Today, we welcome Tom Elliott—Corporate Event Host, Comedy Magician, and Public Speaking Coach—to share a client horror story that left a lasting mark on his career.

Eager to grow as a comedy magician, Tom began booking small theater shows of around 100 seats. After gaining traction, he was offered what seemed like his big break: a contract to perform at an 800-seat theater. Convinced this was his moment, he signed on and began selling tickets.

But reality hit hard—only 30 tickets sold. Despite rallying support from friends and acquaintances to raise it to 50, he was still forced to perform a two-hour show in front of a nearly empty auditorium. To make matters worse, the contract required him to pay the theater £350 for unmet marketing costs.

The experience left Tom totally shaken—he jokes it took him eight years of therapy to recover. Tune in to hear how he overcame this ordeal and what it taught him about resilience in both performance and business.

Morgan Friedman

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