You’ll Never Become Bigger Than Yourself If You Insist On Working Alone
As speakers, entertainers, artists, coaches, and consultants, we go into business because we love what we do. We have a passion and we want to share it with the world. We don’t have a boss. We set our own hours. We tell the world we are entrepreneurs, when in reality we are freelancers.
Seth Godin has gone into detail describing the difference between a freelancer and an entrepreneur. I’ll give a brief description here. A freelancer gets paid for doing a job. An entrepreneur builds something bigger than himself.
In reality, a freelancer has many bosses. Each one paying when the job, service, or product is delivered or completed. An entrepreneur on the other hand builds a business and can get others to run it. Once the machine is created, it can keep running without the active participation of the entrepreneur. He has built something bigger than himself.
One is not better than the other, but it’s a good… Continue reading
Passion Trumps Technique – Public Speaking Tips
Do you speak too fast? When I first started performing as a Los Angeles magician, one recurring suggestion I’d get from my peers who were trying to help, was to slow down. They said I talked too fast.
Even today when I give a speaking presentation or perform magic, I have a tendency to speak very fast. There are a several reasons for it. If I’m even a little nervous, I speak fast, and it’s difficult to control. Sometimes I know my material so well, that the words just flow out of my mouth without even thinking about it. Other times I’m just so passionate and excited about the ideas that I have to share, that passion and excitement reveals itself in my quickly paced speaking.
So, is this a bad thing? Well, it can be. If you speak so fast that you don’t enunciate your words, people won’t understand what you’re saying. Other times the… Continue reading
Do Personal Posts Have Any Business In Marketing?
On January 5, 2015 I posted a video on this blog titled Ringing In The New Year In New Orleans. I also posted it in the blogs on my magic websites www.LouSerrano.com and www.LouSerranoMagic.com. It’s a video where I share my recent leisure trip to the Big Easy. It has nothing to do with marketing or my magic business.
A friend and fellow magician asked why I posted the video? It obviously takes a considerable amount of effort to edit and post the video. How could this video help in promoting my business?
It got me thinking. What’s rather obvious to me isn’t always obvious to others. The same goes for you. There are things you know that you probably take for granted that can be enormous revelations to other people.
It’s a commonly accepted idea that all things being equal, and given the choice, people would rather do business with others they know,… Continue reading
Standing On The Books We Read
“The only thing worse than not reading a book in the last ninety days
is not reading a book in the last ninety days and thinking that it doesn’t matter.”
-Jim Rohn
I try to read at least one book every month. Some of the most successful people in the world read one book every week. Books are a great to way gain knowledge from the experience of other successful people.
In this video I share my five favorite books I read in the last twelve months. These aren’t my favorite of all time, but my favorite from the past year. Choose to read one or all three, apply the ideas that are shared, and reap the rewards in your business and your life.
Lou Serrano
Los Angeles magician & Corporate Entertainment Specialist
Upping the Ante in 2015 – Marketing for Success
How did you do in your business last year. Did you have a great year, or did you fall short of your goals? In either case, 2015 can still be your best year ever! In this video, I share some tips on how to make 2015 your best year yet, and I also set the tone for what to expect from me for the rest of the year.
I’d love to hear your comments, questions, or concerns, so please feel free to leave a comment.
Wishing you much success!
Lou Serrano
Ringing In The New Year In New Orleans
I want to thank everyone who has followed me over the past year on this blog. I’ve tried to provide as much value to you, my readers and subscribers, and I plan on providing even more valuable information throughout this coming year to help you grow your business.
In the next couple of days I’ll be posting a new video to help you get your year started on the right track. Until then I wanted to share a video of my recent trip to New Orleans.
My girlfriend, business partner, and muse, Dee Dee Clark, and I rang in the New Year in The Big Easy. This town knows how to celebrate! The accompanying video contains a snippet of our adventures.
I’m wishing everyone a happy, safe, and prosperous 2015!
Lou Serrano
Los Angeles Magician
Hit The Ground Running
Hit The Ground Running
We have two weeks remaining before the year comes to an end. Are you coasting trying to ride out the end of the year, or are you giving that final push to finish off the year strong?
Regardless of where you’re at in your business, we should all be giving that final push.
As a professional Los Angeles magician, I booked over 30 gigs for the month of December, but I’m not resting on my laurels. I’m still actively promoting myself trying to book some last minute engagements.
Aside from the final push to close out the year strong, I’m also setting myself up to hit the ground running when January rolls around. I’ve already created my business plan for 2015, I have clear goals that I wish to attain, and I’ve been busy creating new website landing pages for different niche markets.
Come January 1st I won’t be wondering what I should… Continue reading
Don’t Be Your Industry’s Best Kept Secret
Yesterday I sent out my snail mail monthly newsletter, and it went out to 600 clients that were in my database. I invested $300 to mail out the newsletters, and within 24 hours people started receiving the newsletters and I received my very first booking from the mailing.
Last month I sent out a newsletter to the same 600 people for the same investment of $300, and over the course of a month, it created $6800 worth of income. That’s a $6500 profit on that one investment. That’s in addition to all of the other things I do to market my business. That’s just one strategy at work.
And it got me thinking. If I can share with you one key idea that could grow your business exponentially, this is what it would be.
VISIBILITY
If you want to grow your business, you have to become visible.
If you want to be your industry’s best… Continue reading
A Challenge To Create Breakthrough Results
Recently, I’ve been working with a good friend and fellow magician on a show that we plan on showcasing in the near future. It ’s a self-produced show where we’ll be renting a theater and publicizing it to the general public.
My initial plan was to weave in my existing show into his show, and create a show that would combine both of our talents. My fellow performer had the idea to create something truly special, and has been working on completely new routines and effects. After seeing his initial efforts, I was blown away by the magic he had created. His routines truly looked like magic, and were far better than I had initially thought he would produce.
It was a wake up call for me. It’s forcing me to look at my own show, and step up my game. It’s forcing me to look at my tried-and-true routines that I’ve been performing for years, and explore how I… Continue reading
Seven Quick Tips In The Art Of Negotiation
1. Listen more than you speak. Ask questions to learn about what the other party really wants, and listen to what they say. The more you understand about the other party’s concerns, the more effective you can be in offering a solution that benefits everyone.
2. Do your research. Find out everything you can about the company and people you’re dealing with. Do an internet search to get relevant information that will help you in the negotiation process.
3. Know your bottom line. Know what is the minimum your willing to accept or the most you’re willing to offer before you start the negotiation process.
4. Have walk away power. If the deal is bad for you, walk away. Nothing is worse than accepting a bad deal.
5. Don’t give concessions without getting something in return. Doing so will only give the other party a sense of entitlement, and will probably encourage them to ask for even more.
6. Never… Continue reading
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