S7E1: Brian Miller - Connecting With Your Audience
In this interview,\xa0Brian Miller talks about how to magically connect with anyone! He also\xa0talks about why he decided to try standup comedy and why you should too!
\nBrian is a nationally acclaimed corporate entertainer and keynote speaker performing mainly at colleges and corporate events. Residing in Connecticut, he regularly performs at more than 200 events every year throughout New England and across the country.
\nIn addition to his magical performing, he\u2019s also regularly invited to speak on topics including: influence and persuasion, secrecy, safety and awareness, the philosophy & psychology of magic, and recently did a TEDx talk on \u201cHow to Magically Connect with Anyone." \xa0
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\nKris' Recommendation of the Week\nLast week I\xa0mentioned that\xa0you can use your public library card to access Lynda.com and their extensive wealth of online courses. This week is another great way to use your library card.
\nOverDrive Media Console:\xa0Borrow eBooks, audiobooks, and more from your local public library \u2013 anywhere, anytime. All you need is a library card. It's available for free on both iOS and Android platforms\xa0and\xa0I was delighted to discover\xa0a bunch of great books on business and marketing\xa0available from my library that I could download right to my phone! \xa0
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\nSuccess\xa0Quotes\nLeap and the net will appear.
\nYou don't want people to say, \u201cLet\u2019s get a magician, how about Brian Miller.\u201d What you want them to say is, \u201cLet\u2019s get Brian Miller. By the way, he\u2019s a magician." \xa0
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\nComedy\n\u2022 If you want to get into live entertainment, start doing standup comedy.
\n\u2022 Look for open likes and every opportunity.
\n\u2022 It teaches you how to deal with any audience and situation.
\n\u2022 Tells about his \u201caha moment\u201d when it came to comedy and writing a show.
\n\u2022 The first time he tried standup comedy and absolutely killed! The next ten times, he bombed dismally.
\n\u2022 You cannot go on auto pilot. Every audience is different.
\n\u2022 Give information and setup, and twist it as hard as you can for the punchline.
\n\u2022 If you\u2019re not naturally funny, you might not want to be a comedy entertainer. \xa0
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\nHow to Magically Connect with Anyone\n\u2022 Talks about his TEDx Talk
\n\u2022 Why it\u2019s important to connect with your audience.
\n\u2022 Making sure you\u2019re making a positive connection first impression with your audience.
\n\u2022 Warming up to the audience before you even mention that you\u2019re a performer.
\n\u2022 How to strengthen the connection with your audience and maintain it.
\n\u2022 Talks about some specific things people do that alienate audiences.
\n\u2022 Don\u2019t "perform at" the audience.
\n\u2022 Being present and listening to your audience.
\n\u2022 The real magic is in connecting with your audience. \xa0 \xa0
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\nFailure Moment\nHis very first NACA showcase. He didn\u2019t listen to the advice from someone who had been in the college market considerably longer than Brian. He ultimately bombed. \xa0
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\nFavorite Success\nTransitioning into and becoming a sought-after lecturer in the field he was going to pursue a PHD in. He feels it really went full circle. \xa0
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\nBiggest Profesional Challenge\nFinding time to do creative work in the midst of all the business work. \xa0
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\nOther Topics Covered\n\u2022 You can\u2019t always be completely prepared.
\n\u2022 You want people to hire you because of who you are, not what you do.
\n\u2022 Take a look at your material and if you see a bunch of people doing what you do, you might change up your material.
\n\u2022 Tells how he turned down going after a PHD in favor of pursuing his magic career.
\n\u2022 His plan for the future and a little on his strategy. \xa0
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\nParting Advice\nDon\u2019t be afraid to fail. Failure is NOT the opposite of success. \xa0
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\nRecommended books and resources:\nNote: Many of the links in this section are affiliate links, meaning we\xa0earn a small portion of any sales. If you're enjoying our\xa0podcast and decide to purchase one of the recommended resources or books, please consider using our\xa0affiliate links to help support the work we're doing here at the Successful Performercast. Thanks! \xa0
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\nResources:
\nEvernote - he likes to make audio notes. \xa0
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\nBooks:
\nAbsolute Magic by Darren Brown
\nBorn Standing Up by Steve Martin \xa0
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\nWhere can we find Brian Miller?\n