Advertise on podcast: Dave Wakeman's The Business of Fun Podcast

Hi!  My guest today is Tyler Simmons.  We talk about Bucket Golf.  What a cool product.  Today we discuss: Creating a product from scratch Building innovation into the DNA of your business The importance of community to the growth of the business Managing a supply chain And, more. Visit my website at www.DaveWakeman.com Get the 'Talking Tickets' newsletter at https://talkingtickets.substack.com Join our community over on Slack.

I had a data conversation that I was excited to share with you because Brian Vinson comes at data in a way that made me excited to rethink my take on data.  If you've listened for long, you know that I think people put too much emphasis on looking backward at their data when making decisions.  Brian's POV on data is very much forward looking and it was refreshing to hear this.  In today's episode, we get into a lot of things: Using wifi to serve customers and get better data Finding data from guests that don't want to have you know they are there Making data memorable and useful internally and externally Why making people feel seen makes your data more powerful Check out my site: www.DaveWakeman.com You can get my newsletter there are by visiting the 'Talking Tickets' site.  Join our Slack Channel. Check out the Pricing Blind Spot Audit. 5 questions. 2 minutes. 1 score. Find out where you might be missing the point in  your pricing. Get yourself to our FREE webinar on May 5, 2026 at 12:30 PM Eastern. "10 Ways to Turn Pricing Drift into Pricing Power." I'll give you some real world tools and ideas that you can use immediately to improve your pricing habits. Do share this episode with a friend, colleague, co-worker that could benefir from hearing today's conversation with Brian! This helps the podcast keep growing.

My guest today is John Breyault.  John is with the National Consumers League. His work is on consumer protection. Which made a conversation about the Live Nation trial timely.  We cover a lot of ground about Live Nation and tickets including: The 2010 merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster The consent decree that was supposed to reign in some behaviors Structural v. Behavioral remedies. And, why in this case, structural remedies might make more sense.  Bad actors. And, more!  I've written too many words about this case, but if you haven't had the chance to read them: Ticketmaster Won. Everyone Else Lost. That's Why Tickets Are Broken. David Marcus Replies. (On LinkedIn) DOJ Settlement The Fix Was Always In David Cooper's Guest Post Even If the States Win, Will It Be Enough? Must Be Nice Not to Know. Michael Rapino's Testimony. Lord...far too many words.  My new product launched today: The Drift Interrupter... You get:  Me + You and 90 minutes of analysis and action items.  A score with a detailed list of where drift is happening.  $1,500.  A bargain.  Join our Slack Channel! Over 400 people from around the world!  My site is www.DaveWakeman.com

My guest today is Mark Roberge!  He's from Red 13 Creative. www.Red13Creative.com  Great talk about audience development.  Mark is a touring musician and he brings that point of view to his work with artists.  In today's episode, we get into a bunch of helpful topics such as: The myth of the algorithm: "I got my song on Spotify." Word of mouth marketing and finding the first fans...then turning them into superfans. Building an audience. How to launch a band, product, or album. "Overnight success" Streams of revenue ...and a lot more.  Visit my website at www.DaveWakeman.com  Get the 'Talking Tickets' newsletter at https://talkingtickets.substack.com Join our Slack Channel!

My guest today is Kris Rudeegraap. He's with Sendoso.  We had a great time talking about gifting.  Kris shared: Using gifts to open conversations Touch point marketing Creativity Making gifts special ...and much more.  We are giving away a copy of Giftology from John Ruhlin. You can receive one by sending me an email at [email protected] or Kris an email at [email protected]  Do both even!  Visit me at www.DaveWakeman.com Get Talking Tickets at https://talkingtickets.substack.com Join our Slack.

My guest today is Rick Elmore.  Rick's company www.SimplyNoted.com is really interesting.  We talked about a bunch of stuff: Being human in the sales process Using handwritten notes Using notes at scale Touchpoints The beauty of sales ...and more.  Visit my site at www.DaveWakeman.com Get Talking Tickets at https://talkingtickets.substack.com Join our Slack Channel.

My guest today is Victor Varnado.  Victor recently launched the Tic Tac Toe Championship.  What an idea?!  We got into a bunch of stuff around: Digital accessibility Creativity ADHD Social Anxiety And, a lot more.  Check out my website at www.DaveWakeman.com  Get the 'Talking Tickets' newsletter at https://talkingtickets.substack.com Join our Slack channel.

My guest today is Lynn Harris.  Lynn has started a comedy school called GOLD Comedy, but Lynn is a comedian, a producer, and a lot more.  So we got into it about using humor to be better at your job and at life.  In today's conversation, we discussed things like:  Brands wanting to be funny Practice makes funny Diversity as a strength Giving people a place to learn that reflects their lives ...and, a lot more.  Check out GOLD Comedy! Lynn's site!   Come see me at www.DaveWakeman.com Get the 'Talking Tickets' newsletter at https://talkingtickets.substack.com Join us over on Slack!

My guest today is Bruce Bryan.  Bruce has written a book called Turning Tables: Everything I Needed to Know About Business I Learned as a Server.  A great premise for a conversation since I credit so much of my marketing skill from my time in night clubs. We talked about a lot of things such as: Empathy, prioritization, and communication Food service as a team sport The humility of a marketer Creating better ads Fixed mind v. Flexible mind ...and, a ton more.  Visit my website at www.DaveWakeman.com Get the 'Talking Tickets' newsletter at https://talkingtickets.substack.com Join our 'Talking Tickets' Slack Channel!

What a banger! This one is going to be homework the next time I teach a brand management class.  My guest today is Micaela Piccolo.  Micaela runs an agency called Pony Social and is a fractional CMO with Dano's Dangerous Tequila.  Which is amazing stuff.  We had a deep dive conversation about Dano's, Pony Social, and marketing.  In our conversation, we hit on things such as: Building brand awareness around the term agave Being a disrupter in a market segment Picking an enemy in your branding TikTok and social media Loyalty Market Research ...and, a lot more.

My guest today is Vance Morris.  This is a banging episode focused on customer service and giving your customers a "wow." In this conversation, I talk with Vance about: His experience with Disney, NASA, and the Smithsonian.  Memorable service Touchpoints Customer journeys ...and, a whole lot more.  Visit my site at www.DaveWakeman.com Get the newsletter at https://talkingtickets.substack.com Join our Slack Channel!

My guest today is Nathaniel Marro.  Nathaniel is the Executive Director of NITO.  We hit on so many big topics in tickets that I can't even begin to touch on everything.  A few of the highlights: Unfair & Predatory Ticketing Fan 2 Fan Resale Lina Khan Touring Sustainability Fee Transparency ...and, a lot more.  Visit my website at www.DaveWakeman.com Get 'Talking Tickets' at https://talkingtickets.substack.com

This was so much fun.  Until I went back through my notes, I had forgotten how many great nuggets of value James shared with me.  We hit on the idea of stories, but in a way that makes storytelling accessible to anyone.  In today's podcast, I talk with James Warren about: Stories as tools to influence. Audience segmentation Qual v. Quant data How to manage research and data together And, a lot more.  Visit James at www.ShareMoreStories.com You can check me out at www.DaveWakeman.com Get the 'Talking Tickets' newsletter at https://talkingtickets.substack.com Join our Slack Channel!

Brando Rich stops by today and we talk about Phish! Cash or Trade started as a passion project founded on a desire to re-create the community of picking up a ticket to a show you don't have a ticket for.  At the heart of Cash or Trade is a fan to fan ethos.  Today, we discuss a bunch of stuff: Building a community online. Innovation The importance of getting fans into seats so that the seat isn't empty "Slow Ticketing" Possible reforms And, more... Check out Cash or Trade at www.cashortrade.org Visit my site at www.DaveWakeman.com Get 'Talking Tickets' at https://talkingtickets.substack.com Join our Slack Channel.

My guest today is Katy Raines.  Katy is the Founder & CEO of Indigo.  This was a great conversation focused on having an audience centered strategy when it comes to building an audince.  We got into a lot of stuff today: Katy's childhood and her introduction to the arts.  Why arts can be too product focused.  How some decisions are made by budget and habit.  Meeting today's audience in new ways.  The 3 levels of the product.  Much more!  Get the 'Talking Tickets' newsletter at https://talkingtickets.substack.com Visit my website at www.DaveWakeman.com Join our 'Talking Tickets' Slack Channel!