]Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * Chad's family used to own a restaurant that ran for 39 years * Chad ran the restaurant for 12 years with his sister * Chad always saw magic as his next career if the restaurant closes. * Chef Banana was a result of a long brainstorming night with his wife * Chad made sure he has good videos in his website * The videos are professionally made * Chad had a back injury that made him stay at the basement for 6 weeks * He ended of missing 75 shows because of this injury * Chad took the part of the routine that caused his injury out from his show
Welcome to Season 6 chapter 126 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Virginia Hankins from Los Angeles, California is our guest in this spectacular show. She owns several businesses that cater different themed entertainment.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * Virginia owns a company that does mermaids, unicorns and other beautiful themed parties * Her companies are Sheroes Entertainment, LA Mermaid School and Milo the Magical Unicorn * Virginia specializes in high end themed entertainment * Milo the Magical Unicorn is actually a horse that she owns * Virginia has a team that takes care of Milo and trains him * Her parties have around 50 kids each and usually hires Milo for 3 hours * The main foundation of her company are fully immersive educational entertainment packages * They include songs about the ocean and games related to it * In her Mermaid School and pool parties, they have lifeguards to make sure the kids are safe * The lifeguards are included in her package to make sure there will be one * if it's not safe it's not a good show * Virginia wrote a book called 'How To Be a Real Life Mermaid' and it was a one year project * Virginia has a 30 to 50 subcontractors and performers that work for her companies each year * A TON of Value that you can learn from Virginia and her business in this episode, so please make sure to listen!
Welcome to Season 6 chapter 125 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Lucy Spielberg from UK is our guest in this episode. She is a circus workshop teacher, support worker for children with disabilities and kids entertainer.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * Lucy came from a difficult situation in her life and needed to find a work to live * She chose to be in the community circus instead of any other opportunities * She taught herself to juggle using potatoes during her apprenticeship * Lucy eats onion in her shows and she juggles it as well * She became a manager of a charity shop when she tried to build a career outside kids entertainment * Lucy was offered a good deal to be in the corporate world but she chose to be in the entertainment world * After two year on her comeback she decided to up her game and take a circus and clown course * Her grandmother used to call her 'Lucy lock it' and that is where she got 'Lucy Lost It'
Lucy's story is very inspiring and full of value, make sure you listen to this episode and learn from her.
Welcome to Season 6 chapter 124 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Paul Cochrell aka Tall Paul is our guest in today's show. Join us as we talk about his 20 years of journey into kids' entertainment.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * Paul has been doing kids entertainment for 20 years * Paul uses the same show for 20 years and just replaces bits * Recently, after 20 years he decided to create a new show * Paul owns a lot of puppets for different shows * Paul uses an ankle switch to control music and be hands free in his performances * Paul also does a juggling, 3 ball routine in his show * One day he stopped doing magic (burnout) and then he eventually woke up another day and wanted to go back into doing it * Paul shared one of his most memorable moments in his performance * Paul used to do the Chair Suspension trick but recently took it out due to a safety hazard * Paul works with marketing mentors for his website stuff
- Flossie thinks of her self a ‘jack of all trades’ because she could do anything in kids entertainment
- Flossie started of with a book about balloon twisting about 20 years ago
- Flossie started doing professional gigs for about 13 years now
- She has a show named ‘The Magic and Me’ and will soon be available in YouTube
- She offers a combo entertainment like balloon shows with face painting
- Flossie has been mentoring local artists in her area
- Flossie is a student of Matan Rosenberg in Kids Entertainer Academy’s Close Up Magic Course
Welcome to Season 6 chapter 122 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Gareth White from United Kingdom is our guest in this episode. Today we talked about how he started with Magic and Kids entertainment
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * Gareth has been doing professional magicking full time for 10 months now * Before he was a magician he was a coffee salesman * It all started for Gareth when he saw Paul Daniels and was given a magic kit * After high school he wanted to be an actor and to acting school * Gareth saw a website banner about KEA and enrolled into it right away * He took art in school that’s why he has great logos for his shows * Gareth shared his logical birthday party process which he got the idea from a Netflix Series * Gareth also has a diagram for people to know his services and makes it easier to book him
Welcome to Season 6 chapter 121 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Kyle Groves who grew up in a family of entertainers shares how his journey began. Today we talked about Kyle's journey as an entertainer, his shop with a museum and how he is growing financially.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * Kyle’s dad is a magician for 50 years now * At 8 years old, Kyle already helped his dad as an assistant on his show * They travelled all over the states to do the show with his dad * After college, he came back to magic and won some awards as a close up magician * Kyle then worked his way to become a stage magician * Kyle has his own museum that started 7 years ago, from the collection of his dad’s magic souvenirs * Kyle also owns a shop called The Party People and Theater Mystery * Kyle continues to tour the states to do his shows * Kyle took the KM Challenge and made a lot of money as a result * Kyle invested in KM Challenge and in five weeks got the ‘Return of Investment’ of way over the tuition * 147 shows in 3 months as a result of joining this coaching program with Zivi Kivi * “KM Challenge is definitely worth getting involved in” - Kyle
Welcome to Season 6 chapter 120 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Louise Wells a veteran kids entertainer for 25 years is our guest in this spectacular show. Louise is part of the KM Challenge and today we talked about how her career evolve and how she got where she is right now.
- Louise started as a casual entertainer for adult parties for the first 5 years of her career
- She found kids entertainment and fell in love with it
- Started with Kids Entertainer Academy via Ken Kelly helping her start
- Louise started doing parties for free, just for pictures and feedback
- She does her make up for 2 minutes because and doesn’t want to arrive in the venue with the make up on
- Louise loves to do things on a bigger scale like big parties and shows
- Louise went through the Kivi Media Challenge and it gave her clarity and focus, and to achieve things quickly and effectively
- “It’s not about being the biggest business in the world, it’s about being the best” - Louise
The Congruent Kids Entertainer
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Welcome to Season 6 chapter 120 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! Louise Wells, a professional full-time kids entertainer for 3 years now, is our guest in this episode. Louise took a part of the KM Challenge and today we talked about how her career evolves and how she got to where she is right now.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode:
Louise started as a casual entertainer for adult parties for the first 5 years of her careerShe found kids entertainment and fell in love with itStarted with Kids Entertainer Academy with Ken Kelly helping her start her own businessLouise started doing parties for free, just for pictures and feedbackShe does her make up for 2 minutes because and doesn’t want to arrive in the venue with the make up onLouise loves to do things on a bigger scale like big parties and showsShe went through the Kivi Media Challenge and it gave her clarity and focus, and she achieved things quickly and effectively“It’s not about being the biggest business in the world, it’s about being the best” - Louise
Resources mentioned in this episode:
pompomkidsparties.co.uk
KM Challenge
Kids Entertainer Academy
Kids Entertainers Facebook group
Kids Entertainer Hub Facebook page
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening!
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Welcome to Season 6 chapter 119 of the Kids Entertainer Hub! Stacey Ashlet from Australia is our guest in this spectacular show. Today we talked about how her business runs while she's living in a rural area.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * Stacey’s dad had an entertainment agent when she was young and her family are all entertainer * One of the clowns got pregnant and she needed to step up to be a face painter and that's where it all started * After a couple of years she discovered balloon twisting and started doing it * Her clowning character is just an exaggerated version of herself according to her * Hyper Clown is her clown name, because she’s hyper * Stacey is doing clowning for 7 years now * Parachute is one of her go to games which is very creative * Stacey played a huge role on creating the Themed Birthday Parties course in KEA * Stacey lives remotely, 120 km away from the town * Stacey drives to the location 120 kms away back and forth everytime she has a gig in the town
Welcome to Season 6 chapter 118 of the Kids Entertainer Hub! Gemma Parker from Sussex, United Kingdom is our guest in this spectacular show. Today we talked about her journey to becoming a full time entertainer from being a teacher.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: * Gemma is not only an entertainer but also runs an entertainment agency * Gemma was a kids entertainer and then became a teacher because of her love for children * After a life changing moment of having a baby she decided to go full time on being a kids entertainer * She also started her own agency with a few entertainers * She started Crazy Beans which is an entertainment team that she leads * Her costumes are awesome which some are her designs * When she took the risk of going full time, she was ready to go all in * Having the baby was the boost she was waiting to take the risk * Gemma does a lot of networking and is part of at least 5 network groups, this is part of her marketing strategy * In looking for an entertainer to be part of her team, she particularly looks for energy * Kids Entertainer Academy helped her a lot since she became a member for over a year now * “Other things can be taught but energy is key” - Gemma
Welcome to Season 6 chapter 117 of the Kids Entertainer Hub! Mark Fuller from Texas is our guest in this spectacular show. Today we talked about Mark's journey and how he transitioned from being a full-time bus driver to a full-time kids entertainer.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: Mark Fuller is a 60 year old kids entertainer, balloon twister from Texas.
- Mark started 25 years ago as a volunteer for his Church ministry to raise money
- He did that for 15 years but it was on and off and then he moved to a different place
- About 10 yrs ago he moved to Texas and decided to go in deeply into balloons
- While he was doing balloons he was also a bus driver
- He loves being around kids and loves teaching them
- In November 2018, his son Sam Fuller told him about the Balloon Artists Podcast and it opened a whole new world to him
- Back in April something happened that made him go full-time on being an entertainer
- He started doing balloon storytelling even in linework
- Now that he’s no longer driving the bus, he’s got time to practice and focus on the things for stuff like marketing
- Since he went full time, he feels healthier, more organized, well rested and lost weight
- Mark is now looking forward to going to his first convention
- “Magic like balloons... if you don’t practice you don’t get it down real quick and smooth” - Mark
Welcome to Season 6 chapter116 of the Kids Entertainer Hub! Lauren Agnew from Australia is our guest in this spectacular show. Today we talked about how her journey to becoming an entertainer. She shared her 8 year journey and how her style and show evolved.
Here are some of the important notes from this episode: - She started kids entertainment 8 years ago
- Lauren was also an entrepreneur since she was a kid
- One day she bought her neighbors business Make Me A Rockstar
- She started as part timer but after a year decided to go full time
- Lauren has started a 7 part series show that she can bring to schools and kids can learn about
- She also runs workshops and a recording studio for kids
- Started with only one story called Yassy, a story of her time at school
- Now she has puppet characters for each week of the series show
- She's planning to take the show to every school in Sydney
- Kids Entertainer Academy was a great part of her career according to her
- Found about the KEA community and learned from the podcast episodes from KEH
- Staying focused on her game and not playing the comparison game makes her continue to be better and be unique on what she does
- Her shows will start soon start in schools and other camps all over Australia
- “Entertaining in general is so powerful” - Lauren Agnew
Welcome to the final episode of Season 5! We have Annie Banannie today as a co-host with Zivi for this season finale. Today we talk about transportation, what are the recommended vehicles that kids entertainer use and their benefits. We also talked about balloon workshops and how to do it better using the tips from one of our courses. Last but not the least we discussed the hot topic of when to diversify or add a new service to your mix. All of this and more in this season finale, episode 115. Listen now!
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice:
Show Transportation - question from Brettso the Great
“Hello there! This is Brett Bolich aka Brettso the Great from Southern California. Thanks for answering my questions in regards to stage shows but I had a questions regards to transporting your show from venue to venue. Now I that a lot of you guys have vans, specifically the Nissan NV200 as well as the Ford Transit style vans and it was really popular, I currently have a Rav4 that I love but eventually I would love to upgrade to one of those because I’m getting to the point where I might have to carry more stuff in the near future. And I just want to get your thoughts on those style of vans, what to look out for, what to consider and maybe like a checklist of things that you would use say okay this is worth getting or just keeping your vehicle originally so anyway thanks again and talk to you guys soon!”
Annie currently uses a Toyota Corolla but before that she used to ride a Prius. Before she had an accident she was carrying a lot of stuff in her car and after that she started thinking why she’s carrying too much stuff around. Now her rule is, “if it doesn’t fit the car it doesn’t go in her show”.
Zivi on the other hand uses the Nissan NV200 where he can fit 1200 fully inflated modelling balloons. It’s branded so he can easily identify his car and for people to see it. Branding your vehicle is another form of advertisement for you business that you can take advantage of.
We conducted a survey on Facebook to find out what people use for their business and here are the responses from our community. Check the episode bonus to see full discussion.
Tips from the Vault:
Tips on How To Do Workshops Better
Tips on how to do workshops better:
- Outside vs Inside - we strongly recommend doing it Inside
- The importance of the extra show
- Why two hours is too much
- Two a day with a normal size car
- Square baskets - instead of round baskets to maximize the space
- For Adults - basically just teaching them how to teach balloons to kids
Watch the video to see the tips on how to do better balloon workshops.
Hot Topic:
When to diversify and add a new service to your mix?
For Annie, she just started diversifying with her shows without using balloons, this is because she wants to grow and pushes herself to do any type of show but she will still continue to be serving her customers as the balloon storyteller.
If you’re going to diversify just make sure that you know where you are going to in terms of marketing efforts.
One more decision filter on when is it a good time to diversify, which is related to foundation of anything we do which is our skills.
Welcome to episode 114 of Season 5 of the Kids Entertainer Hub! Regina Martinez is back to co-host with Zivi in this spectacular show. Today we talked about how to determine whether a trick is ready to be performed or not and how to ask for feedback. We also had a discussion about what to do when you get asked to stay longer and extend the show, plus our thoughts on performing in small apartments. Listen to this episode to learn more!
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice:
How do you know a trick is ready to go into your show and how do you ask for feedback - from Joris
“Hi, this is Joris! How do you know if you are ready to perform a new trick and how do you ask for feedback?”
A big part about that are these questions
How well do you know the trick?
Have you practiced it?
Have you ever recorded yourself?
Have you been able to watch the recording?
Do you look comfortable with it? Does the script flow?
It’s better to look back at these questions before you perform it in your show and if the answer to these questions are YES, it means that you’re ready to perform the trick!
More discussion and tips when you listen to the episode.
Tips from the Vault:
How do you deal with a customer that asks you to stay longer?
Regina experienced this and probably most of you who are listening were already asked to stay longer. Regina shared her experience in one of her birthday parties where she developed a plan where she informs the booker about the upgrade options in case there’s a need to extend the show. Zivi also has his own similar way to inform the customer about pre approved extension agreement by communicating it to the booker in advance.
Hot Topic:
Small apartments - can you actually perform in them?
Regina personally doesn’t want it because there are so many distractions in a small space while Zivi is so used to this and loves the shows in small apartments because it is normal in Israel to have shows inside small homes. There are prerequisites though for Zivi, first is an elevator, he doesn’t want to carry all his stuff to more than two floors, second is as long as there’s no sugar for the kids so that there’s no extra energy for them to run around and be jumpy, if these two are met then it’s a go. Zivi also trains the moms to have the show parent free and adult free.
Hello! Welcome to episode 113 Season 5. Today we have Danny Schlesinger to brainstorm with Zivi in our exciting topics. We are starting with tackling a question about starting the show later when a customer request so suddenly at the event. We are sure you already experienced this so listen up to some ideas on how to avoid and deal with this. We also talked about goals and the 3 steps to follow to make sure you reach them. Lastly the hot topic that is going to affect 120% of kids entertainer that is worth the debate so tune in and listen to learn more.
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice:
Customer wants me to start later AFTER reaching the gig - Question from Christine.
“Good morning. This is Christine McKnoxville Party Magic in Tennessee. What really bothers me is after I’ve made every arrangement possible for a booker, I know what time I’ll be there, how long my show is gonna last, everything is confirmed and then you get there and they realized that there’s nobody there, they want you to wait, and they tried to make you feel bad because you’re there and their guest aren’t and you’ve got something else going on right after you cannot stay. I tried to be very kind to the people that have booked me but you know many times I’ve only received the deposit I have not received the full payment and I’m afraid that if I don’t wait for their entire guest to be there that I am not get paid. So what’s the best way to deal with something like this? Thank you very much I appreciate your response.”
This situation has happened to Danny and it felt terrible. For him if you’re a balloon artist you can use the waiting time to do you balloons but if your a magician you cannot do your magic or games. Zivi on the other hand experienced this situation in a surprise birthday show where the birthday boy was not there and got stuck in traffic. Ouch.
So what can you do to avoid this situation?
More discussion and tips when you listen to the episode.
Tips from the Vault:
3 Steps to Reach Your Goals - Goal Setting from the Getting Started Course.
Here’s the very methodical approach by Ken Kelly broken down by Zivi Kivi.
- Know what your goals are.
- Have a step by step plan on how to reach your goals
- Implement the learning that will empower the momentum to
This video is a must watch if you want to start reaching your goals.
Hot Topic:
Using the coloring book - is it still OK to use it?
This coloring book is a self working magic trick and an entry level magic trick. Nowadays everybody is using it and everybody sees it but the principle is fantastic. There are already many other versions of the coloring book, you can even make your own version of it for your show.
If you’re happy with the coloring book then go ahead and continue to use it, there’s no problem in that as long as you make you audience happy but if you wanna be original there’s a lot of options for you to choose from.
What can you add to the coloring book routine? How can you expand and make it more interesting? These are the questions that Danny wants to ask from you. And for him it’s absolutely okay to use the coloring book routine.
Let us know what are you doing to improve the coloring book routine? Do you think it’s okay to perform the same trick or you have a clever way of doing it. Share us your thoughts in our Facebook group!
Welcome to episode 112 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast. Today we have Annie Banannie as the co host. In this episode and we talked about the book Seriously Silly and the Repeat After Me principle. We wrapped this episode with an important discussion about the ecological nature of latex balloons. All of these exciting topics in episode 112. Listen now!
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice:
What are the differences between Seriously Silly the book, Seriously Silly the DVD, and the new book Super Sized Silly? By Robert Clarke
“Hey, good morning Zivi! It’s Robert Clarke here, I just have a question mate. David Kaye’s book Seriously Silly, I’ve come across Serious Silly that come with a DVD, but there’s also one Seriously More Seriously Silly but doesn’t come with a DVD is this the same book or is it two title different books? Love to know, thanks mate! And the website is http://escapadesentertainmentandpromotions.com.au/”
The new book book contains 150 routines from 104 different magicians. It shows the routines done by different magicians.
The first book shows what tricks work for specific age level and teaches what makes kids laugh and interact.
More discussion and tips when you listen to the episode.
Tips from the Vault:
The Repeat After Me tactic - as shown in David DeVitto’s lecture Bring in the Laughs to Bring in More Bookings
Zivi personally uses this principle in all of his shows, he teaches one magic trick in his show, either one with his magic bracelet or anything okay to share and he asks to do the magicians oath to never share the secret.
Example:
I, Zivi Kivi, promise, to never reveal, the secret, and, I will do, anything that, my mom tells me to do, and also, my dad, AMEN
Annie tends to use it for a safety pledge if she’s gonna do something that looks dangerous. It’s building the excitement but also reminds them about safety.
Hot Topic:
Can we help spread the word that balloons are eco friendly?
With the raising concerns about Balloons and the Environment… how do we spread the word about the misinformation (like people who say balloons are made of plastic) and get the real info out while still being amusing?
Annie thinks there’s a lot of misinformation about balloons, she shared that it started in the 80’s that it was reported that it’s dangerous like plastic.
A latex balloon is made from materials from a rubber tree (each tree can last up to 40 years and keep producing materials).
Balloons are made from biodegradable materials.
What can we do in order to help this environment cause?
Part of our job is to educate people about balloons and we have so many tools we can use to share it with people. You can ask people to do a pledge about helping the balloon and environment cause.
Share with us if you do anything in your show about spreading awareness about balloons. Do that in our Facebook group, please!
Welcome to our 111th episode of Season 5. Our co-host for this episode is Regina Martinez a.k.a Silly Sparkles. Today we talk about how to land you first gig and tips on how to continue to improve after your first show. We also shared our thoughts on how to market yourself during your show. Plus, we also shared the Jingle Bell Monte magic trick for this coming holiday season. Stick around and listen to the episode.
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice: NJ asked how to land the first ever gig
“Hi Zivi, In the topic that someone gets talked about.. I am a new kids entertainer, you know that’s not true, but I’d like to know how do I get my first gig without having to use an agent, and will I get the gig without previous experience? Thank You!“
Regina shared how she started her career, she did not have an agent but she had some friends who are kids entertainer and referred some clients to her.
How can a children’s entertainer get their FIRST EVER gig? Without using an agency?
Assuming you’ve already had a few practice gigs at family and friends parties and you’re ready to test your skills at a complete stranger’s party... how do you score that first gig? Here are some tips for you..
- Showcase YOURSELF and your work
- Network with entertainers
SIDENOTE: Be generous and lend those newbies a hand! - Sign up for Thumbtack/Gig Salad/Gigmasters
- Be prepared to receive that first inquiry.
Zivi doesn’t recommend you call another kids entertainer and pretend to be a customer. Regina shared her experience when she tried to call one of the entertainers when she was starting out.
Both Zivi and Regina agrees that anybody can land a first gig, The most important thing is not to think about the first gig, the first gig will come, it’s all about where do you wanna be 10 gigs later, 20 gigs later or 100 gigs later. You wanna be good, that good that people will want to talk about you. Know that it’s 80% efforts on your skills and 20% on the business at the beginning. Work on your skills most of the time and don’t worry much about other things.
More discussion and tips when you listen to the episode.
Tips from the Vault:The Jingle Bell Monte Magic Trick
Here are some of the one liners from the video:
- Where does Santa go to learn how to get down chimneys? = A chimnasium
- What did one snowman say to another snowman = Can you smell carrots?
- “It was so cold on Christmas Eve that Santa had to jump-start three of his reindeer!”
- “One of Santa’s little helpers was so sad… he had low elf-esteem.”
- What do you call a chicken at the North Pole? = Lost!
- What do you call a polar bear with ear muffs? = Nothing, he can’t hear you
Hot Topic: Is it OK to MARKET your business DURING YOUR show?
Absolutely, YES! Says Regina.
It’s a lot easier to market yourself right after you just wowed them with a face paint, balloon, etc. If you’re trying to market after a show, She finds it awkward if you just approach them with your card without them asking for it.
Regina doesn’t like to do over marketing at the end of the party package because she’s already been promoting herself the entire show. She repeats her name a lot during her show. She has silly tactics while face painting a kid - She tells them they can get sparkles but only if they remember her name. Here are some marketing tactics the regina use:
- WORK YOUR NAME INTO YOUR PATTER
- ZUCCHINI TIP
- MIC NAME TEST
- TALKING TO PARENTS AFTER SHOW
Welcome to the 110th episode of Season 5. Our co-host for this episode is Danny Schlesinger. We open the episode with a debate about Balloon Workshops. Particularly, when is the best time to inflate the balloons prior to the workshop. We also shared our thoughts about two mistakes in puppetry plus the hot topic of should you do charity work and how to get paid in doing it. Stick around and listen to the episode if these topics seems valuable.
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice: Balloon workshops - when to inflate - a question by Devin (a.k.a the Dev)
“Hi everyone, this is Devin. My question for the podcast has to do with the balloon twisting workshop and curious to learn how long in advance can blow or pump up the balloons? Thanks!”
Balloon Workshop Blueprint
Danny has done balloon workshops before, both before and after he took the Balloon Workshop Blueprint. Both Zivi and Danny had changed the way they do workshops after they took the course. It gave them a system and script to follow.
Things to consider in the workshop
- Venue arrival time
- Size of your vehicle
- Number of kids at the workshop
- Method of Inflation
- Make sure you have a separate room to inflate the balloons if you’re gonna do that in the location.
Things to consider when in the event:
- Hydrate
- Headphones & Music
- Cleanliness of inflation room
- Getting help with inflating from volunteers at the venue or at home with teenagers
More discussion and tips when you listen to the episode.
Tips from the Vault: The two biggest mistakes people do with puppets
Based on the webinar we did with Colin Dymond (which is available in the KEA Learning Circle, under lectures)
- The Levitating puppet (puppet is held in mid air)
- Talking with both thumb and rest of the hand moving (should move only the thumb down)
Also from the course “how to add a puppet to your show”
Making it believable by creating the illusion of another character on stage.
The Add a Puppet to Your Show is available for KEA members.
Hot Topic: Charity work for free? Is that a good idea or not?
Important things about doing charity works
- Where are you in your career?
- What other benefits can you gain from a free charity gig?
- Can you cancel?
- You may want to draw your own line in terms of the number of free charity gigs per year.
- If you do some charity work it will feel great and research shows that in fact it will make you healthier.
- What kind of people are going to the charity?
- What your heart is telling you is really important, it’s all up to you. Listen to THE VOICE.
Welcome to Episode 109 and today we have Annie Banannie back in our show. In this episode we talked about marketing your stage shows. Annie and Zivi also talked about another lesson from the GMD Formula which explains why moms book you. Plus, the hot topic - when is it a good time to reveal a magic trick. All this and more in th
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice: Marketing for Stage Shows
Brettso the Great (Brett Bolich from Southern California, USA) asked:
“Hello There, this is Brett Bolich aka Brettso the Great from Southern California. I had a question in regards to stage shows. Now, I’ve been personally reaching out to community theaters to try to put on my very own stage show, with some luck and most of them pretty much telling me that as much as they would love to have me they already have a theater season where they do broadway style plays or broadway style musicals and my question is to you guys, is there other avenues besides community theaters to reach out to, to do stage shows. Also if community theaters are a viable option, what would be a better way to approach them? My final question to this is, is what are some things or some pitfalls to avoid when actually getting your theater show running, you got the theater you’re getting the show, what are the things like contractually that you should look out for to make sure you’re not hurting yourself in the end? Thank you very much, talk to you guys soon and have a great rest of the podcast. Yeheyyy!”
Zivi and Annie shared some important tips and here are some of the points:
Anytime that you have in your market an event or a topic that everybody cares about that’s great. For example, the Read Across America theme, if you work in Libraries.
Look at your market and if your market looks like it can support specific show like that then go for it because it’s gonna push you creatively.
A lot of independently owned theaters exist and you can go to them without fear of the infamous committee.
Local Schools sometimes got fancy theaters.
Zivi and Annie also gave some advise with regard to contracts, the committee and colleagues.
More discussion and tips when you listen to the episode.
Tips from the Vault: Why Moms Book You
- The tip is taken from the Games, Magic and Disco Formula (GMD Formula) in Kids Entertainer Academy - Module 9 Lesson 2
- Zivi and Annie discussed the reasons why you get booking from bookers and how you can make sure you book them right away.
Hot Topic: When is it ok to share The Secret of a magic trick?
- For Annie, there’s two different sides to this question, sharing with performers and sharing with muggles.
- For Zivi, it troubles him where the boundaries are. There’s a lot of gray area but you have to have a great reason why you are sharing something.
It’s the 108th episode and Regina Martinez aka Silly Sparkles is back! Really exciting topics were discussed in this episode and life saver tips.
Do you work with agents or do you have an agent? If you are or if you’re thinking of trying finding one, then you have to listen to this one. We also talked about a prop free game from one of the courses in the Kids Entertainer Academy that you can use in your show or play with your family. Last but not least, the hot topic of dealing with young hecklers. Lets begin:
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice: Working with Agents
Yochi asked:
“Hey Zivi, I want to ask you guys a quick question about working with agents, did you cover that in any of you previous things, will you cover that? Question is working with agents.”
Working with agents can really fill up your calendar especially when you are working with good agencies that can help you get more bookings and gigs.
More discussion and tips when you listen to the episode.
Tips from the Vault: The “What are you doing” game
Was taken from the course called the Comedy Masterclass - from an award winning street performer Uri Vice
This game works very well with school ages, for younger age you need to give a lot of examples and then they get it too.
You can get up to 10 mins of playing time through this game with two kids standing on stage. The first kid is miming drinking tea, and the second kid will just ask the question “what are you doing?”. The first kid can say anything except for the actual thing that he’s doing.
Watch the video in the episode bonus to learn the full rules of the game.
Hot Topic:
What do you do with kids hecklers that try and call you out through the show All entertainers must have experienced this situation and we all agree that it’s very distracting. More of what Zivi and Silly Sparkles shared about their experience with hecklers in the episode.
It’s our 107th episode and Danny is back to co-host! Are you an entertainer who has some challenges in dealing with different ages in a party? If that’s you then you better listen to this episode, we’ll help you answer your questions.
Zivi and Danny talked about the important things to consider in hosting a show, your preparation is key. And as always, we shared one of the lessons from the KEA membership which is about the parents talking to each other from the GMD Formula. And for the hot topic, this time is about transforming your show from a birthday settings to a library one.
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice: Mixed ages in the same gig, different attention span and strategies in entertaining them.
Marvelous Marc asked:
“What are some strategies for keeping entertainment relevant for an audience of mixed ages so, like you can have children that you are doing the show for but they maybe ages 15 or all the way down to ages 2 or 3 and you have to deal with different attention spans and interesting content and what not, so what are some good strategies to deal with them?”
Zivi and Danny had a discussion about the important things in having a show for a mixed group and here are some of the points:
Having a really good show and skills means you have the ability to entertain everyone, even a mixed group of people from all ages.
Get the attention of the older kids by giving them tasks to do.
Being original is always the best option
Bottom line is that older kids need to be impressed.
Tips from the Vault: Parents Talking from GMD Formula Course
- The tip is taken from the Games, Magic and Disco Formula (GMD Formula) in Kids Entertainer Academy - Parent Talking
- Zivi shared the content of this course and Danny contributed on the things you can do in every situation.
Hot Topic:
Can you transform a birthday magic show into a library show? Both Zivi and Danny agreed that this is a great opportunity for an entertainer and they brainstormed in the things to consider and the adjustments that you have to make in doing a library show.
It’s episode 106 and Annie Bannanie is back to co host for this episode. If you are an artist or an entertainer, you do a lot of tricks and performances and sometimes you can’t avoid having an injury so Zivi and Annie discussed what it’s like to have an injury that affects your business and what you can do while you are healing. They also talked about sound systems and lightings plus the influence you can have to your customer on the food they serve and when to serve it.
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice: What would you do during a month of healing?
Dale Gideon asked:
“Hi, I’m really interested to know what aspect of business a person can focus on if they were unable to work for about a month due to injury, that injury being a sprained hand which is the working which means pretty much out of action. Yeah, just really eager to find out what sorts of things they could do during that time as they heal. Thank You!”
Annie shares her experience during the time she had an injury and these are the factors to consider:
Pain relief medicine.
Scheduled shows.
Can you perform with someone else?
And don’t hesitate to ask help..
During downtime, do something productive and self improving stuff
Tips from the Vault: Sound Systems and Lighting Set Up
- The tip is taken from the Games, Magic and Disco Formula (GMD Formula) Lesson 8.1 in Kids Entertainer Academy - My Sound and Lighting Set Up
- Zivi and Annie discusses alternatives that might be better and cheaper and also gave the information on their own set up.
- Things to consider when performing outdoors were also taken into the discussion
Hot Topic:
Should the Entertainer try to affect the customer on what or when food is served in a birthday? * For Annie:There should be no food during the show - the kids are distracted by the food. * Zivi tries to influence to have a healthy birthday party, like no sugary food in the first hour of the show. But at the end of the day it will still be the decision of the parents.
It’s Episode 105 and we had Regina Martinez aka Silly Sparkles as a co-host. In this episode, Zivi and Regina talked about marketing tips that can be implemented after the show. They shared by sharing their own stories and opinions.
Controlling your nerves is another topic that was discussed in this episode and every new entertainer or even a veteran one can still experience it, so listen to this episode because you can definitely relate to this. Lastly, another hot topic and this time about how many balloons should you carry in your stock. So if any of these topics interest you hit the PLAY button now!
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice: How to market yourself at the end of the party ceremony
Steven from Appleton Wisconsin USA asked:
“At the end of birthday party shows, any idea you could share on you know, you get invited to stay, have some birthday cake or some food and meet up with the people. I wonder if you have any ideas on how to do that in a professional manner and what might you wanna make sure we include so that would help our business and so on?”
Regina’s thoughts on this:
It’s a great opportunity to market at the end of the show. It’s a really great time to have a photo op, with the birthday kid and other kids too. If you have a puppet it will have a great impact. When taken a picture ask them to use your hashtag when they post it. Offer a referral discount as a bonus for when they tag you.
Zivi’s take:
Most of people these days will agree to get them tagged so if you do the hashtag for them as Regina mentioned in the show, it allows you to take ownership on the process and the details.
Tips from the Vault: Controlling Your Nerves
- The tip is taken from Lesson 7.0 of the Build your Magic Show course of the Kids Entertainer Academy – How Do I Control My Nerves. The main idea is - don’t ever say you will never do that magic trick again
- But at the same time, perform magic you find enjoyable and comfortable with and be realistic with your progress
Regina also shared her story about her experience and Zivi also gave his take. See the extended notes for complete details.
Hot Topic:
How many balloons should you keep in your stock? * For Regina:It depends on the business and market. Restock from a position of power and knowledge. Plus insights and challenge inside the bonus PDF extended notes. * Zivi’s strong points on stocking balloons:Balloons Age. Limit yourself to few colors and spend your money wisely.
As entertainers we want to make everyone happy in our show but do we need to always make everyone laugh? With the help of Danny Schlesinger, the co-host for this episode, we discussed how to be a great entertainer without trying hard to make everybody laugh.
We also discussed about one of the lectures from the Vault which talks about some good lines to use and you interactions with adults during the show. And as always, we discussed a hot topic, this it's about how to handle situations when kids starts to cry in your show. Tune in as this episode will give a lot of tips and tricks on how to be a great entertainer.
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice: The Future of Kids Entertainment
Drew ripley from Canada
“With the show that I have right now I find that there are parts that are really funny and parts that are not and I am wondering if while Im entertaining smaller kids if the goal should be just keep them laughing the whole time, can I actually be just a comedic performer the whole time or is that likely to be exhausting and backfire and I’ll end up with other problems?”
Quick Summary:
- Laughing all the time is exhausting
- When the kids really laugh a lot it’s fun for you to be in the situation because it shows how good you are as an entertainer
- Many things can go wrong if you make things go crazy with laughter
- How many interactions in your routine that involve your audience show be considered as well
Tips from the Vault: You Are So Funny! by Alan Rich
Lines that were taken from the lecture:
Line 1: Why are you knees different from my knees? You have Kidneys
Tip from the show: don’t use a line that doesn’t fit your personality
Line 2: (to a hyper kid) Have you ever considered meditation
Line 3: Are you married… Do you work at 7-11
Danny and Zivi also gave their advise on adult interaction and how important it is that they are also entertained.
Hot Topic:
What do you do when a kids starts to cry (for a balloon or in line for face painting or for a prize) * For Danny..If it’s in a show, encourage the parent to deal with it and give comfort to the kid. * For Zivi..It’s an opportunity for an Awww.. moment. To show that you are human and you care.
It’s episode 102, and we’re excited to share it along with our second co-host for the season, Regina Martinez, also known as Silly Sparkles. Regina loves sharing her knowledge with everyone and will be one of the three co-hosts of season 5! Today, we talk about the essentials of marketing that can be applied to a new show. I am sure you already have ideas about your next show so stick around, listen and brainstorm with us with this new episode on how to market your show.
We also discussed about the Five Word Tip. These five words transforms a group of kids into an audience. It was taken from one of the Kids Entertainer Academy lectures. Last but not the least, the Hot Topic of this week - Gigantic Costumes, are they adorable or SCARY? Let start dive right in!
In this episode we discussed:
In Your Voice:
Essentials on a new show - the question from Yoshi - I put together a show but I did so far no marketing or whatsoever. I want to know, what are the essentials that I have to take, take my show that is sitting now at the boxes at home to somebody’s stage. What are the essential marketing steps that has to get done?
Here are the essential Regina and Zivi brainstormed about:
- Get Professional Pictures - Make really good promo photos.
- Next is to Market your show. There is a lot about that in the Pre-School Masterplan course in KEA.
- We challenge you to do the marketing during the first steps of building the new show, not after your show is ready.
Tips from the vault: The FIVE Words Tip
https://member.kidsentertainerhub.com/topic/episode-102-five-words-to-put-you-in-control/
Ask questions like the samples below.
- Who wants to see a magic show?
- You Weren’t Ready were you?
- I will give you another go
Hot Topic:
Full body gigantic Costumes that the entertainer goes inside - Scary or Adorable?
Wearing HUGE costumes has been around amongst entertainers for many years, mostly for kid’s parties and shows. The question we ask is, is it adorable or will it scare the kids away?
- We shared Regina’s thoughts on this kind of costume as a mom.
- Size is powerful.
- Costume quality is also a big factor.
- The high end polar bear full body costume that was mentioned https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG1NHYFHDk4&feature=share
This episode marks a new beginning. We reached a new milestone having the 100th episode of the podcast. As we enter a new season, we say farewell to Ken Kelly, the founder of this company, who after 3.5 years have decided to move on to other things, and sold his share to Zivi Kivi. Thanks so much for Ken for all that he contributed to the podcast, the company and for his influence and legacy. We wish Ken goodluck in his endeavors and suspect you will hear more of him in the future.
Do you think putting prices in your website is worth it? Then listen to this episode.
We also discussed a game that you can use in your events, that was taken out from the Vault.
Lastly, since the Halloween season is coming, we talked about Halloween shows and characters.
In this episode we discussed:
In Your Voice:
Do you put prices on websites? What are the pros and cons? - Virginia from Los Angeles asked us, and here are some of the Pros and Cons:
- Pros:
-
- Acts as a filter. Filter out customers that are just looking for price
- Shows fairness and It builds your confidence (the trust factor)
- You can show different packages and it saves you a lot of time with customers
-
Cons:
-
- New in the area, depends on the location.
- Prices are not final yet
- Competition will know your price and they will undercut you (but honestly, they will know your prices one way or another anyway)
Tips from the vault: The game “I Like You Because...”
- Taken from the lecture from our Learning Circle course
- The lecture was about the concept of the 5 love languages for kids
- The game involves two people - each one need to says “I like you because …... “
https://member.kidsentertainerhub.com/topic/episode-101-the-i-like-you-because-game/
Hot Topic:
HALLOWEEN CHARACTER / SHOW - is it really worth it?
- Tips on how to make your Halloween shows
- Discussion with regard to costumes
It’s best to be prepared in life as well as business. And to arm you for the future, we discuss the technology trends in business that are likely going to affect kids entertainers.
And since this is our 100th episode, we have a fantastic present for all of you, our listeners. What is it? Go on and click play to find out.
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice: The Future of Kids Entertainment
What developments are on the horizon that can affect the future of children’s entertainment? - NJ Holtz
- Trends to be aware of: eLearning, eCourses and automation systems
- The uses of chatbots
Tips from the Vault: Free Access to the Entire Vault!
Get your Free Access to the KEA Tips Vault: Go to https://kidsentertainerhub.com/vault/
For KEA members, check out a new course by Colin Dymond: Adding a Puppet to Your Show
Hot Topic: Mentors
- The danger of not having a mentor
- Ideas for getting some mentorship
Want new warm-up routines to begin your show with a bang? Then this episode is for you.
We also discuss what upgrades you can add to your party offers to provide more value to your bookers and earn more in the process.
Last but not the least, we share our thoughts on an often-debated topic among kids and family entertainers: do you really need backdrops?
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice: Party Package Upgrades
Which party package upgrades do your clients choose most often? – Regina “Silly Sparkles”
- Defining your core offer
- Brainstorming for upsells that suits your core offer
- The beauty of tiered pricing
Tips from the Vault: Warm-Up Routines
- The importance and purpose of warm-ups
- Ideas and resources for warm-up routines
Hot Topic: Do You Need Backdrops?
- Pros and cons of having backdrops
- Don’ts when designing your backdrops
Most of us, if not all of us, have experienced customers asking for a discount. Should we give in or say no? If we say no, how do we communicate that nicely so we don’t lose the client?
We discuss this rather tricky topic here and offer strategies that have worked for us.
We also offer fantastic party game ideas for kids that even the older children will love, as well as steps you can take to move from a non-performing into a performing act.
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice: How Do You Go into Performing?
How do you transition from line twisting into performing? - Melissa Sherk
- Simple steps you can take to ease yourself into performing
- Resources that can help you
Tips from the Vault: Ideas for Games for Children Ages 8+
- The importance of framing the game to the children
- 3 fantastic non-elimination games you can try
Danger Pass the Parcel
Comedy Musical Chairs
Comedy Musical Statues
Hot Topic: When Customers Ask for Discounts
- The problem with giving discounts
- Tips on how to structure your offer to discourage clients asking for discounts
- What to give in place of discounts
Planning to start asking for deposits from your bookers, or wondering how you can simplify the process? In this episode, we discuss how you can ask for deposits with no hassle to you or your client.
And because we always strive to give you as much value as we can, we also discuss how to deal with undercutting, and also whether one website or several specialized websites are for you.
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice: Specialized Websites or One Website?
Is it best to have a singular website that promotes all your services, or a singular website for each of your services? – Keith Tusing
- Pros and cons of having one website vs. having several specialized websites
- Things to consider when deciding whether to have a single or multiple websites
Tips from the Vault: How to Ask for Deposits
- Benefits of asking for deposits for your children’s shows
- Hassle-free ways to ask for deposits
Hot Topic: How to Deal with Undercutting
- The right attitude towards the issue of undercutting
- Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and how you can get bookings even if you charge more than your competitors
In this episode, we tackle a question that many kids and family entertainers are keen to find the answer to: how do we know if our business is indeed doing well? How can we say objectively that we’re flourishing, or at least performing better than the last months or the previous years? What things do we need to look at to be able to say that we’re on an upward trajectory or that we need more fine-tuning?
It’s an important question as the answer will allow us to run our business in a more informed way. And we give you the best answer we know, based from our own experiences, in this episode.
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice: How to Know if Your Business is Growing
What should we measure to know if our business is growing? – Steve Wickenton
- The importance of measuring and keeping track
- Tools and tips you can apply right now to measure the performance of your business
Tips from the Vault: Answer Phone Message
- Why you need a good answering machine/voicemail message
- The anatomy of a great answer phone message
Hot Topic: Who is the Boss—the Booker or the Audience?
- What you can do to please both the booker and the birthday child
In this episode, we discuss an often-debated topic among kids and family entertainers: how long should a magic show be? We consider kids’ psychology today and share insights from our own experiences.
Furthermore, we share two magic tricks that you can give away to your audience—tricks that are easy and perfect for children to do.
It’s another succinct episode packed with resources, actionable tips, and valuable information to chew on, so go press Play now.
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice: What is the Best Part of Your Magic Show?
If I were to ask the 5-year-olds in your audience what their favorite part of your magic show is, what would they say? - Silly Jilly
- Your favorite routine vs. the routine that stands out in your audience’s eyes
- Doing market research: Asking your audience what the best part of your show is for them
Tips from the Vault: Magic Trick Templates for Giveaways
- Choosing magic tricks fit for children
- Magic workshops and magic kit party giveaways
- Free magic trick templates that you can use
Hot Topic: How Long Should Your Magic Show Be
- Ideal length of show for different ages, groups and events
- The psychology of children today and how this could inform your show
For professionals who are into balloon entertainment, this question often comes up: should we concern ourselves more with serving our customers and hence being a commercial act, or should we focus on advancing our art?
It’s a dilemma that not just balloon twisters face, but any artist or performer, and we invite you to explore this topic—and more—with us in this episode.
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice: Balloon Entertainment vs. Balloon Art / Commercial vs. Art
Is it okay to keep being fast and funny, or am I doing myself a disservice by not doing more? - Dan Geers
- The two ends of the spectrum: focusing on your art and focusing on pleasing the customers
- How you can be artistic and entertaining at the same time
Tips from the Vault: Thank You Letters
- The value of thank you letters
- Different forms of thank you that you can send to clients
- Tips and ideas for an amazing thank you letter that will make you unforgettable
Hot Topic: The Dangers of Balloons
- Being aware of the dangers that balloons pose
- Precautions you can take
Among the top things that can make a huge difference to your children’s shows is a good-quality PA system. But from so many options, how can you tell which system will serve you best? We give you tips and a fantastic free resource in this episode.
And without throwing around off-putting jargons, we also delve into the essentials of SEO, as well as the business of upsells. Hit play and get the tips that can help you serve your customers better—and rank better in Google in the process.
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice: Bare-bones SEO for Kids Entertainers
What do we really need for SEO? – Annie Bananie
- What SEO is essentially about
- How Google ranks your site
- Tips to raise your SEO ranking and also serve your customers better
- Some tools you can use
Tips from the Vault: PA Systems
- The importance of a good PA system for children’s entertainers
- Tips for choosing the right PA system
- Kinds of PA systems and things to consider
Hot Topic: Upsells
- What is an upsell
- Advantages of offering upsells to you and your customers
- Ideas for upsells
Are you tapping the power of backing tracks and effects to inject energy into your children’s shows? If not, this episode just might nudge you to give them a try, and we give you the resources you need to start.
And if you feel like your magic show, face painting or balloon twisting is growing stale or you need something new to offer, we offer practical tips on how to keep things fresh and in tune with your bookers.
Last but not the least, we give some thought on whether it’s ever all right to miss a show. We wish to hear your thoughts on the matter so we encourage you to join our Kids Entertainers Facebook group. Let’s keep the conversation going.
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice: Keeping Your Act Fresh
How often do you change your Birthday Magic Show? - Stefan Swanepoel
- The definition of a truly commercial act
- Changing your routines gradually
- Keeping your act fresh and up-to-date with new music, props, costumes
Tips from the Vault: Backing Tracks
- Licensing and royalties – being aware of the laws in your country regarding the legal use of copyrighted materials
- Why add backing tracks
- Keeping the music in your shows updated
- Where you can get music and sound effects for your shows
Fiverr
Audio Jungle
Hot Topic: When Is It Okay to Miss a Show?
- Our responsibility to the birthday child
- Valid and invalid reasons for missing a show
- Must the show go on at all costs or would it be better to leave space for flexibility?
Managing challenging behaviour is one of the top concerns of any kids and family entertainer. In this episode, we give you strategies that have worked brilliantly for us, and might work for you as well.
We also discuss clown doctoring and important guidelines to keep in mind if you’re entertaining at hospitals.
Last but not the least, we look into how prizes can go wrong and what you can do about this.
In this episode we discuss:
In Your Voice: Hospital Work
Has anyone here done gigs at children's hospitals visiting sick children in the wards? I have been hired by a children’s hospital to do balloons and very simple magic. I just watched Patch Adams last night. Such a gorgeous movie, but I honestly don’t know if I'm that naturally funny or perhaps I am overthinking again (which I always do!). Would love to hear from anyone who has done this type of work. Thanks! - Dale Gideon
- Tips and reminders for entertaining in hospitals
- Tips for ‘being funny’ and clown doctoring
Tips from the Vault:* Managing Challenging Behaviour***
- Understanding children and the causes of disruptive behavior
- Setting boundaries and contracting with the children
- Using points
- Dealing with a disruptive group
- The power of compliments
Hot Topic: The Dark Side of Prizes
- Shifting the focus – from the prize to the fun
- Awarding points and empowering children with this
- Branding the prizes you give away
- Using prizes to encourage volunteers
Welcome to the new season of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! We’re thrilled to be back and we hope you are, too.
With our return, we introduce BIG changes aimed to bring you continued inspiration, valuable knowledge and actionable tips that will help your children’s entertainment career to flourish.
Ready to find out what we have in store for you this season? Go on and hit play.
In this episode we discuss:
- Julian’s farewell to KEH and his next adventure
- Introducing our new presenter – Find out who!
- Our new show format
In Your Voice: Starting your own kids entertainment business
I have been daydreaming about starting my own children's party entertainment business. I'm currently a children's dance/drama teaching artist and I have been face painting for years. I want to do characters like a ballerina that teaches a mini class and does fun games, or like a fairy (I love fairies!) that does some magic and face painting. Thoughts? I figure it will just stay a dream if I never talk about it... I know princesses are super popular at girls’ parties, but we are kind of a feminist/girl power family so I was thinking female superheroes might be fun too! - Thera Knapp
Tips from the Vault: Breaking into the preschool market
- Why entering the preschool market is a smart business move
- Tips for getting started and creating your own preschool show
- A great resource you can download for free
Hot Topic: Entertaining younger children
- Making yourself seem smaller
- Misnaming the stuff they know
- Repeating what you say
Kickstarting the New Kids Entertainer Podcast
Welcome to the new season of the Kids Entertainer Podcast! We’re thrilled to be back and we hope you are, too.
With our return, we introduce BIG changes aimed to bring you continued inspiration, valuable knowledge and actionable tips that will help your children’s entertainment career to flourish.
Ready to find out what we have in store for you this season? Go on and hit play.
Download Your Free Resource - 3 Ways to Break into the Pre-School MarketClick Here to Download Your Breaking into the Pre-School Market Handout
In this episode we discuss:
Julian’s farewell to KEH and his next adventureIntroducing our new presenter – Find out who!Our new show format
In Your Voice: Starting your own kids entertainment business
I have been daydreaming about starting my own children's party entertainment business. I'm currently a children's dance/drama teaching artist and I have been face painting for years. I want to do characters like a ballerina that teaches a mini class and does fun games, or like a fairy (I love fairies!) that does some magic and face painting. Thoughts? I figure it will just stay a dream if I never talk about it... I know princesses are super popular at girls’ parties, but we are kind of a feminist/girl power family so I was thinking female superheroes might be fun too! - Thera Knapp
Tips from the Vault: Breaking into the Preschool Market
Why entering the preschool market is a smart business moveTips for getting started and creating your own preschool showA great resource you can download for free
Hot Topic: Entertaining younger children
Making yourself seem smallerMisnaming the stuff they knowRepeating what you say
Download Your Free Resource - 3 Ways to Break into the Pre-School MarketClick Here to Download Your Breaking into the Pre-School Market Handout
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Pre School Master Plan / Kids Entertainer Academy
Kids Entertainer Hub
Kids Entertainer Hub Facebook group
Kids Entertainer Hub Facebook page
Now it's your turn!What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening!
Want more ideas on how to get your audience laughing and respond to on-the-spot situations in a winning, witty manner? Comic magician Alan Rich talks about this, as well as jokes, gags and more, in this interview. Hit play and get ready to learn.
In this episode we discuss:
- How Alan made a career out of being funny
- The benefits of being funny in your kids entertainment career and in life
- Who can be funny
- Lessons from professional comedians
- The construction and delivery of a joke
- How to deal with hecklers positively
- Tip on capturing ideas
- Mistakes people make when trying to be funny
- How to be ‘quick-witted’ and deal with hecklers positively
- Where Alan looks for material
- Difference between a joke and a gag
Wondering how it is to run a magic retail business? Former magic shop owner, magic routines creator, and lecturer Sean Taylor shares his inside knowledge and insights into the industry. Listen to the interview and you’ll even pick up several ideas for appearing and disappearing tricks along the way.
In this episode we discuss:
- What sells in magic shops
- How it is to be a magician and a magic retailer at the same time
- Challenges, insights and forecasts regarding brick-and-mortar magic shops
- What has changed about children’s magic
- The two types of routines that consistently sell
- Tapping magic clubs for your professional growth
- How using a single case can shape your magic show for the better
- How appearing and disappearing magic tricks add more impact to your show
- Ideas for appearances and vanishes
Lawyer-turned-kids-entertainer Scott Green shares insightful tips on how to project the right image, make stronger routines, handle disruptions during your show, and even write comedy to help you power up your performance.
In this episode we discuss:
- From being a lawyer to a kids entertainer
- Scott’s experience in street performing
- Performing in a suit: “Dress for the job that you want.”
- How he keeps the audience focused and engaged without yelling or too much animation
- Tips from game shows that you can apply in kids and family shows
- Tips when performing on TV
- Why he keeps on innovating and his 6 key questions to help you find the weak spots in your props or routines and improve them
- Comedy writing tips: Working backwards and Chekhov’s gun principle
- Is it a good idea to hire a comedy writer?
- Thoughts on the future of kids entertainment
With the brimming—sometimes overwhelming—treasure trove of available information out there, sometimes we lose sight of what’s essential. In this podcast episode, Danny Schlesinger brings us back to the fundamentals of stage craft to help us pack more impact to our shows and make us more effective performers.
In this episode we discuss:
- How Danny got started in entertaining and what training he got
- The importance of theatre training to children’s entertainers
- How he helps kids entertainers with his directing services
- Where entertainers can get training
- The influence of Avner the Eccentric
- The fundamentals of stage craft
Breathing
Use and abuse of volunteers
Tension
The eyes
Focus: doing one thing at a time
- Microphone technique
- The importance of demonstrating control
- The importance of looking professional
To earn a good client’s business, sometimes—or oftentimes—it’s not about the fee we charge, but the quality of customer service we provide. And for Matt Fore, this has proven to be true throughout the 25 years he has been in the kids entertainment business.
A full-time comedy magician and a lecturer, Matt offers a load of helpful and actionable tips that you can do straight away to offer your clients a refreshing dose of excellent customer service and make an indelible, fantastic impression in the process.
In this episode we discuss:
- How consistently providing good customer service builds you a good reputation and benefits your business
- A shift in mindset: It’s not about you and what you’re selling; it’s about your customer and how you can solve their problem.
- Empathic listening
- Examples of bad customer service
- The Ritz-Carlton mindset
- Simple things you can do starting right now to stand out and be a customer service rock star
Legal gibberish turns off many of us, and that may be why you’ve put off having your own contract in place. Drafting one also seems like a painstakingly meticulous business as you need to cover a lot of bases.
But in this podcast episode, Michelle Uulf shows that making your own contract does not need to complicated. Here she shares how you can create this legal document simply but effectively, and even how you can automate the process of having it signed.
In this episode we discuss:
- Why are contracts important and how do they benefit you as an entertainer and/or employer (if you have staff)?
- Should you DIY contracts or should you employ the services of a lawyer?
- Can you just copy and paste contracts you see online?
- Can you change your contract over time?
- 5 steps to making your own contract
- Do people really read contracts?
- How can you automate the signing of a contract?
- What do you do when disputes happen?
How to Make Your Own Contract:
Tips on Creating a Simple Binding Contract for Kids Entertainers
Watch Michelle Uulf's Contracts Alleviate Catastrophes lecture on Kids Entertainer Academy. CLICK HERE.
Legal gibberish turns off many of us, and that may be why you’ve put off having your own contract in place. Drafting one also seems like a painstakingly meticulous business as you need to cover a lot of bases.
But in this podcast episode, Michelle Uulf shows that making your own contract does not need to be complicated. Here she shares how you can create this legal document simply but effectively, and even how you can automate the process of having it signed.
Press play and be sure to download the extended notes to get a copy of Michelle’s practical advice that you can save on your device for easy reference.
Download KEH Training Tip 124 - How to Make Your Own Contract: Extended NotesClick Here to Download Your How to Make Your Own Contract: Extended Notes
In this episode we discuss:
Why are contracts important and how do they benefit you as an entertainer and/or employer (if you have staff)?Should you DIY contracts or should you employ the services of a lawyer?Can you just copy and paste contracts you see online?Can you change your contract over time?5 steps to making your own contractDo people really read contracts?How can you automate the signing of a contract?What do you do when disputes happen?
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Kids Entertainer Academy
Michelle Uulf’s KEA lecture Contracts Alleviate Catastrophes
Our sponsors are...
Now it's your turn!What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening!
Download KEH Training Tip 124 - How to Make Your Own Contract: Extended NotesClick Here to Download Your How to Make Your Own Contract: Extended Notes
As entertainers, we want our audience to have their eyes glued to us, hanging on our every word and applauding with delight. And more often than not, the key to achieving this lies not so much on the tricks or routines we have prepared (although of course they are an integral part of how to get that reaction), but on our presence.
In this interview, comedy genius Robert Baxt talks all about improving our presence and he gives anecdotes and specific examples along the way to illustrate his points. He also shares a lot more in this episode, so we recommend hitting the Play button right now.
In this episode we discuss:
- Robert’s background in law
- How to read the mood of an audience and get them to respond
- What do clients pay you for and the audience applaud you for, your magic or your presence?
- Is it a good idea to simplify your show/performing setup?
- Getting the audience emotionally involved
- Robert’s one major tip for professional entertainers
- Outsourcing what you’re not good at: Robert’s comedy writing services
- Improv and theatre training: are they recommended for kids entertainers?
- The importance of being present and aware
Whatever type of children’s entertainer you are, you’ll find having easy-to-do but extremely fun kids party games in your arsenal useful. They not only help you give the children a delightful time; they also make you stand out in the adults’ eyes as you’re able to show how you can maintain control of excited kids and keep chaos at bay.
And in this podcast episode, Simon Sparkles gives you some go-to games to add to your show. Be sure to download the extended notes to get more details about these games.
In this episode we discuss:
The competitors of kids entertainers: bouncy castles, mascots, etc.
How to stand out from them: your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
Games you can play with children at your show:
- Musical Bumps
- “Pre-party” games: Before the party “officially” starts, Simon lets the children do some free play, like with spinning plates, short walking stilts, etc.
- Limbo
Audience control tips
As entertainers, we usually worry if we are funny enough. And it’s understandable. Laughter is a good indication (though it is by no means the only indication) that our audience is indeed being entertained.
If comedy is something you wish you’re better at, or if you simply want more tips and inspiration on how to be funny, David DeVito, who has been voted “Best Stand-Up” in the Los Angeles Comedy Festival, shares a good number of solid tips in this interview. (We’ve listed them all in the extended notes, so be sure to get a copy.)
In this episode we discuss:
- David’s average performing week and his shows
- Why David says “If there are adults in the audience, you’re not doing a children’s show.”
- An easy way to engage the kids and make the adults laugh: Take cue from Art Linkletter’s Kids Say the Darndest Things
- Do you need to be funny or can you learn to be funny
- Tips for funnier and better shows so you can charge higher and score more bookings
- The anatomy of a joke
- The comedy technique that you can learn from Everybody Loves Raymond
- The importance of being willing to fail and putting yourself out there
- The experimental segment in David’s shows
- Bigger laughter = More money
Roger Blakiston’s career in professional entertainment spans over 50 years, and it also spans both sides of the Atlantic. Theatrically trained and having run his own children’s entertainment agency in the UK before moving to the US—where he is still an active kids comedy magician—Roger is filled with stories and insights about all these fun and games we call work.
Listen to our interview with him and see a life in children’s entertainment through his eyes.
In this episode we discuss:
- Roger’s comedy influences
- Difference between UK and US audiences
- Difference of children and adult audiences over the decades
- For how long can you be a children’s entertainer
- Roger’s story about how he started in magic and became a kids entertainer
- Why it’s a smart move to do kids entertainment over adult entertainment
- Theatre training and success in children’s entertaining
- Why Roger offers a different preschool show every month
- How Roger came up with his practical costume
Zivi Kivi is back on the Kids Entertainer Podcast and in this episode he offers smart, easy-to-do marketing strategies that will help you get better—and more—shows while keeping the kids quiet and cooperative. Zivi has road-tested these techniques in his own shows, so you know they truly and effectively work.
In this episode we discuss:
- Why it is important to remember names
- How Zivi helps his customers remind the guests to attend the event: 4 different ways
- A great tip on how to get your brand in front of more people: The Gift Box Tactic
- Thank you note from the birthday kid to the guests: not only a marketing tool that gets your name in front of more people, but also a tool for managing and empowering the kids
- The Pre-Approved Time Method: How Zivi handles requests of “Can you stay longer” and earns in the process
- How to get text and video testimonials: 2 doable and effective tips
- Zivi’s courses
Eric Knaus, aka the Great Zucchini, is one of those people who have an intuitive marketing sense. Instead of spending dollars to promote his brand, he relies on something that’s low-cost but astoundingly effective: relationship marketing.
Listen to our interview with him and learn how he does this type of marketing, as well as how to gain easy name recall, maintain controlled chaos, and build rapport with your clients from the first phone call.
In this episode we discuss:
- Eric’s market and typical show
- His marketing style: relationship marketer and performer
- How he handles children and unruly behavior: controlled chaos
- How he stays faithful to his brand and makes himself relatable to his clients
- How Eric turns his show into an entertaining infomercial
- How he gains name recall
- How to get ‘defenders’ to back you up against trolls
- How he humanizes himself to clients during phone conversations
How to Be Likable and Win Clients with Relationship Marketing:
Tips for Kids Entertainers
Watch Eric Knaus/The Great Zucchini's Turning a Show into an Entertaining Infomercial lecture on Kids Entertainer Academy. CLICK HERE.
Eric Knaus, aka the Great Zucchini, is one of those people who have an intuitive marketing sense. Instead of spending dollars to promote his brand, he relies on something that’s low-cost but astoundingly effective: relationship marketing.
Listen to our interview with him and learn how he does this type of marketing, as well as how to gain easy name recall, maintain controlled chaos, and build rapport with your clients from the first phone call.
Download Training Tip 152 - Relationship Marketing with the Great Zucchini Extended NotesClick Here to Download Your How to Be Likable and Win Clients with Relationship Marketing Extended Notes
In this episode we discuss:
Eric’s market and typical showHis marketing style: relationship marketer and performerHow he handles children and unruly behavior: controlled chaosHow he stays faithful to his brand and makes himself relatable to his clientsHow Eric turns his show into an entertaining infomercialHow he gains name recallHow to get ‘defenders’ to back you up against trollsHow he humanizes himself to clients during phone conversations
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Kids Entertainer Academy
The Great Zucchini's website
Eric’s Magician Business Podcast episode: No-Cost Marketing for Magicians
Our sponsors are...
Now it's your turn!What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening!
Download Training Tip 152 - Relationship Marketing with the Great Zucchini Extended NotesClick Here to Download Your How to Be Likable and Win Clients with Relationship Marketing Extended Notes
Struggling to stand out from other kids entertainers and snag the attention—and business—of more clients? For James Munton, the key is in creating a unique, strong, memorable character. But how to do it and where to start?
Hit play and get the answers.
In this episode we discuss:
- James’ market and the edge of those who do kids shows
- How to build and market your image to gain the business of today’s bookers
- How his websites sell his services
- How to create a strong performing character that fits and is unique to you
- How to stand out with what James calls ‘TOTTR’ (The One Thing They Remember)
- His review from former president George Bush featured on his website
- His thoughts on franchised shows
This podcast episode is all about building strong routines and creating kids shows that thrive on audience interaction and keep the kids bursting with laughter.
And who better to talk about comedy, entertainment, and captivating audiences than the wacky and creative Christopher T. Magician?
Hit play and pick up techniques and insights that would help you come up with shows that are hilarious and highly engaging.
In this episode we discuss:
- Christopher’s market and the camaraderie of magicians in his area
- How his background in acting and theatre benefitted his entertainment career
- Tips for creating and improving kids shows and finding inspiration
- His style that’s distinct from other magicians and also from his shows that he did in New York
- What influences and inspires his shows
- Terry Seabrooke and treating the audience as the ultimate authority in building shows and routines
- Kid control tips
- Organic vs. inorganic interactions and how they work in a kids show
How is an educational show different from an educationally significant show? Professional kids entertainer and educator Tommy Johns discusses their difference in this podcast and also gives clever, useful tips on creating, offering, and selling magic workshops.
There’s a wealth of information in this interview so be sure to download the extended notes to have a copy of the points Tommy enumerates and talks about in this episode.
In this episode we discuss:
- Tommy’s market
- What is educational significance (according to Julian Franklin) and an educationally significant show
- 10 qualities of an educationally significant program
- Tips for putting together an educationally significant show
- Tips on kid control
- One-hour magic workshops and how they are an integral part of Tommy’s business model
- What does it take to create and offer a basic magic workshop
- Tommy’s 60-second pitch that earns him a lot of bookings
In this week’s Kids Entertainer Podcast episode, Guinness World Record holder and all-around entertainer Carisa Hendrix graces us with an interview that is positively brimming with insights and advice on how to create empowering children’s shows.
Talking in detail about where to draw inspiration, to how to manage different characters and brands, to what is social currency and how to give this to our audience in both our kids and adult shows, Carisa gives us a piece of her brilliant mind in this interview.
In this episode we discuss:
-
Carisa’s background
-
Meaning, significance, and entertainment: How to create and balance these in our kids shows
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Carisa as a fire-eater, glass walker, and kids entertainer: How to effectively manage and market different characters and brands
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Focusing on one niche vs. offering diverse entertainment services
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Where to find inspiration: “Study broadly”
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Carisa’s S.C.R.A.T.C.H. system on how to create new children’s shows
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Social currency and the value of this to a child
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Forms of social currency
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How to create what Carisa terms as “honest tension” in your show
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Communicating a message of significance in your show without being preachy
How do you turn different tricks and routines into a show that does not feel segmented but instead comes across as whole? The answer, according to long-time performing magician and musician (and dramatist) Nathan Roberts is in the use of openers, transitions, and closers.
Join us in this interview with Nathan and learn not just about these three elements, but also tips from the field of drama that you can apply in your show to make it even more enthralling.
In this episode we discuss:
- What Nathan applied from his drama training to his performances
- Chris Capehart’s style of audience interaction
- Recorded openers/intro voice-overs and how Nathan got started making them for performers
- How to cultivate presence
- His experience that led him to create the lecture Don’t Let Them Breathe
- The importance of transitions
- The uses of music cues
- Nathan’s Uganda story
Sponge balls are simple, versatile, highly effective magic props that kids entertainers of any discipline can use in their act to bring about smiles and please audiences. And we discuss them in this interview with no less than the sponge magic expert, Barry Mitchell.
Hit play and learn how sponge balls are manufactured; how you can insert them in your act whether you’re a magician, face painter, or vent; and even how you can add a touch of genius to your shows by tapping into your own creativity.
In this episode we discuss:
- What Barry chose to work with sponge balls
- Barry’s philosophy on entertaining
- Why Barry focuses on yellow sponge balls
- Creating a performance routine: script first or trick?
- How sponge balls are made
- The future of sponge magic
- How can face painters and ventriloquists use sponge magic
- How to spark or improve your creativity
In this podcast episode, we take a fresh look at the main target market for many kids entertainers: modern young mothers who need modern children’s entertainment. Looking at this through the eyes and experience of Regina Martinez, a young mum, a graphic designer, and a fulltime professional children’s entertainer, we gain insight into how to attain a kid-friendly look that appeals to today’s bookers—and just how worthy it is of our time to build and market our brand with the perfect colors, captivating images and a quality website.
In this episode we discuss:
- Regina’s story: how she got into kids entertaining and graphic design
- How her background in design helped her create and market the right image that appeals to her target market: young mums
- What color palette has worked for Regina in building a brand and image that mums and kids love
- Regina’s ingenious transparent business card
- How using quality photos and the right colors made a tremendous difference to Regina’s kids entertaining business
- Common problems of kids entertainer websites
- The importance of having a mobile-responsive website
- How Regina has advanced her career and business while being a young mother
- Her experience on entertaining kids and families while pregnant
- The benefits of joining competitions in kids entertainer conventions
- How the Kids Entertainer Podcast and the Kids Entertainer Academy helped Regina take her career to the next level and expand her business
Among the tried and tested ways to make any show outstanding is to add backing tracks. Music and sound effects do make performances livelier, funnier, and more professional, and they even allow you to insert a voice character in your program and prompt your audience to react.
Listen to this interview and get a heap of tips from Mark Beckwith and Obediah Thomas on how to use—and create—your own backing tracks.
In this episode we discuss:
- Why use backing tracks
- How to create or get backing tracks for your show
- What are MIDI tracks and how do they work
- How to work sound into your show
- Using backing tracks to make extra characters in solo shows
- A simple but very effective way of controlling your sound tracks with PowerPoint, a laptop, and a clicker
- Pre-show music and the value it adds to your show
- How music can prompt your audience to applaud and react
- Why it’s best to use your own sound equipment
- How to simplify your sound check and listen for any problems
- Dealing with natural or room reverb in large halls and gymnasiums
- Back-up systems and dealing with equipment problems
- Some things to be careful of when using backing tracks
- Tips on buying equipment
- How to start when first using backing tracks in your show
Are you a magician, juggler, or musician who wants to go into the school assembly market? Or perhaps you’re a non-entertainer—maybe a teacher—who wants to try your hand at school show performing? If yes, then this episode is something you don’t want to miss.
Together with Andrew Ready, experienced school show performer Obediah Thomas discusses how you can make and sell your own school assembly programs and shares why offering them might be the best step you take this year for your career.
In this episode we discuss:
- What led Obediah from standup comedy to school shows
- How you can use the skills and talents you have, even if they don’t include or involve magic or puppets, in the school show you want to create
- Obediah’s tips for creating school assembly shows and balancing the education and entertainment
- How to get feedback and reviews that you can use to better and even sell your shows (Take note of these. These tips are gold.)
- How you help the entire school community and make a difference with school assembly shows
- How to communicate the value that your school assembly show brings to potential customers
- How to add more value to what you offer and keep more clients
- Where you can learn all you need to know about school assembly shows: Obediah and Mark’s school show video course (Great for performers and nonperformers alike.)
- Why the school assembly market is an awesome market and the audience the best audience
Doug Scheer, this time with his wife Heidi, is back with an interview on a very relevant topic: working with special needs children during our shows. In this episode, Doug and Heidi share that kids on the spectrum do not need to be in the sidelines. They can be stars of the show with a little encouragement and understanding from us, and there’s no reason for us not to involve them and make others see they’re not much different from anybody else.
Hit play and listen to this enlightening, beautiful interview.
In this episode we discuss:
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Tips for involving and interacting with kids with special needs
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Ways to help special needs children keep calm and comfortable during our performances
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What to do in case a child disrupts the show
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Doug’s Punctuation Pandemonium, a brand-new, non-magic, hilariously entertaining effect that is perfect even for older kids
Thinking of building your own themed library shows? This episode featuring library show expert and author of multiple magic books Jim Kleefeld covers all the basics you need to know: from how to weave a book into a magic routine, to how to approach a library to offer your show.
In this episode we discuss:
- Why and how Jim got into library shows
- The appeal of themed library programs
- What makes a show particularly suited for libraries
- How Jim weaves a book into a standard magic routine and builds a themed library show
- Considerations before going into the library show market in your area
- Tips on selling and marketing a library show
- Dos and don’ts when performing a library show
We kick off Series 4 of the Kids Entertainer Podcast with no less than educational magic show master, Doug Scheer. In turns insightful and entertaining, this first part of his interview will inspire and encourage you not only to try your hand at school assembly performances and enter a brand-new market, but also to connect with your audiences in a deeper, richer way.
In this episode we discuss:
- How and why Doug got into educational magic shows
- How he made his shows and connected with his audiences better
- Three levels of thinking when planning what tricks to use
- Doug’s recommendations for creating a show and honing your craft
- A more powerful way to engage an audience without gags or jokes
In this episode, we give you a treat: character building and show creation tips from one of the world’s best-known children’s entertainer and magic convention lecturer, David Kaye. Here he generously shares practical and effective tips on how to create a character that you can easily play and a show that’s unique in all the world.
In this episode we discuss:
- How David Kaye earns from kids entertainment
- How David runs his one-hour birthday party show and how he creates a more lasting impression on the children and get bookings
- Does Silly Billy get tired of doing the same shows
- How David handles children being fed during the show
- What he makes sure to give the kids to bring home
- David’s 3 tips for all types of kids entertainers, be they face painters, game leaders, balloon twisters, ventriloquists, or magicians, on how they can customize their shows
- Topics covered in David’s KEA lecture
Want to increase your rate but you’re not sure how you can attract clients and land bookings with a higher fee?
In this interview, Andrew Smith shares his business insights to help fellow kids entertainers learn how they can finally charge what they are worth and build a better business. It’s an episode you don’t want to miss.
In this episode we discuss:
- The wrong approach to determining your fees when starting out
- The better way to compete with other entertainers, get bookings, and earn more
- How Andrew is able to charge more compared to other entertainers
- Serving a niche market vs. catering to all
Featured in this week’s podcast episode is the incredibly funny and award-winning entertainer John Kimmons. Here he shares how to win an audience’s attention, what his philosophy on entertaining is, and how he turned a race game into a brilliant routine that wins everybody over.
Go click on that play button now and enjoy another awesome interview.
In this episode we discuss:
- The story behind the successful kids entertainer convention Trix in the Stix
- John’s philosophy on kids entertaining
- How to ‘get your foot in the door’ and win the attention of an audience
- How John got into kids entertaining
- How he developed his super engaging race game/routine and made it an awesome show finale material
In this podcast episode, Elliott Smith, co-author of Highway to Success: The Entertainer’s Roadmap to Business, shares practical principles and genius tips that can help you better understand and handle the business side of kids entertainment.
If you’re ready to take your business to new heights, go hit that play button right now.
In this episode we discuss:
- Why it is important to understand the business side of kids entertainment
- What led Elliott to collate his learning into a book
- Creating a database of satisfied clients to get referrals and repeat bookings
- The 3 Ds: Determination, Dedication, and Discipline
- How he deals with clients who had a prior bad experience with unprofessional kids entertainers
- The importance of following up and following through
- The success that Highway to Success is enjoying
- The little marketing trick he inserts in his email signature that earns him a lot of website visitors
- His ‘extended warranty’
In this episode, Rob Ruthart shares not only the road that led him to where he is today, but also the lessons he learned along the way—from how to manage staff and the business side of kids entertainment, to how best to engage children, to how to be the greatest children’s entertainer you can be.
In this episode we discuss:
- What Rob’s science and reptile shows are like and how he injects entertainment with education in these shows
- The road that led Rob to building Safari Science
- How word of mouth worked for him
- The challenges he faced about finding and managing staff and the learning he picked along the way that has shaped his approach in business
- Why kids entertainment—and good kids entertainers—are important
- How Rob works with children (You have to hear this.)
- How he puts fun in educational shows
- How he entertains mixed-age groups
- His approach in educational shows: Fun first!
- How he created his science shows
- Tips and advice for kids entertainers
In episode 2 of our From the Experts series, we tackle the school assembly entertainment market with seasoned pro Obediah Thomas.
From the pros of offering school assembly shows, to tips on how to be successful at it, to instructions on how to create backdrops for it (or any show for that matter), we discuss them here.
Go on and click play and enjoy this interview packed with a lot of useful tips that can get you started with your own school assembly show.
In this episode we discuss:
- Why Obediah chose to do school assembly shows
- How to start creating and performing school assembly shows
- Who to approach when selling school assembly shows
- School assembly shows in comparison to other shows
- The pros and cons of being a two-man show
- The ‘seasons’ of school assembly shows
- How Obediah fills his downtime
- Why some school assembly acts don’t make it
- How the school assembly market is doing
- A typical performance day
- How the students are usually set up for a school assembly show
- Teacher and student participation during school assemblies
- How Obediah deals with disruptive audiences
- How to make backdrops for school assembly shows
- How a show can make a difference in a kid’s life
School Assembly Entertainment: Tips for Kids Entertainers Who Want to Venture into the School Show Market
In episode 2 of our From the Experts series, we tackle the school assembly entertainment market with seasoned pro Obediah Thomas.
From the pros of offering school assembly shows, to tips on how to be successful at it, to instructions on how to create backdrops for it (or any show for that matter), we discuss them here.
Go on and click play and enjoy this interview packed with a lot of useful tips that can get you started with your own school assembly show.
In this episode we discuss:
Why Obediah chose to do school assembly shows How to start creating and performing school assembly shows Who to approach when selling school assembly shows School assembly shows in comparison to other shows The pros and cons of being a two-man show The ‘seasons’ of school assembly shows How Obediah fills his downtime Why some school assembly acts don’t make it How the school assembly market is doing A typical performance day How the students are usually set up for a school assembly show Teacher and student participation during school assemblies How Obediah deals with disruptive audiences How to make portable & easy-to-set-up backdrops for school assembly shows – Click here for the video and PDF guide on how to make backdrops. How a show can make a difference in a kid’s life
Resources mentioned in this episode: Kids Entertainer Academy
How to Make Backdrops (video guide and free downloadable PDF guide)
A Beginner’s Guide to Professional Children’s Entertainment
Our sponsors are...
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening!
With this Make Marketing Fun episode, we start our From the Experts series with a bang.
And for this series’ first interview, we have marketing master Silly Scott to share with you how to market yourself and your kids entertainment business in a fun, engaging, and memorable way so you can get more bookings and be miles ahead of your competitors.
We advise you to hit that play button right now.
In this episode we discuss:
Subliminal marketing and its difference from traditional marketing
Branding and rebranding
Tips on how to gain name recall and how to sell you and your shows
Loyalty cards and magic trick business cards (Genius!)
How to upsell your shows
The 21st century affords kids entertainers thousands of opportunities for personal, professional, and financial growth. We just have to know where to look and be willing to commit time on these areas.
If you’re the type who is yearning for change—good change—or just thinking about what to do to improve yourself and get further than where you are, this episode is for you. Here we point you to the direction, resources, and ideas that can help take your business, your finances, and your life to the next level.
Out from our Vault of Wisdom this week is a talk with the incredible and hilarious Michael Finney. In our chat, he generously shares a wealth of stories and knowledge on how to listen to audiences, where to find (and why find) mentors, and what routines he does for his kids and family acts.
In this episode we discuss:
The importance of listening to the audience when performing
Michael’s routines for children and family audiences
Engaging children
The importance of having—and being—mentors (and where to find them)
The “shelf life” for magicians
In this episode we discuss:
- Where Ken and his daughter Kristen got the idea for a magic tricks for kids book
- How they chose the tricks that are included in the book
- Features of the book: interactive - video demonstrations included; perfect not only for children, but for kids entertainers and people curious about magic as well; awesome presentation for each trick included
- How kids entertainers like face painters, balloon twisters, costume characters, and storytellers who haven’t tried magic can use and benefit from the materials in the book (earning from teaching magic, building rapport, creating school holiday programs, etc.)
- How the Abracadabra magic tricks book is the perfect gift for children
- Leave a review for Abracadabra and get quality free training videos that you can use on your website or shows
Out from our Vault of Wisdom this week is a conversation filled to the brim with tips on how to entertain different audiences and how to grow from failure.
In this episode, we talk with well-known family and corporate entertainer and lecturer for magicians Joe Monti. Joe generously shares the things he has learned from his vast experience of performing for clients in 40 different countries for over 25 years. Learn from one of the bests by listening to this interview.
In this episode we discuss:
The importance of showmanship over props and how John realized this
A common mistake John often sees starting magicians and children’s entertainers commit
How often he gets “bad” shows
How he gets honest criticism or feedback on his shows
How long he expects to keep on entertaining and what future he sees for kids entertaining
Performing for technology-savvy children
Effective techniques he uses to build rapport with his audience
How he deals with chatty adults during his shows
His racing game
His weakness: strolling magic
The age groups he loves performing for
Why he specializes in children’s and family entertaining
In this episode in the Vault of Wisdom series, we share lessons that a long-time kids entertainer has learned from years of performing.
Greg McMahan, an all-around professional entertainer who uses magic, comedy, balloon twisting, juggling, and clowning in his shows, has been a featured speaker in a number of children’s entertainer conventions and is the author of the terrific book Kids Think It’s Funny. He is also the magic program director of the Circus Camp. From his wealth of experience, he shares in this episode not just how to handle audiences, parents, and agents, but also how to improve yourself as an entertainer—and many more besides.
In this episode we discuss:
- Greg’s work experience as an “advanced clown”
- His material and approach for different age groups
- How Greg builds rapport before performing
- His one audience control technique
- How he deals with parents and adults during his shows
- How he deals with his “bad shows”
- How he uses music and sound effects in his performances
- Tips on working with agents
- How much new material do his shows have
- Tips for kids entertainers who are afraid to screw up
- Technical skills vs. performing skills
- Tips on how to hone your performing and improvisational skills
- The performers who influenced him
- Lessons he learned along the way
- How he makes his balloon twisting gigs entertaining for his audience
- The importance of being yourself as a performer
- Some of his performance “horror stories”
How to Bond with Your Audience: Performing Tips for Kids and Family Entertainers
Many children’s entertainers start out thinking it’s the magic tricks, the puppet handling skills, the balloon twisting designs that’s going to make them a stellar and successful performer. All those technical stuff are important—no doubt about that—but the KEY to being a top act actually lies in how you bond with your audience.
Sought-after family show performer Robert Baxt lives and breathes this truth. In this podcast episode brimming with his personality, stories, and insights, you’ll not only chuckle and nod as Robert discusses practical tips on how to score bookings despite a lot of competition; you’ll also learn how vital connecting with your audience is to your show.
In this episode we discuss:
How grit is needed to succeed doing magic How Robert got started doing magic—and put himself through law school doing it His typical work week How he sells himself to prospective clients and why he gets more bookings despite a lot of competition How he bonds with his audience and how central and essential it is to his shows
Resources mentioned in this episode: Robert Baxt’s website
KEH Shop
Kids Entertainers Facebook Group Our sponsors are...
Muse: Creative websites for children's entertainers. Designed to attract, engage, and convert lookers into bookers.
GMD Formula: Add variety to your magic show with games, magic, and disco. This is the perfect material for continuous professional development for family and children's entertainers.
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening!
From the vault of wisdom series this week is a guy I really respect.
Robert Baxt is from California where he has been performing family comedy and magic for decades. He is a consummate performer and a very critical thinker about that performing.
I love my discussions with Robert because he opens my mind.
In todays episode we talk about
paths into entertaining
family shows
taking bookings
what you wear
bonding with your audience
we started off talking about getting into entertaining and setting goals to achieve this …
Hospital entertaining is rewarding—there’s no doubt about it—but it isn’t as simple as it sounds. From the condition of the child and his/her parents, to the almost constant coming and going of medical personnel, to the culture of the different wards, to sanitary precautions and hospital regulations, there’s actually a lot of things to consider before you go in and entertain.
To help you navigate the ins and outs of hospital entertaining, we rummaged through our vault to bring you this insightful talk we’ve had with experienced clown doctor and professional kids entertainer Wayne Van Wyck. Listen in and pick up a wealth of tips that will serve you well next time you go out and perform a show—even if it’s not at a hospital.
In this episode we discuss: * How Wayne got into kids entertaining
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The magic of connection and audience interaction and how Wayne built his show around this
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Exceedingly useful tips that a kids entertainer has to remember when performing for kids at hospitals (dos and don’ts and many more)
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How hospital entertaining made Wayne a better children’s and family entertainer (Learn about the importance of being aware of your pace, working slowly, and listening to the audience.)
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The difference between being a master showman/kids entertainer vs. being a magician/juggler/ventriloquist/balloon artist and how this can affect how you run your show
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The importance of having variety in your show
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How Wayne deals with audiences (Audiences are not as scary as many kids entertainers think they are.)
Ever thought of adding puppets to your kids show? This episode just might give you the nudge you need to give it a try.
In this podcast interview, professional magician and ventriloquist Tom Crowl shares the difference that puppets can make to your show, as well as fantastic tips and resources you can use to be a good puppet manipulator. Listen to the conversation and pick up the information you need to add more colour, depth, and value to your act.
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How Tom got started in ventriloquism
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Why it is a good idea to add a puppet to your act
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Top tips on how to be a good ventriloquist
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How Tom created his online ventriloquist course
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How his group’s forum provides support and help to members
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Where you can get five free lessons on ventriloquism fundamentals from Tom (breathing, puppet manipulation, character development, etc.)
Take the fun to the next level by adding these super-simple props-free kids games to your show.
In this episode, we got civil engineer AND expert games leader Clayton Poland to share not just his go-to games but also the techniques he uses to run children’s games smoothly. Here you’ll learn that a great game is a controlled game as Clayton discusses how you can lead the kids to have an absolutely amazing time playing games without being out of control.
So go hit that play button to hear the terrific games and audience management tips that you can add to your kids entertaining arsenal.[su_spacer]
In this episode we discuss:[su_spacer] * How Clayton got started being a kids game expert
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Genius tips on how to manage and engage groups of children—even groups as big as 5000—during games
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Kids games that use simple props
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Tips on how to run children’s games
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All-inclusive, props-free, and fun games for kids
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A great tip on awarding points[su_spacer]
Thinking about offering a two-hour kids party package or already running one yourself? Then this podcast episode is for you.
Roger Blakiston, aka Jolly Roger, has been doing two-hour kids shows for over two decades now. In this interview, he goes into details about what goes on during his performances and even how he markets his shows. So come, listen and learn from one of the best and most experienced in the field.
In this episode we discuss: – How Roger got started offering a two-hour party package
– What makes a kids entertainer effective
– How Roger introduced and marketed his two-hour kids shows in the USA
– How he uses games and music to get mixed-age groups engaged
– His setup for outdoor shows
– How he runs his two-hour parties
– His one tip for kids entertainers
How to Run a Two-Hour Kids Party: Tips for Children’s Entertainers
Thinking about offering a two-hour kids party package or already running one yourself? Then this podcast episode is for you.
Roger Blakiston, aka Jolly Roger, has been doing two-hour kids shows for over two decades now. In this interview, he goes into details about what goes on during his performances and even how he markets his shows. So come, listen and learn from one of the best and most experienced in the field.
In this episode we discuss: – How Roger got started offering a two-hour party package
– What makes a kids entertainer effective
– How Roger introduced and marketed his two-hour kids shows in the USA
– How he uses games and music to get mixed-age groups engaged
– His setup for outdoor shows
– How he runs his two-hour parties
– His one tip for kids entertainers Resources mentioned in this episode: GMD Formula
Jolly Roger's website
Roger's The Spiritual Stage book and Merry Mayhem and Magic DVD Our sponsors are...
Muse: Creative websites for children's entertainers. Designed to attract, engage and convert lookers into bookers.
Tricks for Kids Under 5: Easy-to-do tricks that are perfect for magicians, balloon twisters, face painters, doctors, social workers, teachers, and child care workers.
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening!
There’s nothing like a fun kids show to give children the time of their life. And to help you ensure that you run an amazing show that your young audiences will be babbling about even after the party, we offer you tips from a long-standing, successful kids entertainer, author, and trick inventor, John Breeds.
With humour and charm, John delves into the different aspects of a great children’s party—from setup to games and even to marketing. So hit the play button now and listen to this episode. You’ll find it rich in actionable tips that will help you turn your show into something truly memorable.
In this episode we discuss: – Guidelines on where to set up in big hall party venues and how to get the children’s attention
– How to establish the “comfort zone” to unify your audience
– How John came to create his Visible Magic Painting trick
– How John gets two bookings per show
– His one tip for kids entertainers (DON’T miss this one)[su_spacer]
John Breeds - How to Run a Super-Fun Kids Show: Tips for Children’s Entertainers
There’s nothing like a fun kids show to give children the time of their life. And to help you ensure that you run an amazing show that your young audiences will be babbling about even after the party, we offer you tips from a long-standing, successful kids entertainer, author, and trick inventor, John Breeds.
With humour and charm, John delves into the different aspects of a great children’s party—from setup to games and even to marketing. So hit the play button now and listen to this episode. You’ll find it rich in actionable tips that will help you turn your show into something truly memorable.
In this episode we discuss: – Guidelines on where to set up in big hall party venues and how to get the children’s attention
– How to establish the “comfort zone” to unify your audience
– How John came to create his Visible Magic Painting trick
– How John gets two bookings per show
– His one tip for kids entertainers (DON’T miss this one) Resources mentioned in this episode: John Breed’s website (and where you can get his book How to Create Kids’ Magic and Triple Your Income)
Our sponsors are...
Muse: Creative websites for children's entertainers. Designed to attract, engage and convert lookers into bookers.
Tricks for Kids Under 5: Easy-to-do tricks that are perfect for magicians, balloon twisters, face painters, doctors, social workers, teachers, and child care workers.
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening!
For our first episode of series 2, we bring you brilliant audience handling tips from the UK’s award-winning children’s entertainer, Paul Megram.
Holding the attention of kids these days is harder than it used to be. Paul shares how he deals with the challenge of entertaining kids who are constantly exposed to a barrage of stimuli from technology and the media. He also shares how he cleverly manages disruptive adults in his performances.
In this podcast, you’ll also pick up excellent tips on how you can create the best conditions for your show so you will be sure to give an amazing performance every time.
So get your pen and notepad ready because this episode is worth jotting down notes for.
– Paul’s two show formats/formulas
– Why he includes a variety of entertainment in his magic shows
– How he communicates to his bookers what he needs to give the best show (Awesome tips here.)
– How he gets the mums to watch his show with their kids and how this has worked for him wonderfully
– Why he believes in taking control of a party and not just following the lead of the booker
– The importance of setting the right conditions for your show and getting only the kind of gigs you want
– Tips on show setup
– How to respectfully and effectively manage adults who are chatting and disrupting your show
–His must-play, go-to game
Final Episode of the Kids Entertainer Podcast Series 1
The Kids Entertainer Podcast Series 1 is at an end, and it’s a beginning of something bigger, brighter, and better.
With over 35,000 downloads, the podcast has been a huge success, all thanks to you, our faithful listeners and generous podcast guests. So why are we taking a break? What lies in store for the KEH Podcast? Find out in this episode.
In this episode we discuss: - Why we’re taking a hiatus
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The most downloaded KEH podcast episodes from Series 1 (For the list and links, see Resources Mentioned in This Episode)
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What topics you’d like to be covered in the new series of the KEH Podcast
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People we’d like to thank from the Kids Entertainers Facebook group and Kids Entertainers Podcast
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Sterling Hayden quote on pursuing your dreams, from Wanderer (1973):
"’I've always wanted to sail to the South Seas, but I can't afford it.’ What these men can't afford is not to go. They are enmeshed in the cancerous discipline of ‘security.’ And in the worship of security, we fling our lives beneath the wheels of routine—and before we know it, our lives are gone.
“We are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry, playthings that divert our attention for the sheer idiocy of the charade.
“The years thunder by. The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed.
“Where, then, lies the answer? In choice. Which shall it be: bankruptcy of purse or bankruptcy of life?”
- When you can expect us back
Resources mentioned in this episode: The Top 5 Most Popular KEH Podcast Episodes from Series 1
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KEH004: Promotional Merchandising for Kids Entertainers
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KEH005: Become a Better Kids Performer with John Reid
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KEH002: Kids Entertainer Tips from a Disneyland Performer
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KEH003: Run a Better Balloon Twisting Business
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KEH001: How the Telephone Technique Can Increase Your Bookings
Ken’s Email - zivi@magicianbusiness.com
Julian’s Email - zivi@magicianbusiness.com
Kids Entertainer Hub Website
Kids Entertainer Facebook Group
Our sponsors are...
Muse: Creative websites for children's entertainers. Designed to attract, engage and convert lookers into bookers.
Tricks for Kids Under 5: Easy-to-do tricks that are perfect for magicians, balloon twisters, face painters, doctors, social workers, teachers, and child care workers.
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening
The Psychology of Play See Performing for Children from a Fresh Perspective
Play is such a big part of a child’s life, and it’s astounding at times how we as kids entertainers often don’t think about the psychology behind it and view what we do in its light.
Professional clown Adam Zimmerman has made it a point to do so. He focuses on the communication in play when performing for kids (and in fact, even adults). With a degree in theatre and a certification in the art of clowning, Adam applies this perspective during his shows to better engage his audiences.
Listen in on his discussion of the psychology of play so you can add this useful bit of insight to your performing arsenal to better inform your shows and audience interaction.
In this episode we discuss: - Adam’s journey in children’s entertainment
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How communication is key to keeping an audience engaged and entertained
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The psychology of play and how it applies in children’s entertainment
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Tips on how to keep that element of play
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Tips for engaging the adults during children’s parties
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Adam’s Dino Project
Resources mentioned in this episode: Adam’s Website
Adam’s Dino Project
Eccentric Adam’s Facebook Page
The Dino Project Facebook Page
Our sponsors are...
Muse: Creative websites for children's entertainers. Designed to attract, engage and convert lookers into bookers.
Tricks for Kids Under 5: Easy-to-do tricks that are perfect for magicians, balloon twisters, face painters, doctors, social workers, teachers, and child care workers.
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening
The Business Side of Kids Entertainment Tips on How to Build a Solid Career in the Industry
If you’re like many magicians, face painters, magical storytellers, balloon twisters, and other children’s performers, you probably went into kids entertainment for the love of it, without having the business side of it all figured out. Master ventriloquist Tom Crowl started much the same way. The creator of the first ever virtual ventriloquist course, Tom actually performed magic for a long time before he made the leap to ventriloquism out of necessity. In this podcast, he shares his journey and the things he learned along the way that helped him—and would help you—make a solid career in kids entertainment. So listen closely and you just might pick up the piece of insight you need to make your business flourish like never before.
In this episode we discuss: - How Tom switched from magic to ventriloquism and the transition pains he experienced - His approach to the business side of performing (“If you’re going to build a career, you need consistent action.”) - The benefits of learning from others - How he put together his ventriloquism course and came to earn passive income from it - The importance of doing content marketing vs. traditional marketing - Tips for those who are serious about building a career in entertainment Resources mentioned in this episode: FREE Think Big Webinar Magician Business Website Tom’s Learn Ventriloquism Course Tom’s Corporate Ventriloquist Website The Savvy Event Planner Podcast Tom’s Entertainment Experts Series Our sponsors are... Hernando: Simply the most enchanting, anytime, anywhere routine for any age crowd (even fully surrounded) that’s so so SO easy to do.
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening
Copywriting Tips for Kids Entertainers
The right words can entice, persuade, and move. And with this treasure trove of copywriting tips specifically geared towards children’s entertainers, you’ll learn which to pick and craft into the right content for your website.
You’ll be surprised at how doable it is to get more people clicking through your site and booking you by just shifting the focus of the words on your page. You’ll also learn what content marketing is and how you can make it work for you as professional copywriter Lyndsay Cambridge discusses this and more in this podcast.
So we urge you to take the time to listen. This just might be one of the best investments of your time you’ll ever make this year.
In this episode we discuss: - What copywriting is and how Lyndsay got into it
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How important good website content is
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An awesome free tool that you can use to check your content for errors
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Excellent tips on writing content for your website
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What a marketing avatar is and why it is important to think about your customer when writing your website copy
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How to find your writing voice
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What content marketing is
Resources mentioned in this episode: Grammarly
Lyndsay’s Website
Lyndsay’s Twitter
Our sponsors are...
Muse: Creative websites for children's entertainers. Designed to attract, engage and convert lookers into bookers.
Hernando: Simply the most enchanting, anytime, anywhere routine for any age crowd (even fully surrounded) that’s so so SO easy to do.
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening
How to Improve Yourself as a Kids Entertainer
In kids entertaining, as in any other field, to stagnate is to become irrelevant and boring, so it’s essential that you learn how to improve yourself and your shows if you want to stand out and stay ahead.
And to help you do just that, balloon and physical comedy artist Danny Schlesinger shares how you can better your shows and refine your skills. Listen and get tips and inspiration on how you can grow professionally from this short, succinct interview with this award-winning performer.
In this episode we discuss: - Danny’s background in clowning and physical comedy and the distinction he makes between the two
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Why you should and how you can upgrade your show and, more importantly, yourself
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How you can keep your skills sharp
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How Danny helps other entertainers make their show better
Resources mentioned in this episode: Millenium Jam
Danny’s Circo Ridiculoso Website
Danny’s directing service for professional performers
Danny’s balloon twisting website
Our sponsors are...
Muse: Creative websites for children's entertainers. Designed to attract, engage and convert lookers into bookers.
Hernando: Simply the most enchanting, anytime, anywhere routine for any age crowd (even fully surrounded) that’s so so SO easy to do.
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening
Creating a Positive Impact on Your Audience
Whenever you go out to do a show, do you ever think about how you are creating a positive impact on your audience? If you’re like many kids entertainers, probably not. And it’s understandable. More often than not, there are more pressing, more practical matters to focus on, like how you can get to your next gig on time or how you can keep that kid near the back from causing more disruption.
At the end of the show though, or after a day of gigs, you probably sit back and relish the rewarding feeling you get from knowing that you’ve made a bunch of kids happy or more confident of themselves. In this podcast, Barry Mitchell, aka the Entertaining Encourager, shares his musings and insights on exactly this—the impact you leave on your audience as a kids entertainer. He also touches on creativity, audience participation techniques, and a great story about each person’s potential.
Come and listen and you might pick up something beautiful in this episode.
In this episode we discuss: - How Barry got started in creativity
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How the more you practice creativity, the more creative you get
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How Barry became the Entertaining Encourager
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The importance of thinking about what impact you’re making and the emotional connection you are establishing with your audience
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What inspired Barry to combine magic and storytelling to bring an educational or moral message across
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How he learned about how audience participation techniques can help achieve more engagement
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Barry’s peanut story (a beautiful story)
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Barry’s Facebook group that you should be a part of
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Insights into being a great kids entertainer (it’s about the other person, not about you)
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The Creativity at Sea cruise conference that he created with Tim Sonefelt
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His parting message: “Treat people like a star and they would always shine back at you”
Resources mentioned in this episode: Barry’s Website
Barry Mitchell Products
Barry’s Facebook Group
Tim Sonefelt’s Website
Tim’s Wonder Imagery Website
Our sponsors are...
Muse: Creative websites for children's entertainers. Designed to attract, engage and convert lookers into bookers.
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening
How to Get More Bookings from Your Website in 2016
It’s a new year and there’s no better way to start it right for your kids entertaining business than by learning how to get more bookings.
If you’re like many children’s entertainers, you feel rather out of your element when it comes to websites, SEO, call-to-actions, conversions, and all that. You don’t feel “techy” at all. So either you don’t have a website or you have one but it’s not putting you in front of more people or earning you more bookings.
In this podcast, we resolve to help you with that problem. Ken Kelly discusses in crystal-clear, non-technical speak how you can make your website work for you so you can boost your sales. Understand what conversions and trust elements are, how you can apply the 5-second rule, and how you can motivate more people to get you for their parties and events. Come and have a listen and help set yourself up for a bigger, brighter year this 2016.
In this episode we discuss: - What are conversions and how to get them
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Lessons we can learn from Ikea
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The 5-second rule and how to make it work for you
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How to motivate your booker to take action
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What your website should say and why
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Trust elements and how to use the halo effect to get bookings
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Free software you can use that tells you what your booker is doing on your website
Resources mentioned in this episode: Colour Picker (Paletton)
Magic4Children
Muse Website Design
SumoMe
Our sponsors are...
Muse: Creative websites for children's entertainers. Designed to attract, engage and convert lookers into bookers.
Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening
Acting Tips for Children’s Entertainers
Acting tips are good not just for actors; they’re great for kids entertainers as well. By applying some acting lessons on your magic shows, balloon twisting, and even face painting, you can make yourself a better children’s performer. Let Richard Ribuffo share with you how.
Author of Acting for Magicians, Richard has extensive experience both in the field of acting and magic. He has not only directed musicals and films, but also dazzled children with his magic, and he has been doing so for almost two decades now. In this podcast, he shares how bringing his two passions together has made himself a better kids entertainer. Come and listen to Richard’s interview and learn how you can apply the techniques that actors use to make your kids performances stellar.
In this episode we discuss: - Richard’s background and how he started using the lessons he learned on acting and magic together and came up with his book Acting for Magicians - How defining the circumstances under which you are performing can help you create a character for your children’s show - The danger of confusing acting with performing for children - Insight into acting and performing for kids (children as your unwitting scene partner) and the crux of Richard’s book: what do you want your audience to do, think, or feel? - How acting made Richard’s performances as a children’s entertainer better - Where Richard’s book can be found (you can download the first three chapters for free!) Resources mentioned in this episode: Richard’s Magician Website SoCalKidsMagic Website Richard’s Acting for Magicians (Listeners of this podcast can go to https://actingformagicians.com/podcast-3/ and get a $5 discount for an autographed copy of Richard’s Acting for Magicians book) Acting for Magicians Amazon Page KEH 021 Podcast: Storytelling Techniques for Kids Entertainers Our sponsors are...
Muse: Creative websites for children's entertainers. Designed to attract, engage and convert lookers into bookers.
SiteGround: Siteground offer fast and efficient website hosting and one click services at a reasonable cost. Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening
Hiring Staff for Your Kids Entertainment Business
Considering hiring staff to help you bring smiles to more kids and give better service to more parents? Then this podcast is for you.
Michelle Uulf, who built her kids entertainment business Kiddly-Winks from the ground up and who currently has 10 people on her team, shares her knowledge and experience on taking on staff. Here she discusses what she looks for in a staff and how she trains and relates with them to have a great working relationship.
Come and listen so you’ll know what to do when you decide to be more than a one-man/woman operation.
In this episode we discuss: - How Michelle got into kids entertainment
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The groundwork she did when she was starting her business, Kiddly-Winks
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How Michelle started training staff for her kids entertainment team
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What she looks for in a staff and how she establishes rapport with the people working with and for her
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Her philosophy on taking on and handling staff
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The less-than-ideal situations that come up once in a while and how she deals with them
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The thing that sets Kiddly-Winks apart
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Michelle’s tips for those considering to hire staff
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Her aspirations for Kiddly-Winks, her team, and herself
Resources mentioned in this episode: Kiddly-Winks Website
Kiddly-Winks Facebook Page
Kids Entertainer Hub Facebook Page
Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening
Performing Tips from Santa Claus
Here’s our early Christmas present: some solid performing tips from no other than Santa himself.
Leon McBryde, aka Santa Noel, is no ordinary Santa. Before becoming the legendary Christmas character, he enjoyed a successful career as a part of the Ringling Bros Circus and as a freelance clown. And after over 40 years of making people smile, he was inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame. In this podcast, Leon brings all the practical knowledge and experience he has gained from his years as a professional entertainer to the table, wraps it in kindly advice and humour, and makes a gift of it for all kids entertainers.
In this episode we discuss: - The modulation concept of shows and how you can apply it - The storyline that will glue your act together - Tips on how to be a better performer (maximise the stage, treat your volunteers nicely, etc.) - How Leon transitioned from clowning to being a Santa Claus - Wisdom (and funny stories) from Santa Resources mentioned in this episode: Leon’s Santa Claus Website Leon’s ProKnows Website Magician Business 034: Seasonal Work For Magicians with Leon McBryde Our sponsors are...
Muse: Creative websites for children's entertainers. Designed to attract, engage and convert lookers into bookers.
SiteGround: SiteGround offer fast and efficient website hosting and one click services at a reasonable cost. Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening
Marketing Tips for Kids Entertainers Know Why and How You Can Promote Yourself Easily to a Wider Audience
Looking for some much-needed, easily applicable marketing tips specifically for kids entertainers? You’ll find them and some thought-provoking insights and even an awesome free webinar right here.
In this podcast, premier mentalist and marketing aficionado Ken Dyne elaborates on the passion that serious kids entertainers feel for their art and on the essential part that marketing plays in this business we love. He shares not just what marketing strategies you can do as soon as your next show, but also why it’s important to market yourself in the first place. Best of all, Ken tells you all about an upcoming webinar where you can learn how to get better audience reaction without changing a thing in your act. If you can’t wait to sign up for it (and you really shouldn’t wait as the slots are limited and the webinar’s free), go to kidsentertainerhub.com/training now! In this episode we discuss: - How — and why — Ken went from focusing solely on entertaining to trying his hand at marketing - Examples of really simple, easy-to-do marketing that kids entertainers can do - One question that every kids entertainer who is passionate about what he or she does should try to answer - One lesson: The amount of gigs you get is not directly proportional to how good you are as a performer - An advice that seems like a paradox: Raise your price to get less but more quality engagements, but also do more shows at a lesser price to be better at your art and get more marketing opportunities (and why do both) - Ken’s webinar on how you can improve the reactions you get from your audiences without changing any of your existing material - Ken’s parting food for thought Resources mentioned in this episode: Signup page for Ken Dyne’s FREE webinar “How to Get Much Better Reactions from Your Audiences" Ken Dyne’s Website Our sponsors are...
Muse: Creative websites for children's entertainers. Designed to attract, engage and convert lookers into bookers. SiteGround: SiteGround offer fast and efficient website hosting and one click services at a reasonable cost.
Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening
Insights into the School Show Market for Children’s Entertainers
Many children’s entertainers dare not venture into the school show market because they feel it’s not something they can do. But professional educational entertainer Brian Richards shares how doable (and profitable) it is to come up with school shows and score gigs during those slow months.
Being a performer for over 35 years now and having worked as a childcare counselor (and even a firefighter), Brian has extensive experience motivating and teaching kids about safety, positivity, and yes, even math. But aside from kids entertaining, he is also passionate about marketing, and he generously dishes practical tips on how children’s entertainers can market themselves and earn more customers. Listen to this podcast and learn not just how achievable and practical it is to tap into the school show market, but also to pick up a wealth of marketing and creativity tips you can use to make yourself and your show stand out. In this episode we discuss: - The three persons who influenced Brian’s passion for entertaining and the one insight that has shaped his approach to performing (“It’s all in the presentation.”) - His experience as an educational entertainer - The market for educational shows and how you can tap into this (Brian shares an ingenious way of repurposing your standard routines for a “new” educational show.) - How Brian’s passion for marketing started (Marketing is what will “either make or break your business.”) - Brian’s five specific marketing tips (take note of these!) - Mentoring for kids entertainers - Brian’s book Tapping into Your Creative Flow and tips for stimulating creativity - His in-the-works webinar Marketing Master Plan for Entertainers Resources mentioned in this episode: "Exploring Magical Presentations" by Eugene Burger Dave Dee Brian’s 4 Ace Productions Website (For Educational Entertainment) Brian’s 4 Ace Christian Website (For Christian-Themed Programs) Brian’s 4 Ace Family Website (For Family Entertainment) Brian’s Free Magic Workshop Brian’s Book "Tapping into Your Creative Flow" Doug Hall’s Book "Jump Start Your Brain" Kids Entertainer Hub Blog Brian’s Wizdom for Wizards series for Kids Entertainer Hub: https://kidsentertainerhub.com/wizdom-for-wizards-with-brian-richards-part-1/ https://kidsentertainerhub.com/how-to-be-different-from-other-kids-entertainers/ https://kidsentertainerhub.com/wizdom-for-wizards-part-3/ Our sponsors are...
Muse: Creative websites for children's entertainers. Designed to attract, engage and convert lookers into bookers.
SiteGround: SiteGround offer fast and efficient website hosting and one click services at a reasonable cost. Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening
How to Create a Successful Library Show
Get some tips on how to run a successful library show from a young professional ventriloquist, Meghan Casey. Meghan got her hands on puppets early in life. She started learning ventriloquism at 5, attended her first vent convention at 6, and did her first library shows at 11. Now 20 years old, Meghan continues to pursue her passion and keep kids engrossed and entertained with her puppets. Just last library season, she had 100 shows! So what’s her secret for booking so many gigs and being a success at what she does? Find out in this podcast.
In this episode we discuss: - How Meghan got started in ventriloquism and gave a show at her first ventriloquist convention at 6 - What resources she used to master ventriloquism - How she got started doing kids shows - How she writes her shows and how her current show goes - How she comes up with the personalities for her puppets and manages her nerves - Her tips for performers, especially young ones - Her plan for her future (hint: a combination of a medical degree and ventriloquism) - What makes a good show - Meghan’s favorite audience - How she injects comedy into her shows and entertains kids and adults alike with it - How she connects with her audience - Her tips for both young and established performers on how to get shows - Some of her “horror stories” - What ventriloquism means to her - Her advice for those who want to be a ventriloquist Resources mentioned in this episode: Maher Ventriloquist Studios Vent Haven ConVENTion Steve Axtell Puppets Meghan’s Website Our sponsors are...
Muse: Creative websites for children's entertainers. Designed to attract, engage and convert lookers into bookers.
SiteGround: SiteGround offer fast and efficient website hosting and one click services at a reasonable cost. Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening
Performing Your Own Public Kids Show
If performing your own public kids show has always been in your bucket list, you have to listen to Tore Skyten’s story. A 46-year-old full-time minister from Stockholm, Sweden, Tore has been doing magic professionally for just over 18 months. Yet in that short amount of time, he has gone from his first magic gig to his very own solo public performance. How did he do it? What drove him and helped him to pull off a successful public kids show despite being new to magic? Tore shares his story here and shows that it’s never too late to do what you love, to learn and get help, and to dare take big steps towards your goals.
In this episode we discuss: - How Tore got started in magic - The road to his first magic gig and his first street performance - The lessons he learned from performing magic in the streets (looking at ‘failure’ in proper perspective and building a crowd) - How he took the next step—set up his first solo public magic show for kids - How he got his venue (a charming theatre), marketed his magic show, and decided on his ticket prices - How his theatre magic show went, the fears he faced just minutes prior the show and the outcome of the event - His experience adding a puppet to his show and how well both kids and adults respond to his puppet - His next goals Resources mentioned in this episode: Julian Mather’s Free eBook - "The Biggest Magic Secret of All" Julian’s Magician School This is the course that helped Tore go from being a new magician to hosting his own public magic show in just over 18 months. Start now with an hour of free training here: www.buildyourmagicshow.com Our sponsors are...
Muse: Creative websites for children's entertainers. Designed to attract, engage and convert lookers into bookers.
SiteGround: SiteGround offer fast and efficient website hosting and one click services at a reasonable cost. Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening
How to Rank Well on Google: SEO Tips for Kids Entertainers
Many kids entertainers are daunted by the word SEO, but in this episode, SEO expert and guru Martin Huntbach shows you how easy it is now than ever before to rank well on Google.
A graphic designer-turned-SEO trainer, Martin is not only the owner of an SEO company, but he is also the creator of a course where business owners can learn about SEO without the geeky, technical speak. According to Martin, a recent study “estimated that 89% of consumers use search engines when making a buying decision, and another study showed that 75% of people never scroll past the first page of search results.” With this information in mind, we clearly see how important it is to be visible in search results. So come and take the first step to getting your website appear on Google’s first page - listen to this podcast. In this episode we discuss: - How Martin let go and then rekindled his passion for graphic design and then eventually became an SEO expert (and got himself on the first page of Google!) - What is SEO and is it hard to do? - How local SEO works - How you can optimise your website for local search and outrank big businesses a. How to let Google know where your business is based (Martin shares a free tool and a major tip here!) b. What is a keyword, particularly a long-tail keyword? Why is it important to do a keyword research if you want to rank well in searches? (Another free tool here!) - How easy it is today to optimise your website for SEO - Where you can get a step-by-step guide for SEO: Martin’s SEO Pro School Resources mentioned in this episode: Martin’s SEO Company Martin’s SEO Pro School Martin’s Free 10-Minute SEO Video KEH Podcast 28 with Colette Kelly: The Top 3 Factors That Make Your Kids Entertainer Website Ineffective Google My Business Google Keyword Planner Martin’s Blog Our sponsors are...
Custom Magic Kits: Customised magic kits branded with your name and photo and website are the perfect way for you to get an extra stream of income from your kids entertaining business.
SiteGround: SiteGround offer fast and efficient website hosting and one click services at a reasonable cost.
Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening
Face Painting Tips for Kids Entertainers
From practical face painting tips, to charming anecdotes, to awesome insights on entertaining kids and getting more bookings, Marcela Murad gives them all in this interview. Known to many as Mama Clown and widely recognized as one of the world’s premier face painters, Marcela has done it all: entertained kids with her clowning, storytelling, and magic; done thousands of shows; published her own magazine; wrote a successful series of books; started her own business; produced an international convention; and stood as an instructor and inspiration to many. In this podcast, she generously shares amidst her heart-warming stories the knowledge and insights she has gained from her 35 years in the face painting and kids entertainment industry.
In this episode we discuss: - How Marcela got started in clowning and came up with her name, Mama Clown - How to develop your own character (great tips and anecdotes about Marci Poppins and the Snow Queen) - How Marcela got into face painting - How Silly Farm, a face and body art supplies business that was started by Marcela and now managed by her niece Heather Green, came about and grew - How face painting has changed - How Marcela came up with the Face and Body Art International Magazine and helped Illusion Magazine when it was starting - How face painters started using jewels and bling and why Marcela came up with her new book, The Face Painting Book of Rainbows and Bling - How to use bling effectively (practical tips!) - Why add bling to your face painting (keyword: perceived value) - How to make your face painting more special for your clients - How to stand out from the crowd as a face painter and get more bookings (amazing tips and insights on networking and selling yourself) - What is Marcela’s favorite thing to do
Resources mentioned in this episode: Marcela Murad’s Facebook Page Silly Farm Supplies FABA TV FABAIC (Face and Body Art International Convention) FABAIC Facebook Page Illusion Magazine The Face Painting Book of Butterflies and other books by Marcela Murad The Face Painting Book of Rainbows and Bling by Marcela Murad and Heather Green Our sponsors are...
Custom Magic Kits: Customised magic kits branded with your name and photo and website are the perfect way for you to get an extra stream of income from your kids entertaining business.
SiteGround: SiteGround offer fast and efficient website hosting and one click services at a reasonable cost. Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening
How to Become a Full-Time Magician
Are you a part-time kids entertainer who dreams to become a full-time magician but you just don’t know how? If yes, then this podcast episode is for you. Magician Tommy James, who has been entertaining kids and adults alike for more than 30 years now, shares his journey from dabbling at magic and performing, to completely giving it up for his family, to returning to it full-blast and full-time. Have a listen not just to learn what things to consider before taking the leap, but also to find inspiration from someone who has been where you probably are right now and who has followed his passion and made it work.
In this episode we discuss: - How and why Tommy transitioned from being a part-time to being a full-time entertainer - How Tommy engages not just the kids but the adults as well in his shows and how this earns him repeat business - Tommy’s “retirement plan”: his line of products Resources mentioned in this episode: Magic Café Forums Tommy James’ Website and Products Our sponsors are...
Custom Magic Kits: Customised magic kits branded with your name and photo and website are the perfect way for you to get an extra stream of income from your kids entertaining business.
SiteGround: SiteGround offer fast and efficient website hosting and one click services at a reasonable cost. Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening
Top 3 Factors That Make Your Kids Entertainer Website Ineffective
Look at What Could Be Costing You Bookings
Many kids entertainers are losing out on a lot of bookings because they have ineffective websites. And usually it’s not their fault.
Either they don’t have the technical know-how on how to make a website that, in Colette Kelly’s words, “turns lookers into bookers” (hey, we’re kids entertainers, not web design and coding experts, right?), or they don’t know where to find a professional who understands both web design and the kids entertainment market.
Luckily, Colette has the remedies to the top 3 website problems kids entertainers face. Listen to this podcast to learn not only some practical tips on how you can improve your page load speed and make your website look nicer, but also the ultimate solution to kids entertainers’ web design needs.
Download Your Free Handout: MWD Cheat Sheet for Improving Your WebsiteClick Here to Download Your MWD Cheat Sheet for Improving Your Website
In this episode we discuss:
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What led Colette to learn web design and development and create Muse Website Design, her own web design company catering to children’s entertainers
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Top 3 website factors that lose you bookings
a. Low Page Load Speed (and how to improve it) a.1. Image Sizes a.2. Video Sizes a.3. Hosting a.4. Site Coding b. Unresponsiveness (and the importance of being mobile-friendly) c. Ineffective Design c.1. Density vs. Scarcity of Elements c.2. Color Palette c.3. Typography c.4. Navigation
Download Your Free Handout: MWD Cheat Sheet for Improving Your WebsiteClick Here to Download Your MWD Cheat Sheet for Improving Your Website
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Colette’s Telephone Technique Podcast Episode
PicMonkey, An Online Photo Editing App
Muse Website Design
Our sponsors are...
Custom Magic Kits: Customised magic kits branded with your name and photo and website are the perfect way for you to get an extra stream of income from your kids entertaining business.
SiteGround: SiteGround offer fast and efficient website hosting and one click services at a reasonable cost.
Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration
In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
How to Brand Yourself as an Entertainer Invaluable Tips and Insights for Kids Performers
To achieve any kind of success in kids entertainment - and in fact in any industry - knowing how to brand yourself effectively is as essential as creating an applause-worthy show. Learn how to do just that from this week’s podcast guest, Buster Balloon.
With his blend of brilliant balloon creations and signature comedy and magic, Buster Balloon has been bringing smiles and laughter to kids for 25 years now.
In this episode, he offers insights on being a better kids entertainer by tapping into the real you, investing in a team that will market you and free you to concentrate on what you do best, and improving yourself constantly with professional training. He also delves into the beauty of creating and stocking up on goodwill and shares where he’s currently headed.
In this episode we discuss: - Creating a character and being genuine (thought-provoking insights here)
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Branding (in Buster Balloon’s words, branding is “one giant show”)
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Hiring or creating a support team for your show and your business (a great lesson)
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The importance of professional training
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Paying it forward: fiscal returns vs. “whuffie” or goodwill returns
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Buster Balloon’s new Kickstarter campaign
Resources mentioned in this episode: Buster Balloon’s Website
Buster's Facebook Page
Buster Balloon’s Kickstarter Campaign
Tara Hunt’s book "The Whuffie Factor"
Our sponsors are...
Spectator Party Art: A custom caricatured logo (that's a cartoon for us non techie types) by Spectator Party Art puts a colourful and exciting version of you - the entertainer - front and centre in your customers mind.
Custom Magic Kits: Customised magic kits branded with your name and photo and website are the perfect way for you to get an extra stream of income from your kids entertaining business.
www.balloonworkshopblueprint.com Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
Ventriloquist Tips: How to Manage Kid Audiences Effortlessly
Whether you’re a seasoned ventriloquist or a kids entertainer considering adding puppets in your act, Mark Wade has a wealth of practical tips for you that you can apply as soon as your next show.
Named America’s number 1 children’s ventriloquist and awarded the International Ventriloquist of the Year in the past, Mark shares how you can manage kid audiences effortlessly, convinces you to give puppets and ventriloquism a try, and directs you to resources where you can learn the craft.
In this episode we discuss: - How Mark got into ventriloquism
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How to train kids to be an audience (great insights and tips!)
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How Mark’s dad influenced him
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The honesty of children and your “likability” as an entertainer
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Performance mistakes to avoid
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Mastering one field vs. dabbling at everything
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Mark’s philosophy—“controlled fun”—and how he applies it in his shows (another bunch of practical tips!)
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How to end a show the proper way (What happens when your show is done and you leave?)
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Dealing with challenging kids and situations
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Why add puppets in your act (the quick answer: kids absolutely love them!)
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Tips and tricks for those who want to introduce a puppet in their show
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Where you can learn ventriloquism
Resources mentioned in this episode: Vent Haven ConVENTion
Maher Ventriloquist Studios
International Ventriloquist Society (IVS)
Mark Wade’s book Kidshow Ventriloquism
Mark Wade’s new book Kidshow Ventriloquism Encore - Email kidshowvent@gmail.com to order
Vent Haven Museum
Mark Wade’s Website
Our sponsors are...
Spectator Party Art: A custom caricatured logo (that's a cartoon for us non techie types) by Spectator Party Art puts a colourful and exciting version of you - the entertainer - front and centre in your customers mind.
Custom Magic Kits: Customised magic kits branded with your name and photo and website are the perfect way for you to get an extra stream of income from your kids entertaining business.
Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
Bubble Artist Tips for Entertainers
Thinking of adding bubbles in your act and need some tips from a seasoned bubble artist?
We got you covered.
In this episode, Caroline Cornelius-Jones, aka CJ the Bubbleologist, shares no-nonsense info on how to work with bubbles and even how to manage a crowd of bubble-bursting kids.
Business is thriving for this inspiring lady who is one of Singapore’s premier bubble artists. In between giving spectacular bubbles shows, playing various characters, and doing workshops, CJ runs two companies— CJ Bubble Productions and Fantasy Parties.
Learn all about her and the brilliant business of bubbles in this podcast. In this episode we discuss: - How CJ got the perfect bubble mixture
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How bubbles work in different temperatures
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Why CJ uses different bubble mixtures for different environments
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CJ’s selling points as a bubble artist and performer
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CJ’s love for dress-up and how that is incorporated into what she does
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Managing children during a bubble show
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How CJ puts children inside bubbles
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CJ’s showstopper: the cube-shaped bubble
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What CJ’s week looks like
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What CJ looks for when she hires new entertainers and why
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How to be in control yet still be fun (a very important skill!)
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Subcontractors—CJ’s thoughts on this
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Lessons on growing the business
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CJ’s creativity means many characters to play!
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The future for CJ Bubble Productions and Fantasy Parties Resources mentioned in this episode: Kids Fantasy Parties
CJBubbles.com
Caroline's YouTube Channel
Our sponsors are...
Spectator Party Art: A custom caricatured logo (that's a cartoon for us non techie types) by Spectator Party Art puts a colourful and exciting version of you - the entertainer - front and centre in your customers mind.
Custom Magic Kits: Customised magic kits branded with your name and photo and website are the perfect way for you to get an extra stream of income from your kids entertaining business. Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
Breaking Into the Kids Entertaining Market The Hanson Family’s Story of Persistence, Planning and a Vision for Their Future
Having world records for juggling and unicycling proved of little value in breaking into the kids entertainment market compared to learning basic comedy, kids psychology and good marketing techniques.
Join the Hanson Family Circus Troupe as they discuss highs and lows, insights and revelations that come from taking on the Library Show market.
In this episode we discuss: - Who is the Hanson family troupe
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How the family got into juggling, unicycling, and breaking world records
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How understanding the psychology of children helped build their confidence as performers and made their act better
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How they found the right audience in library shows
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What learnings they picked from David Kaye’s Seriously Silly book (e.g., the Look, Don’t See technique) and Julian’s Build Your Magic Show course
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The difference between being a show-off and being an entertainer
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What triggered them to study kid psychology
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How scripting your show can make you more bookable
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How they find gigs and market themselves, particularly to librarians (hint: word-of-mouth works wonderfully)
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How audiences love a family act
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The elements that gets clients clicking through your website and booking you
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How to get client video testimonials that help build massive credibility
Who is the Hanson Family:
Mark: Taught himself to juggle at 16. Set two Guinness World Records for three-ball speed juggling at the age of 58.
Christa Faye (The Mom): Set a Guinness World Record by creating the world's largest paper snowflake at 14 feet 6 inches (4.42 meters) across. She passed her level one unicycle test when she was 7 months pregnant with child number 5!
Christa Berit (21-Year-Old Daughter): Taught herself to unicycle at age 7. Became a North American Unicycle champion at age 8. Can skip rope on a five-foot giraffe unicycle and is building up to skip rope on a seven-foot unicycle.
The Four Other Hanson Kids: Anna (19), Matthew (17), Luke (15) and Caleb (12) have twice performed a pregame and halftime juggling and unicycle show with their dad and sister Christa Berit for the world famous Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. The Hanson family has been invited to perform again for the Globetrotters in 2016. Resources mentioned in this episode: HansonShows.com
Seriously Silly by David Kaye
Build Your Magic Show
Mark's Speed Juggling Record
Christa's Snowflake Record
Hanson Family Globetrotter Pre-Game Show
Hanson Family Globetrotter Half-Time Show
Our sponsors are...
Spectator Party Art: A custom caricatured logo (that's a cartoon for us non techie types) by Spectator Party Art puts a colourful and exciting version of you - the entertainer - front and centre in your customers mind.
Custom Magic Kits: Customised magic kits branded with your name and photo and website are the perfect way for you to get an extra stream of income from your kids entertaining business. Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
How to Use Custom Magic Kits to Increase Your Income
Upselling. What’s that? We are using custom magic kits as an example to explore how professional children’s entertainers can do what fast food companies have known for decades: that asking ‘would you like fries with that?’ generates billions of dollars for them.
If we as kids entertainers employ the same strategy - of all the people who buy from you a percentage WILL buy more - over a career this WILL improve your income.
In this episode we discuss: - Roman shares how custom magic kits can increase your income as kids entertainer without having to do any more performances.
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Having your very own branded magic kit add a level of credibility to your entertainment business that can help you stand out from your competition.
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Roman and the people at Custom magic kits take care of everything for you… All you do is pick the kit you want, supply them with a photograph of yourself and they do the artwork, printing and assembling for you before posting your very own branded magic kits to your door.
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The idea of having customized merchandised can be applied by any children’s entertainer. Roman explores some examples for face painters and jugglers.
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Birthday party entertainers all know the ongoing requests to provide party bags or giveaways at parties… Customized goody bags or custom magic kits take this to a whole new level - both for you and for your booker. Firstly, it is no longer a price war for the ‘cheapest’ option and secondly it provides something that is exclusive for the booker who is competing with a dozen other parties and wanting their child’s party to be special, memorable and different.
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Roman shares other ways of how using custom magic kits can make you more money, including offering magic workshops and having more magic products for sale afterwards.
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There are different ways and places to sell your customized magic kit and Roman offers a few ideas of how you can increase your income as a children’s entertainer.
Resources mentioned in this episode: Custom Magic Kits
Trickmaster Magic
Our sponsors are...
Spectator Party Art: A custom caricatured logo (that's a cartoon for us non techie types) by Spectator Party Art puts a colourful and exciting version of you - the entertainer - front and centre in your customers mind.
Custom Magic Kits: Customised magic kits branded with your name and photo and website are the perfect way for you to get an extra stream of income from your kids entertaining business.
Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us ....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
YouTube Tips for Entertainers with Cody Williams Balloon Twisting, Unicycling, Restaurants, Birthday Parties, Performing and more…
YouTube is a great free resource for kids entertainers to find tutorials. YouTube is also a great place for children’s and family entertainers to raise their own profile.
Learn these YouTube tips for entertainers from Arizona resident, Cody Williams. Cody is a multi skilled balloon twister, unicyclist and juggler! Cody shares about how ironically he stumbled into the industry and how now he works to help fellow artists increase their skills by making YouTube videos as well as instructional DVDs. Some helpful stories and handy tips here!
In this episode we discuss: - Las Vegas – Bling Bling Jam, a jam room as well as a vacation!
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Cody speaks about his YouTube channel - unicaw89
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The ironic way Cody got involved in unicyclying and then balloon twisting
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Why Cody started his YouTube channel
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Cody’s difference – teaching for experienced twisters
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Extreme Unicycling – taking unicycling to the next level, how riders these days pick up the skills so quickly from online instructional videos.
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How to be entertaining as a unicyclist
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Cody explains his reasoning behind his comical clips at the beginning of his YouTube videos
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How Cody comes up with his new designs to put onto YouTube
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Using your smart phone to make notes on the run
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Cody’s upcoming plans – a DVD all about flair, not what to make but how to entertain with balloons with your flair.
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Advice from Cody – how to get speed as a balloon twister
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How to book restaurants - which ones and how
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Why kids entertainers should have a good business card
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How to give away your business card with style
Resources mentioned in this episode: Cody’s Website (where to buy his DVD’s) Cody’s YouTube channel The Las Vegas Balloon Jam – Bling Bling Jam:
Our sponsors are...
Spectator Party Art: A custom caricatured logo (that's a cartoon for us non techie types) by Spectator Party Art puts a colourful and exciting version of you - the entertainer - front and centre in your customers mind.
Custom Magic Kits: Customised magic kits branded with your name and photo and website are the perfect way for you to get an extra stream of income from your kids entertaining business.
Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us ....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
Storytelling Techniques for Kids Entertainers Discover how to create a character and book library shows
What have age, storytelling techniques, library shows, Indiana Jones and Santa got in common?
They are are all part of the world of Stephen Gillham, who has used his age and his looks to create a new character Montana Jones (Indiana’s big brother) to showcase his storytelling abilities in his new library show.
Stephen first came to our attention when we met him at the Kidabra Kids Entertaining Convention in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
He was part of the Santa Jam, a get together of professional Santas. You can hear that interview here on our sister podcast Magician Business Podcast Episode 34.
We talk to Stephen about Montana Jones. Montana is Indiana’s brother. He is an explorer and had many adventures just like Indiana, looking for treasure and artifacts.
It gets more intriguing …. all of his artefacts have stories and most have magical effects.
In this episode we discuss: - Playing to your strengths
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Am I too old to be a children’s entertainer?
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What would you say to others who think age is a barrier?
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What is it about storytelling that you like?
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What is about storytelling that the people who book you like?
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What is it about storytelling that kids like?
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How long is a library show?
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What storytelling techniques do you use?
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What is the process you followed to develop the new character,
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Where do the ideas came from?
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What are the steps you follow to create a stage character?
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Which magic tricks work well in library shows?
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How much magic vs. how much storytelling?
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How do you weave storytelling into library shows?
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The importance of good promotional photos to help you get booked for summer reading programs in libraries.
Resources mentioned in this episode: Stephen Gillham’s Santa Website
The Santa Episode - Magician Business Episode 34: Seasonal Work For Magicians
MB 019: Why Magicians Need a Professional Photographer
Our sponsors are...
Spectator Party Art: A custom caricatured logo (that's a cartoon for us non techie types) by Spectator Party Art puts a colourful and exciting version of you - the entertainer - front and centre in your customers mind.
Custom Magic Kits: Customised magic kits branded with your name and photo and website are the perfect way for you to get an extra stream of income from your kids entertaining business.
Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us ....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
Logo Design for Entertainers and Why It Matters
Professional logo design for entertainers is as important as a magic wand to a magician… you just have to have one. Caricature logos, or cartoon interpretation of you as a kids entertainer is not only the norm, but is a clever way to convey a very important message that is often overlooked and underused.
As a kids entertainer, your caricature logo has the power to inform your primary audience (young children who can’t read yet) of who you are and what you are about.
What message does your caricature logo convey to your child audiences?
Matthew shares how his journey from doodling in class, to working as an illustrator and graphic designer and then finally combining his talent for illustrating people has lead him to where he is today: creating engaging, fun and vibrant caricature logos for entertainers.
In this episode we discuss: - Why is professional logo design for entertainers important and where you can start getting ideas.
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What makes his caricature logos for entertainers different form other entertainer logos.
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How to use your caricature logo to keep entertaining long after you have gone.
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How one caricature logo can convey your message in a way that even children can understand.
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How to ensure that your caricature as a kids entertainers reflects who you are and what you do.
Our sponsors are...
Spectator Party Art: A custom caricatured logo (that's a cartoon for us non techie types) by Spectator Party Art puts a colourful and exciting version of you - the entertainer - front and centre in your customers mind.
Custom Magic Kits: Customised magic kits branded with your name and photo and website are the perfect way for you to get an extra stream of income from your kids entertaining business.
Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us ....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
Meet a Young Entertainer: Annelise the Magnificent
A Kids Entertainer Success Story
Annelise the Magnificent is a young entertainer and an aspiring 9 year old magician that has found a great joy and therapy in performing with her brother Master Benjamin.
Annelise’s story is a true inspirational tale with a heartwarming lesson for performers, both new beginners and seasoned professionals.
Download Your Free Handout: Annelise the Magnificent Interview TranscriptClick Here to Download Your Annelise the Magnificent Interview Transcript
Annelise and her mum, Alison, shares the difficult and emotional journey that has gone before Annelise’s success as a young performing magician.
In this episode we discuss:
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Annelise shares how a young entertainer deals with pre-show nerves and how she approaches her performance.
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Alison (Annelise’s mum) talks of how magic has impacted and continuing to impact on Annelise’s life, having to deal with multiple difficulties, including hearing difficulties and sensory processing disorder.
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Annelise learnt magic from a magic set that she got for her 7th birthday. She blossomed and a thirst for learning magic was born.
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With the help from the internet, people with an interest in magic and other performers Annelise’s show and performance is developing and growing and will hopefully help Annelise to reach her dream of travelling the world doing magic!
Download Your Free Handout: Annelise the Magnificent Interview TranscriptClick Here to Download Your Annelise the Magnificent Interview Transcript
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Check out Annelise’s website here:
Annelise The Magnificent
Other resources mentioned in the podcast:
Julian’s Magician School
Magic Tricks For Kids
Our sponsors are...
Spectator Party Art: A custom caricatured logo (that's a cartoon for us non techie types) by Spectator Party Art puts a colourful and exciting version of you - the entertainer - front and centre in your customers mind.
Custom Magic Kits: Customised magic kits branded with your name and photo and website are the perfect way for you to get an extra stream of income from your kids entertaining business.
Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration
In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us ....
Now it's your turn!What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
How to Start a Blog for Kids Entertainers
Joanne McGowan knows all about how to start a blog. She is the author of BlogOff, a how-to-guide that teaches kids entertainers how to create and manage a successful blog.
Download Your Free Handout: How to Start a Blog for Kids Entertainers TranscriptClick Here to Download Your How to Start a Blog for Kids Entertainers Transcript
Joanne takes us step by step through the process of getting started and then shares how to optimize your blog to increase website traffic and build your brand.
You will hear just what a blog can do for you and how to get your content in front of potential bookers. Joanne shows how easy it is to stand out from your competitors by establishing yourself as an authority kids entertainer.
Ever stuck for what to post on your Facebook page? Joanne shows how you can re purpose your blog content across your social media platforms and create powerful SEO without even trying.
In this episode we discuss:
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Learn how an investment of only 30 minutes a week can take your entertaining business to the next level.
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Find out what a blog really is
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Discover what a blog can do for you as a kids entertainer
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See how to get your blog seen and shared
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Find out how to get essential FREE tools for your blogging
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Learn where to get ideas for creating content
Download Your Free Handout: How to Start a Blog for Kids Entertainers TranscriptClick Here to Download Your How to Start a Blog for Kids Entertainers Transcript
Resources mentioned in this episode:
How to get a Wordpress website in 5 minutes
Ken's Pinball Machine:
Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration
In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us ....
Now it's your turn!What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
How to Run a Magic Drama Camp This School Holiday
A Perfect Holiday Activity For Kids Entertainers
Surely a magic drama camp would require a children’s entertainer to be highly skilled in magic technique. Not so. September Cardiff shares her insights and tips from her magic and drama camp in the recent summer holiday break.
Download Your Free Handout: How to Run a Magic Drama Camp TranscriptClick Here to Download Your How to Run a Magic Drama Camp Transcript
In this episode we discuss:
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Why run a magic drama camp in the first place?
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What ages work best for a magic drama camp?
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Is there a need to run holiday entertainment for children outside of school hours?
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How hard or how easy is it to get parents to send the children to a magic drama camp?
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What the parents expect?
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What type of schedule works best? How long? Start time? End time?
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Do you have to be experienced in magic to be able to teach magic tricks to kids?
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Including puppets, juggling, theatre, circus – what works best?
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Building social skills like confidence, public speaking, eye contact and learning patience.
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What to do with behaviour problems from kids attending the workshop.
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What sort of venue works best?
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Is advertising necessary?
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How many children can attend a magic camp?
Download Your Free Handout: How to Run a Magic Drama Camp TranscriptClick Here to Download Your How to Run a Magic Drama Camp Transcript
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Find out more about September Cardiff and the entertaining she does in Kentucky and Georgia.
Use this easy to follow an easy to implement magic teaching course to get started. Click the book to find out more.
Our sponsors are...
Spectator Party Art: A custom caricatured logo (that's a cartoon for us non techie types) by Spectator Party Art puts a colourful and exciting version of you - the entertainer - front and centre in your customers mind.
Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration
In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us ....
Now it's your turn!What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
Easy Magic Tricks for Kids Entertainers
Jeremy LePoidevin from Practical Magic talks about easy magic tricks for kids entertainers. He shares free resources he has developed to help kids entertainers who are not familiar with performing magic to choose the right magic tricks to add something extra to their kids entertainer businesses.
Download Your Free Handout: Easy Magic Tricks TranscriptClick Here to Download Your Easy Magic Tricks Transcript
In this episode we discuss:
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What makes Trix in the Stix a successful kids entertainers convention?
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John Kimmons and the live Fireside Chat.
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Can you do magic? Is adding magic to your performance attainable?
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Practical Magic - a magic shop for professional kids entertainers
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The role that Supreme Magic played in the development of Practical Magic.
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Why are kids magicians like kids themselves? Jeremy has his own point of view on this.
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Training resources for kids entertainers
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Under 5 year olds with Terry Herbet
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Teenage Kids with Pat Fallon
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How to bridge over from other forms of kids entertaining into performing magic.
Download Your Free Handout: Easy Magic Tricks TranscriptClick Here to Download Your Easy Magic Tricks Transcript
Resources mentioned in this episode:
PracticalMagic.com
To discover if the Balloon Workshop Blueprint is right for you click herehttps://www.balloonworkshopblueprint.com
and listen to Buster Balloon speak of his experience with the Balloon Workshop Blueprint
This is the animated T-Rex mentioned in the episode. We think there is a lot of opportunities to be had with this and it's a great idea for school holidays.
You can follow the dinosaur thread on the Kids Entertainer Facebook Group
Watch Julian Mather and Ken Kelly record the introductionto this weeks episode of the Kids Entertainer Podcast
Our sponsors are...
Spectator Party Art: A custom caricatured logo (that's a cartoon for us non techie types) by Spectator Party Art puts a colourful and exciting version of you - the entertainer - front and centre in your customers mind.
Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration
In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us ....
Now it's your turn!What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
How to Be a Balloon Entertainer
Matt Falloon discovered how to be a balloon entertainer from his background in magic. He also discovered that it created a point of difference and let him capture a slice of his market. Lots of great tips...
In this episode we discuss: - Creating a difference for the customer - The importance of using a website to show potential clients - Tips for making your website high impact - The pros of networking with people in the kids entertainer industry - Some great ways to prepare for large balloon sculptures - Tips and tricks for beginners in the industry - What to avoid when it comes to customer requests - Matt explains the “Mr Squiggle Effect” and how to use it. - Tips on how to impress the parents in your act - How Matt utilises multiple income streams as a kids entertainer - What to be careful of when playing to the audience according to age groups Resources mentioned in this episode: MattFalloon.com.au
Matt's Work:
Our sponsors are... Spectator Party Art: A custom caricatured logo (that's a cartoon for us non techie types) by Spectator Party Art puts a colourful and exciting version of you - the entertainer - front and centre in your customers mind.
Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us ....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
Creativity Tips for Kids Entertainers Using creativity to solve problems and create opportunities
What is the “axis of awesomeness?” Suedy Daoud, an established face painter shares her recipe for being awesome in the clients eyes.
Facepainting may be what Suedy excels in but her ideas on using creativity to open doors apply to kids entertainers of all types.
In this episode we discuss: - 30-degree heat, sunscreen and sweat - how Suedy got started
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find out about kids parties, corporate work and more
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The ups and downs and improving as a face painter
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Suedy’s way of keeping it creative and exciting – taking requests!
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To photo board or not to photo board?
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Tips from a teacher on getting started – save money from these tips!
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What makes a great face paint design – the “axis of awesomeness”
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What drives Suedy crazy in the world of face painting
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Quick, quick, slow – how to show your clients your skills
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Applealing to a different audience, UV face painting!
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Suedy’s favourite designs
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Body art with doggy designs and how that lead to some amazing opportunities
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Creating your own opportunities – how Suedy got into Illusion Magazine
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The AFABA retreat, getting to know fellow face painters, how it went
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The theory behind the retreat, everyone has something to share
Resources mentioned in this episode: JuicyBodyArt.com
Our sponsors are... Spectator Party Art: A custom caricatured logo (that's a cartoon for us non techie types) by Spectator Party Art puts a colourful and exciting version of you - the entertainer - front and centre in your customers mind.
Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us ....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. If you have any questions ask them below and Max will personally answer you. Thanks for listening.
A Kids Entertainer Guide to Adding Magic to Your Act
Creator of the successful Build Your Magic Show course - Julian Mather - explains how balloon twisters, face painters, clowns, ventriloquists and many people with a passion but little experience can create a commercial kids/family magic show and earn more money than magicians with 20 years experience.
In this episode we discuss: Ever wished you could do magic full time? Ever wished you could somehow leave your job and follow your dream? Julian Mather did. Mid life he gave up a successful career. With no one to guide him he carved out a place in kids and family magic. Within 2 years he was making more income than he had in his 'job' while at the same time waking up without an alarm, saying goodbye to peak hour traffic and loving life.
As he says, "I can talk with absolute authority on this because I lived it".
In this episode Julian discusses with Ken Kelly his motivations for creating this in depth course and how it has helped many entertainers boost their businesses.
Build Your Magic Show is his story with none of the detail left out. Every trick, every show, every reason, every motivation, every failure, every detail ... in short everything he wanted to be shown when he started but he could never find.
Routines, cases, costumes, sound systems, marketing, psychology, audience management, young kids, older kids, difficult kids, jokes, gags and bits of business, how to market yourself.
Julian has created a series of 4 FREE Training Videos for you to get you started learning and thinking about how you can improve your act. Just click the picture below - a new tab will open - and follow the simple instructions to start watching over one hour of video that many say is like a training course on it's own.
In the first video you'll discover ...
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Why much of the advice you are getting is probably holding you back
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How you are closer to being 'performance ready' than you realise
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5 practical tips and tricks to get you started right away
The training is 100% free and I think you will love it
If you want to understand why... then watch the first video
Our Sponsors are:
Spectator Party Art: A custom caricatured logo (that's a cartoon for us non techie types) by Spectator Party Art puts a colourful and exciting version of you - the entertainer - front and centre in your customers mind.
Practical-Magic.com Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us ....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
Sound Systems for Kids Entertainers
All kids entertainers can benefit from using a PA system. There are so many sound systems for kids entertainers on the market. But which one?
Steve Wickenton is both a kids entertainer as well as a theatre venue tech co-ordinator, ensuring that all technical things are good for production, including lights, audio and special effects. Steve shares his knowledge about sound, sound systems and microphones and how to use them as a children’s entertainer.
Download Your Free Handout: PA Systems Guide for Kids EntertainersClick Here to Download Your PA Systems Guide for Entertainers
Kids Entertainer Hub loves answering your questions. It was this question from Balloon Storyteller Annie Banannie that prompted this podcast episode:
“Could you interview someone who could give us a lesson on sound systems? Not just what works for one person, but a general understanding of any sound system. Examples of issues that plague me constantly: How to plug into someone's sound system. Generally, the different kinds of microphones. How can you tell the power of a microphone or speaker by looking at it? What are the different types of wireless microphones, and how can you use them? Troubleshooting tips for feedback issues.”
In this episode we discuss:
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What is a P.A System
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What things to consider when choosing your P.A System
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Microphones and types of microphones, which ones to avoid, which ones work best
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How to get the most out of your P.A System
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Set up Procedure
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Tips for feedback
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Techniques for working in a “live” echo prone venue
Feel free to post any questions Steve hasn't covered on sound systems for kids entertainers or if you want more clarification on a subject, and he will try his best to answer them.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Steve has a great resource about sound systems for entertainers. You can download your PA Systems Guide for Entertainers below.
Download Your Free Handout: PA Systems Guide for Kids EntertainersClick Here to Download Your PA Systems Guide for Entertainers
Steve’s website:
BirthdayPartyMagic.com
Steve’s blog series on Kids Entertainer Hub:
https://kidsentertainerhub.com/going-pro-01/
https://kidsentertainerhub.com/my-story-going-pro-in-kids-entertainment-part-2/
Our sponsors are...
Spectator Party Art: A custom caricatured logo (that's a cartoon for us non techie types) by Spectator Party Art puts a colourful and exciting version of you - the entertainer - front and centre in your customers mind.
Practical-Magic.com
Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration
In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us ....
Now it's your turn!What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. If you have any questions ask them below and Max will personally answer you.Thanks for listening.
Booking Kindergartens and Preschools for Kids Entertainers
Ever wanted to book kindergartens and pre schools to improve your kids entertaining business. Ever wondered how to take your work as a children's entertainer from part time to full time? Zappo the Magician has done just this...
Many weeks of the year Zappo is touring the country performing at kindergartens and pre-schools and when he is back home is in-undated with party bookings! Wouldn't you love that?
So, whether you're a magician, balloon twister or face painter you can learn some valuable lessons from Zappo including: the importance of asking questions, making mistakes and doing the occasional free gig! In this episode we discuss: - Joining a magic club - a great way to learn
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Asking questions - how honesty helps you improve
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People skills - how this helps you get bookings, what to do and what not to do
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How to entertain at a kinder/preschool - themed shows with educational message
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Writing new content - keeping the magic alive!
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How mistakes are not always a bad thing, in fact it can be the total opposite!
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Tips for working with young children - do's & don'ts plus language techniques
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Zappo's occasional free shows, why he does them
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Creating your own kinder show - "take the kids on a roller coaster" the main ingredients for a successful show
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Keeping it simple - How Zappo gets a full calendar of bookings
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Adding balloons into the equation - delivery pieces, birthday presents etc
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Balloon convention OZJAM, how Zappo took his balloons to the next level Resources mentioned in this episode: Zappo the Magician Website
OzJam Website: Our sponsors are... ClippedCardTrick.com - The Most Cost Effective Magic Giveaway That Costs Less Than 2¢ For a Kids Entertainer Hub $20 off special use the code: kidspod
TrickBalloonDog.com - Introducing The Trick Balloon Dog, a delightfully interactive, never popping, balloon dog-shaped novelty toy! It the tired and old Fortune Teller Fish material now updated in the shape of a balloon dog and available in 4 festive colors. Plus it’s packed in a stunning full color envelope with space for you to include your name! Finally, a giveaway for as low as 9¢. Add a little bit of inspiration with all that perspiration In 1986, Julian Mather's grandmother gave him a book of handwritten quotes and proverbs and ideas to help guide his life's compass. Each week on the podcast Julian opens up this book and shares one of them with us ....
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. If you have any questions ask them below and Max will personally answer you. Thanks for listening.
How to Use Music to Entertain Kids with Richard Welsh
Richard Welsh, Kids DJ and children’s entertainer, talks about how to use music to entertain kids, what kind of music to use, how to stay up to date with what kids enjoy, including watching Disney and children’s films...
Richard shares how being a comedy performer with an hour long silent comedy act helped him in being a successful children’s entertainer and kids DJ. He talks about the importance of connecting with the audience and making them laugh as quickly as possible.
Kids getting into the music and games at one of Richard Welsh's entertainment bookings Being a kids DJ is more than just playing music, it’s about engaging kids with games, thinking out of the box and trying new angles on traditional games to keep it exciting and fresh. In this episode we discuss: - How visual comedy transcends language barriers.
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Why physical comedy is a success at kids parties.
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How vital it is to grab the kid’s attention at the start of your performance.
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The art of connecting with the children at your shows.
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The practical ways you can gather research on your audience.
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Finding an easy way to connect with the kids on a personal level.
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Some top tips to add variety to your performance as a kid’s entertainer.
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Helpful tips on integrating your theme into your games and activities.
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How do you choose which songs to play?
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How to stay up to date with the latest music?
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What to do with popular songs that have rude or explicit language in it?
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How to keep kids entertained using music and games?
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How to make traditional kids party games exciting and fresh?
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The secret to evolving your performance while keeping it familiar. Resources mentioned in this episode: Richard’s website
Music resource
Richard’s blog post on Kids Entertainer Hub Our sponsors are... ClippedCardTrick.com - The Most Cost Effective Magic Giveaway That Costs Less Than 2¢ For a Kids Entertainer Hub $20 off special use the code: kidspod
TrickBalloonDog.com - Introducing The Trick Balloon Dog, a delightfully interactive, never popping, balloon dog-shaped novelty toy! It the tired and old Fortune Teller Fish material now updated in the shape of a balloon dog and available in 4 festive colors. Plus it’s packed in a stunning full color envelope with space for you to include your name! Finally, a giveaway for as low as 9¢.
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. If you have any questions ask them below and Max will personally answer you. Thanks for listening.
Behaviour Management Tips for Kids Entertainers
If you work as a professional kids entertainer you will recognise that delivering a good performance is a balance between having good skills to entertain and being able to manage the audience.
Managing kids behaviour can sometimes be a real challenge but this is made doubly difficult when you end up having to manage grownups behaviour as well. How often have you been out there doing something truly special to make the children smile only to have a gaggle of chatting adults spoil the moment?
In this episode of the Kids Entertainer Podcast, children’s entertainer Ken Kelly shares some audience management techniques that get both parents and children eating out of your hand.
Get Your Go-To Games Book
In this episode: - Understand the importance of setting your performance area and where many kids entertainers fall short.
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Find out how to get every adult in the room hanging on your every word.
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Discover how important it is for you to to take charge at a gig and lean how to do it.
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Get insight into the different types of behavioural patterns we are likely to see as children’s entertainers.
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Learn some behavioural management techniques that you can use at your next gig that will make a big difference. Resources mentioned in this episode:
Ken's Floor Plan download 1
Ken's Floor Plan download 2 Bubble Games
Our sponsors are... ClippedCardTrick.com - The Most Cost Effective Magic Giveaway That Costs Less Than 2¢ For a Kids Entertainer Hub $20 off special use the code: kidspod
sillyfarm.com is the largest supplier of face and body art supplies in the USA.
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. If you have any questions ask them below and Max will personally answer you. Thanks for listening.
Kids Songs, Performing Tips and More with Peter Combe
What can you learn from an award winning kids musician? Lots. Whether you want to break into kids song writing or not, in this episode respected kids entertainer Peter Combe shares performing tips, how you can write a kids song and about breaking into the kids music market plus a whole lot more.
With over 30 years of writing, recording and performing Peter has lots of valuable information to share, in this episode Peter tells us about his journey of breaking into the industry, how he writes his music, performance hints and tips and what he is up to now!
In this episode we discuss: - Peter's story of breaking into the kid's music industry - How Peter's music went from handing tapes out to friends and family to touring and selling Aria award winning albums - What kind of personality as well as ability is important for being successful and why - Peter's most cherished moments as a kid's musician - Some hints and tips for keeping children's attention throughout a concert - Is sense of humour still the same 30 years ago and now? - Handling what could be bad situations on stage into a positive situation - Creativity and song writing tips - Peter's "Big Kid's Night Out" shows for adults who grew up listening to his music Resources mentioned in this episode: Peter's Website
Tickets for Peter's upcoming shows in July 2015, https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=PETERCOM15&v=SUA https://mojosbar.oztix.com.au/?eventId=52125 https://www.koorliny.com.au/Book-Tickets.html
Now it's your turn!
What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
TV Appearances and More for Kids Entertainers with Sandi Masori Taking Your Kids Entertainment Business to the Next Level
Discover the mindset and strategies Sandi Masori used to turn her small local balloon twisting and magic party service into a business that lets her travel to high end trade shows and events and has gained her a national TV profile as an expert balloon artist...
In this episode we discuss: - What it takes to manage your time between your personal and professional life.
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Diversifying your performances to incorporate different techniques and styles of magic and balloon entertaining.
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Just how important it is to build knowledge when starting out as an entertainer.
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Where you can find information on your chosen field of entertainment.
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Techniques on how to reposition and brand yourself as an expert.
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The benefits of marketing yourself as an entertainer and building a positive reputation.
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Avoiding the fear of sharing what you know with others.
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Tips on how to increase the amount of viewers on your YouTube videos
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Using your online catalogue of YouTube videos to get more work.
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Ways to create more opportunities for yourself and avoid competition.
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Some top tips on how to perform well on live TV
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Understanding the difference between a promotional TV appearance and an entertainment TV performance.
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Some great ways to approach media outlets for promotion as a kids entertainer.
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The importance of remembering “What’s in it for me” (WIIFM) when pitching an idea to a potential client.
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What you need to know about the different types of trade shows.
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Ideas on how to create a captivated audience while performing at a trade show.
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The pros and cons of charisma vs. technical skill when performing.
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Focusing on tailoring your work to a niche rather than trying to please everyone. Resources mentioned: EMyth by Michael Gerber
Tarbell Course in magic
balloonCourse.com
DIYballoonart.com
Balloonutopia.com
MarketWithBalloons.com Our sponsors are... Practical Magic - First class international mail order service for kids magic props, videos, dvd's books and more.
ClippedCardTrick.com - The Most Cost Effective Magic Giveaway That Costs Less Than 2¢ For a Kids Entertainer Hub $20 off special use the code: kidspod
Now it's your turn!
What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
Creating a Brand of Kids Stories and Toys: One Entertainer's Tale of Vision and Commitment
Tom Hayes knows about obstacles and the determination needed to overcome them. Follow the story of how a handful of tiny beans have given one man the energy to see his vision of a range of kids storybooks, audio books, mascots and a toy line one day be on everyone's lips ...
In this episode we discuss: This episode will remind kids entertainers to use your bean, trust your heart and follow your character. "Use your bean, trust your heart and follow your character." Producer, creator, comedian and voice over artist, Tom Hayes started in sales, then onto a kids entertainer, then onto a life of stand up comedy and keynote speaking then came back to doing a kids radio program that has grown into a series of Audio Stories for kids that have little beans as central characters.
Discover what doctors told Tom when he was 13 years old that would profoundly change his life and let him understand the most of the barriers in life are mental, not physical.
Tom was born into a family of magicians yet ended up in the medical field and took up using magic to entertain after a surprise encounter with a salesman who showed him the power of a simple magic trick. Tom won the funniest person in Massachusetts. Doug Henning, David Copperfield, Siegfried and Roy, Penn and Teller created a popular platform of magic appreciation that helped Tom get into the comedy market.
Can you use YOUR story and your ability to speak in public as a launching pad to a speaking career which pays much more than doing entertainment shows?
How do you transfer from comedy magic to creating short stories that appeal to younger audiences?
What does Mick Jagger dreaming the song Satisfaction have to do with writing storylines for kids?
These audio stories for kids run 5-8 minutes. The stories focus on the characters of BeanTown.
Is there an intuitive sense of story telling and writing storylines? can this be as effective as studied story construction. "The Muppets" Do you know how Jim Henson became famous as the creator of the international puppet success ... the Muppets
What happens when your big plans don't play out as you had hoped? Where are the new opportunities? Tom shares how he took to the new world of opportunities provided by the internet and resurrected the marketing of his Beantown stories and characters.
How are you writing the material for you shows? Are you writing for the under 5 audience? Is this limiting the effectiveness of your material? Should you be writing for the tweens?
The importance of staying flexible enough to adapt to new the new paradigms of social marketing. Resources mentioned: Hear Tom Hayes on BeanTownPals radio
Meet the beans who are causing all this hoo hah and kerfuffle at BeanTownPals
Get the real bean stories on good 'ol CD
Find all the bean adventures on iTunes
Connect with Tom Hayes
Connect with Tammy Pooler
Tom recommends Writing Down The Bones by Natalie Goldberg for writing tips
Get bulk CD runs at Kunaki
Learn more with Julian and Ken's other podcast: Magician Business Podcast Our sponsors are... Practical Magic - First class international mail order service for kids magic props, videos, dvd's books and more.
ClippedCardTrick.com - The Most Cost Effective Magic Giveaway That Costs Less Than 2¢ For a Kids Entertainer Hub $20 off special use the code: kidspod
Now it's your turn!
What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
How to Become a Better Kids Performer with John Reid: How Kids Entertainers Can Use Eyes, Hearts and Smiles to Connect with an Audience
John Reid tired of the cheap one liners that kids entertainers can carelessly use, you know the ones: give me your hand ... I meant the clean one! WAH WAH WAH ... and set himself on the road to highlighting the power of simple positive presentations...
We start off by asking John what he means by this statement “I don’t want to make people better performers, I want to make performers better people.”
In this episode we discuss:
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Hear about John Reid's lecture that focuses on things that make his heart smile.
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Hear about making first impressions and how important this is to making a connection with your audience within the first seven seconds.
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If a tree falls in the woods if there is no one to hear it, does it make a sound? If a magician is doing a trick and there is no one to watch it does any magic actually take place?
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Do you allow time for pauses in your presentation? Do you understand the power of the pause?
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When you front your audience, do you point your heart at the audience. This is such a nice way to remember to physically connect with the audience.
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Find out about John's magic droppings ... little things you can do on a daily basis to put a smile on people's faces.
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How to leave tips to make people's days a little better for such small effort.
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Join in on John's mission to make ten million smiles.
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Balloon twisters and face painters have an advantage over magicians in that they are naturally leaving a tangible memory with their audience. What can magicians do to leave more than just a fleeting memory.
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Find out about the power of mouth coils, production streamers and throw streamers.
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As Jeff McBride is fond of saying 'confetti is the new fire' ... a small explosion of Technicolor ribbons that is safer than fire.
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Are you creating your show, your routines through the filter that is your own personal beliefs and philosophies.
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There are more books written on magic on any other subject other than religion. There is so much information available on magic. Is this tsunami of knowledge holding you back in your performing.
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'A burnt customer is not a return customer' ... one of John Reid's early mentors told him this and it has influenced John's decision not to include fire in his family shows.
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New York magician, balloon twister and now hypnotist Terry Parrett helped John start his balloon twisting career that culminated in John holding the world record for the biggest balloon twisting creation: a 50 foot tall robot using over 4000 modelling balloons.
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Find out about Tannen's Magic Camp and how it brings together young magicians with others like themselves for a week of magic immersion. Resources mentioned: John's TrickyBiz magic store
See John's portfolio of balloon creations
Find the mouthcoils and throw streamers John makes
Need SOMETHING different?
Meet Terry Parrett who mentored John's early balloon twisting ambitions.
Tannens Magic Camp for aspiring young magicians
Teach By Magic is a resource for school teachers to capitalize on the inherent interest kids show in magic tricks.
Julian's Magician School
More free magic tricks from Ken and Julian here Magic Tricks For Kids Our sponsors are... Practical Magic - First class international mail order service for kids magic props, videos, dvd's books and more.
sillyfarm.com is the largest supplier of face and body art supplies in the USA.
Now it's your turn!
What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
Promotional Merchandising for Kids Entertainers
How kids entertainers can add some marketing zing into the relationship with their audiences and clients.
Balloon Storyteller Annie Banannie uses the same creativity she puts into stage shows, school assemblies and library summer reading programs to lift her marketing and promotions to a higher level ... In this episode we discuss: Annie Banannie doesn't tell stories to her balloons - boom boom - but she includes balloons in everything she does.
Do you use business cards as a kids entertainer? Hear why Annie doesn't like or use business cards.
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The idea of romancing your customers and how can portable bathrooms in Times Square help you create an appreciative following for your kids entertainer business.
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You might not like bookmarks but kids LOVE them. Discover how you can leverage their popularity with your audiences.
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Photo frames to encourage parents at private events.
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On a budget? Ideas on using the free services that the internet offers.
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Are you running an online kids club yet? Annie utilises this simple idea.
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How to apply the creative process to your kids entertainment promotions.
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Running a story contest to create interaction with children and the parents and teachers while promoting children's writing.
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Finger puppets. Using puppets to let kids who can't write yet be able to enter in a story promotion you might run.
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Staying focused, staying on-message with your branding.
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Looking past your competitors to the strengths of big successful companies to get your marketing ideas.
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Standing out with your promo merchandise at a PTA convention (Parents Teacher Association)
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Listen to how Annie Banannie has taken the old idea of the Fortune Telling Fish and re designed it into a modern balloon dog for 21st century kids entertainers. Resources mentioned in this episode: Youtility ... the book mentioned by Annie
Evernote ... an online filing cabinet
Trick Balloon Dog Find out more about Annie's new promo handout
Find out more about Annie Banannie at Annie's Professional Sites
www.BalloonStoryteller.com www.DrElectricBook.com www.Twitter.com/BalloonStory www.Facebook.com/BalloonStory www.YouTube.com/BalloonStoryteller Our sponsors are... Practical Magic - First class international mail order service for kids magic props, videos, dvd's books and more.
sillyfarm.com is the largest supplier of face and body art supplies in the USA.
Now it's your turn!
What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
Balloon Twisting Tips for Kids Entertainers
Jay Jay the Balloon Guy was a juggler. One day his life changed and he could juggle no more. Discover how he grew a satisfying balloon twisting business from scratch ...
Jay Jay hails from South Africa where he was household name in his performing area. He now lives and works in Australia as a balloon twister, a balloon teacher and a balloon supplier. As famous motivation coach Zig Ziglar said, "help as many people get what they want in life and you'll get everything you want in life" In this episode we discuss: - Listen and hear how Jay Jay has adopted this philosophy and find out about ...
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The people who the best at balloon twisting usually come from performing backgrounds
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It's not all about twisting technique, it's very much about making kids laugh.
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BASE method ... Borrow And Steal Everything to create a vehicle for entertaining
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From juggler to balloon twister .. why the change?
Jay Jay The Balloon Guy
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Should you be a jack-of-all-trades or should you specialize as a children's entertainer? Which is better?
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Can you be a balloon twister without working through and agent?
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How much money should you spend on advertising when you are starting out?
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What to do if you aren't getting repeat bookings and referrals after one year of starting out?
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The value of attending balloon twisting conventions?
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How much do you charge for balloon twisting?
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Keeping your booking process simple?
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How to design your website to keep it simple and build your credibility?
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How to create a balloon twisting teaching business?
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Find out about the OzJam balloon twisting convention
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How castrating lambs has helped balloon twisters (strange but true) Resources mentioned in this episode: Jay Jay The Balloon Guy website
The balloon roll to keep your balloon supplies organised
See Matt Falloons Balloon Roll in action
This is the Russian Glue talked about in this episode
Learn about clown doctors at the Theodora Foundation
Join the Kids Entertainer facebook group
Our sponsors are... Practical Magic - First class international mail order service for kids magic props, videos, dvd's books and more.
sillyfarm.com is the largest supplier of face and body art supplies in the USA.
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
Kids Entertainer Tips from a Disneyland Performer
With over 9000 shows as a Disney Pop Up performer, Max Marshall shares performing tips, insights into creating your stage character and how legendary clown doctor Patch Adams taught him - with a rubber fish - how to make his audiences 'feel' the comedy.
Max Marshall is a variety performer in Hong Kong Disneyland. He has worked for Disney now for 6 years (and many more to go!) With 4 years with Cruise Line plus 2 years with Hong Kong Disneyland he has personally clocked over 9000 shows! That's a whole lot of laughter, a ton of happiness, literally millions of smiles and an uncanny amount of energy created 100% day in day out. Max started juggling at 7 years old. Went to see street performers at the Edinburgh Festival and was inspired. Problem was he was shy, in his words he wouldn't say boo to a goose.
In this episode we discuss: Having a desire to GIVE , to affect people, and how it can drive your performing career.
What is the 'static suitcase' and why was it a winner above all other magic and juggling and flaming torches.
Developing your stage character takes years.
The value of taking clown classes.
Working in 21 countries around the world makes you create many different characters. Street shows, theatre shows all require a different approach.
The importance of not 'hiding' behind your props
The importance of making people 'feel'
A silent act doesn't work as well as a unicycle, flaming torches. Why do you see the same acts, the same props all around the world? Like Cups and Balls? Because they work.
Pop up atmosphere performer is essentially a street performer without convincing people to put their hands in their pocket.
His Dad's advice about selling cheese and onion crisps on building a strong business as a variety performer.
Get to know a theme park first before you apply to them. Offer them something you think would work well for them, something that would become an attribute.
The differences between Theme parks and Attraction Parks.
The Disney philosophy of treating every person as a guest.
The value of customer feedback forms.
9000 shows in 6 years working with Disney is possible because they design the costume, the working schedule, the microphones are always ready.
Character development
Sunny Magoo ... his kid's character brand that flopped.
The difficulties of performing surrounded by very famous mouse and duck characters.
Source a clown teacher. An acting clown course as opposed to an acting course. Comedy club improvisation workshops
Separate yourself from your prop so people can see who you are
What makes people laugh? What is the psychology behind it? What is it that entertains people? Its not what you do, it's how you make the people FEEL.
Laughter workshop ..laughter yoga ...laughing for no reason
Hear Max's story of how on a two week tour of Russia, Patch Adams taught Max to entertain with nothing but a rubber fish. What does the rubber fish do?
Understanding different cultural sensitivities.
The importance of reading body language books and sales books.
Resources mentioned in this episode: Max's Instagram ... follow Max Marshall
Max Marshall Facebook .. follow Max
Ron Lucas TV show .. ventriloquism, puppets, story tellers
Maynard Flip Flap ...street clown
Disneyauditions.com ... submit your act
Patch Adams ... Clown Doctor
Max's free video for Kids Entertainer podcast listeners ...
Our sponsors are... Practical Magic - First class international mail order service for kids magic props, videos, dvd's books and more.
sillyfarm.com is the largest supplier of face and body art supplies in the USA.
Now it's your turn! What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. If you have any questions ask them below and Max will personally answer you. Thanks for listening.
Telephone Technique Can Increase Your Bookings
In this podcast Colette Kelly shares how she doubled her bookings by varying what she was saying on the telephone.Colette has developed a telephone script for kids entertainers that you can download for free below.
Colette has kindly agreed to share her ‘sales script’, voice mail message and what she says when leaving a message on a customer’s phone.
This is a working document that guides you step by step to construct your own telephone script that will get your more bookings.
Download Your Free Handout: Telephone Scripts by Colette KellyDownload your Telephone Scripts handout
5 Top Telephone Tips
How to answer the phoneWhen to (and more importantly, when NOT) answer the phoneHow to deal with the customer that “Just want to know how much you charge”How to appeal to your customer’s emotions and imaginationHow to write your own telephone script that sells you in terms of benefits to you customer.
Learn how to move your potential booker from an analytical “how much do you charge” to a warm, fluffy and emotive “oh my child is going to have a wonderful time with you”
Colette Kelly
It doesn't matter what type of kids entertainer you are, part of the booking process will mean speaking with a client on the phone to explain what you do and how you do it.
You will learn
The psychology of the phone call, what to say and when to say it.An answer-phone message that will have bookers rushing to your website.
Colette shares crucial information about appealing to your customers emotions and what benefits you can offer them and how to do that.
She share what she has learned from her customers. Having an opportunity to qualify what they were looking for and if what she offers fits their need has been invaluable. Furthermore being able to ‘educate’ the customer about what she does has made a huge difference to the performances themselves. “Good business always leads to more good business.”
Links:
Colette's website where she works as a children's entertainer in Cheshire England
Now it's your turn!What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. If you have any questions ask them below.
Download Your Free Handout: Telephone Scripts by Colette KellyDownload your Telephone Scripts handout