Shownotes
In this episode of "Life is a Circus," we're joined by the multi-talented Kevin Venardos, the owner, producer, and ringmaster of the Venardos Circus. Kevin shares his journey of transforming a dream into a dazzling reality, emphasizing the importance of clear expectations, a solid vision, and a strategic plan. He delves into the essence of teamwork, the power of journaling for clarity and how having a well-thought-out plan is crucial for success. Whether you’re a circus enthusiast, or someone chasing your own unique dream, Kevin's insights on pursuing your passions and building a successful team are sure to inspire and motivate. Tune in for a fascinating conversation that's packed with valuable lessons on making your dreams come true!
KEVIN VENARDOS is the owner and producer of Venardos Circus. (VenardosCircus.com) Growing up in New Jersey, Kevin was not from a Circus family. But an early Broadway dream was interrupted when at 22 he was hired from an open audition as the Ringmaster of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus. This unexpected opportunity completely changed the course of his life. He later worked with Big Apple Circus in NYC and Circus Vargas in California as the man in the top hat, eventually taking on Creative and Management roles in addition to performing. Then in 2014, Kevin launched his own show, Venardos Circus (aka The Little Circus That Could), a 6-person outdoor musical Circus show at the L.A. County Fair. It was just a little Circus, but it had BIG aspirations. In the years since, Kevin and an incredible troupe of artists have overcome huge obstacles and tremendous odds, transforming that dream into a tented show which now tours 40 weeks of the year to 25 cities across the United States. Learn more at VenardosCircus.com. #LiveYourCircusDream
Stacy Yardley is a Certified Life Coach and Transformation Catalyst specializing in guiding women in business to create more joy, self fulfillment, and satisfied life. Her work includes working with high performance women to create better boundaries, release perfectionism and breakthrough imposter syndrome through self mastery. Drawing from her experience as a former professional circus showgirl, Stacy is passionate about empowering individuals to realize their dreams and unlock their inner potential. Through empathy and intuitive guidance, Stacy helps women harness their personal power to achieve greater well-being and thrive in all aspects of their lives. Based in Vancouver, WA, Stacy enjoys exploring hiking trails, preparing fresh vegan meals, and cherishing moments with loved ones in her free time.
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Transcripts
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Stacy Yardley [:Every once in a while, I meet someone who is really inspiring. And today, I get to share with you one of those people, Kevin Venardos, owner, producer, and ringmaster of the Venardosardo Circus. Kevin is the embodiment of what it means to live your circus dream. Join us as we dive into an in-depth conversation about the passion, perseverance, and teamwork it takes to turn a whimsical dream into a vibrant reality. Whether you're a circus enthusiast, a business owner, or just looking for some inspiration to follow your own dreams, you won't wanna miss this captivating episode. It's a little bit longer than my normal episodes, but I promise you, it's worth it. Are you ready? Let's dive in. Welcome to Life is a circus.
Stacy Yardley [:So let's step into self mastery, where we explore the balancing act of unlocking your inner potential while navigating life's chaos. I'm Stacy Yardley, your host, a former circus showgirl turned transformational life coach. If you're juggling multiple roles or responsibilities and feeling like life is a circus, you are in the right place. Join me each week for captivating tales from my Circus days and insights on realizing your dreams. Whether you're an entrepreneur, business owner, or an aspiring leader, this podcast is your guide to self mastery. So grab your top hat, and let's step into the greatest show of all, the circus of life. Ready to embark on this transformative journey together? Let's begin. A little over a year ago, I was surfing on Facebook a across my news feed flashed an ad.
Stacy Yardley [:It was for Venardos Circus. I had never heard of them, but my curiosity was definitely peaked. And so I decided to go check it out, and I'm so glad I did. I can't even tell you how lit up I was when I left that tent because Kevin's show is absolutely amazing. Many people have referred to him as the greatest showman in the musical because of his Broadway style with his circus. And what I can tell you is if you get a chance to catch this show that comes to your town, you've gotta see it. You won't be disappointed. So when I saw that show, I was so inspired.
Stacy Yardley [:I was actually in the middle of planning the daydream summit that took place last year, and that was a summit for women that were getting ready to ignite their own dreams. And I had my own little dream of starting this podcast. So I reached out to Kevin at the time, and I asked him if he would one day be on this podcast. Thankfully, he said yes. So, of course, I had to hit him up as soon as I got the chance. And I gotta tell you, Kevin is the embodiment of living your circus dream. So let me tell you a little bit more about him before we get started. Kevin is the owner and producer of Venardos Circus.
Stacy Yardley [:Growing up in New Jersey, Kevin was not from a circus family, but an early Broadway dream was interrupted when at 22 years old, he was hired from an open audition as the ringmaster of the Ringling Brothers and Venardosum and Bailey Circus. This unexpected opportunity completely changed the course of his life. He later worked with the Big Apple Circus in New York City and Circus Vargas in California as the man in the top hat, eventually taking on creative and management roles in addition to his performing. Then in 2014, Kevin launched his own show, Venardos Circus, otherwise known as the little circus that could, a 6 person outdoor musical circus show at the LA County Fair. It was just a little circus, but it had big aspirations. And in the years since, Kevin and his incredible troupe of artists have overcome huge obstacles and tremendous odds, transforming that dream into a tented show, which now tours 40 weeks of the year to 25 cities across the United States. You can learn more @venardoscircus.com. But for now, I'd like to invite you to listen to this incredible conversation with Kevin.
Stacy Yardley [:I hope it inspires you and encourages you to live your circus dream. So without further ado, I'd like to welcome Kevin Venardos. Alright. Welcome, Kevin Venardos. I'm so excited to have you here. Thank you for being on my first season.
Kevin Venardos [:It's a pleasure, Stacy. Thanks for the invitation.
Stacy Yardley [:Yes. So let's just jump right in. I wanted to actually start with your hashtag, the hashtag live your circus dream, because, as my audience knows, I was also in the Circus, and this one speaks dearly to me. But I wanna hear from your voice, like, from your mouth, what how did this hashtag come about, and what does it mean to you?
Kevin Venardos [:I had to create a legal something because, actually, my very first gig as a producer was the LA County Fair in Pomona, California. A, to get my first check because I did not know what I was doing or what the the thing was a to become, the Circus, I had to create some entity. I actually called it The Little Circus That Could LLC. This idea that you can be small. You could have a big idea, but not much in your pocket, or in my case a that time, actually a big mountain of debt that was sort of overshadowing things. Can make that dream come true. When I was a kid, I definitely had Bullying was a big theme in my Life. And I think that that was definitely a lot to do with the way that I was perceiving things a the way that I chose to take a situation and feel like I was getting picked on or I was a victim, which I I just abhor that the idea of live your circus dream is that you can do that thing, whatever that thing is, that that big, hairy, audacious goal, the BHAG, I've heard that before, that you can accomplish it, that you can apply that against so many different phases and moments in life a sort of tell a different part of the story that it's at the very core of what has ultimately, caused this circus to exist.
Kevin Venardos [:My little show that's traveling across the country now, we're doing about 45 weeks a year in, 22 different venues. And next year, we're about to open another unit of the circus. I hope that people see it and they associate it with this notion that, whatever that big, crazy, amazing thing that you want to do, that you imagine that you can do, that you should dedicate your life to making it happen, that you should be striving for the ultimate usefulness of your time on this earth.
Stacy Yardley [:Yeah. I agree so much, Kevin, and that your messaging resonates with me so deeply. And so I wanted to start with that question because when I went to your show last year, you were actually here in the Northwest. I live in Vancouver, Washington. And I saw you and I was just lit up. I was in tears during the show. It was absolutely amazing. And I thought, okay, when he comes back next year, which you're not, you're passing us by this year, but that's okay.
Stacy Yardley [:You'll be back next year. Right?
Kevin Venardos [:Not because we don't wanna be there. It's because we got a a gig in Florida that that, we could not pass up. But
Stacy Yardley [:Yeah. Yeah. Understandably so. Right? Opportunity knocks?
Kevin Venardos [:Northwest of the Northwest.
Stacy Yardley [:Yeah. So you'll be back, and I guarantee you I will be bringing a truckload of friends with me. I brought some friends that time, but I will definitely be bringing more. We'll make an event of it. But what I wanted to to say was that, you know, we do have a background. We're kinship. Right? We do have a background together, and I wanted to kind of back up a little bit and go into that just slightly for you, like, how you started the Venardo Circus. But how did you get started is general with the circus?
Kevin Venardos [:An ad in Backstage A looking for a Circus Mastery in 2000. I guess I did an audition in October 2000. A month or so later, I found out that I was being offered this job. I had absolutely no idea what it was or what the whole deal was, But then I found myself looking at Karen the elephant and being in a giant arena with, I mean, an incredible group of people, 300 people making that show go around and living on a train. It's indescribable. It's it's something that doesn't even exist anymore really in that form. It had already evolved to what it was when I met it and had been through many changes and the whole nature of the circus is constant change and evolution. But, yes, we shared at least some connection there.
Kevin Venardos [:We were not on the on the show at the same time. Were you on the blue unit or the red unit?
Stacy Yardley [:I was on the red show. I was on Gunther Gable Williams farewell tour. Cool. Yes. Yes.
Stacy Yardley [:So so I mean, many of the
Kevin Venardos [:characters and people, for sure, we have lots a connections. And did you ever work with Ed Zumowski? Did was he there when you were?
Stacy Yardley [:No. No. I don't.
Kevin Venardos [:Self, you know, like, Mark Oliver then? He was just a little kid.
Stacy Yardley [:Oh, yeah. We're the same age. Yeah. We're actually the same age.
Kevin Venardos [:Yes. So that you then you were friends there. Yeah. I've a connected with him and and, in different places and and pockets. I mean, I'm sure there's a 1,000 other people that were there at that time somehow.
Stacy Yardley [:For sure. Yeah. And what I love about your story going into Ringling is that you were chasing a dream. It just wasn't a circus dream at the moment. Right? It was the Broadway dream. And so what led you to start Venardos?
Kevin Venardos [:Probably frustration. Just wanting to have, a job. I mean, I'd I'd worked at that point in 2013 when I made that little video and was pitching what I was calling Venardo Circus Productions. Been working I worked for Ringling and then a big gap of time where I got lost, and then I came back and worked for Big Apple for a couple of a years. And I worked at Circus Vargas for a couple of years. But, as each experience was sort of drawing closer and closer, particularly the Vargas one, I'm like, what am I going to do here? I'm going to run out of other people's is to work in. Trying to explain my value to someone else who might just have a different vision and might want to see or do something different. I I would only be there, you know, at the pleasure of the king or queen.
Kevin Venardos [:And I I definitely tried to make those those opportunities work. Is fact, I tried to pitch Vargas, which I was on a couple of different things that we might work together, but that's that was not what what they were seeing. And so I thought I would just pitch circus as an event. And at the time on Vargas, I was living in California and just events. I don't know. There's the event business is huge everywhere all over the country, but for some reason, my awareness of it happened while I was there in California. And I thought, hey, I'll make a pitch reel. Let me make a, I don't know, a something.
Kevin Venardos [:They say, don't tell people your dreams. Show them. And so I thought I I'll make some kind of a little video and make it a really good one so that people will see that I have some experience with production and can make a a thing. And so I've managed to convince a lady in Riverside to let me shoot a little video inside of her circus tent, Ms. Winnie McKay. She has a is out there where she basically provides tents and beautiful scenery, authentic things for movies. A to convince her to let me shoot a little
Stacy Yardley [:video in there. Actually, there was a I couldn't afford to do
Kevin Venardos [:the the shoot straight up, put the put the tent up. So there was actually Playboy was had hired out a tent to do a video shoot inside. And, you know, we worked at a deal where I came in, like, on the day before they were gonna set the tent up anyway. So I paid costs for things, gathered up some friends, and we shot this 1 minute 16 second video. And it was from that video that I used, you know, of a circus that I did not own for sure a just an idea. I used it to start trying to pitch it to events and such. I had a big grand vision, which was the tent with people in it, but that's an expensive endeavor a convincing people to pay for it proved more time consuming and more frustrating than I was initially expecting. You know, a I still landed a couple here and there, but this getting fares and trying to line up an entire tour off a fares.
Kevin Venardos [:The the fare business filled with amazing people, but sometimes the turnover at some of the fares is kind of kind of low. They find a great gig and they just hire that EC back every year. And I'm is kind of low. They find a great gig, and they just hire that Ecpack every year, which makes a lot of sense. I understand. But for me, I wanted to, like, make a whole tour, make it happen now. So I did actually land the LA County Fair that a of the I don't know. 1st where's the first one out of the gate, and a but there was a 19 day event.
Kevin Venardos [:And, I managed to afford a group of 6 people, including myself, to do a little show, like, 4 times a day outside in a 120 degree heat. It was such an incredibly different experience than just being in a show. I started at that time to realize how many different people's shoulders I had been resting on to really have the opportunity just to sing and dance. And I had this thought in my mind, Life, they're a to have me there. To exist in this world, you must believe in some special power that you have, but the greatest lesson that began to unfold there was the power of team work, the power of recognizing that this is absolutely only going to happen is we build a team. A there are so many layers to that because smart people want value for their time. So how, when you're just starting, do you create value for others when you have such little things to offer? And, I mean, we can go into that. That's actually how we started selling tickets.
Stacy Yardley [:Yeah.
Kevin Venardos [:Identifying events that were also aspirational, that didn't have all the things that they need. They were trying, for example, the first place I tried to sell tickets was in Snohomish, Washington. I had by this time, I had this little outdoor setup, right? A little 10 foot by 20 foot tent. This is not a tent that you put an audience inside. I'm going to use it as a backdrop, but it was a very pretty backdrop and a sweet a sort of way to present an outdoor show. I was with the summer with no work, and I said, I'm not going to stay here a, Southern California and be really, really hot. So I went up to Washington and I got in the truck.
Kevin Venardos [:Basically no money still, but I had a few things and I was just managing to juggle making payments on things. Managed to find this event, a small, little end of the summer fair. Well, middle of summer. It was in July. Basically, a city Snohomish had made a deal with a carnival that was at the end of their tour. Carnival came to town and the city let them play there for free, a the carnival cut them in on a little percentage of what they made. So a city wants to make money. The city does not want to spend money.
Kevin Venardos [:And so I said, hey, the event was called Kla Ha Ya Days. It's a Indian name in in Snowmich. I said, hi. I'm, Kevin. I'm I've got a little circus. I can't pay you any rent to be here, but I thought maybe, what if I put up the circus and you don't have to pay anything for me to put it there, and I'm gonna help you bring more people to the carnival, and they're gonna buy tickets to the rides, simple but incredibly powerful lesson was a huge sort of turning point in identifying venues, finding small is, whereas we grew a we actually acquired a tent that you could fit people inside of, I was still trying to find a way to put it up and finding a partner. A small business maybe that already has a following. They've got customers that come and know their little brewery or whatever.
Kevin Venardos [:It's a restaurant or something like that. And they've got green space, for example. I would say to them, hey, let me set up my circus on your lot for free. Give me power and water. Let me use it for the time that I'm there. But we make a wonderful show, and we bring families here. And I promise you, if we get them out of here, they're gonna go over to your bar, and they're gonna double fist beers or chicken sandwiches. And in that way, I ended up making a much bigger economic impact to them than a simple rental payment, you know, at a fairgrounds or something like that.
Kevin Venardos [:We took the circus into the community. Huge difference.
Stacy Yardley [:Yeah. It does make a huge difference. What I know about you, and and I've done my homework right a little bit, and I just really enjoy listening to your stories. And what I've learned about you a through listening is you really are about helping others and making it about others and really creating value a those those important partnerships, right, and not doing it alone, like you said, with a proper team and all of that. But you came from a place where you were a, right, and you started, you know, from that place in that tiny a moment and scrapped your way through, basically, is what I'm hearing. Right? Like is was gritty and scrappy in the beginning, and that's kinda what building a dream is. Right? And sometimes you come from the bottom of the barrel after a big face plant, you know, in the grass, so to speak. I've been there myself.
Stacy Yardley [:Right? And how do you go from there, right, when you've fallen down a couple times to keep going and to con continue pursuing those dreams?
Kevin Venardos [:A Denzel says, you know, fall down 7 times, get up 8.
Stacy Yardley [:Yeah. Exactly.
Kevin Venardos [:Sounds glamorous or, you know, has that dramatic music of one of those reels we we flip through every day looking for inspiration. I mean, if you get down and squished down or stepped on down to that place, what happens to you? Do you do you shrink and and decide to fall apart? Or do you side decide that that really the only option is to get back up and and to keep trying? It's about how important is that thing that that you feel you want to do. Are you doing it because you're seeking it's not about settling, but I think when you're doing the thing that you truly love to do, that you're meant to do, and that is connected to what your values are, seeing your way through those is and those moments. It's not about if it's just about, all right, well, what do I need to do? Or how long is it a to take? Here. I mean, as long as I'm alive or I've got air in my lungs, I have the chance to make a choice
Kevin Venardos [:to do that thing. A But you get a choice every day you're alive. You get a choice to choose to make a step in the direction of that thing that you say you want to do, or, honestly, taking a step in a different direction. Whatever your your dream really is, that's wonderful. I mean, be the best at whatever that thing is that you really want to do. Have the courage to perhaps accept that what you thought it was going to be or what you thought you wanted is is actually not what is gonna, you know, fulfill you or make you happy. It's not what you keep waking up wanting to do. Think the sooner you really get real with what that is, the sooner you can start doing what I've also discovered is absolutely essential to accomplishing, call it a dream.
Kevin Venardos [:It's making a goal, an actual identifiable, specific, down to the serial number of the thing you eat, or the dollar amount to buy the thing or the exact vision to to draw out that thing, to work with I mean, you're they're clipping things out of the paper, making the dream board from magazine images, or, you know, work with an architect or work with a who can help you visualize something to really get specific about what it is you want to do. Because only when you have accomplished that can you make a plan with measurable, reasonable, provable steps? Actually accomplishing those things will begin to give you a sense of satisfaction and a sense you are moving in the direction of that thing you want to do. Otherwise, if you just say, I wanna be on Broadway, that's not specific enough. You're gonna be walking in marshmallows forever. You're never gonna know if you're actually making a step in the direction of the thing that you want to do because you have not established a specific goal. And then you can always change your goal is you want to, but there's no way to make progress. There's no way to make a dream come true unless you define what that dream is, specifically. The more specific, the more successful you, have the, you know, capacity to be.
Stacy Yardley [:Yeah. I so agree with you, Kevin. Like, I'm just, like, sitting over here Life, yes. Yes. Yes. Because
Stacy Yardley [:that's what this podcast is about. This is what I'm about as a coach. Right? It's helping people understand that you can be a dreamer, you can have this dream, but dreaming it is one thing, but doing it is a whole a thing. And, you know, you your kinship in the sense of, like, you have the same spirit of that dreamer heart, right, that performer, that showmanship, that kinda thing. But the practical side is, you're right, is that you have to have actionable steps and plans and all those things, and that's a learning curve for many, many people. And I think that's why so many people drop out or or stop because they don't understand that and don't pursue and persist through that a. Right? Because there's a lot of highs and lows. I'm sure you've had a few of your own.
Kevin Venardos [:A lot. I think a lot of my personal relationship failings or challenges have happened as a result of the same thing that has been the greatest challenge in my professional life. And professional life. And that is a we clearly establish what the expectations are of each other here, We can get into a place where especially in the beginning when you're afraid of losing. I mean, it could be a relationship. You're a relationship. You're a of losing someone because you don't a be lonely, or you have to be willing to have the other party decide that they don't want to do the thing that you're asking them to do. You have to have the courage to put out there in the world the thing that you really want to see happen.
Kevin Venardos [:And if that person that you're working with does not see it that way or has a totally different set of expectations, there is some negotiation. There is some willingness to give and take. Any negotiation is like that, but you gotta be real with yourself Life is that's truly something that that you're willing and and desirous of. And then I really think you need to mark that down in writing. That may sound like you lose the romance if it's, if it's a personal relationship. Yeah. But at the very least of your personal relationships, that you're really clear about what you really want. And when you see something that you don't like, you have got immidently.
Kevin Venardos [:You do not wait. You must not wait. That is poison cancer. If you allow someone to believe that the thing that they're doing is okay with you, you really have a hard time then bringing it up when it is a true emergency or or whatever down the road a trying to tell them that they have broken a trust or betrayed you. You never told them that they were upset. You never told them that something was wrong. So you really do yourself and others a great disrespect by not speaking your truth a. Immediately.
Kevin Venardos [:I I have seen this proven to myself over and over and over and over and over again. Maybe that sounds a and simple, but we at least I'll speak for myself. I would overlook things. I would see them. I would feel them immediately. My gut would tell me this isn't right, but I would be afraid of having to do the work of finding a replacement for that thing. I would be afraid of upsetting what I thought was such a delicate balance that I'm gonna lose this opportunity or the the show is gonna fall apart or I'll never find the other thing that is so wrong. This world is filled with every resource you could ever need to make the wildest imagining come true, and you must be willing to fail.
Kevin Venardos [:I would much rather be loved. I would suggest that everyone listening here adopt this philosophy. You want to be loved for who you really are and not some person you have invented that you think is gonna make other people happy, or satisfy them or even work as a patch for the moment. You must be boldly willing to speak your truth in a respectful and kind way, loving, but you must speak up, and you must do it immediately. You must make changes. You must be willing to make changes to move is the direction of that thing that you want. So they go hand in hand. You must identify the goal.
Kevin Venardos [:If you don't know what the goal is, then you're just going on a. You're really in an endless cycle of disappointments. So with an established goal, clear understanding expectations between other people you're working with, then you can actually have a chance of holding each other accountable. You're not doing the thing that you promised. Here's the thing that you said that you would do. Make a change, and this is the solution, and it must happen by this date. And if that date comes and goes a the person has not done the thing, they're gone. They must be gone.
Kevin Venardos [:In the professional world, that's Self philosophy that I have found actually ends up bolstering, and it makes the rest of the cast We are all accountable for our work. Now there are many instances where someone has not necessarily broken a promise or a thing that's a line item is a contract, but their attitude is in a way that's not helpful. Everyone on the team will ultimately appreciate that you have helped keep them hold them accountable.
Stacy Yardley [:Yeah. It creates an environment of safety. Right? And that's what I'm hearing is, like, you're creating those boundaries a, like, the clarity and, like, this is where we are. And when people have those boundaries, just like a, right, when they know where the boundaries are, they can then safely operate within that Stacy, and then it's very clear, clean-cut energy too when it doesn't work out. Life, you're saying you're like, this is what we said that does come is. We'll always come in because we're humans. Right? That emotion's gonna be there. But when it's very clear from the get go what I'm hearing you say, right, is that it's Life, then it's clean.
Stacy Yardley [:Then it's clean and secure, and everyone can operate to their best ability. Right? And the communication a is huge.
Kevin Venardos [:Whatever size your team is, if it's one other person or you're working with 10 or 15 other well, I've got hundreds of people in in some corporate structures. We're actually growing to a point where we need to start documenting a lot of these different systems and thing. But even in the simplest place, the sooner that you can clarify your goal and your expectations of each other, and that you have agreed on what those terms are, you know, the the sooner that when you get to work, that I think you avoid a whole lot of issues a front because there's far less assuming. You know? You don't make assumptions about other people. I wanna be clear that I I spend a lot of time, not just myself, but with with others vetting the people in the first place.
Stacy Yardley [:Yeah. So let's talk about that, Kevin, because I don't know. People may not know, like, what so Kevin has a circus. Right? But what does that look like for your people? Because when they're associating us with the big show, right, it's like you just show up, you dance, you sing, you do whatever you need to do. You're at a circus act, and then you're gone, but with your little show that could, it's everything. Like, you're not just a performer on your show.
Kevin Venardos [:Well, I think a to take the circus is an amazing example of teamwork. It's not something that I invented that concept. I mean, it's been going on for a long time. Circuses that are run well, unlike the stupid joke that people Stacy, Circus is like a circus in here. Life, it's Yeah. I know. A circus is when it's run well, and there are many examples we can point to over history, people contributing multiple things to the success of the operation. People dedicated to tent crew and also an operations director that oversees that.
Kevin Venardos [:We have 10 artists on the stage and I also have a component for front of house and also the concessions team. And so each of those components is fact, everyone has their own specific world. And, the tent crew is just like you would imagine, that it's specifically dedicated to tent crew a then doing cues of the show when we're up and running. When load is comes, there is a degree of prep work that the tent crew does. They'll drive the stakes. I mean, they'll mark out the lot. They'll drive the stakes in the ground. They'll raise the towers, and they'll start a a few of the items, getting it ready for load in day, which happens the following day.
Kevin Venardos [:And load in day, everybody, everybody is there. The artists, the concession team, the front of house, and the tent crew. They're all there, and together, we have a very specific order of operations where we're putting the tent up, hanging the a wall, installing the stage and the risers, putting the chairs in there, finishing touches with, certainly lights more than finishing touch, but there's artwork and and all kinds of small details that happen. And everybody is involved in that. So you're not here just juggling. You are absolutely an essential part of making the the show get up and, come down. And also while the show is running in that hour before we actually start the performance, all of the performers, everyone is involved in some other task, like scanning tickets or, stamping hands or ushering people to their seats or assisting with concessions in some way. A group of people that must absolutely no.
Kevin Venardos [:It doesn't matter how excellent you are at your artful task on the stage, and I do aspire to have wonderful artists here, but they must also be people who are willing to do all of those other things and to do it joyfully. I know that there's all kinds of is, physical and mental stuff that that we all must pass through in order to make that happen, and not every day do you feel like there's a bed of roses. But if the communication is there, if the expectations are clear, if there's also value given, I believe all of the folks on my show are very well paid from my experience. And the fact that we've been able to attract and re retain excellent talent for extended periods of time for years. That is something that makes me me believe that. Also, slowly, you know, we used to have the generator was only running from, like, 8 o'clock in the morning until maybe midnight. We got 24 hour power now. Now I also have been able to invest in having housing for people.
Kevin Venardos [:Initially, I had to only be able to hire people who had their own truck and trailer or were willing to buy it. And that actually added added a horrible layer of unfortunate emotion to the equation because what if you get a wonderful fam a family out here who has put a lot of money in on something like that? They've made a commitment, and then you find out that they're not gonna work. You know, in in the initial phases, I had a really hard time letting them know speaking my truth. I think that if you've done great vetting and also if you have surrounded yourself with a team of people that you consult with, you know, it's hard sometimes as the I'm also performing, by the way, up until now. I've been performing, so it's really hard to see the forest because of all the trees that you're dealing with. So you must be talking on a regular basis with people that have some objective view of what's going on. Ultimately, you have to make the decision yourself. But even though, you know, I'm the boss here, we have achieved a level of communication and empowerment to all of, the the department heads.
Kevin Venardos [:It's a director, concessions manager, front of house manager. And I also now I have, this wonderful guy named Manny Acosta who's been working with me since 2018, every show. His 2 kids are growing up here. He is sort of an artistic coordinator now. So what that is is he has got his fingers on the pulse of what all the artists are feeling and thinking, and maybe some of them are feeling and thinking things that they don't want to talk to me about because they don't feel comfortable approaching me about even though I I I want to create an environment where they are comfortable, that there is a way to get those messages to me. And so someone's taken a pulse. Other other things, advancements. We have once a month, we have a therapists here on the show.
Kevin Venardos [:I have a teacher, you know, that works full time at the Circus, childcare, for those moments when people with young ones, have to be on the stage. And then those kids that are doing k through 12, there's also a proctor there that's there with them doing their lessons. These investments creating value for these people, good pay, housing assistance, contracts that are lasting 45 weeks of the year, an environment where we're where we are truly striving to establish goals, to hold each other accountable, to deliver an excellent first class experience for these guests, and 7,000 reviews on the Facebook from these people who've had a wonderful Life. And and it's taken 10 years to get to that place. I mean, 25, I guess, if you count where I started the circus, but dreams take a long time. But absolutely what we have achieved has been in no small part because we we really wanted to create value for both the partners that we're we're working with. You know? I I work sometimes at a mall venue. Sometimes it's a park.
Kevin Venardos [:I still love to work with small business owners that have a space next to their business where I can make a direct impact for them and their community, and we build a community together. There's only we got 2 hands at the end of your arms if you really want to make a real dream. I think the best dreams are ones that build a, that help other people. They are for others, ultimately. Have a vision and an aesthetic, a thing you want to do. But I personally think that if you were a of your dream is about drawing art on a on an easel and then just putting it away a it's just for you, I think you miss out on the greatest magic of it all is to change the breadth of other people. I stole a meme from my sister recently that said, if you want to inspire people, don't show them your superpowers. Show them theirs.
Kevin Venardos [:If your work can somehow shine a light on the magic that other people make, you inspire them to stand up and want to be counted and to add their voice to the chorus. I'm to the chorus. And again, creating value for others is I think the greatest way to build a team, a coalition, and to change the world. A person does not change the world. But one person's message, if it is passed through the mouths of others, That only happens if those people are receiving value that you are with your message and with all the other things that you're doing, creating a reason for them to stand up and share that message. Will you really be successful? There's 1,000,000,000 of people in this world, and there's so much pain and hurt that's going on. And, I think our objective should be to to improve the lives of others, to build community, to make people feel less alone.
Stacy Yardley [:Yeah. I agree. I totally agree, and I think that is why, Kevin, you're so successful. And I feel like you're just getting started, right, that you're still growing and you're in that growing phase right now. But I think that the values that you hold are so incredibly powerful because it's not just about you. It's not Kevin's circus is the sense that, you know, you're you really make it about the whole team and about the community at large, right, and bringing those communities together. And I think that is you are focusing outward to help other add value to others, you're getting lit up. You're getting served too.
Stacy Yardley [:Like, you're getting yours just by helping others, and I think that's just such a beautiful, expansive, higher consciousness way of being and the way that you lead, right, with, you know, the communication and really understanding and learning and growing through the things that you that are hard. Right? And it is hard to hold the boundaries. It is hard. This is why people lack at them. Right? The the courage it takes to speak your truth and to say, this is how I feel, even though the threat of being seen as whatever you're gonna be seen as is there. It's it takes a lot of courage, and so so much of what you're saying is just I'm just Life, yes. Yes. Yes.
Stacy Yardley [:Because it's so resonant, like I said, of those higher consciousness levels that our world needs more of, and you are a light. And I think it's when we shine our light to help others, that's the light gets brighter and brighter, and it's gonna continue to get brighter.
Kevin Venardos [:Thank you so much for your sweet, kind words. Thank you.
Stacy Yardley [:Yeah. Well, I see it. I see it in you because I you know, is resonates deeply. And so, you know, I wanted to you touched on the kids there for a moment, and I wanted to ask you a question around juggling all the responsibilities because you are the ringmaster. Like you said, you're the performer. You are the producer. You're having to deal with all the back end a stuff, everything that has to go in there, and what people don't know yet is that you're a dad with 2 little girls. So how are you juggling it all, and what is what helps you create more balance? Like, what is your thought process on creating balance?
Kevin Venardos [:Well, they have given me, even more reason to keep following through on and sort of move to the next phase because I want to spend more time with them. I mean, a common goal a, entrepreneurship is to have more control of your time, to be more independent. Money is a factor in that. It is part of helping you have some more choices. A. I'm going to be stepping into a role where I mean, I'm letting go and I'm going to help nurture some other singers performers to come in and take that. And it's absolutely connected to my girls. I'm actually Andy and Billy are my my girls.
Kevin Venardos [:Andy Lane and and Billy May. And, so the the old unit, this this unit that's existed here is Andy, a the new show is the Billy unit.
Stacy Yardley [:I don't
Kevin Venardos [:know if it's going to become an official thing, but that's the way that I've started to refer to is. And everyone on the cast is sort of that our lives' work is ultimately meant to be passed. It's hard to see that at the very beginning. You know, sometimes the things that really fuels you in the beginning is Life revenge.
Stacy Yardley [:Yes.
Kevin Venardos [:All those people who took a big shit on your head or that you perceived it as such at the Life, and I've I've come to learn that it's a lot more of that that latter one. Most of the world is not wasting their time worrying about you. You've got to just get over that and, gotta just decide you wanna make something of the time you have here a I and, be generous. That light's gonna go out really soon. So I connecting with my girls and being with them, I'm co parenting, which is not the way that I had imagined things would be. A if that is the way it is meant to be, it has most certainly given me a gift because the time that I do spend with them, which is half of the Life, and I will doggedly continue to want to have at least half of the time forever. There's not opposition to that, to that theme. But Life when you're living and touring like this, it adds a lot of complications.
Kevin Venardos [:So that's just another layer of why I want to keep moving forward so that a the best dad I can be, I suppose, but to be a part of it is to a to be there with the And everything is, I mean they're 2 and a half and 4. Every day is some new extraordinary thing is happening. The older one is, you know, just is concepts and talking a born about an idea. I'm just like, how how did you figure that out? It's extraordinary. It's beautiful. It is beautiful. I'm going to keep getting older. We all do.
Kevin Venardos [:And so I remember just part of my DNA when I'd be Life doing something dangerous, I would try always to just be aware that I'm doing something dangerous right now. Not that is would let us I would I would let it stop me, but just that I would take care. And also perhaps most of all that I would appreciate, how lucky I am to be alive. You know, a just the the old the Steve Jobs, image of, you know, you're gonna be dead and all things die. That's one for sure thing is gonna happen is you're you're gonna be gone one day. Yeah. So making use of the time. Do it now.
Kevin Venardos [:Do it now. Do it now. Whatever it takes you to get to that place where you realize a that make a chart. I've seen that chart. You can actually count out the number of weeks you have left, on this earth for average lifespan versus the number of weeks you've already lived. Recognize that every day is a gift. And, it should inspire you, I hope, to really define that goal, to really, down to the serial number, define that thing that you want to do. From there, you can work with people smarter than you.
Kevin Venardos [:In my case, most of the world is smarter than me. So it's not easy
Stacy Yardley [:to find or not hard to find a group that fits
Kevin Venardos [:that description. So and help work together with them to make that map for you with an actual timeline, that's reasonable and provable that you're taking steps in the direction of that thing. And when you fall on your ass, which is going to happen, you get back up, reevaluate, and you keep going. And don't waste a minute.
Stacy Yardley [:Yeah. I so agree with you, Kevin. I think that's why that's part of another reason why you spoke to me so deeply in your messaging is your show because I am a breast cancer survivor, and I was diagnosed at the end of 2021. So it's been a few years now, and I'm healthy, whole, healed, healthy, all a the things. So but I'm grateful. But it definitely turned a corner for me in my life, right, of recognizing, like, I need to take care of things now. Like, I need to accomplish those dreams, do those things that I keep saying I want to do or wish to do, take action, and actually make them happen, like you said. And I did that last year.
Stacy Yardley [:We talked about that briefly. It was a year ago, actually, that I had talked to you about the podcast or you that you came in and said, hey. I'm gonna have a podcast someday. Will you be on it? And it a really is that that's what inspiring is inspiring me now. Right? And that's why that message speaks so much to me is because I do feel like we never know. We never know when, like, we could get a diagnosis that sends us down that path, but you could literally get hit by a truck tomorrow. You know? Like, we never know when our last day is, and there's no time to wait in chasing those dreams and creating that life that you want. And Life you said, there is a piece of that self mastery component to it where it's Life you have to have plans, you have to have clarity, you have to have the vision, you have to do those the things that are necessary that may not be the most glamorous or the most fun or sexy or sexy or whatever, but they're required if you really wanna make it happen.
Stacy Yardley [:So I'm a, as we wrap this up, you know, what messaging would you say you wanna leave the audience with in the a of self mastery and going after your dreams a how to, I guess, move through the process of chasing your dreams?
Kevin Venardos [:I think that most of the time that I have wasted in my life, and I have wasted a bunch, It's in that place where I haven't actually decided to do a, or I'm toying with it or wondering whether the idea is good enough. I think you learn a lot more about what it is you really want to do by doing something with all of your heart. Doing an excellent job. What is an excellent job? I think you know what it is. You're not a dummy. You know? You can visualize what that end product is. And if you do research, you can ask smart people who've done various tasks associated with is. You're gonna have a a plan will start to emerge.
Kevin Venardos [:Now you have to decide whether you're you're willing to do those tasks. Mhmm. But I guess my point is that that pick something, even if it's not maybe the ideal thing, but decide that you're going to do an excellent job with is. And start observing what's working, what's not, and making a list of the things that need to to change, identifying how you can improve those different things. Even if you end up entirely shifting to a different goal, you will discover in that pursuit of excellence a great deal about the thing that you really want to be doing. You will. It will start to emerge. I think, another exercise also that I used to do when I'm stuck is morning pages.
Kevin Venardos [:There's a Julia Cameron tome called A Artist's Way that I a, but Life a% of is college. But one of the things I did get out of that book is that it's just this notion of morning pages, which is wake up, right, with a pen, with your hand, fill up 3 pages, single spaced, whatever bladder, vomit that you need to have come out. It could end up being a Bart Simpson thing where you're writing the same sentence over and over again. If you do this religiously every day, you will start to see things emerge, themes and ideas. And it's really hard to distinguish, you know, what is just sort of noise from that real singular laser that is trying to poke through and get out. And so actually, physically is putting it on the page, I've found, was incredibly powerful. It sounds like such a a, dumb, whatever. I can just think my way through this, or I can, you know, it should be with a piece of paper that you can feel with your hand to start actually getting in touch with some tactile sensations and off the screen.
Kevin Venardos [:The screen is it's a part of our lives, and we need to embrace the fact that this is we're a reach people. We gotta be aware of the digital world. But I think that this communing with yourself and staying in touch with that and getting that stuff out, letting the noise sort of just clear the smoke clear out of your head so that eventually, like I say, you make a pattern of doing this daily. And whatever time it takes you to fill the 3 pages, that's long enough so that if you really just wanted to try and rush and fill the words, you still are getting something out of is. But there's enough room in there also if you really wanted to get into something that that you can. Well, I found it very powerful. And once you have that tool in in motion, and you're gonna really start to identify what that the goal is and and and establish a clear objective comes the plan, and then you start moving.
Kevin Venardos [:These simple things with time will transform you into an instrument for change in others, in your community, I hope. I mean, it would be your family, your community, and the world. The more that you can be engaged in, I think, things that you're really interacting with people, and if you are trying to in addition to whatever you want to do, that you're trying to tie in or or tune into what what other people are searching for, what their goal is, You start to identify synergy between you and others, and maybe there's something where your dream connects with something that they want to do, and that's value in there. And when you're starting a business and you don't have value in the in the form of dollars, you have to try and find a way to identify value that you can create with your time, with your your skill set, with your ability to connect people. There's a huge powerhouse inside there. You say, but I I but I don't have enough money to do this. You can generate the money. You have to create the value first.
Kevin Venardos [:I'm I'm telling you that that little concept is huge because there are people that have money and that need a service or a product, and you have the capacity to make their life better, easier, more full. And, if you can just identify them, they'll be more than happy to give you the money in exchange for that value. I'm down here. It's true. You might not be starting with much money. I I had absolutely nothing. I had lost everything. I mean, in fact, I had been with Ringling.
Kevin Venardos [:I I don't know if everybody knows this, but I've been with Ringling a until 2005. I bought a house in Vegas, and we bought it in November 2005. The end of 2006, beginning of 2007, it had lost about half of its value, put 20% down inside that. I lost everything that I had. And so to make matters worse, I was gonna go and, I bought this house in Las Vegas. I went and I tried to extract that money back from the casinos.
Stacy Yardley [:Oh, jeez. Not such a good plan.
Kevin Venardos [:It is so amazing that you feel you've fallen, and you have no idea how much further you can fall, How many more layers that you can destroy for yourself and your family. I was still very young at this a, but I had a lot of things that I needed to learn. And so actually, the entirety of this business was built initially out of someone who had declared bankruptcy That was in 2008. All of those years, every piece of equipment that I had to finance or find a way to acquire, It was done within the context of a Kevin that that had terrible credit, terrible relationship status. Is status. I mean, with myself trusting or the trust that others could find in me a, needing to believe still that there was something good enough inside me to keep moving forward a to recognize that whatever you've fallen or wherever you find yourself, you can put a brick in that wall today. You can take a step in the direction of making that happen. Today, you can do that.
Kevin Venardos [:And if you keep doing that, you will build whatever kind of a structure, whatever kind of a thing that you want. It is incredible the power of compound interest of the things that you invest today and that you continue to to nurture as time goes on. So that that's how I I rebuilt my credit, and that's how I paid back. I mean, the initial 10th that I had, I'm sure I paid for that thing 3 times over because the interest rate that I I had to pay at that time because of my choices, but I still did it. And what it did was it taught me the value of each one of those dollars. It told me the value of the necessity of creating value, not necessarily buying it, but, finding a way that you can be helpful to other people by your presence, by your skills, by the way that you can help them accomplish their goals. I think when this philosophy is applied to your dream and to team building, to recognize that is you also, if you're gonna have a dream, make it a big one, make it one that could actually improve the lives of other people. But if you can find a way to build a dream that is meant for others, it's something that can live on after you're gone even.
Kevin Venardos [:Make a legacy.
Stacy Yardley [:So keep that vision on the legacy. Yeah. I love that, Kevin. It's such a great way to wrap this up in the sense of, you know, you're such an example of coming from, you know, the the journey, the the up and down journey a the the ways that you have risen back up again. Like you said, fall down 7, get back up 8, you know, and knowing that things aren't handed to you. You have to work for them. You have to persist. You have to learn and grow from everything that you've gone through, and you you are an exemplary example of that.
Stacy Yardley [:Right? And you continue to create and expand and grow, and I'm so excited for you in this new adventure with the new unit and all that's ahead.
Kevin Venardos [:Thank you. And high 5 on your podcast and on, making that happen and and reaching out through your work on this, and I hope to see it continue to flourish, to to inspiring other people. Show them their superpowers.
Stacy Yardley [:Thank you. Absolutely. That's the plan. That's the plan. That's the plan, Kevin. So as we wrap up, how can people find you? We're definitely gonna put your links in the show notes, But where are you headed next? You're in Boise now and
Kevin Venardos [:We're in Boise right now, and then I'm headed to, actually, Orlando, Florida and some large air conditioning units, which will be keeping the tent nice and cool. And we're gonna be playing for 8 weeks at the Westgate Vacation Villas Resort. It's actually in Kissimmee, but it's they call it Orlando because people connect with Orlando. And so this is actually a new amazing opportunity where this resort, we're sort of partnering together. They bought a whole bunch of our tickets. We're still selling a a smidgen of them, but it made going to Orlando in July August. A no brainer. I'm really excited.
Kevin Venardos [:Is they like us, maybe we'll go and visit a bunch of their other properties all over the country.
Stacy Yardley [:Yeah. And you'll have 2 units. So the next units kicks off in January, or when is the next one?
Kevin Venardos [:The bill unit will start in February, and it will we're gonna create a 2 year tour, not terribly unlike what, Ringling used to do. Although our our model is who we are and where we play exactly is is definitely different. But that we set out on a 2 year tour and that way, I'm sure each year, one of them will be concluding their 2 year tour and transforming into a new production and going out on the road. The following year, the other unit will will come and be revamped. So is this way, we're a to be able to create a 2 year production show that, I'm going to create wonderful opportunities for incredible artists and and all kinds of crew and staff here to bring magic to people all over the country.
Stacy Yardley [:So there you go. If you wanna run away and join the circus, is your chance. Right?
Kevin Venardos [:There you go. at venardoscircus.com or liveyourcircusdream.com.
Stacy Yardley [:Absolutely. And go check them out. They're amazing. They will take you to a whole another place and send you off with just a big heart and big dreams in your mind and heart. So thank you, Kevin, so much for your time and for sharing your wisdom and your insight. I really appreciate you and can't wait to see you grow even more.
Kevin Venardos [:Love to all, and good luck, Stacy.
Stacy Yardley [:Thank you, Kevin. Thank you for joining me on this episode of Life is a Circus, so let's step into self mastery. I hope you found inspiration and valuable insights to carry with you on your journey. If you enjoyed today's episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe or follow wherever you're listening. Remember, in the circus of life, the greatest show is the one you create for yourself. Until next time, keep embracing your dreams and stepping into self mastery. Take care, and I'll see you next Tuesday.
