I can’t tell you how many horror stories I’ve heard from bands, actors, magicians and other performers who’s careers have stalled because in their opinion ‘xyz didn’t market me correctly.’

That’s like saying ‘we lost the game because the cheerleaders were ugly.

One has nothing to do with the other. Cheerleaders may be nice to look at (unless they’re knuckle-draggers) but it’s the players on the field who have to win the game.

Same goes for your career. You’re in control. Or you should be. If something falters with marketing or publicity the buck stops with you. (That doesn’t mean you become a micro-manager. There’s a difference.)

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Marketing is the process associated with the promotion of goods or services for sale. It begins with your ability to cultivate interest in your brand  using images, products or whatever you have at your disposal.  Your brand is you.  Or your show.  Oprah. Howard Stern.  Madonna. American Chopper. Are these people the best at what they do?  Depends on who you ask and frankly, who cares?  You know who they are because they market themselves well.

Publicity is the deliberate attempt to manage the public’s perception of you and/or your show.  Publicists take the brand (you) and get you interviews and appearances to speak about it to the widest audience possible.  Don’t like doing interviews?  Suck it up.  It’s part of the game.

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Marketing and Publicity are both forms of promotion.

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Keep in mind that just because you hire someone doesn’t mean they have to do a good job.  On the other hand nobody wakes up and says ‘I can’t wait to get to work so I can fail today’.

It’s all about YOUR expectations and how effectively you communicate them with your team.  You’ll get better results if you approach your publicist/producers/etc with meaningful dialogue about how to stand out.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Not knowing is natural – you’re not supposed to know everything. Pretending to know is ignorant. Not sure who to hire? Google is a wonderful thing. If someone wants to work with you and you can’t find anything on them, beware. Any reputable marketing or publicity firm will happily hand you a list of references and former clients. Remember, it’s your name on the line here and you’re not the only game in town.

Refuse to be a victim of circumstance and your career will grow by leaps and bounds.

-Kahlil Ashanti

Share this with as many people as you can.  Thanks!

I often get asked what I’m looking for in order to decide if I’d like to work with an act. There are many answers to that question which would take far more writing than this post will be, but I wanted to start this conversation.

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The first thing I’m evaluating is always VALUE. By evaluate, I mean I am asking very direct and often tough questions related to your current business – eg. the money you are making, how many dates your booking, the type of places you’re performing, etc., in order to see where the holes in your business might be.

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Here’s the part that most performers get wrong – I’m not evaluating the value for me (that comes later). The first thing I’m evaluating is the value for YOU.

To simplify – I am asking questions to try and figure out whether you paying a Manager (usually 15% of your gross income) is worth it for you. If I can’t see a way to increase your gross earnings by at least 15% in a reasonable amount of time, then there is NO VALUE for you in having me as your Manager.

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Some examples of where I can see value for you in working me would be:

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• I think we can increase your pricing by 50% (you’d be surprised how often acts are under-charging for themselves)
• I think you’re playing in the wrong venues and we can take steps towards venues with a higher payout
• I believe that you are missing a niche marketplace in the entertainment world (e.g. corporate gigs, colleges, cruise ships) and I think I can help you tap into it.
• You’re so busy managing your business that it is actually costing you money as you’re focus is being pulled in too many directions.

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There are many other examples, but you get the picture. Many performers wait A LONG time for an opportunity to chat with “industry folk” that may be able to help their careers. So before you find yourself in a room with one of these people, give some thought to the things you think they are looking for. Exceptional talent is only the thing that gets you in the door. Remember what the Agent or Manager is looking for – Value for YOU.

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- Justin Sudds

We’re trying to grow so if you know someone who might find this interesting, send it to them, tweet it, facebook it, memorize it and recite it at a party, whatever works! If you’re interested to hear more from us, subscribe at the side.

Auditioning is a pain. Directors and casting people staring at me like I’m a germ in a petri dish.

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The ability to block all of that out and concentrate on what your character contributes to the story is golden.  But auditioning has less to do with acting and more to do with being.  The best way to walk into that room and become that character is by remembering that it all starts with your ability to understand the writing.  Better writer = better actor.  It’s a fact.

So where do you start?

By buying this book and using it to educate yourself on what it takes to be a great writer.  I could sit here and pretend to give you incredible insights but why should I when Robert McKee has said it better than anybody out there?  No, we’re not getting a cut of the profits.  I’ve never met him.   If you want to know why this is one of the bestselling books of all time click here. NOTE:  It’s a reference book not a novel.  Don’t read it cover to cover.  Pick through it and digest it in an order that works for you. Robert McKee offers expensive but amazing 3 day STORY seminars all over the world.  If you take the seminar he’ll tell you to just buy the book.  It may inspire you to write something yourself.  Leave no stone unturned.

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Think this guy landed the role?  This was for Batman Begins.  Or ends.

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True- this book is primarily for film and television.  Doesn’t matter.  I wrote my one man theatre show using the same principles and it works just as good if not better because at the heart of every great performance from  singers to jugglers to magicians to speed painters  is STORY.

Learning the crucial elements of story structure and plot is critical to delivering a believable performance. Why is this important?  Words have power.  The sooner you can harness the power of those words and get inside the head of the character and touch the root of the story the sooner you’ll start nailing gigs.  It’s that simple.

Every time you walk into that room they want you to be the right person for the role.  Some things are out of your hands so why worry about them? Be on time. Be prepared.  It’s on you.

-Kahlil Ashanti

We all know somebody who’s tired of going on audition after audition and never getting hired.  Send them this post.

It’s no secret that most artists have crappy instincts when it comes to money.  A few stellar examples:

(AP) Actor Nicolas Cage owes roughly US$128,000 in unpaid taxes on a mansion in Rhode Island.  The Oscar-winning actor sued his former business manager in October for $20 million, claiming the man’s advice led him toward financial ruin. Cage’s ex-business manager, Samuel J. Levin, has countersued, saying Cage’s lavish spending is to blame.

TMZ.com: Fantasia Barrino, winner of Season 3 of American Idol, bought a six-bedroom, 6,000-square foot mansion for $1.3 million in 2007. The county will auction the home off in January due to her trouble keeping up with mortgage payments.

How and why do so many artists end up broke?

It’s a story about four people: Everybody, Anybody, Somebody and Nobody:

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would manage your money.

Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job.

Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it.

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

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Sound familiar?

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HERE’S HOW YOU AVOID BECOMING A STATISTIC:

- Hire an attorney.  We recommend an attorney who works on a 5% basis. In other words they get 5% of whatever you make in exchange for negotiating your deals.

- Hire an accountant.  The percentage to them should never be more than 15% and they can also do your taxes.  Richard Roat & Associates in Los Angeles is one of the premier tax accountants for entertainers and although they work for a flat fee they don’t charge an arm and a leg. Look them up, I’ve been using them for five years.

- Become a Smart Cookie: http://www.smartcookies.com If you have no idea why you’re always broke it’s worth taking a look at your spending habits to come up with a plan to be more responsible.  If you can’t afford an attorney or accountant the Smart Cookies option is for you.

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Only work with attorneys or accountants who come highly recommended by someone  you respect. That someone should be in a financial situation you’d like to be in one day.  Don’t ask somebody in debt about managing money because chances are if they’re in debt they can’t manage their own.  And NEVER let your family  or friends manage your money.  Mixing business and family is a recipe for disaster.

-Kahlil Ashanti

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It’s only a mistake if you don’t learn from it.  Know somebody who bounces checks on payday?  Hook them up with this post.

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Like most people who have come back to work after the holiday break, I’ve been slammed by emails and phone calls and an ever-growing list of priorities to get done early in the new year. So, the fact that someone cold-call emailed me this week in order to try to get me to have a coffee, and was SUCCESSFUL, I thought that was worthy of a post.

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This is a GREAT cold-call email that got my attention, got a reply, and got me to sit down for a coffee….(Ok, I don’t drink coffee so it was actually London Fog, but still….)

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Here’s the email.

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Hi Justin;

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I sent this to Tom Kemp who was so generously going to meet with me, except I am in Vancouver.

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You don’t know me but I am an agent/manager in town, I have had a few talented bands ask me to rep them. I primarily work with actors and dancers but these guys are good, been at it for years and I can help them but if I am gong to work with them I thought I should learn a little more about the music biz. I know you are busy but I was wondering if I might buy you coffee and pick your brain a little?
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Thanks for your time, I hope to hear from you,
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V
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Now…Here’s why this worked, at least for me. Take note.
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1. It is very short, to the point and doesn’t give me a bunch of information I’m not going to read
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2. She starts the note by referencing someone who I know well and is well-respected in the industry. Tom Kemp is not only a good buddy, but he’s an agent in our Toronto based office (plus one of the funniest men alive). I should also note here that I never bothered to check with Tom to see if he actually spoke with V. Referencing someone I know will always get me to read on. Don’t get any ideas though, now I’ll be checking the next ones that come in referencing Tom!
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3. She takes the approach that she simply wants to learn a few things and by doing so flatters my over-developed male ego – Y”ou’re an expert and I’d like to learn from the best”…that’s what she said, right???
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4. She avoided any “pitching” whatsoever. She appealed to me on a human level. I met with V today and we had a good conversation, which hopefully she thought was helpful, and the next time she emails me, I’m sure I’ll respond and help where I can.
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Short, sweet and effective.