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The Hollywood Magic Castle is an incredible private club. It’s a really special experience. I’ve helped people get in. I am writing this article to inform people that it’s complicated.

It’s a private club and i’m not a member. I am connected to many performers and members.

Protecting people’s careers

Anyone that i get in would be putting my reputation on the line as well as any member or performer that puts you on the list. Many people – even some of my friends – drink too much or get wild. Then, it’s not good for my business relationships. We in showbiz need strong relationships and we need to be dependable. When I promise someone that folks are cool, I want to come thru on that promise every time.

The castle also has many rules that need to be followed.

So, you could try to develop a friendship with me where I trust you to behave well and inspire me to go through the work of getting in you in to the castle, or you could become a member. The membership would probably be faster.

Guest openings are scarce

When I performed at the castle last time, I was able to bring in 6 guests on a wednesday night for free. Anyone after that needed to pay full door fees and have dinner reservations. Most of these spots are saved for close friends and industry contacts. Since a person’s list is limited they also want to be assured that every guest will show up. If a guest doesn’t show up, or doesn’t follow the rules including the strict dress code, it’s a waste of a valuable pass.

Many people want to come to the castle and it’s a great place for a performer to be showcased. So, they usually want someone who’s good for them to come to the show.

It’s challenging

The way guests are managed is very old school. There isn’t a ticket system or any digital way to organize the guests. That means that a performer or a member must talk to someone about their list. They need to keep track of their own guest list, and the person managing the whole list needs to organize it.

Performers must submit their lists 24hrs in advance

It’s also an option for a member to walk people in. I think they have 4 guests allowable for free each night. After that maximum, the guests each need to pay $25 for entry.

Valet for non-members is $25 + tip

Even the people with dinner reservations who are paying for entry will need to be on a list. After they’re added to the list, they’ll need to call the reservations line and announce they’re on a guest list before making their dinner reservation. Dinner reservations are limited also. Food is not at a competitive price.

If you come to me, I need to…

1. figure out what connection I have to get a person in.
2. I have to then figure out how to communicate with that connection.
3. Then, get approval from them.
4. check back in with you
5. introduce you two
6. make sure that any questions are answered

The connection person needs to…

1. check with their current list counts for each night
2. communicate with me
3. communicate with you
4. add you to the list
5. they might feel obligated to say hi to you after the show too

I’m your friend

If you’re already someone whom I trust and like, and you want me to introduce you to a performer, the only performers that can get you on the list are the ones performing the night you’d like to visit. I don’t know the booking schedule in advance. So, you’ll probably need to check in with me the week of your visit so that I can check the lineup and see if I can connect you.

Stats are a quantifiable way to prove our value. They need to be referring to the core Unique Value Proposition and they need to sound positive.

Stats could also include star ratings on yelp / TripAdvisor / gig salad 

We don’t want to spend much time thinking about the business side. We want to get to the show. Fill out this chart and I’ll make your success easier.

Other people will get ahead because you won’t do the work you hate.People say they have to deal with a lot of to be able to do the fun stuff. What if it was all fun stuff? I think it’s possible. Less crappy, more happy!

Many great entertainers are underpaid because they can’t talk to someone who wants to book them. I did the research for you on how to sell so you don’t have to deal with it.
if you’re losing possible pay because of your sales, let’s fix it now. Hire me to be your action partner and I’ll take away your sales issues.

People often think that the way to get members for an club or other organization is to lower the price of dues as low as possible. I can’t think of when this would ever be true. Joining a club is a commitment. When we join a group, we are deciding that this will be part of our identity. We will also dedicate time and headspace to this group. Money is the least of the commitment.

Higher dues mean…

• the org can afford to do more stuff
• the members are all committed – like when you’re in the airport terminal, you know that each person at least has enough money to buy a ticket and it’s unlikely someone will ask you for spare change.
• there’s a barrier to entry
• the members have made one commitment, making further commitments (like donations, volunteering) more likely
• When members have invested, they want the thing to succeed

Many orgs are running events and those events are more expensive than the membership dues. This needs to be flipped. Add those events in as a benefit of being a member. Members get free or discounted tickets.

Arm & Hammer baking soda advertised regularly about different uses of it. One ad would be about cleaning laundry, another about baking, another about keeping your fridge smelling nice. We can do the same for our clients, customers, members, fans, whatever. Remind them what’s good about us, and check in to tell them extra value they might not know about.

It’s not about being a lot of things. It’s about being one thing that does a lot. I can buy Arm & Hammer once and it’s gonna fix a bunch of stuff for me, though i’ll probably just use it to make a volcano.

Been talking to a bunch of non-profits about their low membership numbers. They blame a lot of things. The #1 thing I blame for people not joining something is that there’s nothing to join. If an org’s description is “A group of people who do things together,” we have just described planet earth. For this reason, I don’t need to pay dues. I already am a part of the most powerful group in the world — the world. My dues are paid.

We gotta get specific about who the group is for and what they do. There has to be a line between the group and the rest of the world. We don’t need everyone, we just need a bunch of the right people. Don’t worry about offense. Worry about a fence.

We jump right into soldier mode and try to find tools that will do our tasks. We want to get a big following on youtube or hire a virtual assistant or signup for some new software.

We are trying to get boots on the ground before we have a battle plan. Before we have a battle plan, we have to know what war we’re in. Before we start a war, we need to know our cause.

No side quests

I’ve said it before, it’s most helpful to focus on one quest. Do one thing because freelancers can’t multitask and we don’t have time for stuff that doesn’t work.

The Cause is ever expansive

the cause can be like “inspire women to create safe environments for children.” there is no limit to how many women we’d like to inspire in this way. Once we inspire 4billion living women, we can inspire future generations of women. We’ll never hit the cap of our cause. It’s not a goal. It’s a vision. It’s the thing that drives us and the thing we’re willing to live for. The cause in the military is something people are willing to die for.

The Project is huge and measurable

We set up a project that is the flitch. it’s the biggest thing we can do right now that will move us forward most effectively on our cause.

The strategy is practical

The strategy defines what we’ll do and why. It’s a decisive budget of resources time, money, passion, network, etc.

The tasks are simple

The tasks just become next steps that are not too hard to define once we know the above stuff.

The tactics are straightforward

If we jump into tactics at the beginning they are exciting. They’re new, they’re quick. They give us instant dopamine rewards. If we do them at the end like this, they’re boring. What’s exciting then? The CAUSE! and it stays exciting. It keeps us on our path. It reminds us why we’re doing the hard work. It is fulfilling. It is fun.

I find the two major successful ways that people prep for something new are: 

1.  get a generous cause
2.  reduce the newness

If I’m nervous about the logistics of opening a book store… I get a generous cause thinking of the magical experience that might inspire illiterate kids in my community to learn. I reduce the newness by asking friends to donate books to me and taking them to schools for free. Plus other stuff like this.

When we’re thinking of attracting and energizing groups of people, we do the same thing for them. We bring in the familiar and remind them why they’re joining in.

Things are less scary!

FAQs became a popular internet thing from the start. Frequently Asked Questions were a way to prioritize web surfers’ most important information and organize it when it didn’t fit into other categories. It was great for some stuff, but it was clunky. Now, it’s even more than clunky. We are used to getting the information we need. We expect people and organizations to give us the info we are seeking immediately.

That’s all we gotta do. Give them the information before they ask. I have a similar distaste for webpages called “about.” I’m on your site to get my questions answered and I’m on your site to find out ABOUT what you’re doing. Give it to me.

When we’re communicating with others in any way (meetings, shows, sites, etc) let’s first think about what they want to hear, then give it to them.

Instead of saying “Are you open on weekends? Yes! We are open on weekends and weekdays.” say “we are open 7 days a week from 9am-2pm”

It’s harder to not FAQ this up, but it’s easier for our audiences.

We are fighting so hard to fix the things in our lives that suck. We want to fight the resistance. We want to muscle it and change it now. How do we make this fight happen? With fighting. Lots of struggle. Clash up against the problem and destroy it!

When we’re facing major change of any kind, the hardest struggle is not with the thing. The real challenge that will make us sweat the most is accepting ease.

Fix a relationship with an angry partner

• the clash: get angry and correct them
• the ease: take the perspective that this is an otherwise good relationship, listen, don’t try to fix their feelings. Let it work itself out

Fix a drug addiction

• the clash: stop taking drugs. deal with it without bothering anyone
• the ease: forgive yourself, love yourself, find your pain, talk to people, love others, accept flaws, be honest

Fix productivity issues

• the clash: find a good system, find a good software, take drugs
• the ease: be patient, look at what you’re doing that works, be honest, don’t compare yourself to others

The ease feels disgusting! It feels touchy-feely and like it’s the slow way. The clash is the slow way. We’ve tried it. We’re trying it. When we’re ready for the big stuff, we need to find the ease. We need to bravely dive into it.

It’s gray area. It’s vulnerable. It’s love. On the other side is fun.

Look for the easy way out.

We gotta look for the ways we’re being tough on ourselves. Then, look for the easy way. Look for the people that are trying to help us. Look for the good that’s already happening and expand on it.

Sell the clash

When we’re trying to draw people in, we can remember that they’re looking for the clash too. They’re trying to find the contrast to their problems. The most successful solutions offer the clash on the outside and the ease on the inside. Look at how AA operates, how Noom operates, how Tony Robbins operates. It seems from their advertising that they are clashing, but they’re really relieving once you commit.