DOING WHAT YOU LOVE

As I write this article, the thermo-
meter reads three degrees. I’m not boasting or com-
plaining. My friends in Minnesota and Michigan are emboldened by their temperatures in the negatives. And fellow ballooners in Florida started wearing coats and gloves when the mercury plummeted below fifty.

I love living in the Midwest. I enjoy having equal parts of all four seasons. I look forward to the heat and humidity of August, the rain of April, the late frost in March, the last gasp of fall in November, the first day of short pants in March, the following day of wearing coat and gloves. I truly feel sorry for anyone who can’t enjoy both mowing the lawn and shoveling the driveway.

The cold weather gives me the opportunity to organize myself for the coming year. Compiling receipts and invoices for tax time, updating addresses for marketing campaigns, writing press releases for upcoming projects and working on new balloon designs.

I was recently talking with a friend at a networking luncheon. He has recently started a graphic design business out of his home. He has many years of experience and is very talented. His portfolio of logos, ad campaigns and websites is very impressive. (He designed the logo for my Balloon Garden project.) He’s been self-employed for about six months and already has a good client list.

We were discussing all the stuff we have to do that has nothing to do with the stuff we want to do. As we talked, we were joined by a few other “non-employee” business owners. (That’s the term being used to describe anyone who runs a company but doesn’t hire traditional employees.) Our little group included a bookkeeper, a baker, a plumber, a graphic designer and a balloon entertainer. We had a lot in common. While we all worked out of a home office, (the baker has partnered with a commercial kitchen), and are in different businesses, we all loved what we did. We all had a passion for our chosen field.

Unfortunately, to be successful in our business, we had to spend a lot of time not doing what we loved. Between marketing, contracting, invoicing, phone calls, letters, return phone calls and proposals; we were left with a small part of the calendar to perform our expertise. We came to the conclusion that you better love what you do because you’ll get very little time to do it. The rest of the time involves trying to convince someone to pay you to do what you love doing.

Many in our little group had worked in larger companies doing what they were now doing on their own. The plumber had worked for a national chain. The baker had worked in many restaurants. The bookkeeper had worked for a big firm. We all had our own reasons for starting our own businesses. Either the freedom to make our own decisions or to express our own ideas or to do things the way we wanted.

We discussed what we most loved about owning our own businesses. Nobody talked about the paperwork or phone calls or sending contracts. The plumber loves to rebuild drains. The baker loves to decorate cakes. The bookkeeper loves to balance numbers. I love to create unique balloon sculptures and entertain an audience. In our own ways, we love to show off what we love to do for the appreciation of our clients.

Certainly the burden of having to do everything yourself is outweighed by the sense of accomplishment in doing everything yourself. Love what you do and appreciate the time you get to do it.

Thad James
SAMMY J Balloon Creations
www.sammyjballoons.com
“Balloon entertainment with a twist”

Balloon Garden

This blog has been silent for far too long. While I’ve had many thoughts and topics I could have written about, one thing has been dominating my time for the last couple of months. I can finally announce the project: Balloon Garden.

I have worked with the Home Builders Association of St Louis for many years providing balloon entertainment at the St Charles Home Show. They have enjoyed the balloon creations and my interaction with the audience. I had proposed the possibility of entertaining at the St Louis Home & Garden Show at America’s Center. They wanted something different.

We started discussing balloon flowers and having large balloon sculptures at the show. From these discussions came an idea that excited everyone involved: Balloon Garden. What started as an idea of a small corner booth with some balloon flower bouquets quickly blossomed into a six-hundred square foot space filled with flowers, plants and everything you’d expect to see in a garden. And the entire garden will be made from balloons! The show organizers were thrilled with the concept and with of having one of the largest balloon installations every constructed in St. Louis at their Home and Garden Show.

Once the idea was accepted, the work began. Before the first balloon could be inflated, I had to put concepts to paper and prove that the whole thing could work. Not only did I have to convince the client, but I had to convince myself that what I knew was possible could actually be done.

I started sketching schemes and brainstorming plans. I wanted to fill six-hundred square feet with as much as I could. Certainly, balloon flowers would be everywhere. After all, this is the St. Louis Home & Garden Show. It will be February and attendees will be searching for early signs of Spring! But a bunch of balloon flowers would not be enough. I wanted Balloon Garden to fit with the other projects that would surround it. What do people think of when they picture the garden of their dreams? A wishing well. A fish pond. A decorative fountain. Ornamental landscaping. I would need to include all this and more.

Balloon Garden will be constructed during the early days of the St. Louis Home & Garden Show, (Feb 25-28, 2010), and will be open for tours on the last two days. The idea is to allow attendees view the construction process and to interact with the balloon artists. This is not an original concept on my part, but one that I am stealing from a good friend. I didn’t want Balloon Garden to simply be a static display of flowers. This will a space situated in the middle of the convention floor surrounded by a walkway on all four sides. Attendees will be able to not only watch the balloon-making but also be up close to the sculptures. During the tour hours, visitors will be engulfed by Balloon Garden.

As plans and details evolve, I will continue to promote the project. Thanks to social networking, I can reach many people, both ballooners and normal persons. I’m very excited by this project. And while it has taken over most of my time and thought process, I am most looking forward to inflating that first balloon.

Thad James
SAMMY J Ballon Creations
www.sammyjballoons.com

Balloon Holiday Season

What happened to October? Fall festivals, trade shows, birthdays, company events and so many Halloween parties!!! I’ve put away the ghosts and ghouls, finished making vampires and spiders and properly disposed of the rapidly decaying jack-o-lanterns. I’m still recovering from the sugar high off all the chocolate, marshmallows and nougat. (If only I knew what nougat was…)

As soon as I lose the Trick-or-Treat weight; I’ll be ready for turkey, stuffing, potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce. And of course: Pie.

But enough about my food obsession.

The holidays are a great time for balloon artists. And the holiday season for balloons lasts all year long. Every month there are plenty of things to celebrate and balloons can be made to fit the occasion.

Some great holiday opportunities for balloon creations:

January
Paul Revere’s birthday - horse and rider, church tower with lanterns, revolutionary flag
Benjamin Franklin’s birthday – kite being struck by lightning, $100 bill

February
Sub-planet Pluto discovered – build a solar system and discuss how Pluto was de-certified as a planet.
Mardi Gras – anything and everything in Purple, Green and Gold. The possibilities are endless

March
Dr. Suess’s birthday – a red and white top hat or a red fish and a blue fish
First Day of Spring – flowers, birds, more flowers, sun

April
Jazz Appreciation Month – trumpet, saxophone, trombone
Earth Day – Earth imprinted rounds used in centerpieces or hats or column toppers

May
Cinco de Mayo – all things green, white and red
Hillary and Norgay first to climb Everest – what a about a large, white-capped mountain?

June
Summer Solstice – Bouquet deliveries to your favorite Wiccan or Druid
Luzo-Brazilian Month – Celebrate the Brazilian/Portuguese cultures in your area


You get the idea.

I enjoy showing customers the possibility of balloon sculptures. I look for different ways to incorporate my love of balloons with special occasions that are not well known. It is a great way to expose customers to less well known celebrations as well as expand their thinking of what can be done with balloons.

Best of all; nobody in my neighborhood has ever seen a 13-foot tall Frankenstein!


Thad James

SAMMY J Balloon Creations

http://www.sammyjballoons.com/

“Balloon entertainment with a twist”

A DAY OFF

Last week, I saw my neighbor as we each let our respective dogs out for their respective business.

“Morning!”, he yelled.
“Morning”, I returned.
“You got any jobs today?” (He knows all too well about my balloon entertainment business. His kids get huge sculptures on their birthdays. And his association hires me for their annual tradeshow.)
“No, I don’t have any bookings today.”
“Yea, I took the day off too. Great to have a three-day weekend, isn’t it?”
“Sure.”

I thought about that for a while; a three-day weekend? I’ve got bookings Friday night, all day Saturday and most of Sunday. I’ve got to prep for the weekend’s jobs, send out contracts for future jobs, proposals to write to potential clients, emails to send to the people I met at the last networking event, signed contracts to log into the database, expense receipts to update in Quickbooks, revise my website, return phone messages. Plus, I wanted to work on three or four balloon designs that have been bouncing around my head.

A balloon decorator friend and I were discussing our backward lives. She made the observation that we are the only people who look forward to Mondays. Odd as that may sound to people in the “cubicle world”, Mondays are usually a day of rest after several days of driving, inflating, tying, twisting, setting up, breaking down, following Mapquest directions, entertaining audiences and dealing with clients. Who knew having so much fun could be so exhausting.

While our clients and customers see us making balloons and making people happy, nobody sees the ugly behind-the-scenes work that goes into making those beautiful balloons. This is true of most event-oriented businesses. We work hard so others can enjoy their happy occasions.

JAZZ AND BALLOONS

I look forward to the Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival every September. I have performed at the festival for eight consecutive years. While I don’t play sax or sing, I’m proud to be a featured artist. While, I don’t occupy space on the main stage; I always have an enthusiastic audience.

As a fan of jazz music, this is a great day for me. I get to make wonderful balloons, entertain my audience and listen to some fantastic music. The bands included the Dogtown Allstars, the Soulard Blues Band, the St Louis Jazz & Blues Revue and the Funky Butt Brass Band. While I didn't get to hear the Funky Butt Brass Band, Michael "Tunes" Brooks says their great. And that's good enough for me.

My own performance was interrupted several times by self-imposed “dance breaks” whenever the music moved me. Of course the crowd didn’t mind as they were usually tapping or snapping or head-bobbing to the beat anyway. Everyone was enjoying the great music and the cool vibe that moved through the air.

The Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival was founded in 2001 to promote music and culture in the Old Webster Groves Historic District. The festival has been a HUGE success over the years. The event started with a stage at the end of a street and four bands. Every year the festival has grown and now includes two stages on different streets, a kid’s area, food vendors, a jazz clinic, eleven bands and hundreds of music fans. By the late afternoon, the streets are full of folding chairs and blankets and families from miles around.

The organizers hire me to arrive early so I can get a good spot. Far enough from the stage to be able to entertain but close enough to hear every note. I get to listen to classics from the golden age of jazz, the funky rhythms of new age, the big bands, the sultry vocals, the percussion, the fat sax, the brassy horns.

This year, a light rain began to fall in the afternoon. Did the crowd scatter? Did the audience thin out? Not a chance. It was quite a sight seeing the umbrellas pop-up and start swaying to the beat.

Major congrats to the committee: Joe Rath, Jennifer Bellm, Dawn DeBlaze, Mary Chambers, and Katy Sommer. Of course, the biggest thanks to the hardest worker of all: Matt.

See you next year!


Thad James
SAMMY J Balloon Creations
www.sammyjballoons.com
“Balloon entertainment with a twist”

FOR APPEARANCE SAKE

A networking group I belong to holds a meeting for new members. This orientation is to inform them on the benefits of the group, the networking opportunities and the ways to benefit the member’s company by attending meetings. Because I’ve been an active member for many years, I am asked to speak to the new members about networking.

Before the orientation began, I was introducing myself to new faces in the crowd. The makeup of the group was typical; insurance rep, remodeling guy, banking woman, etc. A wide variety of business types. And a variety of business dress. The main presenter is a financial advisor and always wears a suit. The banking woman wore a jacket and skirt. I typically wear nice pants and a logo-embroidered polo shirt.

As I was talking to a couple of people, a woman walked in the room. She approached our group and made her introductions. She is the area representative for a well-known cosmetics company, (I don’t mention the name of the company for good reason). The woman was dressed in baggy gym shorts, a wrinkled and stained T-shirt and cheap flip-flops. Here she was, attending a networking meeting full of potential customers wearing clothes suitable for hanging around the house.

More importantly, we didn’t just represent potential customers; we are her referral agents. The number one marketing use of networking groups is the “I know someone” aspect. The people you meet may be your future clients. But they talk to their customers and when the topic of your business comes up, you should be their first thought.

I know this works. I am the only balloon entertainer in my networking group. I am the BALLOON GUY! All other ballooners in my market are compared to me for people in my group. When the topics of “balloons” or “entertainment” or “balloon dress emails” are mentioned, my fellow members (over 450 of them) think of me first. That’s 450 business people talking to thousands of their customers with me on their mind. Now that’s marketing power.

But that’s not the topic of the day.

The first impression of the cosmetics lady was: gym shorts and T-shirt. It was difficult to listen to anything she had to say after that. She was very knowledgeable about the long history of her company. She was enthusiastic about her involvement with the company. She was proud to be a representative. My attention was drawn to that wrinkled, stained shirt.

No, I don’t wear a suit and tie when I attend networking events. I’m not in a “suit and tie” business. (I only own a couple of jackets and a few ties!) And I can usually be found in lounge-wear while I’m writing or practicing my stage acts. That’s in my home-office. But we were in a room a business people. I don’t wear my “entertainer outfits” when I attend business meetings. Those clothes are for performances. The remolding guy didn’t wear his tool belt. The doctor didn’t bring is sphygmomanometer. And the karate guy wasn’t wearing his Gi and Obi.

I have worked very hard to be known as “The Balloon Guy” in my networking groups. I am educated about balloon events, trends, conventions. I can build the most amazing balloon sculptures. And yes, I know most of the artists in those balloon-dress emails.

More importantly, I am a business person. I dress professionally when I’m at meetings. I can speak to issues affecting small companies. I address micro-business marketing ideas. I discuss articles from the recent business magazine. That gives me the respect of being a serious business person.

The cosmetics lady may attend other meetings and she may wear more appropriate clothes. It will take a long time before people forget her shorts and shirt first appearance.

So how do you present yourself? Is your appearance appropriate to the event? Do you wear a tuxedo to a bar-b-que pool party? Do you wear a tropical print shirt to a funeral? (I got to do this for a parrot-head friend as his last request. He would have smiled at the entire crowd in outrageous attire.)

We in the entertainment industry need to advance the idea that we are fun. Just make sure you dress the part.


Thad James
SAMMY J Balloon Creations
www.sammyjballoons.com
“Balloon entertainment with a twist”

So I met this guy....

I had the opportunity to hear Scott speak. Who is Scott? He is “The Nametag Guy”. You know those sticky name tags you get at meetings that you write your name on so people can say your name when they talk to you? Most of us can’t wait to rip off that nametag and throw it away as soon as we leave the meeting.

Well, Scott left a meeting with his nametag on and realized that people were friendlier with their nametags on. People were more approachable with their nametags on. So he didn’t take his off. That was over 3,200 days ago. Scott has been wearing a handwritten nametag ever since. Scott wears a nametag every day, everywhere and for every occasion. He wears one on his jacket, another one under his jacket on his shirt and another one under his shirt that he never takes off. (Nice tat!) This gets him noticed. This makes him unique.

But Scott is more than just a nametag.

He has spoken to thousands of people at hundreds of companies about dozens of topics. He has written countless articles on ways to increase sales, build better customers, out-perform your competition, and attract more business. Scott has a daily blog. He has written multiple books. He Tweets.

But you can learn about all this on his website, http://www.hellomynameisscott.com/.
Or on his blog, http://www.hellomynameisscott.blogspot.com/
Or listen to his podcast. Or watch his YouTube videos. Or visit his MySpace page. Or his Squidoo page.

Is there anyplace this guy isn’t? Well, no. And that’s one of his main points (and he has a lot of great points). If you’re everywhere, there is no room for your competition to be anywhere. If everyone is visiting your website, they’re not viewing someone else’s. If everyone is reading your blog, they’re not looking at anybody else’s. If everyone is wondering what you will do next, they’re not thinking about your competition.

If you have the unique angle on your business, great. But if nobody knows about it, so what? You have to be noticed and you have to let people know that you’re being noticed. And being noticed by people means being in front of people. Networking works. Period. Scott stresses this in many of his writings. And he proves it by speaking to groups, being interviewed on TV, newspaper articles, magazine covers. He gets people talking about what he’s talking about.

Hey, that’s what this article is about! You’re reading about me noticing Scott!!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get the word out about how exceptional I am.

Thad James
SAMMY J Balloon Creations
http://www.sammyjballoons.com/
Balloon entertainment with a twist

A New Cake Every Week

A local restaurant, Maggie’s Lunchbox, hired me to make a balloon cake to promote their customized event cakes. The owner wanted something unique that would start a conversation about their offerings. Not only did they get a lot of interest in their baked goods, but I’ve received many compliments on my creations.

The first sculpture was so popular that the restaurant wants a different cake every week. The only criterion is that the sculptures be eye-catching and distinctive. I’m thrilled by the challenge of creating a new and unique design for them every Monday. I’ve already got weeks of ideas in my head. Colors and designs and shapes and weaves…..

More importantly, I’ve already received a couple of bookings from the sculptures.

So, what marketing plan did I put in to place to obtain this steady gig? Postcards? cold-calling? Coupons? Door-to-door offers? No. It would have been difficult to walk in to a breakfast/lunch restaurant and sell them on the idea of balloons. This never would have turned into a weekly “restaurant gig”. They’re not open for dinner, they get very few families and they don’t offer a kid’s menu. And since they just recently opened, they’ve had dozens of sales reps come in the door with great “marketing ideas” and “advertising opportunities”.

So how did I get me foot in the door?

I met the owner at a networking event hosted by the local Chamber of Commerce. I’ve been a member for several years and I got in the habit of bringing a different sculpture to every meeting, (read the July 1 blog). The event was a picnic and I created a hamburger and french fries on a plate. We began talking about the range of balloon sculptures and hatched the idea of promoting their custom event cakes using balloon cakes. They get business from customers asking about the balloons and I get business from people eating at the restaurant.

A win-win.

I can’t stress the importance of showing people what I do. I can explain balloon sculpture to them all I want, but nothing beats seeing something never seen before. But more importantly, I got a steady job by thinking differently about balloon art and getting a client to see the potential of increasing her profit.

If you’re in the area, stop by and see this week’s balloon dessert:

Maggie’s Lunchbox
867 Horan Dr
Fenton MO 63026

Let Kari or Ben know how much you like the balloons. And have one of Ben’s fresh baked cookies. You deserve it.


Thad James
SAMMY J Balloon Creations
“Balloon entertainment with a twist!”

Motorcycle Dude

This Motorcycle Dude was created for a Fenton Area Chamber of Commerce Member Luncheon as an attendence prize. So many people asked about it, I thought I answer some of the questions.

How did you come up with the idea?
Like so many things, inspiration comes from many sources. I have a facsination with motorcycles, so I like playing with diffferent designs. Many elements were lifted from the DVDs of Stretch the Balloon Dude. The "rider" was taught by Ralph Dewey for his motorcycle. I made some minor adjustments.

How many balloons did you use?

That's the question all Balloon Twisters get. I never keep track. Suppose I should. About thirty balloons total.

How long did it take?

A little over two hours because I was designing as I built it. There's always a process of trial and error. If I made it again it would take about an hour and fifteen minutes.

The motorcycle is three-feet long and over twenty-eight inches tall to the top of the rider. The frame is made mostly of 360's, the rider's body is 260's and the rear wheel is a 16" Geo. The gastank is a gold Link-O-Loon. The rider's head is two 6" blush hearts for the head and chin. The cheeks and nose are a 360 with a pinch twist in the back of the head to hold everything in place. The eyebrows are made from a 160 that also acts as the neck. The shirt and pants are made with a two-balloon flat weave.

I always enjoy creating new designs. Its one of the best parts of my business.

Thad James

SAMMY J Balloon Creations

http://www.sammyjballoons.com/

A great day at the fair!

I had a wonderful time at the Jefferson County Fair today. This is the fourth year that SAMMY J Balloon Creations has been invited to entertain on Kid's Day at the fair. While the entertainment budget was cut, the organizer was determined to keep balloon twisting on the schedule. For the last three years, a national touring magician did two 1-hour shows. This year, a local magician was hired for one 45-minute show. Previously, all the kid games included prizes for all participants. This year the games were just for fun. The only constant is the balloon twister.

This added a little more pressure on me to be the main attraction. There were even more people sitting in the shade of the tent watching the balloon guy have fun with the kids and adults. What a great time! Many fair-goers were happy to see the balloon guy again this year. And I was happy that the organizer understands the positive attraction of my balloon sculptures and entertainment.

Thanks to the staff of the Jefferson County Fairgrounds and the organizers of the Jefferson County Fair. See you next year!


Thad James
SAMMY J Balloon Creations