The Tailgate Entertainer | Performers | Performance Business | Creatives | Artists | Talent Buyers

Welcome to my show everyone! Merry Christmas to you! Now, if you've never heard our show before, we are all about the fair industry. We don't spend a lot of time talking about corn dogs or Ferris Wheels, even though those are two important parts. We spend most of our time talking about the amazing people involved, and that's why I stay in it.

I decided to make this episode a Christmas episode, but that doesn't mean I'm leaving out all the people who celebrate in a different way.  We have a fantastic guest coming your way, and her name is Teddy Anne Cunningham.

She is originally from Wyoming and lives there now with her husband and two kids. She has been playing at fairs for over 25 years, mostly with her brother Cal. They are both amazing artists. She told me a funny story about them growing up, she said they were "reluctant graduates of the wooden spoon youth movement program, under the supervision of Mama Lark Lindford". Which kind of reminds me a bit of my mama as well.

I love her story, plus, she is a strong woman of faith, has an angelic voice, loves her family, and loves her career. You might want to put your headphones on for this episode because you're going to hear some cool songs. I even included one that her brother Cal sings. So sit back ladies and gentlemen, here is Teddy Anne Cunningham.

• She played with her family over 27 years ago for the first time because the band didn't show up
• Talks about her husband being a fair manager
• Events that have happened in the fair industry that she needed to walk in faith
• Did you feel the stronger your faith was, the stronger the resistance was?
• As an adult, what kind of things are challenging you now?
• Created to have a family and be a performer
• It's okay that Teddy is not a super established musician because Teddy has also concentrated on all her other dreams (like her family)
• Everything Teddy does is for her kids
• Mothers just spend all their time taking care of their kids, which is Teddy's biggest challenge in taking care of her own career
• John Dunnigan was her biggest aspiration as a kid
• Teddy and her brother mostly perform locally
• The ultimate dream for performing somewhere: meeting Vince Gill or Ronny Crowell
• For self-improvement, you pray

Resources & Links:

Linfordcunningham.blogspot.com

Tailgateentertainer.com

If you have talent, as yet untapped, or you love watching performers do their thing at fairs, Terry Fator will certainly inspire you. Whether or not you are in the fair industry, you will love Terry. Listen to his down to earth approach to becoming successful as he talks to Alan Bruess about his meteoric rise to fame since 2005, on today's episode of Tailgate Entertainer.

Terry, singer, comedian and ventriloquist/impersonator,  a great, funny, regular guy, won America's "Who's got Talent" in 2007. One year later, he signed a five-year deal with The Mirage for $100,000,000! All this, with skills he honed while performing at fairs. Listen in today, as Terry talks to Alan about his incredible experiences and the fascinating people he has met, in the world of the fair industry.

Join Terry and Alan, as they discuss:

• Terry's passion for performing on stage.
• How Terry started performing at age three.
• The touching story of Terry's sensitive handling of an autistic boy at a "meet and greet" session.
• What it takes to win in life.
• How Danny Gans really inspired Terry to become a ventriloquist/impersonator.
• Terry's standing ovation in 2006, at the Rocky Mountain Showcase.
• How Terry got to perform on "America's got Talent".
• How you can work your way up, as an entertainer, through the fair industry.
• Terry's unprecedented rise to success.
• What you put out, comes back to you.
• What Terry does with the money he earns from selling merchandise at fairs.

Connect with Terry:

www.terryfator.com

Get Tickets for Terry's show in Las Vegas

Join our Facebook Group! We'd love to get to know you better!

This week, we have Karla Majewski to tell us about her animal business. She and her family live on 4 acres in California with almost 200 exotic animals. For nearly 3 decades, her company, Pacific Animal Productions, has been helping to conserve wildlife and endangered species while educating people about the wonders of wildlife. During animal "edu-tainment" exhibits, she lets people see and touch the animals.  She comes up with inspired ideas that are mutually beneficial to both humans and animals. She even feeds people with crickets – stir-fried, in tacos, to provide safe animal protein to people.

Show Notes

• How eating insects is becoming more popular around the world
• Her school programs – educational show about animals
• What edutainment accomplishes
• The most renewable protein source for humans - crickets!
• Making cricket tacos in her shows
• She likes grasshoppers too!
• Bugs are pollinators therefore beneficial for men and nature
• Why kids today know more about animals than kids did in the past
• She employs 5 full time zoo keepers to take care of almost 200 animals
• Her purpose for teaching children about animals
• The biggest challenge she had encountered 
• The regulation and licenses she has for her animals
• Her plans for the future

Resources

Website: http://pacificanimalproductions.com/

FB:  https://www.facebook.com/pacificanimalproductions/

Welcome to a conversation with my friend, Marty Davis. Marty has been in the fair industry longer than anyone I know. This is an honest interview from Marty's heart with a little bit of crazy thrown in! If you listen all the way to the end, you'll be treated to a yodeling lesson, a story about streaking, some great advice, and some cowboy songs, too! Don't miss it!

What you'll hear in this episode:

• How Marty started his lifelong love affair with the guitar
• Working as a DJ and singing with a band
• Stories from The Golden Nugget in Las Vegas
• Why Marty felt like cowboy band costumes were important
• How he met his wife, Kate---and got engaged after just ONE HOUR of conversation! (47 years of marriage followed!)
• Bored and unsatisfied with not being the very best
• Why Marty longed for the "old cowboy sound"
• "God Bless Old Glory"
• Yodeling 101
• Why Marty believes in mentoring kids
• Marty's beginning in the fair industry—1976
• Why Marty has mentored many in the fair industry, even offering up his home to many as a stable place to live
• Mistakes that young people make today: not learning the basics of a solid foundation
• "Love people enough to tell them the truth."
• How Marty struggled in the beginning to find someone to help with his career
• What happens when too much ego gets in the way
• Marty's message to younger people: "Ask for help."
• Why regrets are a waste of time
• Streaking off the stage---for $100
• A story (and a song) from the old West—by Marty
• Find out more at www.martyldavis.com. 

Welcome to a great show with my friend, Pam Shultz. Pam and her husband of 34 years, Rob, run The Imagination Gallery, a business which provides hands-on, interactive science displays for fairgoers. You'll be inspired by Pam's passion for what she loves to do and what she's learned. Join us!

What you'll hear in this episode:

• How Pam and Rob started with sand sculptures and teaching science to science shows
• The evolution of their current fair business
• How things got out of balance initially with their family
• The teamwork now in their business and family
• The agreement about "the final say"
• Rules for employees and why they exist
• Fairs that "took a chance" on them in the beginning
• "How much can I charge?" vs. "How can I provide great value?"
• Loving what you do and having an impact on people
• Barbara Walters: Pam's inspiration
• Pam's favorite thing about fair work? Engaging with others
• Why Pam loves reading and learning
• Pam's book recommendations for young people starting out in the fair industry: How Starbucks Saved My Life by Michael Gates Gill and The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
• Why Pam will still be doing her work at fairs in 20 years
• Who Pam looks up to-- and why
• Email Pam: [email protected]

How does a couple travel non-stop, perform shows all over the United States, and still manage to love each other at the end of each day? Professional magician Jeff Martin and his wife Pam share the secrets of keeping it all together."

Show Notes

• How the relationship started
• Their show is an organized business with Pam behind Jeff
• Is it tough to be just behind the limelight, not among the show performers
• We are all stronger when we become a community in show business or entertainment industry
• What is Jeff's biggest struggle?
• What is Pam's biggest struggle?
• What is Jeff's favorite food on the road?
• What Jeff would buy if he won the lottery?
• What Jeff likes about Pam
• They're both on the same wavelength

Resources

jmartinmagic.com

A win-win strategy for both buyers and sellers trying to find common ground at trade shows. In this discussion, Elisa Hays and Alan Bruess talk about how to communicate more effectively between the two sides and the importance of creating dialogue centered on added value.

Show Notes

• What does "negotiating up" mean?
• What buyers and sellers can ask each other to start negotiating
• How can an entertainer provide more value to get higher pay?
• Solving the problem of maximizing value with a limited budget
• Trade shows and conventions matter to both the fair management and fair service providers
• The trade show interaction is transactional and relational, according to Elisa
• When fair managers decide to "negotiate down" they bring in LESS to the fair
• When entertainers try to book their business and they look at big holes in their calendar
• Nobody wants to step up their game when somebody keeps negotiating down
• When entertainers say: " I guess I'm not a good fit for you"
• Can entertainers emphasize their main skills and prominently display more?
• Service members can negotiate up by being problem-solvers
• When asking more and telling less is highly appropriate

Resources:

http://www.elisahays.org

In this heart warming episode, Tammie Ryan shares her lifelong involvement in the fair industry.  She talks about her challenges as an entrepreneur, living on the road, and where she sees the greatest opportunities for others.  Tammie is highly respected and loved by many in the industry.  As you listen to her open up about her life in this episode, you will quickly understand why.  

• Tammy is instrumental in getting Alan Bruess into the entertainment industry
• Tammy invited Alan into the convention
• The biggest takeaway in the job that she remembers
• She knows almost everybody in the industry
• Talking about your products to build relationships?
• Her biggest struggle when she was starting
• She always wanted to be a teacher
• She believes the younger generation needs to get involved in the industry
• Tips in building relationships  
• Tips for success in the industry

Let's talk about the biggest struggles or challenges that artists encounter as performers. My own biggest struggle is:  losing my voice.  Here are 5 different artists and their challenges:

1. Washboard Willy He was our guest in Episode 4. He travels  all the time and often looks forward to a downtime.  His hardest struggle is about losing his sense of community with his own hometown, the place where he grew up.  Listen and learn what it is he is struggling with and what the 3 things he does to countercheck the situation. You can find him at http:///washboardwilly.com

1. Elisa HaysShe has been performing  onstage for a very long time and her biggest challenge, she says, is how to be like the children who have undistracted, sharp focus on everything around them. What does she do to be like these authentically undistracted cute audience? Her website is www.elisahays.com

1. Steve Hamilton (also known as Steve the Pretty Good) Was our guest on episode 5. He said his biggest challenge is how to get booked. One day, he asked a friend for advice. His friend gave him the tools he needed. Find out what it was and how he fixed his little problem.

1. Carrie Cunningham Finding the right support team was her biggest challenge.  She was trying to be everything and she reached out to different avenues.  Listen to her revelation-- her solutions.   

1. Ken McMeans. Ken graced our episode 6.  He would be away from home and on the road approximately 150 to 200 days.  The hardest thing in his life and career was the balancing stuff.  His wife and the children had helped him a lot.

Resources:

Please join our Facebook Group, Tailgate Entertainer where you will find the 5 performers we interviewed here.  You can find them at:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/201780350198420/

Through hard work and dedication to his craft, Brady has launched into the music scene with a style all his own.  He talks about how he developed his own style as a unique blend of many of his music heroes.

He sharpened his musical skills day after day but his parents decided he should get formal training.  Brady dreaded the idea of taking real lessons and says he had an "attention deficit disorder" when it came to structured piano lessons. He would play the piano in his own way and with awesome creativity! Brady's dad loved the style of Jerry Lee Lewis and so did he. The diversity and creativity of Jerry Lee Lewis fed and bred Brady's innate musical mind – from country music to jazz, and rock n roll – he improvised. Brady was born to play music and sing but he is also a great rancher and a baseball player. He was told he had a keen ear for music. Others think he has a great voice and savvy fingers on the instruments. We think he's got all of the above.

What you'll hear from Brady and the Tailgate Entertainer staff:

• How Brady began his musical career
• How his dad helped him become what he is today
• The musicians who influenced his music
• All his mentors and his favorite one
• How his mentor helped him become what he is today
• What he loves about the fair industry
• What else he does besides  playing the piano and guitar
• What advice he wants to give to new musicians
• What is the quickest step to success, according to Brady
• He was told he had a "strong ear" for music
• He thinks it's the way he delivers his music.

Resources

Website 

Facebook Page 

Facebook Personal: 

Twitter: @BradyGoss

Email:  bradygoss88(at)gmail(dot)com