Episode 239: Shameless Geeks And Superhero Success, With Gareb Shamus.

February 11, 2021

Today Roland Frasier interviews serial entrepreneur Gareb Shamus. He is one of the foremost experts in the Superhero business. Gareb, the founder and CEO of Wizard Entertainment, started ACE Universe with his brother Stephen to produce immersive Comic Cons and a Global Streaming Platform.

Roland and Gareb talk through his unique story, and Gareb shares what he believes are the reasons for his success.

“If you were called a geek or nerd, it was really meant to hurt your feelings. So when all of a sudden we had 10,000 people show up, it made a lot of these people that were disenfranchised feel like they were part of something…and that’s what kind of galvanized that whole movement”. Gareb Shamus.

As you’ll hear on the show, Gareb is pursuing his creative path as a professional artist. You can check out his latest paintings at www.garebshamus.com.

Top Takeaway

Take chances and don’t be afraid to talk to anyone.

“I always joke that I’m the biggest loser in the room because I take the most chances. I send out tons of emails. I make tons of phone calls. And I can’t tell you how low my response rate is, but I don’t care because the ones that say yes, we then work with them, and they benefit from our great ideas”. Shamus.

Plus, Listen For,

The party that started as a marketing strategy and became a business in itself.

“So I bought the Chicago Comicon back in 1996 really so we could throw a party for the magazines. It wasn’t about making money. It was that the magazines were doing really well. It was like, all right, this is the marketing expense.” Gareb Shamus.

The deals that were made and how they were structured.
Why they were ‘indiscriminate’ about whom they targeted.

“We did a lot of stuff that was pretty revolutionary. We were indiscriminate about getting the magazines into the hands of people. So I would take a case and send it to the head of PR at Hasbro. And then I would take a case and send it to the head of Mattel. And then I would send it to the studios and the television networks, and they wouldn’t throw it out”. Gareb.

The philosophy of fun that served as their navigation.

“We always had this philosophy that there were no rules. As long as we were making money, nobody told us what to do, right? So long as I don’t have to ask somebody for money. I can do whatever I want.” Shamus.

And more!

Click here to Listen, Subscribe, and Review Business Lunch on Apple Podcasts

Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to Business Lunch with Roland Frasier? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Hit Subscribe on ApplePodcasts and leave us an honest review! You can also head over to our website to sign up for occasional newsletters and check out our Podcast Magazine.