People often ask me, “Miyo, what’s the secret to producing a successful live show?”

I wish I had a magic formula.

The truth is, I don’t.

You can book the funniest comedians or the most captivating storytellers in town, and the theater can still end up half full. Great talent is essential—but talent alone doesn’t sell tickets.

People also love to say, “I’ll definitely be there!”

I’ve learned not to count those as ticket sales.

It’s not because people are lying. Life just happens. Someone gets sick. A babysitter cancels. Traffic turns a 20-minute drive into an hour. A friend texts, “Want to grab dinner instead?” Good intentions don’t always make it to the box office.

As a producer, you can’t build your plan around promises. You have to build it around reality.

I’ve also learned not to stay in the same playground for too long. Your friends may happily come to your very first show because they want to support you. They might even come back a second time. But eventually, you’ve exhausted your circle. If every audience is made up of the same familiar faces, you’re not growing—you’re recycling.

You adjust. You improvise. You pivot.

The more shows I produce, the more I realize that producing is a lot like life. Very few things go exactly according to plan. Success often has less to do with having the perfect plan than with how quickly you’re willing to change it.

The Subtitle Wake-Up Call

I got a reminder of that lesson just a few days ago.

I posted a 15-second Reel that was doing reasonably well. The views were climbing, people were engaging, and I was feeling pretty good about it.

Then I noticed a comment:

“I wish I could understand what she’s saying.”

My first reaction?

Excuse me?

Yes, I have an accent. But I also make a conscious effort to speak slowly and clearly. My ego immediately wanted to defend itself.

Fortunately, my ego doesn’t always win.

I watched the Reel again. That’s when I noticed two problems.

First, the very first word I said was Japanese. I explained it a second later, but for someone casually scrolling, that unfamiliar word may have been enough to make them move on before the explanation ever came.

Second—and this was entirely my fault—I had forgotten to add subtitles.

As you may know, most people don’t watch social media videos the way creators imagine. They’re standing in line for coffee, sneaking a scroll during a meeting (don’t tell their boss), or waiting for the bus with their phones on mute.

No captions? Swipe.

An unfamiliar foreign word and no subtitles? Double ouch.

It hurt a little to delete a Reel that was already gaining momentum, but I decided to pivot instead of defend it. I archived the original, added clear captions and text overlays, and reposted it.

Within 48 hours, the new version completely outperformed the original and sold dozens of tickets.

Same joke.

Same me.

Same 15 seconds.

One small adjustment made all the difference.

Reverse-Engineer Your Audience

That experience made me think about live shows, too.

Think about the last ticket you bought to see a performance where you didn’t personally know anyone involved.

What convinced you?

Maybe you saw a hilarious clip.

Maybe the poster caught your eye.

Maybe the event description made you curious.

Maybe someone shared a review that made you think, I don’t know who these people are, but this looks fun.

Whatever made you stop scrolling and pull out your credit card is exactly the kind of experience your future audience is looking for.

Too often, we market to people who already know us. But friends can only fill so many seats. If you want to keep producing shows, you need people you’ve never met before to become excited enough to take a chance on you.

Strangers don’t know you’re funny.

They don’t know you’ve won awards.

They don’t know your previous show sold out.

They only know what you put in front of them today.

The best marketing isn’t about convincing people you’re amazing. It’s about making it incredibly easy for them to imagine themselves having a great time.

Sometimes the smallest pivot—a caption, a better hook, a different opening sentence, a shorter trailer, or a stronger thumbnail—is the thing that finally gets their attention.

Whether you’re producing a live show, creating videos, or simply trying something new in life, don’t fall in love with your first attempt.

Fall in love with learning what works.

Then keep pivoting.