x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast

When you work in entertainment, you are in the business of fun. This podcast will focus on the challenges and opportunities associated with helping your customers create memories and special moments. We will talk about sports, theatre, performing arts, and other forms of entertainment, highlighting the best ideas in marketing live experiences, creating long-term customers, and growing revenues.

business management & marketing

All Episodes

46:52

Sondra Shannon loves to celebrate her customers'...

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast ·

2025/10/21

My guest today is Sondra Shannon! She is CEO of Gatemaster. We had a great talk about strategy, data, success, and relationships...among other things. Sondra shared how the annual data review that Gatemaster does leads to celebrating client wins. We talked about making sure you understand your partners at the start so that you can set each other up for success. We talked about the philosophy that guides Gatemasters' service and much more! Check out the 'Talking Tickets' newsletter at

en

35:18

Keith Pagello says that TicketData.com is not a...

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast ·

2025/10/15

My guest today is Keith Pagello. He's built a new site called www.TicketData.com. This one interested me because most of the time this data is propriatary to brokers. Keith says that his tool is entirely not for brokers. We discuss the idea that drives his work. Keith shares some ways that you can use the data if you are a fan or, even, on the primary side. We also talk about the business model. Get the 'Talking Tickets' newsletter at https://talkingtickets.substack.com Fill out the 2025

en

56:54

Scott Friedman says if we put a cap on ticket resale...

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast ·

2025/10/06

My guest today is Scott Friedman! You know Scott from his Twitter feed, the 'Ticket Talk' webseries, and the world of ticket resale. We had a wide ranging conversation this morning about all kinds of topics... A few highlights: We discuss the idea of "free market." We talk about open distribution. NFL tickets and season ticket prices. Scott shares some data from the secondary market around NBA and NHL tickets. I learn what B2B in Scott's Discord group means. And, much more. Take a moment

en

41:18

Bill Cates has a story to tell us that will help our...

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast ·

2025/09/24

My guest today is Bill Cates. His new book was released on September 16, 'The Hidden Heist'. We had a great conversation about sales and parable that drives his new book. In our conversation, we touch on: The 3 Rs that can help make you successful. The challenges of drawing people's attention. Strategy v. Tactics. Differentiation. Reputation. Tangible v. Intangible. Plus, more more more!!! Check out Bill at www.ReferralCoach.com I'm doing a survey of folks in the business of tickets,

en

46:27

Jakob Eliason brings 'Pickleball as a Service' to...

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast ·

2025/09/02

My guest today is Jakob Eliason. He's one of the co-founders of Pickleball Pop Ups. 'Pickelball as a service' as Jakob describes the concept. This one was fun because that's the foundation of what Jakob and his partner and team are doing with the sport. We had a great conversation about the business model, financialization, and where this idea all began. Spoiler: like a lot of good ideas, it started with craft beer. Check Jakob's business out at www.pickelballpopups.com Share 3-4 minutes with me

en

47:59

Jacob Hicks has a different approach to the sales...

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast ·

2025/07/31

Great episode today... Jacob Hicks is my guest on the podcast. Find him here: https://jacobhickscoach.com We got into the sales process. We discuss: Awareness Persusasion's role in selling Insights Relationships and selling Handwritten notes. This is a tool I've used a lot over the years. The experimentation mindset. Measuring the right things. And, a lot more. I had a lot of fun talking with Jacob. Check out my website at www.DaveWakeman.com. Read a blog. Get a newsletter. Shop in the

en

01:05:30

Hannah Grannemann comes back to talk the opportunity...

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast ·

2025/07/08

My guest today is my friend, Hannah Grannemann. She is working on a book and had more ideas than she knew what to do with...so she came to share them with us. We hit on tons of topics: The Kennedy Center Recovery from COVID Funding for the arts Building a bigger base of donors The relevance of the arts And, much more! Visit my website at www.DaveWakeman.com Get 'Talking Tickets' at https://talkingtickets.substack.com

en

34:31

Albert Bramante talks anxiety, actors, and NPL

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast ·

2025/06/30

Hi! Fun one today with Albert Bramante. We went in a bunch of different directions that I didn't expect. We talked about: Anxiety Mental loops Mindsets Psychology And, more all through the lens of the arts and selling more tickets. Great fun. Check out my site at www.DaveWakeman.com. Get 'Talking Tickets' at https://talkingtickets.substack.com

en

50:40

Dan Galpern is bringing dance to the world

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast ·

2025/05/06

My guest today is Dan Galpern. Dan is CEO of DanceOne. What a great conversation this is. We discussed how dance impacts every aspect of our lives, even if we don't recognize it. Dan humors me and talks about the Baldwins. We discuss dance studios and the thousands of small businesses that dance powers. Dan shares how he came to be so passionate about dance. We get into some great things on strategy and branding. We talk about performance and exceptionalism. Just an all around great talk

en

44:18

Simon Severino teaches us about the $80K webinar

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast ·

2025/04/30

My buddy, Simon Severino, is back. I wanted to have him come teach us how he turned one webinar into $80,000. Why? Because it applies to all of us. We go through Simon's plan for coming up with the idea, filling the webinar, and following up. Simon also teaches us how he uses AI to create better marketing materials to drive people to his webinars. Check out Simon's site at www.StrategySprints.com because he now has a free offer to try out some of his ideas. Great resource. Visit me at

en

37:24

Faisal Hoque tells me AI might steal my job...or, it...

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast ·

2025/04/01

My guest today is Faisal Hoque. He has a new book, Transcend: Unlocking Humanity in the Age of AI. This is a very hopeful conversation because Faisal definitely knows that there are always going to be things that people can do that AI and computers can't. Our conversation covers a lot of territory including frameworks to make your use of AI effective. We talk about humanity and the important things that AI can't do. We cover some of the hot topics like "will AI steal your job". This was a good

en

39:52

Jimi Gibson says we all have magic within us...

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast ·

2025/03/25

My guest today is Jimi Gibson. Jimi is a trained magician. He's used his magic skills to help us understand marketing and strategy a little bit better. This is a fun conversation. We talk about Jimi's work at The Thrive Agency and how the unique culture drives impact. We discuss audience bullseyes and dehumanizing language. We talk about humanity. Jimi shares a great lesson from his training in Canada while he was standing on a stump. Jimi also shares a key takeaway from his TED Talk about

en

46:19

Lawrence Armstrong teaches us about leadership,...

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast ·

2025/03/18

My guest today is Lawrence Amstrong. He's written a new book, Layered Leadership: Drive Double Digit Growth and Dominate Your Competition With Creative Strategies and Execution. This conversation is even more timely than it was when we had it a few weeks ago because we talk about creativity, innovation, and strategy. Lawrence talks about how his path has taught him resilience. And, a lot of these lessons are more important than ever. I'm doing a FREE webinar series on selling tickets in times

en

58:50

Jill Schulman is a bad ass! She teaches us about...

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast ·

2025/02/25

My guest today is Jill Schulman! A total badass. She is a Marine that focuses on teaching people the power of positive psychology so that they can be braver. This was a conversation I was excited to have because I feel like we all can use a bit more bravery in our lives. We talked about a ton of cool stuff including: Toxic Positivity Challenges Psychology v. Positive Psychology Taking action And, a lot more. You can connect with Jill at www.breakthroughleadershipgroup.com Visit my website at

en

38:36

John Reider is 'The Bubble Man'

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast ·

2025/02/20

My guest today is John Reider! He is 'The Bubble Man'. Seriously, it says so on his Teams' handle! We had a great time talking about John's businesses. He is the king of bubbles and has a number of businesses built around bubbles. More importantly, we had a chance to uncover a lot of important ideas that will help you with your business like: Listening to your customers. Understanding that you bring joy and transformation to your customers. The importance of evolving your ideas. Plus a lot

en

43:05

Steven Burchard owns a smile factory!

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast ·

2025/01/21

This is amazing! Happy 2025 to you all! My guest today is the owner of Magical Memories Entertainment, Steven Burchard. We had a great talk about relationships and creating experiences for folks. This conversation had some serious range because we got from Lambeau Field and the Green Bay Packers to Fort Knox to Guantanamo Bay and beyond. A key part of the conversation is how Steven was able to shut down for Covid and rebound almost immediately. There are some lessons there for all of us. Visit

en

49:16

Zack Sugarman & Superplastic Bring a New Experience...

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast ·

2024/12/03

Love this episode! A great conversation with Zack Sugarman. Zack is the Chief Strategy Officer at Superplastic. Superplast just opened a brand new IRL space in Las Vegas at Area 15 called Dopeameme. Dopeameme is called "The Institute for Pleasure Research". This is a way to bring the virtual and the physical together. The experience is includes a RFID tag that will help give you a personalized experience! (I don't want to spoil it for you.) Get your tickets here:

en

49:36

John Kinsner has walked a diverse road in the world...

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast ·

2024/11/21

I love this conversation with John Kinsner because John has done so many things as he has made his way to becoming CEO of Black Ink Presents that I can't call our conversation anything less than a love letter to the business. We discuss a ton of things today: We talk about the tour for 'Labryinth'. John's experience sweeping floors, cleaning bathrooms, and all the other jobs he did on the way to being a CEO. Producing and creating content using existing IP. Symphony audiences and helping reach a

en

35:36

Key Performance Indicators: Why Are You Using the...

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast ·

2024/11/01

This is a special conversation that comes from a LinkedIn Live I did with Bruce Eckfelt and William Lieberman. We discuss KPIs. You can find me at www.DaveWakeman.com Sign up for my newsletters on my website. Tell me who you want to hear from and what topics you want to learn about by sending me an email Dave@DaveWakeman.com

en

32:53

Jon Allen teaches me how to approach a new market

Dave Wakeman"s The Business of Fun Podcast ·

2024/10/21

My guest today is Jon Allen from TKT.com. We had a good time talking about TKT's move to the European market. Jon teaches me about taking a US tech focused approach to the hospitality ticket market in Europe. We talk about opportunity. We also hit upon the importance of speaking the language of the market you are in. Jon talks about staying in line with GDPR. And, much more. You can find Jon and his partners at www.TKT.com You can find me at www.DaveWakeman.com Let me know who you'd like me

en

233 results

Similar Podcasts

TaxTalent.com The Golden Rule Podcast

Adam Golden

TaxTalent.com Podcast

Tony Santiago

Nomad Capitalist Audio Experience

Nomad Capitalist

Supply Shock

Blockworks

RadioBorsa - La tua guida controcorrente per investire bene nella Borsa e nella Vita

SoldiExpert SCF