747: Alex Ramon - Part One - Mr. Tahoe

Alex Ramon has been performing in Lake Tahoe, California for over a decade with a residency where he has headlined in every local casino showroom. There is no one better who fits the title of “Mr. Tahoe” having been seen by hundreds of thousands of people who visit this vacation destination all year long. He also found success performing virtual shows during COVID which he still performs today. But he has developed a unique model of “touring” by performing consecutive nights in different locations across the U.S. in venues from theaters to people’s driveways and garages. All of this promotes his brand and results in big financial success.

In this first of a two part series featuring Alex Ramon, he talks about building a fan base, why not to offer “free” shows, plus how he successfully pivoted during COVID to earn six figures in one year by performing Zoom shows. He goes into some detail, too, about how he developed a touring structure that he can make serious income by having his shows sponsored by the fan base he developed.

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One of the books recommended by Alex Ramon in this week's episode.

How to build your fanbase. This was another book discussed in this week's episode.

593: David Magee - Reinventor

From behind the radio microphone to trade show floors to celebrity charity shows to casino showrooms to a one-man show, Dave Magee is one of those performers who excels in every category. He is one of the busiest magicians who most magicians have never heard of. He doesn’t have products for sale to magicians and rarely appears at magic conventions. But he has found more than one niche where he is comfortable and earns a very comfortable living. Along the way, he has called on the expertise of Johnny Thompson who went from a producer/director/consultant to a best friend.

Las Vegas mentalist and illusionist David Magee is back with a 100% new show for this year's Dominican Republic missions benefit.

A military exclusive! Mentalist and sleight-of-hand artist David Magee chats with Exchange Senior Enlisted Advisor Kevin “KO Osby” about his mind-blowing act, his mentors, and he throws in a few live tricks just for you!

In this episode, Dave talks about how working free shows is a good thing that can advance your career if you wisely choose the correct charities. He also shares many stories about working with Johnny Thompson, how he developed his niche at Indian casinos, and performing his own “sold out” one-man magic show.

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350: Hammer Time with Mike Hammer

For the past five years, Mike Hammer has been packing them in while headlining in his own theater in the Four Queens Casino and Hotel on Fremont Street, downtown Las Vegas. Mike has his own style, and it works for him. He is the "Don Rickles" of magic with a rather abrasive approach where he actually insults his audience...and they love him! The night I visited his show, the room was packed and afterwards I overheard some saying this was a repeat visit to enjoy his show. Two people had paid for return visits to watch his show over 30 times!

Some of you might remember seeing Mike on "Penn and Teller Fool Us" with his outrageously memorable performance using a blow up doll. If not, then you can view the video here on this blog.

In this podcast, we cover a lot of territory from how he developed his act, working in Las Vegas, routining, trick selection, getting out of bad situations when things go wrong, and keeping his performances fresh. This was a fun and funny podcast that includes a lot of sound advice with some great behind-the-scenes stories.