The Real Magic of Message-Driven Entertainment Events | Interview on The Nonprofit Exchange Podcast
On 20 July 2021, I was interviewed by Hugh Ballou of The Nonprofit Exchange on the work I do and how it can benefit the leaders of nonprofit (and other) organizations. You can watch the interview here: https://youtu.be/_xf8FOVoUqo You can also find it in audio form on many podcast platforms. You can also visit the page directly here; that page includes a full transcript of the interview.
The Magical Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia
For the last five and a half years I’ve been a producer of Atlanta Magic Night, a monthly magic, mentalism, and comedy show with a rotating cast of local and national performers. I get to perform and MC the show sometimes, but I am also one of the “on call” people if a booked performer has a problem. As it turned out, one of the performers booked for our January show contacted me to let me know he had been diagnosed with shingles. That meant that I was suddenly on the bill for Saturday, January 11. We had a pretty good pre-sale even though the weather was gloomy, so off I went to our venue partner, Atlanta’s venerable Red Light Cafe. The sky grew progressively darker as I drove there, loaded in, preset props, and did my sound check. Sure, a little rain, but everything was going just fine… until a loud crack of thunder introduced a torrential downpour. The flooded parking lot suddenly looked like a theme park flume ride. Despite the increasingly scary weather, we opened the house as people were arriving anyway, bringing news of traffic and power outages and other fun things. No worries, we had power and music and lights and food. Then, maybe 20 minutes before showtime, the entire complex went dark. Rather than panic, I went to the piano and started playing so that there was background music. I took some requests from people in the dark house. I continued to improvise and play and chat. A little after 8:00 PM, the manager asked me what we wanted to do. I suggested we give it another 30 minutes, and he agreed. I explained the situation to the people that were there. Then I also explained that rather than have them leave with no show, that we would try something unusual so even if they didn’t get a full program, they would get a really neat story to tell. We rearranged the chairs and tables to create a small performing space on the floor. People took out their phones and turned on their flashlights. And there, in a dark club, with multiple LED spotlights, I performed a close-up magic show that nobody there will ever forget. I know I won’t. One of the club’s owners is also a tech for the Atlanta Opera. She has seen hundreds of performers, performances, technical glitches, entertainers, bands, and live theatre situations. Her comment on the night? “I have no idea how you pulled that together — entertaining those people during a power outage. You pulled it off, and I’m impressed. Seriously, one of the finer things I’ve witnessed. You’re on the list!” Ellen Claire Mills Our emcee for the evening was a local attorney who does magic on the side. When he sent the photo you see here, he also shared a comment that was inspirational to me: “This was beautiful. This is what magic is about. You are a riveting performer Joe, and a connector of thoughts and people.” (Thank you, Chris!) Sometimes “stuff” happens. You either can let an unpleasant, complicated, challenging situation stop you cold, or you can let it push you to create an #amazing experience for your audience even in the midst of the storm. And that’s something useful that we can learn from the magical night the lights went out in Georgia. Epilogue We sent everyone home. I packed everything away by flashlight. As I packed the last item into my case, the power came back on. Some things are simply meant to be.
A Leadership Lesson from a Lousy Alarm
In the past month I’ve spoken or performed in California three times. First in San Francisco, then in Sacramento, then in Los Angeles earlier this week. I had a performance in downtown LA on Monday night, but I had to be back in Atlanta early Tuesday afternoon in order to host/MC a big corporate event at Six Flags on Tuesday night. The result of this was that I needed to take the first flight out of Los Angeles on Tuesday morning. The Monday night performance went great, and I hustled back to my hotel with an eye toward getting to bed as quickly as possible. As I got ready for bed, I used voice commands to set my alarm for 3:00 AM… so I could be at the airport by 4:00 AM for my 6:15 AM flight. Off to sleep I went! When the alarm went off I quickly got up, showered, dressed, packed, and headed downstairs. The concierge called me a cab and off to the airport I went. While sitting in the back seat, I checked my phone to get my boarding pass and to see which terminal I needed… and at that moment, I saw the time. It was only 12:45 AM! Apparently my voice command to set the alarm had gone to my tablet — which was still on Eastern time. I got up 3 hours earlier than I had planned! I had no viable choice but to go on to the airport, where I found a nice carpeted corner in the check-in area where I could doze until they started checking folks in at 4:00 AM. It’s funny now, but I assure you… it wasn’t funny in the cab! Through that minor pain, though, came a lesson I’ll take to heart: no more setting alarms via voice command for me! I’ll always check the time on multiple devices when I get up, too. But in the long run, I guess it’s better to be 3 hours early for check-in than 3 minutes late after the boarding door closes. It could certainly have been much worse. This was a relatively pain-free lesson. Competence Requires Context A useful insight I gained from this experience is this: it wasn’t my tablet’s fault that I got up early. The tablet was the picture of competence. It set off the programmed alarm completely correctly; it was “telling the truth” based on all the information that it had. The error in execution was mine, because I failed to provide the overall context needed in order to execute the task correctly. How often do we try to communicate without setting context? As a speakers, leaders, managers, communicators… are we fully considering the context into which we are sharing information? There are multiple examples of brands who published perfectly true content on their Twitter accounts, for example, but due to a tragedy or some other noteworthy event, the tone of the message turned out to be completely inappropriate. A failure to consider context can transform a perfectly accurate statement into a major misstep.
The Lasting Power of Your Personal Brand
The Lasting Power of Your Personal Brand I have written and shared many articles about the importance of your personal brand. That brand is made up of not only the work you deliver, but also the way you dress, speak, and interact with others. The power of a strong personal brand is not only that people can remember you and the work that you do, but also that you are remembered when your product or service is mentioned. I recently received an email that made me feel like some of my own efforts in this area have been successful. Hello Mr. Turner, My name is Gram Smith. You may or may not remember me because I was so little but you used to perform magic at Norcross Station Cafe in downtown Norcross, Georgia. My dad’s name is Bruce and my mom’s name is Carolee, and my sisters are Callie and Parker. My siblings and I are redheads. I just wanted to reach out and say thank you for being such a kind and friendly person to my sisters and me while we were growing up. It made our Friday nights so fun at dinner because we would always ask, “Where is Mr. Joe?” or “I hope Mr. Joe comes.” I am starting a new chapter in my life. I am now a freshman in college at Middle Tennessee State University and studying aerospace to hopefully in the future fly for Delta Air Lines. My family and I still live in Norcross. But I was just thinking about stuff I did when I was younger and I thought of going to Norcross Station for dinner and remembering you sometimes being there performing. I was watching really funny comedy and magicians earlier and remembered you. I hope all is well and may God bless you and your family. Sincerely, Gram Smith Let’s take a look at a couple of important points. 1. A good brand creates experiences that endure. It has been at least ten years since I stopped performing at the restaurant in question. So the memory of our time together has proven to be lasting for this family, both adults and children. 2. A strong brand owns the mental real estate that a customer has set aside for that industry. Did you notice what happened at the end of the young man’s note? He was reminded of me and his experiences with my magic by watching other performers. Essentially, their work made him think of my brand. That is a principle that can apply to any business, any product, any service… any brand. Consistently deliver a quality experience and your brand will not only endure, but it will benefit from the work that others do in your space. Photo Credit: These photos are used with the permission of Malika Bowling of Roamalicious.com.
Dale Jr., Me, and the Power of Flexibility
Dale Jr., Me, and the Power of Flexibility Back in May, I received a Facebook message from an acquaintance I’ve known for a little over ten years. He works in the advertising and marketing industry, and he contacted me to see if I’d be interested in doing some sleight-of-hand on camera for a television commercial. Over the years I’ve done televised magic in many genres, both as a guest performer and as “magic hands.” This would be along the lines of the latter, with the camera focusing on my hands. My friend explained that the production company wanted me to send some video of my hands folding a piece of paper and magically transforming it into their product. I set up my phone and did some rough shots, and the feedback was instantly very positive. I developed a number of solutions to use magic for the spot. Then the project seemed to go radio silent. I wondered if I had done something wrong. I reached out to my contact at the production company and finally learned that there had been a change of plans and that they didn’t want to use sleight-of-hand magic to accomplish the effect in the storyboard. Naturally, I was disappointed. Then, however, I got one of the weirdest comments I’ve ever received: “The client loved your hands. Would you still be interested in being the hand model? You’d be doubling for Dale Earnhardt Jr’s hands in the commercial.” I’ve done a lot of things, but hand modeling is a new one. I figured it would be a fun adventure, so I agreed! I was asked for my ring size, shirt size, and instructed to get a professional manicure. I was told where the shoot was and where my hotel would be. Everything was scheduled to the minute. On the first day of my two-day shoot, I drove up to Charlotte. I arrived for what I was told to expect might be a 6-hour afternoon of costume fitting. I was done in less than fifteen minutes and told that they didn’t need me again until the next afternoon. The folks at Hammerhead Entertainment are extremely efficient! The next morning I took my time getting ready. I was contacted about 4 hours ahead of my original call time and asked if I could come early as they were moving faster than expected. I went in, got dressed, and pretty soon I was in front of the camera. After a few takes, though, the director stopped. The fine hair on my wrists, usually invisible, was indeed showing due to the intensely bright lights. That’s when I got the weird request that topped the earlier one: “Do you mind if we shave your wrists?” I don’t know what you do for a living, but that’s not something I hear everyday. Of course I said, “Sure, let’s do it!” I wasn’t going to get off this ride for the sake of some wispy hair on the back of my wrist! The wardrobe and make-up folks took a buzzer to my wrists and sent me back to the cameras. About an hour later I was done with the shoot, released for the day, and all set for a fantastic barbecue dinner while watching the College World Series. What did I learn from this experience? I took away a few things. First, it was fun. Realistically, hand modeling is not exactly on brand for my business. But an interesting opportunity that is one step off-brand was definitely worth the effort to be flexible. Second, I got to meet people a new and interesting company, visit another city, and build contacts that could be mutually beneficial later. Third, I got a cool story for my blog and that may also provide flavor for future speeches or scripts. Fourth, I had an amazing meal, which is a benefit that should never be ignored! Lesson Learned: Sometimes the business — and the brand — is strengthened by an event or opportunity that doesn’t seem like a perfect fit at first glance. Be flexible.
Atlanta Magic Night Celebrates 4 Years of Wonder
Atlanta Magic Night Celebrates 4 Years of Wonder City’s Longest-Running Magic/Mentalism Show Continues to Amaze ATLANTA – April 17, 2018 — Atlanta’s longest-running magic and mentalism show, Atlanta Magic Night, celebrates its four-year anniversary on May 5, 2018 at 8:00 PM at the Red Light Café in midtown. The show was launched in May 2014 and is produced by comedian Jerry Farber (https://jerryfarberscomedy.com), mentalist Mark Johnson (https://www.markjohnsonspeaks.com), and magician/mentalist Joe M. Turner (https://turnermagic.com). Farber is an Atlanta entertainment legend whose former comedy club, Jerry Farber’s Side Door, was the show’s original venue. “These guys really made it happen,” says Farber. “They’re top shelf performers and there was never a doubt in my mind that they’d connect with audiences.” Johnson, a mentalist, author, and communication consultant, originally approached Farber about putting together a team to produce a show. Said Johnson, “When we started there was no ongoing venue for live magic anywhere in Atlanta. We changed that, and the success of Atlanta Magic Night has been deeply rewarding. Not only do we have terrific shows, we also have a growing community of people who are seeing professional magic. And we couldn’t have done it without the early support of Jerry Farber. He has helped us so much along the way.” Turner, a magician, mentalist, and professional conference keynoter, previously produced a one-man show, Shenanigans, in Atlanta from 2005 to 2008. “Producing a show can become an all-consuming task,” he said. “Working with Jerry and Mark made it not just more efficient, but also just plain fun. I think the vibe of the show, and really the whole brand, reflects that. It’s funny, even a little irreverent, but always coming through with an impossible magical experience. And it’s clear the city wanted that experience, because we are consistently selling out. The Red Light Cafe has been a fantastic venue for us and we are grateful.” The show features a different line-up of magicians and mentalists each month. The anniversary show on May 5 will feature Johnson, Turner, Paul Sponaugle, Howie Marmer, with a planned guest appearance by Farber. Tickets are available via Eventbrite.com, RedLightCafe.com, and AtlantaMagicNight.com. Contact Atlanta Magic Night | Joe M. Turner, Producer
Magical Brand Experiences: A Tale of Two Twitters, Part 2
Magical Brand Experiences: A Tale of Two Twitters, Part 2 As I stated last time, I recently had the occasion to attend two conventions in two different cities and had a remarkably negative experience with a hotel. However, I had a tremendously positive experience the following week which illustrates how magical it is when a company really gets it right. In this case, it was with an airline. (No, I’m not kidding!) Brand Two: Delta Air Lines Full disclosure: I’m not an unbiased reporter when it comes to Delta. I’ve been flying them almost exclusively for a long time, even before I moved to Atlanta over two decades ago. That said, I never had particularly high status within their SkyMiles program. I’m not a Diamond Medallion or a Million-Miler. I made Platinum Medallion last year due to a number of overseas trips I took while president of an international association. At the end of the article I address the August 8 system outage, but this article was written a week ago. Headed to Indy A few weeks ago I was headed to Indianapolis for a conference. As is my habit, I try to stop by the Delta Sky Club for breakfast if I have time prior to a flight. In this case I was there later in the morning, so they were transitioning from breakfast to lunch as I was getting ready to go to my gate. The typical lunch spread includes cookies, so I decided to pick up a peanut butter or chocolate chip cookie on the way to the gate. I found no peanut butter or chocolate chip cookies. Instead, I found new lemon cookies. They were light, sweet, and delicious. As I got to the gate, I decided to let Delta know that I enjoyed them. This is my tweet and Delta’s typically quick response: Holy smokes! The new lemon cookies in the @Delta Sky Club are amazing! — Joe M. Turner (@turnermagic) July 12, 2016 Joe, enjoy the Sky Club and the amazing lemon cookies. *HW — Delta (@Delta) July 12, 2016 I joked that they should put some in first class on my flight to Indianapolis. They suggested that I take some Biscoff cookies, and I responded that those cookies were now in second place. Later, when I posted a photo showing that I had arrived in Indy, the team responded and was glad that I had a great flight, and thanked me for the photo. I responded that I just wished I had some of those cookies! All in all, this was just a charming exchange that shows Delta to be an interested, fun, and social brand. Special Delivery That night I was in the opening session of the conference when my phone vibrated – it was an Indianapolis phone number. I stepped outside to answer it. I was told, “Mr. Turner, this is Christa Khalileh, the station manager of the Indianapolis Delta Sky Club. I am in your hotel lobby with a special delivery.” I suspected what had happened, and couldn’t believe it. “I’ll be right down.” I found Ms. Khalileh standing in the lobby with a platter of approximately three dozen lemon cookies and a thank you card. She said they had seen my Tweets and thought it would be fun to make it happen. I told her I couldn’t believe that they had done this and that I was certainly surprised and grateful. I asked her if she had tried one of the cookies yet and she had not. She explained that they had not gotten those cookies in Indianapolis yet; they had actually flown them up from Atlanta especially for me! This was a spectacular experience and a great illustration of how a brand can use social media effectively, translate it into a magical real-life experience, and reap lasting goodwill from people beyond their normal audience. What are they doing right? Delta has a social media team that pays attention. In the past when I have had complaints or even just gripes about the usual traveling woes, they have responded quickly and professionally, usually with a helpful tip or at least genuine empathy. I have tagged them in positive posts, too, and they usually respond with a “Thanks!” or “Yay!” or other good-natured comments. They are quick to respond, and come across as polite and appropriately happy or unhappy when doing it. They nearly instantly validate whatever emotion I am feeling at the time of my Tweet. Another thing they are doing right has to do with honesty about their promises. They recently combined their sales and customer service back into a single point of contact. While many companies shy away from having potential customers (sales) see the potential complaints (customer service), Delta is transparent. They actually deliver negative feedback to people who can change policy. How many times have you wondered whether your complaint was really “shared with the management” when a customer service representative said they would do so? I have often wondered whether it happens. But on the same day as the cookie delivery, Delta announced that – due to feedback from their customers – they were adjusting an upgrade policy that had been changed. They don’t shy away from admitting that changes might be necessary, and they credit the customer when making the correction. Perhaps most importantly, they understood the value of translating virtual activity into a real-world experience. What did the cookie experience cost Delta? The cookies themselves – maybe a couple of dollars. A platter and some plastic wrap. A gift card. A flight attendant went above and beyond her normal responsibilities to pick up some cookies at an Atlanta Sky Club and drop them off at the Indianapolis Sky Club. The plane was going to fly anyway, so putting the cookies aboard was not an extra expense. Ms. Khalileh invested a little time and an out-of-the-way drive to drop them off at the hotel. In all likelihood, she personally incurred the highest
Atlanta Magician Joe M. Turner Installed as International President of International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM)
Atlanta Magician Joe M. Turner Installed as International President of International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM) Atlanta magician, mentalist, and speaker Joe M. Turner has been installed as the new International President of the International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM). The IBM, with 10,000 members in 88 countries, is the largest association in the magic and illusion industry, with members ranging from casual hobbyists to special effects consultants, performing art historians, and professional performers. (www.magician.org) The installation occurred today, July 16, 2015, at the organization’s annual business meeting held in conjunction with their annual convention. This year’s convention, the 87th annual conference, is being held in Jacksonville, Florida. Turner appeared on local radio and television stations earlier this week promoting the convention, the public shows being held at the Florida Theatre, and the art of magic in general. Turner, a former management consultant, is a full-time speaker and corporate entertainer based in Atlanta. He is also a member of the Academy of Magical Arts at the Hollywood Magic Castle, the Magic Circle in London, the Society of American Magicians, and the Fellowship of Christian Magicians. He has written for Genii Magazine, the industry’s oldest journal, for the past fifteen years. He has performed at the Hollywood Magic Castle, Monday Night Magic in New York, the London Palladium, and at hundreds of corporate meetings and events in North America and Europe. Joe and his wife Rosemary have two children (Hayley and Preston) and live in the northwestern suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. You can find out more about Joe and his work at www.turnermagic.com
Turner Performs in All-Star Atlanta Magicians Show at Tucker Rec Center
Turner Performs in All-Star Atlanta Magicians Show at Tucker Rec Center Last week, I joined four other Atlanta magicians onstage (plus another half-dozen in crew and backstage support) in a community relations effort on behalf of the Georgia Magic Club, Ring 9 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. On Wednesday, June 3, members of IBM Ring 9 – The Georgia Magic Club produced an all-star magic show for the students attending DeKalb County’s “Camp Superstars” at the Tucker Recreational Center in Tucker, Georgia. The performers included Paul Sponaugle, Merritt Ambrose, Debbie Leifer, and myself, with current Ring 9 president Dale Adamson serving as master of ceremonies. I was honored to be asked to be the closer on a show in which all the performers and the MC had been voted “Greater Atlanta Magician of the Year” at least once, and in some cases multiple times. Ring 9 members West Evans, Mike Dunagan, Martin Baratz, Gene Hendrix, Dan Garrett, and Jim Mangham served as the technical and stage crew for the show, and current Ring 9 Vice President Mark Hatfield was the producer. Every performer brought something special and unique to the show. Paul Sponaugle has an engaging wit and impeccable comic timing, and he interacted perfectly with his chosen volunteer in a magical torn and restored paper routine. Merritt Ambrose performed a classic broken and restored balloon string trick, and finished by making his table float in the air. Debbie Leifer delivered a strong presentation which climaxed with the continuous production of coins from the air, during which she was assisted by a youngster whose reactions were as magical as the trick itself. During my own segment, I got some terrific screams by causing the audience to see my head shrinking and growing in a strange optical illusion. After some comedy balloon sculptures, I caused a young boy’s signed playing card to vanish while he was holding the deck of cards, only to appear in a previously inflated and tied balloon. I then closed the show with a classical stage illusion in which a young girl is suspended in the air between two chairs. The program, which entertained somewhere on the order of 250 kids aged 5-15 (plus at least a dozen adults), was not just a great way to engage and support activities in the greater Atlanta community, but also a way for Ring 9 to progress toward award status within the International Brotherhood of Magicians. “Honor Rings” are designated by the international organization for chapters, or Rings, which attain specific membership and programming criteria. I am thrilled to be part of Ring 9, the Georgia Magic Club. I served as Ring president in 2000 and 2001 – just a few years after joining the club in 1998 – and I have been an active board member for most of the years since. I can easily assert that I would not have the career I have now, nor would I have pursued leadership roles at the international level, without the support and encouragement of so many of the members of IBM Ring 9. While performances for children’s groups are not my primary market, I considered it a privilege (as well as a lot of fun!) to participate in this project. I thank Ring 9 vice president Mark Hatfield for inviting me to be part of the show, and congratulations to the cast and crew on a job well done!
Magic, Management, and Logistics
Magic, Management, and Logistics When I spoke at the National Logistics and Distribution Conference earlier this year, I was interviewed by Bob Bowman of SupplyChainBrain.com for an Executive Briefing video. The interview was recently published and they gave me permission to share it with my viewers on my YouTube channel. If you’ve ever wondered why and how I connect my performances with speaking on the concepts of leadership, management, branding, and corporate communication, you’ll enjoy this interview. You might want to pay close attention to the questions surrounding the issues of deception and “lying” to the audience, and how I can still use my kinds of performances to communicate meaningful messages to an audience. Enjoy!
