Believe it or not, my attempts to put together a new promo video started over a year ago. Due to the blessings of abundant work and great referrals from all of you, it was not a pressing need.

Thanks to Eric Rice at 44 Films, my new video is in production and should be available by the end of February. Eric is a director with a lot of experience in corporate video, commercials, documentaries and short films. He's also a pleasure to work with. I chose Eric for this project based on work I saw from him for other companies. He has helped me sort through footage from appearances at Coca-Cola, CNN Headline News, and dozens of other locations and shows to find footage that shows what I can offer my clients.

If your organization needs any kind of video work, I suggest you call Eric at 770.789.9002, or email him. I look forward to sharing the fruits of our video project with you and with the people you refer to me who need a speaker or entertainer at their meeting, trade show, or other event.

This evening I had to fax a contract to Japan. As I was getting ready to send it, I wondered whether I would be able to call them if I had a problem or a question after the fax went through. What time is it there, anyway?

There are a number of web sites that allow you to check times all over the world, but worldtimeserver.com is an excellent one to bookmark, particularly if you are in the events industry or if you must plan meetings or teleconferences between multiple locations. The site allows you to set some favorite locations (sites of upcoming meetings or locations of remote team members) and by entering your home site, it automatically indicates the best times for all sites to connect by phone. It also automatically adjusts for any locations observing daylight saving time.

As a child, I remember being extremely excited on the rare occasions that I got to stay up to see Johnny Carson. If I got to see those colorful curtains, I knew that I was up REALLY LATE! Those are treasured memories of my childhood and adolescence. In fact, one of my earliest "show biz" exercises was to stand near a large curtain and use a wooden microphone and mike stand (built by my step-grandfather for this express purpose!) to offer my own rendition of Ed McMahon's immortal intro, "Here's Johnny!"

Johnny Carson has been out of the public eye for over a decade, but now, sadly, he's really gone. By the time you read this, many television retrospectives will have aired and his passing will be considered "old news" by many. Much has already been written about his interest in magic; you may not be aware that he maintained membership in our professional societies throughout his life. Some of my favorite moments on the Tonight Show were when he performed magic or had magicians on the show. He treated all of them with immense respect, as he did all of his guests. In fact, at the recent NADA trade show in New Orleans, I had the opportunity to meet Ed McMahon and perform for him personally. His very first comment to me was, "Johnny Carson loved magic." (You can view some pics of that encounter here. Our magical meeting was also featured on convention television coverage in New Orleans!)

I visited the Tonight Show set on a family vacation one year but unfortunately I never got to meet Mr. Carson in person. Nevertheless, he did have an influence on me and countless other performers. Here are a few lessons I learned:

• There is no substitute for class.
• Making others look good makes you look good. Treating your audience and your guests (in my case, my audience assistants) with respect will make you stand out from the crowd.
• Be gracious in your success, and be honest when something falls flat. By seeing the humor in the situation, you can sometimes create an even bigger response -- if you can remember not to take yourself too seriously.
• Keep practicing your magic -- you never know when it will come in handy or where it will lead!

I met Stanton Williams, President of Sourcecorp Tax Benefits Group, while entertaining at a meeting hosted by Bennett-Thrasher here in Atlanta last summer. He was intrigued with my work and subsequently engaged me to work for him at a trade show last year in Palm Springs, California. After going out to Fort Worth to perform at their staff Christmas party last December, I then appeared at their booth at the NADA trade show in New Orleans at the end of January. Three shows in three months -- now that's some testimonial!

Stanton has been not only a great client, but an encouraging friend who has shown a lot of interest in helping me grow my own business. He has a wonderful family and works with so many friendly people -- I always look forward to seeing him and promoting his services.

Sourcecorp Tax Benefits Group makes otherwise time-consuming, complicated and highly specialized tax benefit opportunities readily available to businesses and CPAs. Their sophisticated yet automated processes ensure accurate, consistent, cost effective and timely results. And their expertise in their offerings is reflective of Big Four accounting firms. They can help your business pay less tax while complying with IRS rules. I encourage you to give Stanton a call!

• February 4 - Norcross Station Cafe (open to public)
• February 10 - Snellville ABWA meeting
• February 11 - Norcross Station Cafe (open to public)
• February 16 - First Baptist Church of Jefferson, GA
• February 18 - Norcross Station Cafe (open to public)
• February 19 - PFG/Milton's banquet
• February 21 - Family Connections training event
• February 22 - NALCO banquet
• February 24-25 - Trade show (Rasmussen)

email: jmt@joemturner.com

phone: 404 644 6791

web: http://www.joemturner.com