This Is Why Most Comedy Managers And Agents Stink

I came across an job listing today for a Hollywood talent agency that is looking to hire a new agent to work for their company. I won’t name names, but the description of what the company is looking for to fill the position represents everything that’s wrong with the talent representation business. Here it is… →

8 Tips To Get More Twitter Followers

Here’s a question I recently got from somebody that wished to remain anonymous: “I’m a teen comic in Dallas/Ft. Worth and am currently trying to build connections. One of those ways in through Twitter. Any advice on how to get more followers?”

This is a very common question and the answer can often be person-specific, but here’s 8 quick suggestions that are somewhat universal… →

How To Get P Diddy To Appear On Your Comedy Show

The Huffington Post today chronicles the amazing story of how UCB comedian Chris Gethard managed to get Sean “Diddy” Combs to appear on his weekly improv show last Friday night after a year-long campaign from Gethard and his fans. →

5 Things You Can Learn From Public Enemy

The other day I watched the Behind The Music special on Public Enemy and noticed several things about the group’s success that seemed applicable to the comedy world as well. Here’s a few things comedians can learn from the success of a militant old school rap group (believe it or not)… →

Quick Clicks: Twitter’s Top Comedians, OK Go’s Business Model, XtraNormal Videos, & More

Here’s a few things I’ve come across recently that are worth a click including interviews with Twitter’s top comedy writers, an OK Go band member’s explanation of the group’s business model, a look at how e-books are changing the economics of writing, and more. →

5 Things You Can Learn From A Walk In The Rain

I like to go on walks occasionally to get some exercise and clear my head. Unfortunately, Los Angeles has been buried under a constant rainfall for the past week, so I haven’t managed to go on a walk since the apocalypse (that’s how a little drizzle is viewed in the City of Angels) began.

But today I ventured out into the rain for a walk and realized that walking in the rain actually has some lessons to offer people pursuing a comedy career. Here’s five of them: →

How Ze Frank Connects With His Audience By Enabling Their Participation

It’s difficult to describe exactly who Ze Frank is and what he does, but his Wikipedia page describes him as “an online performance artist, composer, humorist, and public speaker.” All of those things are true, but the reason I think you should take an interest in him and his work is because he does an amazing job creating projects that connect him to his fans.

In this video from a presentation he delivered at TED several months ago, Ze Frank walks you through some of his more successful projects and explains how and why he believes they worked. Here’s a hint: his projects all encourage deep participation from his audience and reward them for that participation. →

Kevin Smith’s Secrets To A Successful Life

When a man asks filmmaker Kevin Smith for a little bit of life advice, the “Clerks” filmmaker goes off on an incredible Twitter discussion about what he sees as the secret to success in the movie business and in life. Here’s what he said… →

Are You Willing To Work As Hard As Kevin Durant?

A look at a typical day in the life of Kevin Durant, leads me to a very simple question to ask yourself: are you willing to work as hard as he is to achieve your career goals? →

The 1,000 True Fans Theory

Way back in 2008, Wired magazine co-founder (and really smart guy) Kevin Kelly laid out his 1,000 True Fans theory for artists. You can read about it in Kelly’s now legendary blog post, but the basic concept is that all an artist needs in order to make a living off their art is 1,000 true fans.

It’s likely that many of you may have heard of the 1,000 True Fan theory before, but I thought it would be worth posting because many of you probably haven’t. →