S7E6: Carisa Hendrix - Hiring an Assistant and More!

Successful Performercast by Kris Sheppard | Successful Performer Cast | Weekly Interviews with Professional Entertainers | Show Business, Showbiz, Performer, Magic, Magician, Juggler, Comedian, Musician

In this episode, variety entertainer Carisa Hendrix takes us through some of her personal steps to success which includes hiring a full-time assistant, Facebook Ads, press releases, and doing things out of order!

Hailing from Calgary, Carisa is a variety entertainer who for the past ten years has professionally performed magic, sideshow, circus, and fire acts. She’s taken her act all around Canada and the world. She’s been featured in Ripley’s Believe it Or Not, Vegas Strip Search, and the Guinness Book of World Records where she holds the record for “longest duration fire torch teething.”

She’s a skilled entertainer with a wide range of talents which also includes artistic director of Ballyhoo Entertainment where she crafts and designs custom entertainment options for corporate and special events.

She’s a trusted authority in fire eating and teaches on the subject via her blog at Firepedia.com.

Let’s just say she’s not the sort I’d like to happen across in a dark alley.

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Interview with Carisa Hendrix: Success Quote

• A generous spirit.

• Authentic relationships.

• Consistent, considerate, and complete work.

Carisa’s Road to Success

Carisa tells about the broad topics of knowledge she has that have contributed to her entertainment business success.

Hiring an Assistant

• Hiring a full-time assistant, and what’ she’s learned in the process.

• Hiring someone that wants what she’s accomplished, so she’s also mentoring someone as well as paying them.

• The value of having a personal assistant.

• How she realized that she needed an assistant.

• How to interview and pick your assistant.

• Writing a good job description.

• Bringing a non-biased third party to the interviews.

• Job duties of her current assistant.

Press Releases

• Cultivating relationships with the press.

• How write press releases.

• Have something to offer them.

• Write it so the editor doesn’t have to do anything.

• How to spin things to be more attractive to editors.

• What needs to be in a press release?

• Try to figure out what would make a good story. An interesting hook. Why now? What’s happening now?

• Who do you send press releases to? How do you build your press list?

• Not limited to just news press, but blogs and other new media avenues

Facebook Ads

• Using Facebook ads to reach very specific audiences.

• Using ads to build their community.

• Getting in front of and staying in front of the people who have already seen their shows. Top of Mind Awareness

• Starting conversations around their brand.

Doing Things Out of Order

• When working on a goal, take a step back and see if you should be doing things in a different order.

• Don’t obsess over the specific order of things. Sometimes, it may be more effective to do things out or order.

Other Topics Covered

• Sometimes you need to fire clients.

• Entertainment is art in the pursuit of joy.

• Talks about some of the “normal” jobs she’s had.

• How she almost went down a different road entirely.

• Having to re-learn some things.

• Her parasol act that she uses as a CEO piece.

• The things that get measured, get managed.

Parting Advice

If there’s something you really want to do, find out under what circumstances it would be pleasurable, and make you feel successful. Know why you’re doing what you’re doing.

Recommended books and resources:

Note: Many of the links in this section are affiliate links, meaning we earn a small portion of any sales. If you're enjoying our podcast and decide to purchase one of the recommended resources or books, please consider using our affiliate links to help support the work we're doing here at the Successful Performercast. Thanks!

Resources:

Quickbooks or Manager Sal

Carisa's Fire Eating DVD

Books:

Step by Step to Standup Comedy Workbooks by Greg Dean

Workbook 1: How to Write Jokes

Workbook 2: How to Improve Jokes and Routines

Workbook 3: How to Remember Jokes Naturally

Workbook 4: How to Be a Funny Performer

Workbook 5: How to Get the Experience to Be Funny

Four Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

The Practicing Mind by Thomas M. Sterner

Where can we find Carisa Hendrix?

carisahendrix.com

Learn Fire Eating