Restaurant Work

I was really worried about not being able to remember everything I wanted to add to my blog, so I pulled out my ancient tape recorder and decided to throw it in the car with me to gigs. Now I can talk about how the gig went and different things I want to remember so that I can put them into my blog for you guys.

This Blog contains two gigs. The first is an Ihop gig and the second is a gig at a mexican restaurant called Los Vallartas. I have never worked at either one of these places before. So, each experience was a new one.

Each of these sections is written after the fact and focuses on the things that stuck out most to me after finishing the gig.

Ihop 80
Saturday Aug. 30th 9 am-1 pm

A Fighting Chance

The table that stuck out most to me at this gig was one that I did not make a balloon for. In fact, they called me over and handed me money as the said, "We want to tip you, but we want you to know why. You make awesome stuff and all, but this tip is because you make the children smile and that is something that we appreciate."

Yeah, so I can't explain how happy that made me feel. I love making children happy and it is a great blessing to have someone realize that you are more than just a balloon artist sometimes.

I gave them a business card and thanked them. It was at this time that I was asking questions and found out that they had a prematurely born baby in the hospital. They told me that when she was born she weighed only a pound and after 15-30 days later (I don't remember exactly) she now weighs 2 pounds. So, as you can imagine, they have been through some ups and downs.

It turns out that the husband was an ex UFC fighter and plans on opening a Brazilian style Martial Arts school. So, I made sure I told him to give me a call when that happens. That's something I'm interested in and it never hurts to know someone else that is a master in their field.

Learning that totally explained how she was fighting so hard to live. It's in her blood. I don't see how it could be any other way.

So, at one table today I got a tip based on the fact I make people smile, I learned about a very special little girl, and I might even have a contact for when I want to get back into the martial arts stuff. You never know who you are going to meet, who you're going to influence, nor who will influence you.


Narcotics Anonymous

The second table that sticks out in my mind is actually one of the first tables I went to. It was a group of about 20 adults and they had to be the coolest people I'd ever met.

As always, I like to ask questions about people so that I can more specifically address them as an audience. In my questioning, I found out that they were all members of NA (Narcotics Anonymous) and that there was a Birthday at the table as well.

I had a blast! I got to make a crazy balloon hat for the birthday boy, I made a lady a dragon hat, another guy an alien, and then for the last balloon I made an elephant hat. (Thanks Tawney!)

And, because of that table, I was able to make a dolphin hat, an alien giraffe, and a vacuum cleaner hat at the table next to them. So, that was awesome!

Pretty Picky Princess

At one table I was asked for, "A pink horse with purple hooves, a gold unicorn, blue wings, orange mane and tail, and a stick to hold it on."

haha, and yes. I made it.
Then, going to the sister...

Yup! She wanted the same thing.

So, moral of the story is:
Rich Picky Princesses don't tip...lol


Los Vallartas 140
Saturday, August 30th 5pm-9pm

A Crazy Hat!

Old Friends

I ran into some parents of an old high school friend. So, that was pretty cool. It was nice getting to stop and talk to them after a long while.

When I first saw them, I didn't completely recognize who they were, but I knew that they'd driven me home from school on a number of occasions. I just couldn't place why.

Yeah... We all agreed that I'm starting to get old. *tear*


Of Ropes and Chains and Balloons

So, I ran into another interesting group of people tonight. Everyone at the table was a member of some type of kinky bondage fan club. So, one girl asked for a hat and I made it a point to "attach" her pigtails to it. She wore a shirt with handcuffs on it, so I made a hat with "Haircuffs." She seemed to like it and the rest of the table LOVED it.

They were all begging for cards and wanted to know if I could do balloons that would suit their events. So, I showed them a picture or two of Ms. Tawney Bubble's midnight class from Diamond Jam and they were totally excited about hiring me to work a number of their events. So, hopefully that will work out. It sounds like a lot of fun.


Los Globos International

Yeah... I got to practice some Spanish at the tables today. So, that was pretty awesome. In fact, I was privileged enough to twist for one of the owner's friends today as well. I didn't make anything too fancy, but they tipped a good $10. So, I can't complain at all.

And speaking of languages... I was able to show off to a few Russian families that came in as well. I haven't really learned anything new. (I was taught new stuff, but can't remember it.) However, my "hello, how are you?" and my "Good afternoon" went over really well in Russian.

Keri Andrews Chronicles

Hello people! My name is Keri Andrews, and I'm a balloon addict.

"Hi Keri."

Yeah, so Jonathan asked me to contribute occasionally to his blog, seeing as how I've been doing this for 9 months and I need all the help I can get! I'm going to post occasionally about my experiences as an entertainer, in restaurants, busking with a line, and at parties. It should be fun! (I should probably mention that I'm the person in the pictures a few posts ago...)

So here we go! Post number 1!

OK, so I took Jonathan's busking classes at Diamond Jam, right? Well I have some notes from the class that I didn't really go over until recently. After having a somewhat crappy few days of tips, I decided that I was going to actually USE some of the info, primarily the approaches. (That's what you say to a table to get them to take a balloon.) Normally I get about 75% of people to say yes, they would like a balloon. Then about 10% of those don't tip. That's just how it's always been.

So then I take the information I got from Jonathan's class and put it into use...

I didn't get ONE "no"! Not one! In four hours!

I KNOW!!!

Not only that, but I got more than half of my tips in $5 bills. I ended up making way more than I make at any other restaurant, and I handed out TONS of cards! I'm so excited!

So there you have it. Jonathan Fudge = restaurant balloon teacher extraordinaire!

And he didn't even have to pay me to say it. :)

Getting Back into the Stretch of Things

So, I've just moved back to Tampa, FL where I'll be balloonin for a while.

I drove in from Houston, TX on Tuesday morning and have yet to unpack the entirety of my vehicle.

So, that means all of my balloons are still packed in my trunk and I haven't done much of anything as far as sorting them again. I very much think I'm going to throw a balloon sorting party with all my friends. I've always found that turning work into fun makes it a lot easier on everyone.

The only problem is that I start working tomorrow night. So, party or not, I'll need to get everything done. So, wish me luck! I'll need all the help I can get motivating myself to go through all those bags again.

On a more positive note though, I'll be updating my blog again on a regular basis. So, be looking out for my new posts. Due to some recent requests, I'll be adding in more personal stories from tables I visit at night. I believe I was asked to write more on the entertaining aspect of things. So, I'm going to attempt that.

If anyone else has comments or suggestions, let me know. I love the feedback!

Diamond Jam 2008 1/2

Okay, so I haven't been able to post since Diamond Jam. It is late, so I'm going to write what I remember and then post pictures later on. Please excuse the lack of detail. It is VERY late and I don't know that I'll be able to get much out of my head right now.

First off, I was an instructor for Diamond Jam which made me very stressed most of the week. I wanted to make sure that every class I taught had massive amounts of information. So, I constantly went over my notes to ensure that I remembered everything for the classes.

The classes I taught were entitled:
Balloon Busking 101
Balloon Busking 102
And,
Restaurant Entertainment: Beyond the Balloons

And as far as I could tell, everyone enjoyed the classes and I know everyone walked away with something they didn't have before the class started. So, that made me happy and all the extra work and stress was well worth it knowing that I was able to help others make money doing what they love to do.

The following are a few pictures of Diamond jam after I stopped stressing over my classes:

S and the Rockettes!

Me being a SCARED Princess!
Of Course, I can't leave out my favorite picture... The Scary wall!Yeah, I finally broke down and enterted a competition. Yay for Love potion number 7!

Balloon Camp was after Diamond Jam and I totally skipped out on most of it so that I could relax a little bit and calm myself down after Diamond Jam was over.

At balloon Camp I got to work with some AMAZING people and learned a lot about the decor side of things. So, that was really cool. I pretty much mastered the Tak weave after making 2 8 foot long sections for one of the decor pieces. So, that was nice.

And as an added bonus, I was able to room with Robbie Furman for a bit too. So, I learned quite a bit about him. And as always, it was great getting to know another artist and businessman within the industry.

During my excursions, I was able to meet The Amazing Johnathan and Psychic Tonya. That was awesome.

I also was able to watch and learn from another great artist while I was in Vegas. (Thanks Keri!!)

(Alysa and Keri - My Entertainment!)

And lucky me almost got kicked out of my hotel for making balloons in the lobby. So, that was exciting. Always have to enjoy a story that includes a cop or two!

And, to top off my entire week, I mis-scheduled my flight and ended up staying an extra night, costing me about $250 more than it should have. (Ouch!)

At least the cab driver was really cool...

The Kaizen Method

This was sent to me by Jimmy Leo today. Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy that resonates with my own personal philosophy of constant improvement. Due to that and the fact that I will be venturing to Japan in the coming months, I wanted to share it with you.

The Kaizen Method
The Kaizen Method focuses on small seemingly insignificant improvements that result in continuous and never ending improvement of life and work.
It is the ability to notice even very small improvements in ourselves and in others.

"Little by little, bit by bit, I'm improving each day"


This applies to every aspect of our lives.
As an entertainer, I am always looking to improve my show, my lines, the timing of a joke, and even my balloon sculptures themselves.

How do you eat an elephant?
-One bite at a time.

The same aplies here.

There was a poster on the front of my high school history classroom that means a lot to me. It was a picture of the great wall of China. Below it was written,

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

You are on a journey. Are you taking the route of improvement or are you taking the route of chaos and deterioration?

Take a bunch of little steps every day and eventually you will be able to look back on your life and you will see how so many little things can lead to such great success.

Writing to you from the heart,
Writing one post at a time,
Toward the goal,

Jonathan Fudge
Your Balloon Man

Diamond Jam 2008.5 in Las Vegas

I have not been posting recently because I have been preparing my materials for my classes at DiamondJam this year.

The classes I will be teaching are as follows:

Balloon Busking 101
This class will cover the basics of balloon busking for line work, restaurants, and street shows. The differences will be discussed and different methods of increasing income will be discussed as well. This class should have something useful for everyone. It will include points on developing a line, crowd control, keeping a line, entertaining everyone, and passing the hat.

Balloon Busking 102
This class discusses the application of the knowledge gained in Balloon Busking 101. The focus will be more on paid gigs, such as restaurants and events and will show the benefit of a balloon busking approach. This class will teach how to twist fewer balloons and make more money. This is a crash course in balloon entertainment.

Retaurant Entertainment: Beyond Balloons
This class will cover a multitude of scenarios that may occur in a restaurant while twisting. It will specifically focus on ways to keep a restaurant and how to increase your value over a period of time. Additionally, it will include a set of lecture notes and free consulting for 6 months. If there is additional time, we will also be covering different ideas for "Balloon Flair" that can be done either in a restaurant or at an event, which, will entertain and amuse the guests.

And in the spirit of sharing, here is an excerpt from one of my classes:

Crowd Control: (lines/general)
The first thing you must understand before you work on crowd control is that you are in control. As the performer, it is your job to take over the audience and the crowds, making it clear to them you are in control of the situation. There are bunches of ways to do this, but I will share with you what I’ve found to be the easiest methods for keeping a group following your lead.

1. Let your audience know what to expect ahead of time. Don’t give them any surprises and let them know how they should react to what you’re going to do.

2. Give verbal and non-verbal cues. Be loud or quiet, stand the way you want them to stand, or even show them how you don’t want them to act.

3. Catch small problems early so that you don’t have to ever worry about the bigger issues.

4. If someone begins to disrupt, begin twisting near them so that everyone looks their way. You won’t have to say anything to them most of the time. Just the added attention their direction is usually enough to deter them from misbehaving.

5. Keep it fresh! If you are constantly adding new things or changing it up, you can keep your line entertained and focused on you. This also helps you stay in control because no on in line ever really knows where you are or where you are going.


***

I then go on to speak about specific issues one may encounter while entertaining a crowd and suggest ways one may wish to handle the situation.

If you would like to know more, feel free to email me.

Jonathan Fudge
Your Balloon Man
YourBalloonMan@BalloonHQ.com

Japan!

That's Right!! I'm going to Japan!!

I have an all expences paid trip to Japan so that I can make balloons for some folks on a military base. And on top of that, I'll be able to crash and stay with some friends that are there for anywhere from 2 weeks to a year.

Though I know I should probably not stay there for a year, I'm very much debating it because it is a GREAT, once in a lifetime opertunity. I love the Japanese culture and I'd love to learn the language.

Once I entertain at the events they already have me set up to do, I can also work on the base at the restaurants and at parties and events to make some extra cash on the side. I'm very interested in seeing if I can support myself in a foreign country.

It's crazy how a life unfolds.
Some are taken quickly, some are sent in circles, and some grow to such heights that even they don't believe it.

I very much believe I am one of the few that is soaring to great heights and I cannot be thankful enough for it. I am so blessed beyond measure that I was litterally left speechless tonight when I was told my trip was completely paid for.

Oh, and did I mention that it's been my dream to always go to Japan?

Yeah... I'm fulfulling one of my childhood dreams. This year!

Balloon Class

I had two people to train today. One was motivated. The other wasn't.

How can you inspire others to accomplish tasks?
What's the best way to lead a team or crew of artists or entertainers?
What would be a better way to prospect so that I can weed out anyone that may lack motivation?

I attended Riverside Military Academy in Gainseville, GA where I learned that motivation either comes from within or without. Some people just have the inner workings that keep them going, doing what it is they are supposed to do. Others, they just have to be poked and prodded until they do what they are supposed to.

We can't change others, but we can change ourselves. If we are constantly staying on the ball, keeping things moving, and inviting others to join with us while we work... then we may be able to share some of our own motivation to others.

Also, hang around self-driven, well motivated people. Surround yourself with excellence and you will become excellent yourself.

My goal today is to find the motivation to do something I don't usually do on my own. I am going to let someone else motivate me to do something and then I am going to go out of my way to finish something on my own.

Ha ha, and I've already got the first one figured out. My room mate just walked in and conveniently reminded me to pay the bills today.

Now, on to figuring out what I'm going to get up and do on my own...

Gig: Texas Roadhouse, Houston

So, I was working at Texas Roadhouse tonight and I had a blast.

At first, it was busy, but there were no kids around. I was getting a lot of adults that just didn't want a balloon. So, I started to make a large balloon sculpture of a monkey on a palm tree with bananas. It was only about 10 balloons, but I turned it into a hat and convinced the host staff to trade it off and wear it all night. So, that was fun.

And by the time I finished it, I had a waiter come up to me and ask me to go to his table where I was asked to make a Tropical Birthday Hat. It was awesome. I had a Birthday girl, her mom, and her kid all wanting something special.

I started with the girl getting a flamingo hat, complete with legs hanging under her chin. As I was finishing up, her mom was putting a $5 on the table. I wasn't done yet though. I made a crab for mom. (The $5 turned into a $10) and then I finished up with the daughter (who was about 24) and made her a dolphin hat. By the time I was done with the table, Mom (Grandma) had given me a $20 and I started my night off right.

Later on in the night, I was at a table about to get a 'no.' (I could read it in their faces.) And before I could hear them say 'no,' I heard a group of people yelling and screaming my name.

"Yay! Mr. Fudge is here!!"
"Awesome!"
"Hey Mr. Fudge!!! We're going to be sitting over there."

"Hey guys! It's great to see you back. I'll be over there in a few..."

Yeah... So, that 'no' I could read in their faces... It turned into a resounding yes after that. They wanted me to suprise every last one of them. So, I did. I made them each something cool and then went to visit my buddies from the week before.

When I got to their table, the daughter informed me that their elementary school class got a hampster and she helped to convince them to name it Mr. Fudge. (I never thought it would be so great an honor it is to be named after a rodent... Suprizingly, it meant a lot to me.)

After that, the son pointed out his Hershey's Marathon shirt where he completed and got first place in states for track and feild. So, that was really cool. I told him to that he was definately a Mr. Fudge fan if he was enterting Hershey events.

Thinking things were finished with the children filling me in, I was going to offer a balloon, but the father stopped me to inform me that they had all come up with a theme song for me. I wish I could remember all of it to share with you here. The tune was rather catchy and I wish I had it on tape to add to the end of my DVDs.

"Mr. Fudge is my name
if you know it, say it again..."

Okay, so I don't remember all the words... I tried.

Needless to say, I had an awesome time talking with the table. And though they did not want a balloon, they were sure to let management know how much they loved me and they were not going to let me go without promising to be at the sons birthday in May.

Before the night was through, I made a bunch of big, crazy, and conected hats that went on some individuals at a table. They were all 17-28 and absolutely loved it! (I actually got to make my ladybug hat for a lady at the table next to them too. So, that really made my night! I love when adults wear hats!)

Well, That's more than enough to share about my night tonight.

I am going to try and make it a point to leave gig stories when I can so that readers of the blog can see more into the life of a Balloon Artist Professional.

>jonathan fudge.
Your Balloon Man

Restaurant Sales

When I go out to pitch restaurants, I expect to walk away with at least one tryout at the very minimum. So, a lot of times I'll make it my goal to get a tryout before I allow myself to have lunch.

Thursday I woke up hungry, skipped breakfast, met up with my associate, and went out to pitch. Sure enough, it was a difficult area to get a tryout.

We ended up going to a huge mall in the area, wanting to pitch the restaurants within. After my first restaurant told me that it was owned by the hotel attached to the mall, I decided I'd have to talk to the hotel staff and the mall staff before I went any further.

That pushed our lunch back quite a bit.

Starving, with stomach rumbling, we set up meetings with the propper authorities at the mall and recieved permission to pitch to the individual restaurants. We did not have as much luck with the hotel staff. We got a couple of business cards and a cold shoulder. So, needless to say, we didn't waste our time pitching to the restaurants next to the hotel.

I was hungry, I needed to eat, and I absolutely had to get a restaurant to say yes.

I decided I was going to go to the food court so that I'd be reminded just how much I wanted to work.

Holding the prize before our eyes actually worked!

We saw a number of restaurants big enough to work in and we pitched them like there was no tomorrow. (Mostly because it felt like there would never be a tomorrow if I didn't get any food.) Sure enough, all the persistence and hard work paid off. we were able to land 2 tryouts before we left the mall.

And as you might imagine, I scored a pretty hefty meal as well. It was a VERY late meal, but it was a big one.

On the way home, we pitched a few more places. We mostly gathered intel so that we could come back again on another day.

I'm writing this now to say that with a full day of effort, I was able to land 2 gigs a week. I still have some stuff pending, but it is not set in stone yet.

If you are trying to accomplish a goal, try setting a reward for yourself. In my case, it was a punishment until I completed the task and then a reward after the fact.

It also may help to have a partner with you that will hold you to your commitment. With my associate there, I wasn't going to go back on my word, not even to grab a basket of fries for the ride home.

>Jonathan Fudge
YourBalloonMan

The Artist Approach

"Artist" Approach:
“Hello, I’m Mr. Fudge and I’m your in house balloon artist this evening. That’s right! I take balloons and mold-and-fold-and-twist-and-shape-them until they resemble modern art. And for you young lady, I want to make something special – absolutely adorable – something that just says ‘amazing.’” Go on to make her a bracelet or a princess crown. With a slight adaptation, you can use this line to make anyone almost anything. And the best part, you get to choose what it is!

Basic Guidelines for the Restaurant Entertainment Professional

The following are the basic guidelines I use and teach to those interested in restaurant entertainment.

1) Appearance – Show up clean cut and well groomed in professional attire. Dress pants, closed toed dress shoes, and a button up shirt is the norm. I do not dress as a clown and do not suggest that others do it because of the high number of people that are terrified of clowns.
2) Timeliness – Always show up on time or early. It is also good to try and leave on time as well. If you do happen to stay late, be sure to let the manager know you are staying late as a courtesy
3) Priorities – Patrons are at the restaurant to eat first and to be entertained second. The best time to approach the table is after the food has been ordered, but before the food has arrived. If a server or one of the staff come to the table, do your best to get out of their way completely.
4) Safety First – Balloons are a choking hazard for all children under the age of three. Due to the nature of latex, it becomes very dangerous if swallowed.
5) Manager Clause – Everything in the manual is to be followed as written unless otherwise stated by a manager. If you are told to do something by management, assuming it does not endanger yourself or others, please comply. This only applies to the manager, not the wait staff.
6) Marketing – You are in the restaurant to help build business for the restaurant. Always talk positively about the restaurant you are in and encourage guests to come again. Not only does it increase possible tips you may receive, but it also maintains a positive relationship between the restaurant and yourself.
7) Staffing – You are not a part of the restaurant staff. If there is a problem, find out who can help and notify them immediately.
8) Humility – Know your place. You are an added bonus, an extra, something special that the restaurant added for their customers. You are never going to be chosen over that of a member of a wait staff. They always have priority. If you show them all the respect and kindness that you can, many of them will return the favor.
9) Understand No – A no is a no. Do not pressure the guests into anything. There are creative ways to entertain and amuse people that would not otherwise be amused, but do not push your limits too far.
10) Have Fun – If you are not having fun, then no one else is. Smile, enjoy yourself, and make sure everyone it happy. If you can do that, then you will do well.


This is on the first page of my restaurant training program. They are the 10 principles that I use while in a restaurant. I hope they will at the very least encourage you to come up with a list things to guide you throughout your business walk as well.

Just Another Unexpected Day Off...

Again, I'm reminded just how important it is to have a contract between an entertainer and their clients.

Today I was suposed to work at a Birthday party.

I sorted my balloons, set out my clothes, and began mentally preparing myself for the event. About the time I was about to get into the shower, I noticed that I had a message on my phone. So, I preceeded to call to check my voicemail only to find out that the Mother called to cancel me at the event.

I called her and inquired as to why she would wish to cancel.

"We're just not going to be doing it. We're calling it off."

"You're canceling the entire party?"

"No, just the balloons. We have a snow cone machine instead."

"Well, I'm glad you have a snow cone machine and all, but we agreed that I'd be performing today and my time is pretty valuble. Just yesterday morning, I had to refuse a $300 event because I had already made prior engagements with you."

"Oh, too bad."

-Click.-
Yeah... "Too bad." was the best answer I got today. And to top it off, I was hung up on.

There are days I absolutely love my job. This wasn't one of them.

Because of people like this, I now have to demand payment prior to the date of the event. I just informed my secretary that I would no longer put anything on my calendar unless I had the cash or check in hand for the event.

I know I'll lose some events because of this, but it is not worth it for me to give away a weekend full of work to someone without some type of commitment.

Until I have a contract drawn up, that's the way it has to be.

>Jonathan Fudge
Your Balloon Man

Happy Birthday Opera Style

Most of the really great routines that I do are things I had to creatively steal from Jimmy Leo. I now steal cell phones much more often and I make girlfriend catchers and I make it a point to have fun with my audience.

Just the same, I've found that my character deals with these different bits in different ways.

So, I'll take a story from my gig Thursday night and explain what my buddy and I did while twisting. Though this is something I haven't completely heard before, most of the pieces I had to fit together to make this entertaining came from different talks I've had with Jimmy Leo.


We were entertaining a large group of families at a restaurant and we were informed that it was a young lady's birthday.

So, out comes the 4-balloon opera singer hat.

My buddy makes the hat and informs her that she's going to sing happy birthday to herself (because neither of us could sing) and that she'll be accompanied by the sorounding audience.

So, He takes the lead, helping her sing and I direct her movements from her elbow, making her perform some very amusing opera singer movements.

After practicing a few of the pieces of the act, we then combined everything together to sing her a WONDERFUL birthday song where she was the center of attention, got a full round of applause, and walked away with the biggest smile ever.

Because it was her birthday, I actually stopped my "line." (I don't actually use a line, but I stopped making what I was working on.)

By having both entertainers bringing everyone's attention to this one girl, we were able to get a resounding aplause, a thank you from the owner, and a full 2-3 minutes of full out hysterical entertainment for the entire crowd.

Thanks again for the awesome talks Jimmy! Everytime I talk with you, I learn a ton of stuff.

Thanks!