When the world shut down because of Covid 19, all my shows were immediately canceled. At first, I was upset and had no idea what to do. I got a few calls from people looking for Virtual shows, but I declined because I was upset and frustrated. I did not know what a virtual show was…I imagined a virtual show would mean no audience and have very little interaction. It sounded like I was going to lose out on the main thing that I love about performing, which is the interaction. All this was in my head and is not true! Zoom shows are just a different way to interact and connect with all kinds of people from all over the world. It is important to step outside of your comfort zone try new things and burst your personal bubble.
I got a call from Erik Huberman owner of Hawke Media. I love Hawke Media. I headlined their last Hawkefest at the Houdini Mansion in the Hollywood Hills and it was fantastic! Hawke Media is an outsource CMO and it’s a great company based out of Los Angeles. Erik wanted me to do a Zoom show, at the time I did not know what a zoom show was. I was very hesitant and frankly I did not want to do it. I had never done a zoom show before and it was something very new to me. New things are always just a little bit scary and they sometimes seem harder than they are. So, I Really lagged on responding and I really did not want to do it. Erik said, “Seth Virtual shows are new thing! We are all in this strange Covid 19 shut down situation, you can’t do live shows for a while.. do a zoom show with me and I guarantee it will be a great experience!” Erik twisted my arm and I was committed to do a show with HawkeMedia. I really love it when a friend looks out for you and pushes you to do better in life. Erik is a friend that pushes me to reach higher goals and it means a lot to me. I could have stayed depressed and sad for months, but instead Erik pushed me to do something that was positive. That is a real friend, most people don’t care enough to push you towards success. Most people let you become complacent and stagnant. Erik and I booked a date for the Zoom Magic show and that mean I had to get ready!
I had a lot of research to do, because I had never been on a Zoom show or even a Zoom call. I did not know what cameras to use, I did not know how my audio would work, I did not even know what effects I would perform. All I knew was, I would give it my best and work hard to produce an amazing show. I am an over planner and when it comes to shows, I plan like crazy. I scripted my new Zoom show, I got all the music and started to practiced. Then I rehearsed and I rehearse some more and after that I rehearsed even more.
I did the Zoom show and it was a huge success! I got to meet some amazing people and made some great friends on that first Zoom show. After that initial Virtual show, I was booked every week with other Virtual shows and even some magic classes where I taught how to be the life of a party using magic tricks. Sometimes you just must step outside your comfort zone to move forward. We all have a comfort bubble around us. I dare you to burst your bubble and try something new that scares you.
The moral of the story is, get uncomfortable! If you are always comfortable you don’t grow, and if you don’t grow how can you succeeded? I burst my bubble and try new things all the time. We keep this personal bubble around us, so we do not get hurt if we fail. It is ok to fail, as long as you learn and grow from the experience. I burst my bubble on purpose, I do it all the time. Try something new some you grow and learn about life. I try new thing to succeed and become a smarter more well-rounded person. I challenge you to try something new, do something you fear. Whatever you do, put your best foot forward. Leave your bubble bursting adventure in the comments or below and I will respond. I challenge you to step outside your comfort zone enjoy bursting your bubble! I really want to hear your stories. If you want to help me burst my bubble try something new and become a better person, please reach out and tell me your idea. I am always up for a challenge! Give me a call, or email me at seth@sethgrabel.com
