It Ain’t All Glamour
The Business of Show Business
I’m not the best business person. I’m a creative who performs on stage, and those two distinct worlds of artistic ability and business often collide for inventive souls. I am always amazed by the artists, actors, or musicians who successfully manage their business affairs. When I entered the industry, I was not taught that skill set, and it didn’t come naturally to me. The Pendragons were immediately successful because of our performance capabilities, not because either Jonathan or I were business wizards. Our career moved fast at the beginning, and knocking on our door were the managers and agents. It seems that in Hollywood, given that you're an actor, your job is to act and leave the business aspect of your career to Hollywood management—an unofficial fraternal group that handles the careers of the talented. Leave the driving to them. The connections you make funnel the business part of your life to that organization. Regardless, it’s always good to start with a good agent.
We were fortunate to sign with agent Sandy Dobritch, whom Jonathan knew well during college. Sandy’s family owned a circus at once and eventually became a significant agent for talented performers in Las Vegas. For a manager, we procured one through Jonathan’s stuntman career when he became one of the first members of the International Stunt Association, all members of SAG-AFTRA, and worked under the terms and conditions of its contract. Their manager was Dale Sheets, and his wife Joan Sheets was an agent primarily booking performers on high-end Sitmar Cruises. So Dale became our manager, Joan became our agent for cruise ships, and Sandy became our agent for other gigs like our first contract in Vegas at the Holiday Casino, which is now Harrah’s. The three kept us very busy, and we didn’t handle our business money affairs, and never did any of these three breach our trust. But later, as our career grew and demanded a more specialized focus on TV projects, we sought a new manager. Rick Marcelli and Danny Heller were an honest, excellent team advancing our career forward. Through their exceptional teamwork, we were booked on many essential TV shows, and from a postcard of us sent to Richard Sturm, head of entertainment at Bally’s Grand in Las Vegas, we were booked as stars of the Jubilee Show. Eventually, we parted ways with Rick and Danny because they had split up as a management team.
Enjoying our successes and the allure of captivating audiences through performance overshadowed the importance of practical business management skills in my mind. So, I didn’t seek out help or explore taking a business course. When searching for a new manager, We looked for one who we thought would handle all of our business so we could create. It took me almost a lifetime to learn that my journey revealed that creativity and artistry must go hand in hand with a keen understanding of the business landscape to achieve long-term progress. So, I want to explore some of the many challenges entertainers face regarding the business side of their work, the complexities of collaborating with managers, and strategies that can empower all performers and artists—including the importance of seeking expertise outside the entertainment industry.
To start, the entertainment industry is unique, characterized by a blend of creativity and commercialism that demands talent and sharp business understanding. Various performance avenues—be it TV, film, live concerts, theater productions, corporate events, or digital content—require different marketing approaches and audience engagement strategies. However, the joy of performing often obscures the intricacies of contracts, financial management, and strategic growth. This is where business managers often come into play.
A suitable, honest one provides significant advantages for entertainers, assisting with handling contracts, overseeing negotiations, and developing marketing strategies that elevate an artist’s profile. Their expertise can streamline operations, allowing performers to focus more on their craft than on the complexities of promotion and bookings. However, what I Learned, and nevertheless, is that reliance on managers comes with challenges, including the risk of encountering untrustworthy or corrupt individuals. This essential role can lead to a situation where performers are kept separate from their buyers, especially in financial discussions. Having navigated this landscape throughout my career, I have learned the importance of staying vigilant and maintaining transparent communication. A poor manager can create many issues, such as mismanaged finances, lost opportunities, and reputational damage. Regular check-ins and clear expectations outlined in contracts can mitigate many of these risks. Trust is vital, but verification is equally crucial. Recognizing the warning signs of corruption, like hesitance to share financial details or ambiguous communication, can safeguard one’s career. For instance, we entrusted our career to a manager (not one of those I’ve mentioned, and I won’t say here) who gave us contracts with the fee amount outlined on the first page and the signage on the second page. I didn’t question that until years later, it was discovered he had been switching out the front page. The buyer’s front page included a much higher fee for our performance than the front page submitted to us. Since our manager collected all our fees, he would pocket the difference, and sometimes that would be thousands of dollars. He was cheeky enough to still collect his 15% commission on our gross. As I said earlier, while business managers play an essential role in negotiating contracts and promoting talent in the entertainment industry, their position can isolate performers from direct communication with buyers, particularly concerning financial discussions. This separation limits performers’ understanding of pricing structures and hinders their negotiation skills, creating a dependency that may disempower the artist in business dealings. Moreover, a lack of fee transparency breeds mistrust between performers and their managers, further exacerbating the disconnect. I mainly dealt with exceptional teams of management and agents, but obviously, there were a few bad apples.
What does an artist do to become more aware and savvy? Too often, we hear stories about artists being ripped off by their management. MC Hammer, Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, Jewel, Janet Jackson, Ricky Martin, and The Fugees are just a few that come to mind. These instances underscore the need for entertainers to be proactive in managing their finances and clearly understand their business relationships to prevent mismanagement and potential exploitation.
To address these challenges, performers should actively seek opportunities for direct engagement with clients, encourage open dialogues about financial matters, and invest in their negotiation and financial literacy education. Please do so by enrolling in a college course or taking an online class, establishing clear communication protocols with managers, and fostering relationships within the industry. Guests can empower themselves to advocate for fair compensation. Bridging that gap between yourself and buyers can lead to a more precise and trustworthy professional relationship. As a result, enhancing your career's overall success and sustainability in a competitive marketplace and often the cut-throat, dog-eat-dog world.
Equally important is the idea of seeking expertise from outside the entertainment industry. Engaging professionals such as attorneys, accountants, and business consultants specializing in different fields can provide insights and tactics your manager may not possess. For instance, a knowledgeable attorney can help navigate the complexities of contracts and intellectual property laws, ensuring that your creative rights are protected while your business interests are well-managed. But learn to read legalese and understand those terms and negotiations as well.
Inspiration can also be drawn from successful business figures outside the entertainment realm. For instance, I learned a lot from a friend who is a CEO who built a thriving medical company from the ground up. His approach to risk management, market analysis, and investment strategies provided invaluable lessons I could apply to my entertainment career. His emphasis on discipline, calculated networking, and continuous learning reinforced that many business principles transcend industry boundaries. So seek out those important acquaintances because they can teach you valuable business methods that you can apply to your career as an artist or entertainer.
Further, educating oneself is essential—through workshops, seminars, or mentorships as an artist or performer, you can equip yourself with the tools necessary to understand your business better. Most importantly, entertainers should actively engage in their business affairs. Learning about financial principles, contract negotiation, and marketing strategies can significantly enhance your ability to manage your career effectively. By gaining knowledge about the business side, you can assess whether a manager is fulfilling their needs or if a more hands-on approach is warranted.
While the art of entertainment revolves around the ability to captivate audiences, the reality of sustaining a successful career lies in understanding and managing the business side. It ain’t all glamour!
This is fantastic. If I was teaching a course in sport law, or designing an orientation for young athletes who were about to come into wealth often for the first time in their lives, I’d assign them to read your piece. It’s personal without being pedantic. Yet you still hit the important points. In a classroom or seminar setting, this could spark a valuable conversation. And if we were putting together a seminar for young athletes and creative talent, I would absolutely insist on hiring you to design, format, and present this topic. I’ve read and sat through presentations of this subject. I think what you wrote is clean and compelling.
I love reading your work