There's Another Way

I was attending a conference in Las Vegas once when I recognized a man standing across the room. He was overdressed with an ill-fitting pinstriped suit and shiny shoes. I knew him because he was a booking agent for performers and we had briefly corresponded in the past. So, I took a business card out of my pocket and worked my way across the room to introduce myself.

From what I had read about this guy online, he was everything I’m not. He was always in “sales mode”, like a character in “Glengarry Glen Ross”. Everything he did, everything he said, everything he wrote, and everything he shared was designed for one thing: to close the sale and make him more money.

I’m the exact opposite. I cringe at the thought of always closing and networking makes me want to crawl into a hole and die. My approach has always been to simply be good at what I do and let my work speak for itself. I’ve always thought that all I need is one shot in front of a person to convince them that I’m worth working with.

That approach has worked well for me so far. Even during the pandemic I’ve been fortunate enough to get myself in front of people and use that opportunity to win them over. For example, back in July I did an event for Zoom. (Yes, THAT Zoom.) It was one of their regional events with a small team and I knew that I was one of many performers that they had been working with. So I prepared a special performance just for them, in hopes of setting myself apart from any of the other acts they had seen.

It’s the same mentality I have when I do a cabaret show with 4 or 5 other performers on the line-up. I always try to raise my level so that people will remember my performance long after the show. I’ll spend weeks writing and rehearsing new material just so I can blow the competition out of the water. I use those moments as personal motivation, like Michael Jordan in The Last Dance, taking everything personally and using it as ammo to destroy my rivals in the next game. I love it when people come up after those shows and say, “Everyone was awesome tonight but you were the best!” That’s what I’m going for.

I guess the show went over well back in July because it led to several other events with them, including an appearance at their annual user conference in October alongside the CEO. All it took was one time for me to convince them to work with me for good.

As I approached that booking agent in Vegas those were the thoughts that were running through my mind. Convince him to give you one opportunity and you can prove your value forever. I waited for a lull in conversation then calmly walked up and introduced myself.

You know when people are so rude that they won’t even give you the time of day? That’s what this guy was like. He was inconsiderate from the get-go, dismissive of my introduction and hardly listening to what I was saying. I told him that I knew who he was and thought we could work together. He asked what materials I had and I gestured to my card saying “it’s all on my website.” But he was barely listening.

“Listen,” he said, “You’re probably not ready. You need a lot of experience to do this. Do you have my course?”

The fucking audacity of this guy, to try to sell he his freaking course when I was just trying to introduce myself! I knew this guy had put out a $1000 marketing course with general guidance on how to book shows and work with clients, but I’d been too busy actually doing shows to have time to watch a course tell me things I already know. Plus, the reviews were lackluster so I wasn’t about to waste money on something that was already being taught better in other places.

“I don’t need your course,” I said firmly, “I’m already doing it. I just thought it’d be good for us to work together sometime."

“Take the course,” he said, “Then we can talk.”

“I’m good,” I said, “But now you have my card in case you want to do business together sometime.”

I never heard from him, but that’s okay because things kept getting busier for me. Every year since then has been busier than the year before. And I never even took his course! It’s almost like he was completely full of shit.

The problem with people like that is that they seem to think that they’ve found the only way to achieve success. The truth is, there are multiple ways to be successful. You can be the pushy salesman wearing customers out with your pitch until, completely exhausted, they finally work with you. Or, you can go the more fulfilling route and just be really good at your craft so people will remember you and always want to work with you. Either way, you already have everything you need to get to where you want to be.

I just saved you a thousand bucks!

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About Mark Toland

Mark Toland is an award-winning mind reader and two-time TEDx Speaker. His mind blowing skills have been featured on NBC, ABC, FOX, CBS, NPR, WGN, Sirius XM, and more. Mark’s blog is a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a professional entertainer, full of creative thoughts for creative people. Sign up below so you’ll never miss a post.

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Value What You Do

Incredibly, even though I’ve been a professional entertainer for over a decade, I still get occasional requests to work for free. People want me to “donate my time” or promise that their event will lead to “tons of free exposure”. As recent as last year someone asked me to do a show in exchange for some gift certificates at their restaurant. I turned them down.

When I was just starting out I might have jumped at the opportunity to get my name out there. Back then it felt foolish not to seize every opportunity that came my way but now, with ten years of experience, I see things differently.

So, to the artists, actors, musicians, comics, magicians, or other performers who might be reading this, let me help you out. When someone approaches you with promises of “exposure” in exchange for free work - DON’T DO IT.

Take it from me: Not a single bit of the work I gave away ever led to anything substantial. If anything, the people that I donated work to would realize I was a nice guy and continued to take advantage of my services in other ways. Plus, if anyone saw me at one of those events they were probably looking for discounted work, too.

Many of my artist friends have a hard time valuing what they do. Some don’t have a clue what to charge and others cringe at the idea of charging at all. It may be out of your comfort zone, but no matter your art form you should charge what you’re worth just like you would in any other field.

Take what I do, for example: When I travel for gigs I’m not just working for a 45 minute show. I’m actually giving away nearly 36 hours for one event. I’m literally spending almost one regular work week just to travel across the country and back for one job! So, I have to charge accordingly - hotel, travel, preparation costs, fuel, luggage, performance, experience, and more all factor into how I set my fee.

Just last weekend I found myself delayed at an airport on the west coast. My morning flight was cancelled and I rebooked on a different airline headed to the alternate airport in Chicago. I had plans that evening but luckily my flight landed back home just in time. I took an Uber home to change, then another Uber on to a concert with my wife. Then, after the show we took yet another Uber to the other airport to get our car before driving home. A simple flight home turned into a much more expensive flight and three additional cab rides across town.

It would be impossible to afford to deal with travel changes if I wasn’t firm in my fee and willing to value my work. And that’s the key - you have to understand your worth and be willing to say no to people that don’t value your work like you do.

Here’s the best advice I can give you: set a price and don’t come down on it. When people try to haggle with you, say “NO” and explain why you charge what you do. It may be difficult to let work slip away at first but over time people will understand that you mean business and they will value your craft like you do. In a year, increase your rates and start all over again. You’ll be glad you did.

People would never ask a plumber or contractor to work for exposure. They would never tell their attorney that they would be sure to “tell all of their friends about them” in exchange for their services. It’s something very unique to entertainers and artists. But, that doesn’t mean it’s okay.

The next time someone asks you to work for "gift certificates” just tell them that you called your landlord and sadly they don’t accept gift certificates in exchange for your rent. Or, just forward that cheapskate a link to this post.

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Other Thoughts:

• Jules Darling did this awesome sketch of me during a show in Chicago last week! Check out more of their work on Instagram.

• Tomorrow night I'll be reading minds at a special Valentine’s Day edition of The Magic Penthouse. I’m also part of an incredible lineup this weekend at The Lincoln Lodge. Get your tickets here.

• I was super pumped that “Parasite” won the Oscar for Best Picture. If you haven’t seen it yet, what are you waiting for? Don’t read anything that might spoil it - just watch it. It’s easily one of the best movies I’ve seen in a really, really long time.

Priorities

In 2014 I was trying to do too much.

I was struggling to get consistent work so I was taking shows wherever I could. I went to booking conferences, drove overnight to shows, partnered with charities for special events, and more. I even started cold calling potential clients while pretending to be my own manager. I was spreading myself too thin and it showed.

For some reason that year, I decided it would be a wise move to also run the Chicago Marathon. On top of everything else I had going on, I started training for the race.

I made it about two months of training before it became too much. I was too busy trying to make ends meet professionally that I couldn’t devote any time or energy to running. My workouts became a hassle and I gave up.

I still ran the marathon that year but it was a dismal failure. I wasn’t even close to the time I wanted and I hadn’t trained for three months leading up to the big race. It was a disappointing result, but I learned some valuable lessons.

First, I was creating the illusion of being busy. I was updating social media regularly, making YouTube videos, mailing sales postcards, and sending 100-200 emails per day in search of new work. But to what end? My best gigs were not coming from my relentless marketing methods - they were coming from other shows. When people saw what I did they would recommend me for other things. The better my act, the more likely I’d get hired for other things. Everything else was just a silly way to convince myself that I was working really hard.

Second, I realized that there is always time for the things that matter. In my haste to make ends meet and keep busy I had forgotten to prioritize the things that truly made me happy. Cold calling, stamping envelopes, and driving long hours were definitely not those things.

This year I stopped doing all the “busy work” that we’ve been tricked into believing is important. I stopped scheduling social media posts and don’t respond to emails past 5pm or on the weekends. I stopped searching for new clients or potential events and just focused on giving good performances. The funny thing is, I’m busier than ever. Turns out, I didn’t need to be doing all of those other things after all.

I also have been focusing on my exercise more this year. Instead of making it a hassle like I did in 2014, I reframed it as a priority.

It’s only an hour. It's only 7 miles. It’s worth it.

Instead of scrolling twitter or watching the news, I get to do something for me. I get to RUN. Several days a week I set off down the lakefront in Chicago and let my mind wander. When I’m traveling I set an alarm and get up early or use my breaks between events to get my miles in.

I’ve been running for years but this is the first year I’ve truly made it a priority. I’ve been setting little goals for myself all year to keep up with it and now it feels as much a part of my routine as breakfast, lunch, and dinner. (This month alone I’ll log 100+ miles, a huge victory after having a couple injuries only one year ago!)

I guess what I've been thinking about on my runs lately is that life is too short to prioritize the things that don’t matter. Why keep doing something if you don’t enjoy it? And why let something become a hassle when it’s actually one of your favorite things?

Your biggest priority should be filling your time with the stuff you love doing. You don’t need anyone’s permission. You shouldn’t keep putting it off. You need to put yourself first. If not now….when?

I’ve run more this year than any other and I’m happier than I’ve ever been. And, I just signed up for the 2020 Chicago Marathon lottery, but I won’t know until December if I get selected or not. If I do I’m going to make up for my failure back in 2014. And if I don’t I’ll find another marathon somewhere else.

Everyone in life is telling you to devote every spare hour to getting better, working harder, and finding success. I’m telling you the opposite. You don’t need to do anything except to find what makes you happiest and make that your number one priority.

Okay, that’s enough for this week. It’s time for today’s run.

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Other Thoughts:

• You can see a glimpse of the new show I’m working on at the Chicago Magic Lounge on November 9th and 10th. Get your tickets here.

• What I’m reading right now: “Picnic Comma Lightning” by Laurence Scott

• Check out this week’s video:

Details

I saw a one-person show earlier this summer that had a moment I can’t stop thinking about.

The performer had a bag of props on stage complete with money, comb, water bottle, and so on. They kept using the props for various reasons throughout the scene. So far, so good.

But then, they went to check the time. They glanced at their wrist and THEY WEREN’T WEARING A FREAKING WATCH.

WHAT?!

Why have an entire bag of real props but not a real watch?

For the rest of the show I couldn’t stop thinking about that tiny moment. It just made no sense.

If you’re going to do something then go all the way. Have all the props, learn all the skills, finish the project.

This is a big pet peeve of mine.

It drives me crazy to see an artist who specializes in design but has a poorly designed website. Or a performer who has never actually studied theater.

A fellow performer told me recently that he didn’t believe in writing a script. He insisted that his performance would be “fresher without one” and that “saying the same words every time” wasn’t his style.

Face, meet palm.

When people make comments like that what I actually hear is “Writing a script is too much work.”

I don’t understand how you can expect people to buy tickets to see you if you haven’t put in the work to actually write a show. And I have no idea how you can expect people to buy into your performance if some of your props are imaginary and some of your props are real.

If you aren’t willing to put in the work then what’s the point? There’s more to what you do than the thing you’re doing. You have to learn all the minor skills that go into your craft. You have to pay attention to all aspects of what you do.

People will notice the little details…even if you don’t.