Balloon Animals

It was a late afternoon and I was setting up for a family show at a high school. As I made a trip through the gym dropping off my second load of equipment I realized I had an answer to a question I had been pondering. Earlier that week a mentor had asked, “If there was one task that you could eliminate from your show that would make it better, what would that be?” As sweat seeped from my brow, I thought “ROADIE”; I need somebody to setup [...]

Share on Facebook

Get more viewers on Instagram using Statigr.am Many people think Instagram is a waste of time. In many cases, they are right. However, if you know how to track your data, Instagram and social media are powerful tools. Here is a trick that I just learned this past week and I am now sharing with you. How I am optimizing my Instagram account for optimal viewers. There is a website called Statigr.am. Statigr.am is a free stats program for an Instagram account. [...]

Share on Facebook

Specialized Balloon Facebook Groups Over the past few months, I have seen an increase in specialty groups for the balloon industry on Facebook. The three newest groups are the Deco-Twister Balloon Artists, Hairbanders!, and Line Twisting. Deco-Twister Balloon Artists focuses on decorating with twisting balloons. This field has grown over the past three years because of helium shortages. This is a good group if you are looking to make centerpieces or themed sculptures. If you are a newbie to the balloon-twisting [...]

Share on Facebook

A balloon in a balloon ranks high in Google’s keyword search. Who would have guessed that? How to put a balloon in a balloon baffles many people. I get asked all the time, “how did you get that balloon inside that balloon?” “You mean how did I get a balloon in a balloon?” I respond. “Yes”, they say. Here is the trick, I just stuff a balloon in a balloon – it is not a trick. Just stuff a balloon [...]

Share on Facebook

You may wonder how anybody could generate leads from Pinterest. Wikipedia has defined Pinterest as “a pinboard-style photo-sharing website that allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections such as events, interests, and hobbies”. Now that I explained what it is, let me explain how you can take advantage of Pinterest. There is a group of people, my wife being one of them, that likes to collect ideas for gardening, birthday parties, holiday decorations, kid’s crafts and a bunch more [...]

Share on Facebook

Smartphone picture quality is making it easier for me to capture balloon creations that I make while entertaining at a restaurant. Just a couple of years ago, images were dark, grainy, and unsalable for marketing. Nowadays, I use my Smartphone to record my YouTube videos blog. Yet, it does not matter how good the camera is, if the subject is not cooperating, the picture turns out bad. A child’s actions can quickly steal attention away from the balloon figure and [...]

Share on Facebook

I am not 100% sure, but I think it was my father, who taught me that 2 + 2 = 4. However, I could have learned it from a book. My son has beginner math books and is constantly surprising me with new things he has learned. I know that E=mc2 was derived by the twentieth-century physicist Albert Einstein. His work was published in mathematical journals and is still being quoted today. Einstein learned to protect his work. He would [...]

Share on Facebook

It is human nature to be complacent, we like consistency, we fear change. Yet, life forces us to change no matter how much you may fight it. It was a ritual to call my parents every Wednesday night while driving back from a restaurant. It was just a call to make sure everything was OK, they were in their 70′s and most of the time they were snacking and watching TV. In 2007 dad passed, and two years later mom left us. A void [...]

Share on Facebook

Over the years, I have learned that there is no quick way to build a fan base. You can try spamming everyone in the industry to “Like” your page, ask them to subscribe, beg them to follow, or just ask them to participate in a discussion, but human nature holds them back. Years ago, I read a marketing study that said it could take a customer seven times viewing an ad before they may react. Have you ever ordered carpeting from the company whose phone number is 588-you [...]

Share on Facebook

Gather a group of entertainers in a room and pass out balloons. Many will struggle to inflate and tie, but will eventually succeed. Each one will twist, twirl, and manipulate it into a basic balloon dog. I can think of very few entertainment skills that transcends beyond its industry, but the balloon dog does just that. I have met Aerialists, Magicians, Jugglers, Hypnotists, Comedians, Actors, Singers, and a couple of Musicians, who’s skills put them at the top of their field, [...]

Share on Facebook