Personal Publicity Made Simple by the Shehori Brothers
Jun 29
Yesterday I spent seven hours in the company of two very clever and creative gentlemen by the name of the Shehori Brothers. They run a publicity company called Sweat Equity which was born out of a need to understand how to promote themselves and their friends in their artistic endeavours.
Steven and Daniel Shehori (pictured left – sorry guys, your Facebook picture is hilarious so I just nicked it) started in publicity about ten years ago when they were trying to figure out how to get bums on seats at their sketch comedy shows. Today they run one of the most well-renowned and successful publicity firms in the entertainment industry in Toronto, as well as being award-winning writers, producers and directors in comedy.
I found out about their one-day seminar in personal publicity from my dear friend and fellow Stand Up Sister Heidi Mole, who had an extra credit with Second City and was using it to go to the course. It’s perfect timing, not only for me as a stand-up comedian who’s frustrated at not getting paid for her work (and so would like to put on a show for real money) but also as the wife of a man with a new book coming out in September – promotion and publicity is all we’re thinking about right now!
The course was well-planned and executed by Dan and Steve who obviously have a great working relationship and a nice rapport. The information was clearly presented and I came away excited that the whole process of publicizing a show or an event has been completely demystified for me. The hand-outs were perfectly chosen and the offer of help in the future was generous. This is one of the best, most useful seminars I’ve ever attended and I highly recommend it to anyone who is in a creative field. Most of us are completely unaware of how to effectively promote ourselves and this course gives you everything you need to know, step-by-step.
An added bonus was that they invited Megan Mooney, who writes the excellent Mooney on Theatre blog, to the seminar. Megan was the perfect complement to Dan and Steve since, as a reviewer, she represents “the other side” – the person you’re trying to get to who can help you promote your show by reviewing it. She provided some great anecdotal stuff – things that bug her, why certain approaches don’t work, and tips for getting her attention.
What I loved most about the day was the way it, as we say in England, “did exactly what it says on the tin” – that is, lived up to (and surpassed) expectations. When the Shehori Brothers tell you that you don’t need to hire someone to do your publicity for you – believe them. Go to their course and learn how to do it yourself. As they also say, you could find you can make a nice bit of money on the side by helping your friends and others market their shows and events too!
Check out when this excellent course is being held next at the Sweat Equity website – click on the “seminars” fuzzy ball on the left!
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