One Producer in the City

This week's A.P.T.- Josh Rivedal

This week's A.P.T. is Josh Rivedal who has been part of the A.P.T. team before. He's now about to release a new book and has some great stuff to share. Enjoy.

Excelsior! 

Hey all of you Mike-Rod lovers. Yes, today is Awesome Person Thursday but we’re gonna flip the script here. I want to talk about how awesome Michael is and about a fertilizer called PLAE that helped water the seeds of my artistic projects starting back in 2010.

 Rolling back the calendar three years and I was a mostly out of work actor, and a theatre producer of small projects that could only seem to ever break even.

 Enter Mike and enter PLAE. I had known Michael for a few years. He first consulted on a two projects I produced, Hot Cripple and then the inaugural New York City run of The Gospel According to Josh (“GATJ”). Both went well and led to some wonderful things: Hot Cripple was turned into a book and published by Penguin and that year GATJ  was invited for a one night performance at The Media Theatre outside Philadelphia, and was subsequently added to the theatre’s 11’-12’ season.

 By I wanted more. I was barely scraping by on these projects and was dirt po’. I was so po’ I couldn’t even afford the last “o” and “r” (whomp, whomp). Michael had mentioned he was re-launching PLAE that Fall to help people like me figure out how to make a living off of their artistic projects. I had everything to gain and nothing to lose.

 In my PLAE class, I met tech startup owners, casting directors, insurance brokers, and marketing gurus—all people who were willing to reveal their secrets to their success and people knew how to take a project and bring it to the end zone, so to speak. I had been living in Oz and had never paid attention to the “man” behind the curtain—till PLAE. My classmates were also hardworking artists and arts entrepreneurs—a director, a music director, the owner of a small indie film company, and myself. We bonded as a group and grew together and found our success individually and collectively. Now, one classmate is the assistant director on a Broadway show, another an in-demand music director currently on an international tour, the other brought successful film concepts to market. Me? We’ll get to that in a sec.

 The brilliance of PLAE is two-fold

1)  You are the company you keep. You hang out with scrappers, hustlers, and those who are working to get things accomplished; you become one of those people yourself. Alternatively, you hang out with slackers, flakes, and whiners; you become one of those people as well. PLAE is cultivated for the scrappers.

 2)  Experiential learning. You’re not just sitting around listening to people speak. You work as a class to brainstorm and work together to solve problems of individual class members together. You get your hands dirty and out of the textbooks.

 Mike and PLAE provided me with a good place to get my bearings. Now? I make a full time living as a writer/actor/producer. The Gospel According to Josh is in its third year of international touring. I’ve booked myself in 27 U.S. states and 2 Canadian Provinces. We’re opening Off-Broadway in May ’14. And I just got my book published by Skookum Hill The Gospel According to Josh: A 28-Year Gentile Bar Mitzvah. Available for pre-release: http://www.joshuarivedal.com/book/ 15% of proceeds go to The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

 Oh yeah, and PLAE? Everybody got time fo’ that.

 

Joshua Rivedal is an author, actor, playwright, and international public speaker. He has spoken professionally about suicide prevention and mental health awareness in more than twenty-five U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. He serves on the board of directors for the New York City chapter of The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

 He wrote and developed the play, The Gospel According to Josh, which has toured extensively throughout the United States and Canada, and is set to open Off-Broadway in New York City in May 2014. He wrote the libretto and is associate producing a Spanish language Christmas musical Rescatando la Navidad, playing in seven cities during Christmas 2013. He writes for the blogs The Arts Entrepreneur and The BLOGospel According to Josh. His short story Chasing Waterfalls will be published in Little Book of Big Epiphanies in early 2014. As a voiceover actor, Josh has lent his voice to the role of Hippo in Scholastic’s Rabbit and Hippo In Three Short Tales, the narrator of Julianne Moore’s Freckleface Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bully, the narrator of Cinderella Penguin, and numerous other audiobooks and animated projects.

 

 

Retro Wednesday: Say Thank You

This week's retro post is about a topic near and dear to my heart: Saying Thank You. Have a look and be sure to say it today if you've forgotten! 

Excelsior!

P.S.- The PLAE application deadline is coming up! Make sure to get your application in! 

February 16, 2010

Say Thank you

 

I'm sure to many folks this seems like the simplest of statements, but I am amazed every day at how easy it seems to be for people to forget about it.

A perfect example: Yesterday I get an email from an organization that I am a part of forwarding an email from some one who I introduced to the organization. I took time out to find this person during another event, tell him about the event the other organization was hosting and in fact, bring him to that event. At the end I also took the time to introduce this individual to someone at the event who could be helpful to that person's producing career.

So guess what the email was about? It was thanking the organization for introducing him to that individual who he has worked with on numerous occasions. No mention of me taking the time out of my schedule to help connect him. Kind of makes you not want to do that kind of introduction again doesn't it?

There's a big lesson in here today for producers at all levels:

Look carefully at who helped you get where you are today. If you haven't thanked them, take the time to do so today. If you've gotten donations even if they were smaller than you hoped for, say thank you. If you were invited to a party that you might not have been able to go to had it not been for a certain person, say thank you and finally, if you have volunteers who are working for you for free, say thank you.

The more people feel appreciated, the more likely they'll help you in the future and as much as it sucks, the opposite is also true.

So look through that address book today. Is there anyone you forgot to thank?

Let the whole world see it. Thank them here in the comments below. Use fake names if you want, but let them know you thanked them. That is what keeps the relationships going in this business.

I'll start:

Dear Readers,

Thank you for subscribing to my blog and being willing to get my posts in your email daily, thank you for re-tweeting the posts that you enjoy, and thank you for your insightful comments. You all are the reason I keep writing this blog and the reason that I have gotten more readers and become better known over the time this blog has started and I am grateful for that. Thanks also to those who get my info by Rss feed or some other method that is not email. The fact that you still find a way to read and respond to my posts is greatly appreciated. You all are the reason I write this and keep writing it and your support means the world to me.

Sincerely,

Mike

There. Now your turn:

Excelsior!

 

Content or Noise?

If you're on the sidewalk in New York, an interesting thing happens:

You can easily become invisible. 

Ask anyone who has been walking while checking their email, or focused on getting to their next destination how many people they actually saw on their way there and most will not be able to tell you. This taken to the extreme has lead to people crashing into one another, spilling coffee, and even serious injury or death. When we are trying to get somewhere or we are focused on our own stuff, the people around us become noise. We want them out of the way and we certainly do not want to engage with them. 

Our email inbox and social media is like that sidewalk. 

This is why it is important to figure out if we are providing content or noise. 

Going back to the sidewalk analogy, we can see that if someone has somewhere they have to be, then anyone who is not part of that agenda becomes noise. The same is true for the people who open their email. In the past few years, we have seen this happen with the rise of email marketing. Now everyone has at least one mailing list they are on, but the real question asks is that mailing list is seen as content or noise. Content is material that is useful to us. We read it and it is worth our time. Noise distracts us from our agenda. 

When someone sends me an email blast, I feel the same way I do when I walk by someone shouting at the crowd on the sidewalk. I know that their message is not for me and I file it under the category of noise. The same thing happens on social media. If someone reaches out to me directly and asks a thoughtful question, I pay attention. If someone tweets at me and advertises something, I ignore them. 

So here we are on this overcrowded sidewalk with a very important question to ask:

Do we create content or noise?

I know which one I want to make.

Do you?

Excelsior! 

 

No thanks, I already ate.

Imagine you went to a great lunch with everything you could ever want.

Now imagine that after finishing that lunch, you went to another meeting and found out they were serving lunch.

You would most likely either politely decline or attempt to stuff yourself further. In both situations, you are uncomfortable and usually wish that the person had notified you ahead of time about the fact that they were preparing lunch.

Similarly, in one on one meetings when you're given things you didn't ask for and it leads to dozens of wasted folders, scripts, headshots, tchotchkies, etc.

So here's the way to look at this:

If you have a one on one scheduled find out if the other person already ate. 

You probably have a whole bunch of material you could share with them. It could be folders, graphs, a PowerPoint, etc. but if they are not interested in seeing or taking any of it, you are wasting time and attention. Ask before you meet with them if they are interested in receiving any of your materials. Remember, nothing is more aggravating than carrying around a folder or a binder that you didn't even want to begin with.

If you avoid giving others stomachaches, they are more likely to tell their friends about you and your work.

If you give them a bad stomachace, they'll be sure to tell everyone to stay away from your house.

The choice is yours.

Excelsior! 

P.S.- PLAE applications are still being accepted. Be sure to apply HERE.

Awesome Person Thursday: Michael Simmons

This week's A.P.T, is Michael Simmons. I was introduced to Michael a little while back and was instantly impressed with the work he was doing in the entrepreneurship space as well as his understanding of realtionships. I decided to follow him on Twitter and have been enjoying his columns in Forbes. I think that many of you will enjoy reading the articles he's been putting up on relationship building. My favorites are linked below. Make sure to check them out. You can follow Michael on Twitter, and read more about his exciting work in the field of entrepreneurship HERE. 

Enjoy his articles linked below. 

Excelsior! 

P.S.- PLAE is coming up! Make sure to get your applications in! 

Great articles courtesy of Michael:

The most recent one discussing how super connector Adam Rifkin makes a staggering number of introductions and still manages to get a ton of things accomplished. 

Some fantastic observations and interviews about focused giving can be found HERE.

A powerful article on the strength of relationship oriented growth. 

Retro Wednesday: Listen Up!

This week's post comes from 2008 when I was still teaching. The message is still incredibly relevant as it discusses the importance of listening. Enjoy.

Excelsior!

November 13, 2008

Listen up!

 

I remember reading a science book and happening upon that page where they showed you how two cups and a string made a crude telephone. I got such a kick out of that idea and I immediately went and tried it. As I sat there with the can to my ear waiting to hear my friend from across the room, I didn't realize it but i was practicing one of the most important skills in producing and in life in general. 

Listening.

It seems ridiculous, right? To talk about listening. I mean, we all do it right?

WRONG.

I always say that communication is one of the first things we learn and yet one of the only things we never quite seem to master. There's always some kind of mix up in communication and often it has to do with not listening. When you are out at any event, there are clues being dropped all the time about what audiences want, who has interest in the shows your doing, who knows somebody who could help you, etc. If you don't listen you'll miss those clues.

As a teacher I battle this all the time. I'm trying to explain a book and then I see a kid that has his head down and, sure enough, he fails. When he comes to me at the end of the marking period to find out why he got such a low grade, I explain to him that he didn't listen in class. The same thing happens with Producers. 

So the next time you're out and you're telling someone about your next project, take a second to listen to someone else tell you about their project or their life and listen for the clues. We all drop breadcrumbs. You could be talking to your next investor and not even know it.

Don't forget there is someone else on the other side of that tin can. 

But I don't have . . .

Those four words have stopped more innovation than any other. It's very easy to focus on the things that we don't have and get into a funk over that. Also, when we can rely on the statement that we are missing certain parts, moving something forward suddenly becomes the fault of someone or something else. This is a comfortable place to go, because we can squarely place the blame on the missing item and no longer have to figure out a way to make it work.

This is great from a comfort standpoint but certainly not from the standpoint of entrepreneurship. Imagine if someone at Apple had said that they were not building the iPhone because they didn't have an important piece of hardware. They'd be told to build it or find it or they'd be fired. 

Chances are these four words have made it into your life at some point as well. They appear whenever things get difficult. 

So today, I challenge you to decide how you are going to solve the problem. If you don't have time, how will you find more? If you don't have money, how will you make it? If you don't have connections, how will you find them? 

I have been thinking about this recently because some folks have mentioned being worried about signing up for PLAE because they don't have a business idea ready to go. Some of the best business ideas that came out of PLAE came from people who came into the class without an idea.

Today is your day to stomp out those four words.

Make it happen.

Excelsior!

 

Flipping the Switch

Many of us live in a world that has been carefully constructed for us. We have a job in which we have specific tasks to complete, a set number of hours or days that we work, and a system that we use day in and day out. 

The appeal of this lifestyle is that it is relatively predictable. We know what we will do tomorrow and the next day, we know where the money to pay our expenses will come from, and we know what we have to do to not rock the boat.

10 years ago we had systems that we could follow fairly easily and that worked, for the most part. I know because I lived in one of those systems. 

The issue in the present is that many of those systems are no longer working. As a result, some of those who relied on the system are experiencing a very painful time right now. There is a switch that has been flipped for them and they are not sure how to flip it back.

The switch I'm talking about is the one that tells us that we need to work for someone in order to make money. 

Is there anything wrong with believing in this? Not at all, but it is important to be aware that this is not an absolute truth and that anyone can flip the switch.

I have had many conversations with artists, writers, directors, and producers in which I told them to find one thing that they could offer the world that someone would be willing to pay for.

It doesn't matter how much, as long as they actually pay.

This flips the switch. Once you make money from something you have created or something that you alone offer, you won't feel the same about the system. You'll recognize that you choose to be a part of it; you do not have to be a part of it.

This is one of the main reasons I started PLAE. I wanted to show artists that if you have a good idea for a product or a service, that there is nothing that says you can't build a business around it. There are still some slots left for our Free Info Session. I hope you email us and join me for the session.

I also hope that you'll take the time to flip the switch, because the interesting thing about that pesky switch is...

You're the only one who can flip it.

Excelsior! 

This week's A.P.T.- Isaac Klein and See Jane

This weeks' A.P.T. is Isaac Klein who speaks below about the process of developing a show in the Fringe called See Jane Give Up Dick. I have known Isaac for quite some time and saw the show yesterday. It's very funny and he's doing a great job. Have a read and be sure to check it out. Take it away Isaac! 

Excelsior!

P.S.- The free PLAE info session is happening this Tuesday! Email us to sign up! 

My longtime friend Devin Preston had finally had enough. She’d been mistreated by guy after guy, and, even though she was a self-proclaimed lover of dick, she was sick of it. She needed a break. A dick detox. A time to stop reaching out for disappointing relationships with men, and start building a better one with herself.

 On New Year’s Eve, 2009, Devin decided to give up sex for one year, and to chronicle her experience—her triumphs and her hurtles—in blog form, which she ingeniously entitled: See Jane Give Up Dick. I began reading the blog early on, and immediately fell in love. It was brave, personal, candid, and profoundly hilarious. I was amazed; I never knew my dear friend Devin could write like this!

 Soon after I began reading, I saw Devin at a party, and the first thing I said to her was “I love your blog and you have to make it into a play, and I want to help you.” Devin’s eyes widened, because our mutual friend, the comedian and actress Ashley Morris, had told Devin the same thing mere moments ago! It was a threesome made in heaven.

 Before we knew it, we were in the process of developing the show, and in spring of 2011, we premiered it in workshop at Artists’ Bloc, hosted by Woolly Mammoth in Washington, DC. The workshop was a hit, and hugely informative. We took notes, and took them forward into preparation for our next workshop, this time in NYC, at The Producers Club.

Ashley Austin Morris​,​our Jane at the time, was being called out to LA more and more often, and it occurred to me that Meghan O’Neill one of my very favorite funny-women, would also be wonderful in the role. Devin and Meghan met and hit it off right away. Meghan brought the material to full and hilarious life, and knocked the NYC workshop out of the park.

We knew we were ready for a production. But what was the best path for us? There are certain shows that are just made for the Fringe; they have low tech, big fun, and catchy, buzz-worthy titles. The festival would fit Jane like a glove…or a sexy cocktail dress.

So, we sent off our application, and this spring, received the fabulous news that we would be part of FringeNYC 2013! (Not only that, we were granted six performances, rather than the usual five. Perhaps Fringe expects that quite a few folks would like to see if Jane really can Give Up Dick.) Rehearsals have been a ball, and Meghan O’Neill is ready to take audiences on a hysterical and surprisingly touching journey from self-denial to self-discovery.

It is intensely gratifying to have ushered this project from a blog, to a rough draft,  to a fully realized production. I’m so proud of our whole team, and so excited to share Jane with the world! It just goes to show: you can give up dick, you should give up doubt, but you must never give up on your dreams! 

Performance Dates: August 16 @ 7:45pm,

​ August 20 @ 8pm, August 23@ 2pm, August 24 @ Noon

Performance Venue: 

VENUE #18: The Steve and Marie Sgouros Theatre @ 115 MacDougal

(Black Box at The Player's Theater)

Tickets: $15 in advance, $18 at the door

http://www.ticketweb.com/snl/Search.action?query=see+jane

For more information about See Jane visit: http://seejanegiveitup.com

 

Retro Wednesday: The Writing on the Wall

This week's retro Wednesday post is all about how easy it is to not realize that our social media statements are seen by the public and that we need to be careful of what we write. Check it out below.

Excelsior!

P.S.- The Free PLAE info session is happening on Tuesday email us to reserve your spot! 

May 20, 2009

The writing on the wall

I remember being in summer stock and sitting out on the porch with one of the other actors. It was a cool crisp night and I had just gotten out of a rehearsal and was drawn in by this particular actor's desire to gossip.

"Did you hear about Matt?" she said. and I of course took the bait. I sat there for a good 30 minutes talking about all the things I had seen and heard about this particular actor and what I approved and disapproved of. On the other side of the porch..... was Matt.

You can imagine how my conversation went that evening. You see, Matt was my roommate. The rest of the summer was NOT very pleasant.

In the world wide web we have our own huge porch with thousands of people sitting on the other side.

It's called the FACEBOOK wall.

As many of you probably realize, every time you post something on a wall, it gets fed to all of your friends (unless you've adjusted privacy settings)

There are even stories of people losing their jobs over what was posted on the profile or on the wall.

I had something on my wall that I had to delete. Mainly because the person who wrote it did not have all of the information, made a bunch of assumptions, and made me look bad. Out of respect for his privacy, I won't post it here, nor say who it was.

After this experience though, I was reminded of my experience with Matt because the same lesson applies. In my case, I had no answer to Matt's challenge of, "why don't you say these things to my face?"

I was dumbstruck. I then made a promise to myself to make sure that I would take responsibility for whatever I put out there.

 With the ubiquitous quality of things like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc. your message WILL get out there. You need to make sure it's one that you're willing to own up to.

This blog is also another place where that applies. I certainly have to answer to my readers in the comment section and my message can certainly spread rather quickly. So don't forget to curate your content and remember that you may not be the only one seeing what you write.