Successful end to a great tour! Attitude is everything! - (5 of 5)

Eight Delta Marketing Group - #EDMG

www.EightDeltaGlobal.com

Author: George Ohan

Blog 5 of 5

Arriving:  Sharm El Sheik, Egypt via Cairo – 2:15 PM, November 23, 2014

Walking through security in Egypt was actually fun!  The Egyptians were generally happy-go-lucky and laid back at the airport security terminals.  We needed to buy our $25 “Visa” stamp for our passports to enter the country.  I had exchanged some US dollars for Egyptian Pounds in Jordan, but oddly enough the Egyptian place that sells Visa stamps only accepts US cash.  They didn’t even take their own government’s money to sell us a Visa to enter their country.  (I did NOT anticipate that.)

Two Lieutenants from the US Army came to escort us to our (undisclosed) next performance location.  We stopped at a McDonald’s on the way because everyone was starving and we weren’t feeling very adventurous with local food so soon after landing in country.  This place was a tourist trap for sure… People were trying to hustle camel rides (A man and his camel actually tipped over into the middle of the street), hand made jewelry was being sold, and the employees of McDonald’s offering food delivery on their beat up red and yellow scooters.

We had to pass a couple of really solid and thorough military security checkpoints on the way to our lodging.   We KNEW that we were definitely on an Army base!  This definitely was not Aviano Air Force Base Italy, Amman Marriot, Tel Aviv David Intercontinental; this was straight up US Army barracks style accommodations.  (We loved it!) I had to go buy shower shoes at the Force Exchange (FX) before taking a shower……..(Note: the day prior, I was taking a warm bath at a 4 star hotel, soaking in sea salt from the Dead Sea! Ok!?!)

“Oh yeah, this is Army right here….”, (Alabama accent) says Mr. Jody Fuller.  He is the king of hilarious one-liners, delivered at the right time.  Jody is a life-long stutterer and he has really turned one of his life’s biggest challenges into one of his life’s greatest advantages. This is probably why it is MORE funny when he nails the timing on his jokes!  Just take my word for it….. You’ll have to see it.  Jody is a comedian, speaker, and writer that performs gigs for military organizations and private corporations across the globe.  Once you get to know this guy, you can’t help but want to be his friend.  His love and passion for Auburn University and Opelika, Alabama is far beyond anything I could describe with words.  Anyone with that amount of love and passion for anything is worth being friends with!  Jody mentioned to us that his wife and step-daughter had won a horse riding or judging competition and he was really excited to get back to celebrate the victory with them.  Mr. Jody Fuller was a solid leader throughout this trip.  He would ask me specific questions to get me to think about our next move and he continuously gave me positive feedback about doing a good job.

(Jody….. U.S. Army, MAJ Fuller, is a Logistics Officer with three tours in Iraq, which was definitely helpful for my situation) 

Once we got settled in and we were given a mini tour of the military compound there was work to do: Contact was made with Los Angeles HQ, Armed Forces Entertainment had been updated with the latest show info, itineraries were verified with airlines, batteries purchased for my camera, bags properly pre-packed, and everything was ready for the evening show!  Sound check was at 1800 Hours, so we had some free time to hit the beach!  Jody and I were escorted down to the Red Sea with a US Army Staff Sergeant, while P.J., Benari, and Key were preparing to come down a little bit later.  We had heard some amazing stories about snorkeling in the Red Sea, but nothing could have prepared us for this!  (Google Search, Snorkeling in the Red Sea) We put some fins and goggles on, then our adventures started.  We saw: sting rays, eels, starfish, surgeonfish, yellow, blue, everything fish!  These fish are inquisitive and kept bumping into our snorkeling masks.  I have to admit I was shit*ing myself on a few occasions!  Jody was so damn excited.  When the other guys came down, he was the unofficial tour guide of the Red Sea.  He guided everyone to the stingray with the tail, and the stingray without the tail.  He was the first one to spot a 9-foot eel with a HUGE head.  Jody took Key Lewis and his GoPro to the best spots and he would not stop asking everyone if they had seen the BLUE and YELLOW STING RAY.  Awesome time!  The GIs of Comedy were floating around in Kayaks and snorkeling in the Red Sea.  Some of the Soldiers that had escorted us there warned me not to buy the CAMEL MILK from the Egyptian guys shop on the shoreline… Camel Milk….?  Why would I buy that!?!?

SUCCESS NOTE: Our host organizations usually had an itinerary or agenda ready for us upon arrival.  This is where I felt like things could have gone bad if I didn’t pay attention to timelines, general attitudes, and energy levels.  As a manager, my top priority was to keep the talent fresh and ready for peak performance at all times.  I was able to accomplish this by COMMUNICATION.  I would speak to the guys first and find out what they wanted, then I’d talk to our hosts to make something work for all of us.

That night the guys rocked the house!  Benari and Jody had audio issues again, but they muscled through it and kept the show moving.  US Army officer (Jody Fuller) and Senior Non-Commissioned Officer (Benari Poulten) were both faced with similar challenges on stage.  They were true professionals and stepped up to show the troops that they knew what to do when faced with adversity. 

The GIs of Comedy, Thom Tran, and Armed Forces Entertainment have really created a unique opportunity for our veterans to be true inspirations for our currently serving troops.  Traveling around the world, bringing joy to their brothers and sisters, these guys really are still serving.

Next stop: Los Angeles, Hollywood, California, U.S.A.

When we finally made it through U.S. Customs I felt GREAT!!  I did it!  I took four military veterans to Europe and the Middle East, did a bunch of good things, and got them home safely!  George Ohan, the TOUR MANAGER!  Loving life!  Thank you for reading this short 5 blog series to have an inside look at some of our adventures.

By the way….. Jody Fuller wrote a cool little story about his experiences for his hometown newspaper.  You can find the link below.  Enjoy!

http://opelikaobserver.com/2014/12/the-show-must-go-on/

Very Respectfully,

George Ohan

Senior Partner

Eight Delta Marketing Group

559-451-1370 cell

George@EightDeltaGlobal.com

Instagram - @GeorgeOhan

YouTube - /OhanGeorge

#EDMG #EightDeltaMarketingGroup #EightDeltaGlobal #GIsOfComedy #ArmedForcesEntertainment #LifeAtLAFS #AFE #VFT #GeorgeOhan #Ohan #EntertainmentBusiness #Military #Veteran

www.EightDeltaGlobal.com

*BLOG 5 of 5 series

*SUCCESS NOTE, might be one of the steps that I personally took to get to where I am.

www.GIsOfComedy.com - All purchases will help to support non-profits that benefit military families

GIs of Comedy at the U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv (4 of 5)

Eight Delta Marketing Group - #EDMG

www.EightDeltaGlobal.com

Author: George Ohan

Blog 4 of 5

Arriving: 7:45 AM - Tel Aviv, Israel – November 21, 2014

I’m sure we’ve all heard that Syria and Israel have some problems between the two countries, right?  The reason I am saying this is because I was born in Syria, so even though I am an American citizen with a USA passport “Place of Birth” says Syria.  However, my ethnicity is ARMENIAN.  My last name is Ohan, instead of Ohanian because when my family fled through the desert to avoid being slaughtered by the Ottoman Turks during WW1 they changed their name and posed as Arabs to survive the ARMENIAN GENOCIDE.  (Turkish Government still denies killing 1.5 million people)  I hope you enjoyed the history lesson.  I have never seen a history book that is used in U.S. schools teach this.

CUSTOMS CHECK IN at Tel Aviv airport:

“Passports and papers please.  One moment please.  Mr. Ohan can you please come with us?”   Damn!  It happened in less than five minutes of me being in Israel.  I look over at the guys and the person that stuck out the most to me was P.J. Walsh, because he had a genuine look of concern on his face.  The four comedians all made it through customs and proceeded to the baggage check area.  I was held back for additional screening and luckily we had two escorts from the US Embassy there picking us up so they could help out with this situation.  Israeli security brought me into a room and asked me several questions dealing with: personal affairs overseas, family in foreign countries, addresses of known family members that do not live in the United States, business affairs, financial questions, and more.  I knew that I was not a terrorist and I would soon be free to go, so I kept a very positive attitude, I never lost my smile, and anyone that asked me how I was doing received a genuine response of, “Loving life!”  When it was all over, I came walking out to the baggage claim area and I was acting as if security gave me the full rubber glove “digital stimulation” (They did NOT) and the comedians were all laughing.  Ok, welcome to Israel!  Our escort, Adan started to explain how things work and we were off!

I’m not sure how many people have even stepped foot into a U.S. Embassy, but we were on our way to meet the Ambassador and General in Tel Aviv?  Israel is an amazingly beautiful country and I recommend anyone to visit when they have a chance.  We enjoyed a delicious traditional breakfast on the Mediterranean Sea and got our day started.  The hosts from the U.S. Embassy were very gracious and generous with their time.  The GIs of Comedy and Armed Forces Entertainment were in great hands. 

After extensive security briefings about the “Iron Curtain” with the Ambassador and top-ranking General at the embassy we had an opportunity to visit Jerusalem.  P.J. Walsh is a chill, laid back, mostly doesn’t say much if nothing is needed to be said type of person……. However, in Israel this guy lit up!  He seemed genuinely excited to be going places, taking pictures, and learning about the history of the Old City.  This was very cool for me to see because he is an Irish Catholic from New York, and they’re just usually angry for fun.  We had a chance to see things like:  Oskar Schindler’s grave, King David’s tomb, the Western Wall, and so many amazing places with historical significance.  Throughout the day I noticed P.J. taking some really great photos and the thing that stuck out to me was that he was really present in the moment and wanted to capture very specific images.  As a photographer, I can appreciate when a person wants to cherish a time and place in their life as it’s happening.  My inspiration comes from people being inspired about LIFE.  This is a guy that is usually very quiet until show-time, but on this day the entire world was his stage.  P.J. kept giving me little bits of humorous encouragement and words of wisdom throughout the day, as it related to being the SYRIAN guy in Israel.  I appreciated that very much and I started to notice that our team was really coming together.  (On our first day in Italy P.J. offered to shove my camera up my ass; now we were a little bit past that)

Our hotel was really great, David Intercontinental in Tel Aviv is an amazing place to stay.  That evening I went exploring the city on foot and really got to see how things came alive.  People walking around enjoying life, restaurants full of people, and different live events going on in certain venues.  Our next show was not until the next evening so I had the next morning to explore the city more.  This day was Shabbat and most of the stores were closed, the streets looked empty, and people were spending time with family and friends.  I finally found a cool place called Bugsy’s to get my traditional Israeli breakfast and keep it moving.  (Any city that I go to, I explore!)  I was looking for a cool piece of art to take home and I came across a shop that looked like it could be located in downtown Los Angeles.  When I walked into the shop the young lady that greeted me spoke English perfectly!  I took a look around the store and I found a piece that popped out to me and asked her about it.  She proceeded to tell me about the shop and how they keep all of their prices under $1,000 to keep art affordable and to inspire artists to bring their pieces to this shop to sell.  The art that I chose actually belonged to her!  This is a great gesture to an artist; choosing her work without being influenced to do so.  I ended up buying the piece and now I have a memory for ever!  Check out her stuff on

Etsy: www.SwordMeOut.etsy.com - @LisaEyes on Instagram

SHOWTIME!

As a tour manager one of my responsibilities is to gage the type of show to put on for our crowd.  I knew that our audience would be high ranking military officials, U.S. Embassy civilians, and Israeli locals so we had to adjust some of the comedians sets to match that crowd.  The GIs Of Comedy are true PROFESSIONALS in every sense of the word.  They really delivered when it counted and the whole crowd was pleased from the first minute until the last minute of the show.  P.J. Walsh really brought his “A game” on this one.  The reason I say this is because I had watched his previous sets and to see him make the adjustments to his jokes for this crowd and still maintain the comedic value was genius. ……A true artist and professional at work.

Next morning driving to the airport our taxi gets pulled over for a “random” search and here we go again!  I was detained by Israeli security again for many questions, baggage inspection, and further investigation about our trip in the country.  This time they even stopped us a second time inside of the airport and questioned all of the comedians that I was traveling with about my affiliation to Syria.  We all had our “Loving life” attitudes and it all worked out.

Next stop: Sharm el Sheik, Egypt

Very Respectfully,

George Ohan

George@EightDeltaGlobal.com

Instagram - @GeorgeOhan

YouTube - /OhanGeorge

#EDMG #EightDeltaMarketingGroup #EightDeltaGlobal #GIsOfComedy #ArmedForcesEntertainment #LifeAtLAFS #AFE #VFT #GeorgeOhan #Ohan #EntertainmentBusiness #Military #Veteran

www.EightDeltaGlobal.com

*BLOG 4 of 5 series

*SUCCESS NOTE, might be one of the steps that I personally took to get to where I am.

www.GIsOfComedy.com - All purchases will help to support non-profits that benefit military families

US Army Master Sergeant brings the funny! (3 of 5)

Eight Delta Marketing Group - #EDMG

www.EightDeltaGlobal.com

Author: George Ohan

Arriving: Amman, Jordan – Sunday, November 16, 2014  - 6:20PM

Geography pop quiz! >  Do you which states, countries, or bodies of water BORDER the current location that you live in?

The Kingdom of Jordan shares many borders and maybe you’ve heard of some of the following places:  Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Israel, and the Dead Sea?

Before making it through customs in Amman, Jordan every foreigner must purchase a “Visa” stamp for the amount of 40 Jordanian Dinars, which equals $60.  It’s basically just like a nightclub cover charge to get into the country.  This is where I started to notice the US Army Master Sergeant Benari Poulten show some real discipline and leadership.  Remember, we just entered an Arab country and Benari is known as the “GI Jew”……affectionately, known as that.  He quietly pulled me to the side and gave me a quick safety briefing the way an Army senior Non-Commissioned Officer knows how to do.  The run down was to avoid using military terms, don’t speak about any military bases, and locations to shows were definitely off limits to talk about…….also all of our stories had to match.  Try explaining why five guys from the USA are traveling in the Middle East for a comedy tour….to the Royal Jordanian Police?  Now that’s comedy!

*SUCCESS NOTE:  I had to research which countries charge a VISA Stamp fee.  Do they take dollars or did we need Jordanian Dinars?  Maybe we had to buy Egyptian Pounds?  Was the exchange rate better at a foreign currency exchange kiosk or did the rate in the ATM beat the airport exchange rate?  Would our ATM cards work in that particular country?  Did our financial institutions know that we were traveling overseas?  TOUR MANAGER must know all things good and evil! 

Many times in life we do not manage our expectations.  We create an idea about something in our minds and when that exact thing doesn’t happen the way that we had expected it, we are left disappointed.  When in fact, we are the ones that created that expectation of something awesome to happen, without actually doing anything awesome to ensure our desired outcome. 

EXAMPLE:  I bought a gym membership 11 months ago.  I’m still fat and I’m mad about it!  I only went to the gym 4 times.  SEE!?!!?!  I expected to be a hot, buff guy that talks to hot chicks in tight yoga pants….  Instead, I was a hairy, chubby guy that talked to guys in tight biker shorts! YUCK!!!!!  I was mad at the person that signed me up at the gym, because after 11 months I was still fat! – Manage Expectations.

Mr. Benari Poulten!  Back to who I wanted to talk about.  As US military veterans we understand that sometimes our situation might be less than perfect.  This is where Mr. Benari Poulten SHINES!!  We were doing comedy shows in remote places that didn’t exactly have a comedy club feel, but we had to make the best of it.  I can honestly say that we had audio issues about five different times and it always happened during the opening set.  This guy never skipped a beat, he put the non-working microphone down and kept the show going.  We can tell that the crowd of Soldiers were upset about the audio issues, but Benari just raised the level of enthusiasm and spoke louder.  He walked into the middle of the crowd and delivered joke after joke.  Soon you could see him start to win the crowd over one by one, because he never gave up.  Soldiers love to see that!  When they see you refusing to quit, they respect that.  Armed Forces Entertainment had assembled the right team.

We had the privilege of meeting multi-national forces and working with people from his majesty’s military in Jordan.  It was awesome to see our guys learning about the local culture, current state of military affairs, and being great ambassadors for the United States while overseas.  The fact that everyone on this tour were prior service military members gave us a unique advantage in knowing how to respect where we were and to represent the United States in a respectable manner.

We were introduced to a man by the name of Osama, a former Royal Jordanian Air Force pilot.  Benari and Osama seemed to hit it off as “friends” immediately.  This was so cool because Osama was immediately calling Benari his cousin. The GI JEW is now the cousin of a Jordanian guy?!  How could this be?  This is through education, mutual respect, and a willingness to understand each other beyond what the media tells us to believe.  Osama ended up taking us to Mt. Nebo, where Moses saw the promise land, had a great lunch, and he showed us where he hires people with disabilities at his mosaic shop to make beautiful art.

 It was amazing to dip our feet in the Jordan River at the Jesus baptism site, film my buddy Mr. Jody Fuller float in the Dead Sea, dance in a taxi to Arabic music with Key Lewis and our driver Ashraf, finally to top off the night with watching a San Francisco 49ers football game in Amman because P.J. Walsh recommended a sports bar for dinner!   (I ate the Lamb Burger, it was the best burger I have ever eaten!)

The troops were very thankful that we came and performed.  The stories that they shared with us after the shows were very inspiring and motivating to The GIs of Comedy.  This is really what keeps us going show after show.  Right now, this very moment, there is a US military person sitting in a desert somewhere, doing things that we don’t have to do.  If we could bring a couple of hours of happiness to their lives, then we will!

I spent each day taking photographs, shooting video, and managing our next move for the GIs of Comedy: Land & Sea Tour.  Each evening I downloaded the data and loaded it up to Dropbox for Thom Tran to choose which assets he will use for daily promotions.  While all of this is going on, I finally completed my last class to graduate college!  Graduation date is December 5, 2014.  I have now earned my second degree, Bachelors of Science degree in Entertainment Business from The Los Angeles Film School in Hollywood, CA. 

Next stop:  Tel Aviv & Jerusalem – Israel – November 21, 2014

(I was born in Syria, we’ll see how this works out for me?)

Very Respectfully,

George Ohan

George@EightDeltaGlobal.com

Instagram - @GeorgeOhan

YouTube - /OhanGeorge

#EDMG #EightDeltaMarketingGroup #EightDeltaGlobal #GIsOfComedy #ArmedForcesEntertainment #LifeAtLAFS #AFE #VFT #GeorgeOhan #Ohan #EntertainmentBusiness #Military #Veteran

www.EightDeltaGlobal.com

*BLOG 3 of 5 series

*SUCCESS NOTE, might be one of the steps that I personally took to get to where I am.

www.GIsOfComedy.com - All purchases will help to support non-profits that benefit military families

Travel to Italy, Have fun, get paid! Loving Life! (2 of 5)

Eight Delta Marketing Group - #EDMG

www.EightDeltaGlobal.com

Author: George Ohan

Next stop: Venice, ITALY!!!!

Locked, Cocked, and Ready to Rock! (…..or something like that!?)

Departing:  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 6:45 PM – November 12, 2014

The test of becoming a Tour Manager has begun! I must “LEAD” a group of seasoned comic veterans (Not that they needed much leadership..) and keep the harmony on an overseas tour.  As much as I had accomplished in my career and life up until now, this adventure had a unique way of making me feel intimidated. awwww…. :,-(   >>>>These guys were pros!  What the hell do I know about being a tour manger?!?! Then I took a moment to give myself a mental BITCH SLAP, and snap out of it immediately! 

SUCCESS NOTE: I though about Napoleon Hill and his teachings of “accurate thinking” What were the important facts? I have a mission. >>>What were the un-important facts?  My feelings. >>>I assessed my situation, came up with a plan of action, and executed.

Let’s meet the guys……

P.J. Walsh – He is known as one of the hardest working comedians behind the microphone, and for good reason.  His boundless energy and strength of his physical comedy have carried him around the globe touring with the stars of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour and found him performing on celebrated stages including Radio City Music Hall, Universal Amphitheater and the Ryman Auditorium with legends such as Bill Engval, Larry the Cable Guy, Ron White, and Jeff Foxworthy.  A successful show on Sirius Satellite radio & a role in a Lionsgate feature film “Delta Farce” followed.

Jody Fuller – He is a comic, speaker, writer, and Soldier with three tours of duty in Iraq.  He currently holds the rank of Major in the US Army Reserves.  Jody is also a lifetime stutterer.  After a 4 year stint as an Army medic, he returned home to attend college at Auburn University at Montgomery where he received a Bachelo’s Degree in Business Administration.  After the tragic events of 9/11, Jody made a decision to return to the Army by way of Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Ft. Benning, GA.  In November 2003, he deployed to Iraq for one year as a platoon leader with the 296^th Brigade Support Battalion of the Army’s First Stryker Brigade.  In 2006, Jody left active duty Army to join the Alabama National Guard and has since deployed to Iraq two additional times.  As of 2014, MAJ Fuller continues to serve.

Benari Poulten – He is a comedian and writer, as well as an adjunct professor of screenwriting at Cal State Fullerton.  A stand-up, sketch, and improv performer, Benari is a writer/performer with the sketch comedy duo The Sophisticates, and he was a writer/performer for Shoot the Messenger Productions.  He received his MFA in screenwriting from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and is a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve.  He is a veteran of both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and is affectionately known as “G.I. Jew.”

Key Lewis – This Sacramento California born Navy Veteran is a high energy, improvisational, story-telling, multiple-personality nutcase.  His love for the people and the hunger for the stage is his underlying motivation.  His comedic stories about his interracial childhood, family, and unusual views on relationships, make Lewis simply a joy to watch.  His ability to improvise and interact with all types of crowds makes this comic and actor one to look out for.  Lewis has appeared on Marlon Wayans TBS’s Funniest Wins, Starz Networks StaannDup, Kevin Hart’s One Mic Stand as well as Bill Bellamy’s Who’s Got Jokes!

George Ohan – Screw you all! (Ya, I said it!!!!  You see what I’m up against?!?)

Five guys getting on a plane, we haven’t really had a formal introduction, and we have a very busy next two weeks.  It usually takes time to establish trust, credibility, and rapport, but in show business you shake hands and IT’s ON!  This is where being a military veteran came in so handy.  A simple handshake is all it took to initiate the “social contract” of You keep it cool, and I’ll keep it cool.  Nobody brought their egos on this trip, which obviously made life a lot better for all of us.  I quickly explained to the guys that I am new at this “Tour Manager” thing, however I was a Staff Sergeant in the US Army and I could probably handle just about anything that came at us.  I asked them for their advice, knowledge, and experience to help me along for the next two weeks and they were all very gracious with the mentorship that they offered.  I’ve never been able to be successful alone.  Having a solid team is a blessing and must be nourished properly.

Mr. Joe!!!  Armed Forces Entertainment representative picking us up in Venice was awesome.  He’s a 60 year old version of me… Handsome, funny, well-traveled, and everybody in town knows him!  It was awesome to see P.J. and Benari remember Joe from their last tour and they were able to share some hilarious stories with all of us! 

First stop, the boat taxi around Venice.  There was a light drizzle of rain that was on and off, but it wasn’t enough to stop us from exploring the city for a few hours. (Sorry Joe, I lost your umbrella) Boat police, boat ambulance, boat car, boat everything!!!! It was awesome!!!!  Ok, back to thinking about work…. We had a radio interview scheduled for Armed Forces Network radio, a comedy show at Aviano Air Base, Meeting the base commander, and another show in Vicenza lined up for the next two days.  This is where the management piece gets important.  I had to carefully gage the guys excitement toward certain activities. (Are they into this tourist stuff or do they want to go and chill in the hotel room?)  I had to ensure that they would have time to get proper rest, contact loved ones via face-time, and adjust to the jet-lag before being at 100% energy for the show. 

SUCCESS NOTE: Think, plan, and anticipate what your crew will be asking next and into the near future.  After all, Tour Manager is responsible for everything that happens, or fails to happen.  How do I make international phone calls?  What’s the distance and time between venues and lodging locations?  Who will take us back to the airport?  Show Business = 10% Show / 90% Business

The Italians are great hosts.  Joe knew the right places to take us for shopping, delicious food, and any other items that we needed.  As we walked into any establishment we were met with warm greetings and friendship.  This is where I noticed my new buddy Mr. Key Lewis REALLY feeling the vibe of Venice.  He was interacting with the people, walking around with his Go-Pro, and generally had a positive feel about his aura that morning. 

I love to ask people, “What is your favorite city that you’ve ever been to?  Not to live in, just to visit and have a great time, then come home.?”  The response is GOLD!  I can actually see people going through their mental rolodex of their favorite places and soon, BAM, the smile!!  Every time!  In this moment, I was thinking that Mr. Key Lewis just might be walking around his new favorite city!  As we explored the statues and buildings, Key kept talking about his wife and kids.  He was definitely going to bring them to Italy when he could.  This was very cool to see a guy get so inspired by a PLACE, that he immediately thought of who he loves the most and wanted to share this with them.  Instead, he got to be with myself and four other men…. J  Beyond the microphone these entertainers have families, stories, interesting backgrounds, and real life things to talk about. 

These guys still really didn’t know who I was.  To them, I was a dude that was annoying them with a camera in their faces for the last two days.  They finally saw me WORK the night of the first show and I feel like we had a mini break through.  All of the guys personally thanked me for what I was doing.  Key Lewis came up to me and said, ”Man you’re a fu*kin hustler bro.  I get it now.” That meant a lot to me because, that’s it.  There is no hidden secret to me or my intentions.  I’m an unapologetic go-getter and I will continue to work hard until I build a team of people that know what that means.

We went around the bases and promoted the show, the guys killed it with their comedy, I did my homework in the hotel room, uploaded the photos and video so Thom Tran could download the assets in Los Angeles, and we were off to the next country!  Our servicemen and women had great things to say about the show.  They were extremely appreciative of the efforts that were put in to bring them entertainment.  Ciao Italia! 

Arriving: Frankfurt, Germany November 16, 2014 - 12:05 PM to Amman, Jordan

Now walking through Frankfurt airport…...  Just landing there gives me back awesome memories of either picking people up for their first time in country as a Soldier or leaving the country for good on to my next military assignment.  Those memories came back to me so quickly, just because I was walking through the airport.  As I’m typing this I thought of the names of the guys from those Army platoons in Schweinfurt….. TRAVELING is so damn AWESOME!!! Ok, so now let’s get back to traveling with the GI’s of Comedy! No drama, and we’re moving right along. 

At this point I realized that I just forgot my battery and charger at the hotel room… These tours have many moving parts and something like that can put you out of the game very quickly.  I realized that I need to step up my level of attentiveness and organization more.

Next stop:  Amman, Jordan

Very Respectfully,

George Ohan

George@EightDeltaGlobal.com

Instagram - @GeorgeOhan

YouTube - /OhanGeorge

#EDMG #EightDeltaMarketingGroup #EightDeltaGlobal #GIsOfComedy #ArmedForcesEntertainment #LifeAtLAFS #AFE #VFT #GeorgeOhan #Ohan #EntertainmentBusiness #Military #Veteran

www.EightDeltaGlobal.com

*BLOG 2 of 5 series

*SUCCESS NOTE, might be one of the steps that I personally took to get to where I am.

Armed Forces Entertainment - Tour Manager - George Ohan (1 of 5)

Author: George Ohan

I’d like to share a few stories of my experience of being a Tour Manager for the GIs of Comedy: Land & Sea Tour 2014 through Europe and the Middle East.

(www.GIsOfComedy.com)

In LIFE and SUCCESS we can’t (CAN NOT) go from A to Z without a bunch of steps in between.  I hope that this BLOG can help a person that might be searching for that next level of hidden knowledge or experience to advance their life or career.  It might be a simple habit adjustment, like taking daily notes and using a physical planning guide that opens your eyes to something new, or this blog might help you to validate that you ARE in fact doing the right things.  A *SUCCESS NOTE, might be one of the steps that I personally took to get to where I am.  Keep going!

Playa del Rey, CA – SEP 2014

I work as the Veterans Outreach Coordinator for Metanoia Films and I focus on distributing our documentary film called “Brothers At War” (Executive Producer, Gary Sinise) to military veterans and their families.  This film is used with a journaling session and group discussion process, for resiliency training and reintegration workshops across the United States.  I am proud of the work that we continue to accomplish with this program because it is a real solution to many problems that affect our troops.  Brothers At War makes the things that are hard to talk about, easy to talk about.   (www.BrothersAtWarResiliency.com)

*SUCCESS NOTE – While in college at The Los Angeles Film School, I was originally hired as a Production Assistant by Metanoia Films to carry sandbags on productions that benefited severely wounded veterans.  The Gary Sinise Foundation used these videos to raise funds to build smart homes for our troops.  I kicked butt, they called me back to help with future projects.  Every gig is an audition for your next gig.

(www.LAFilm.edu)  

As I’m hanging up the Metanoia Films office phone with the Kansas Army National Guard my cell phone starts to ring with “Thom Tran” on the caller ID.  Thom Tran……….the voice of CBS Radio, the founder of GIs of Comedy, US Army Grassroots Advisory Board member, former US Army Staff Sergeant, Purple Heart SOLDIER, Thom Tran!?!?!?  Yes, that guy.  Until someone calls me or I happen to see them by chance I never really know how much I “like” a person because it’s very hard to create that kind of natural excitement.  (I suppose if you’re an actor it is easier?)  I’ll let you know right now, I WAS excited and looking forward to what was coming next.

In the world of entertainment business many people have many titles, and frankly sometimes it’s just too hard to explain it all to someone that doesn’t live “the life” on a daily basis.  The reason I say that is because I’ve never held a title of “Tour Manager” before this phone call, but out of the thousands of qualified people in Los Angeles, I was the one getting the job offer.  As surprising as the job itself was, getting the offer did not surprise me at all.  I say this in the most humble and confident way possible.  I was confident in knowing that Thom was calling the right person, no matter what the job was.  I was happy to know that people in Hollywood think highly enough of my skills and reputation that they would offer a position of such great responsibility to me without previous experience in this particular field.  Integrity, Competence, and a Positive Attitude …….almost everybody likes that!

One thing was certain, Thom knew that I was a busy person, but he didn’t know exactly how busy I really was until he called me.  Thom asked, “Hey buddy, what do you have going on? Like, in November?”, and luckily I had my planning guide on my desk ready with an answer.  I started to read back some of the things that I had “going on” and the list included: Brothers At War, trying to graduate college before December, preparing to move my business to Puerto Rico in January, volunteering with the at-risk youth of InsideOut Writers, moving out of my house in Newport Beach, production meetings for projects currently being produced, and a few more things that I can’t think of right now.  Naturally, Thom assumed that I’d be too busy to take on another gig, but that’s not in my charter to pass up work, if it’s possible.  My father gave me some advice many years ago, ”Always make yourself available to the world.”  I did just that.  I made myself available by working harder than I’ve ever worked to get everything taken care of properly before being able to take the job.  (www.InsideOutWriters.org)

*SUCCESS NOTE – I had to take double classes at school and take an online course while overseas on the tour to meet the requirements for graduation.  The excuses are irrelevant.  If you’re not offering solutions, you might be part of the problem.

I took several meetings in Los Angeles with Thom to discuss the project and locations of our events.  This is when 95% of anyone that I knew tried to talk me out of doing this gig.  Our mission would be to work with Armed Forces Entertainment and provide some comedy relief to our forward deployed troops overseas.  Israel, Egypt, and Jordan were on our schedule and let’s just say the situation over there was less than perfect, as it was being reported by the American news media.  This was not about fear for me, this was about bringing some joy and happiness to the troops that have to be there weather we show up or not.  Clicking the “Like” button on some random Facebook post about supporting troops actually doesn’t get seen by the troops that are deployed without social media.  However, being there and physically making a difference in their lives is something that I wanted to be a part of.  I accepted the honor of managing four really great guys that I’ll introduce you to in my next four blogs.  P.J. Walsh, Jody Fuller, Benari Poulten, and Key Lewis are all military veterans that provided the comic relief for this tour.  I’ll share one blog for each person.

(www.ArmedForcesEntertainment.com)

Tour Manager Responsibilities Included, but not limited to:

1.     Contacting all location liaisons

2.     Lodging & Meals

3.     Airline itineraries

4.     Ground Transportation

5.     Travel payments

6.     Media transfer nightly to Los Angeles

7.     Photography & Video production

8.     Updates to Armed Forces Entertainment daily

9.     Security concerns for each region

DISCLAIMER:

I am not a “writer” as it relates to people that write professionally.  I am a guy that likes to help people and connect people with information.  I hope that my blogs can give some insight into the entertainment industry and my personal experiences navigating through these waters.  Along the way, if a person happens to find my work and it helps them get better, then my job is done.  Enjoy!

Very Respectfully,

George Ohan

George@EightDeltaGlobal.com

Instagram - @GeorgeOhan

YouTube - /OhanGeorge

#EDMG #EightDeltaMarketingGroup #EightDeltaGlobal #GIsOfComedy #ArmedForcesEntertainment #LifeAtLAFS #AFE #VFT #GeorgeOhan #Ohan #EntertainmentBusiness #Military #Veteran

www.EightDeltaGlobal.com

*BLOG 1 of 5 series - 1st Stop ITALY.