I have been thinking about this statement a lot lately, “We are all in this together”. And from what I am seeing now, apparently we are NOT all in this together. IF we were in this together, now that things are opening up, people & businesses would go back and support their vendors & clients. Instead, I’m seeing a lot of cancelations. I get it, the numbers are down for the summer. There is a lot of uncertainty. You are scared. I get it. Trust me. I’ve been talking to the folks on the entertainment side of things, from the smallest of small entertainers, to some who are nationally known. They all feel the fear.
HOWEVER, there is a difference between some folks and others. Both those who provide services (entertainers) and those of you who hire services (you). Some in the group, are already past the fear and have developed solutions. I will tell you in full confidence, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better problem solver than a magician, really. We have to think on so many levels all the time. It’s just beyond the way a normal person thinks. So we are quick to find answers and solutions. Are we quick to implement those????? Well, that’s another story, lol. Some are some aren’t.
Let me share a story of fear and a story of triumph with you. I have a friend who has been in the business of shows for a long time, even longer than me. He was looking to retire in a few years. But due to this pandemic, he decided rather than change his entire business, he might as well retire now. He isn’t alone. I know younger performers who have already decided to leave entertainment because if this pandemic were to hit again, they simply couldn’t make it. I’ve got a ton of these kinds of stories.
Then there is me. From day one of being out of work, I began to educate myself online. I started taking classes and lessons. I wanted to improve my sleight of hand skills so I took a few online classes. I wanted to find something that I could plug my skillset into and make money even IF there was another pandemic. WHAT skillset does a magician have besides doing tricks???? 1. I am a professional Speaker. 2. I am a professional Salesman. 3. I am a professional Marketer. 4. I am a professional Graphic Artist. 5. I can write copy, I can write scripts, I can create presentations, I can…..you get the idea. I have a LOT of tools available to me. I found my answers in Digital Marketing which I’m beyond thrilled about! But I also wanted to continue to pursue my career performing. So I began to study the various Interactive Streaming Platforms. I quickly secured the domain name ZoomMagicShow.com and am switching my Summer Camp Shows to Virtual LIVE performances. Not only that, but I’m giving my clients a huge package that they’d honestly be foolish to turn down. Some have turned it down. It’s their loss, trust me. This package I put together was so that my clients this summer wouldn’t be left without shows. Many didn’t want to make the phone call to tell me they needed to cancel. And many were surprised to find out I had an alternative all ready to go! Big problems Need BIG SOLUTIONS and I created one!
So are we all truly in this together??? Nope. Some will shrink away, and allow the circumstances of the day to dictate what they do. I decided to take charge of the situation and move beyond the pandemic. I created a solution for my clients so they could still have shows this summer despite many restrictions. Yes, I even worked out solutions that answer those issues as well. Positive answers, forward momentum, that is what is needed today. Not doom and gloom. Not, ‘the new normal’. The new normal means you are settling for things the way they are and that they’ll never change. If mankind did that, we never would have become explorers. We never would have gone to the moon. We frankly never would have gotten past the Black Plague of the Middle Ages. But we are human beings and we are innovators and inventors and problem solvers (yes even those of you not magicians, lol). We find answers and we create our own futures.
There are solutions to every problem. Sometimes, the answer is not one we want to face, maybe the circumstance of this pandemic put you in a place where the only solution is to close your business. Gosh I hope not. But even if it did. Look up. A new day is ahead. Set a new path for yourself. Realize this, if other people have found solutions, YOU CAN!!!! Stop listening to the doomsayers. Look for the positive and move in that direction if you can.
I hope you’ll join me this summer in helping you to improve your summer camp with my Virtual Magic Shows. You’re going to be hearing a LOT about this in the coming days and weeks. Act now in a positive way before all the spots are taken.