A big thanks,

I want to give a big thanks to everyone who worked on (and continues to work on) my new site: Karl Ziemer of Karfred Design, Amaris Granado of Amaris Granado Photography, Shawn Bowers, Gil Leora, and of course Erin Gallagher. Also the video that is linked on the site was shot by Malachi Leopold of Left Brain/Right Brain Productions. It's really great getting to work with talented people that you also like personally.

Erin and I have been talking a lot recently about who we would like to work on projects with, who we currently work with and who we have worked with in the past. As any business grows you will change clients. You will find new clients, old ones will move on, and most importantly you can move on from bad clients.

I used to work for an "agent" who would take 50% of the fee for the booking. She booked some the worst gigs, had the ugliest business cards and still did everything on paper. When I would complain to her about how much she took on each gig she would say that she spent over $2000 a month in advertising. I was flabbergasted. I spend a 1/10th of that. She had no idea that if she wasn't such a pain to work for she would keep good talent then she wouldn't have to spend so much to get new clients all the time. The only talent that continued to work for her were pretty awful. Anyone who was any good or had any sense of show business would move on as soon as possible. I was so happy the day I could tell her I wasn't available. I will say that it was great to get my foot in the door here in Chicago with her when I first moved here. But I quickly out grew her and was able to dump a bad client.

Erin and I have recently started working with some really awesome people. Of course they all know each other! I met Karl Ziemer of Karlfred Design (http://www.karlfred.net) via Erin's friend Erin Annarella (http://www.thesingingyogini.com/). We have also been working with Annie and Keith of Vaudezilla Productions (http://www.vaudezilla.com). Erin met Annie independently but then when we got to know them it turns out Keith works with my close friend Claire Wedemeyer (http://www.clairewedemeyer.com/).

This brings me to two points: 1. Good people are hard to find and work closely with each other and 2. don't tick anyone off because all of the other people will know about it. I used to work with an entertainer who was late for a few gigs and then didn't show up at one at all! Because what we do is so subjective the only concrete things a client has to judge you on is if you were on time and how much they paid. Everything else is just opinion. This entertainer had to work for a year or more for some agents and clients to hire her again. Other agents won't ever work with her ever again. Which is really too bad because she is super talented.

So, what am I trying to say? Pick who you work with carefully, be good to your clients, and don't work for clients (which include agents) that aren't good to you.

Big gigs everyone.