Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dave Goldstein. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Dave, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

It was my dad’s idea. He was an amazing salesperson and loved, truly loved, working with his customers to help them succeed.

So, after a couple hired me to officiate their wedding—I thought it would be an amazing one-off, a memorable but singular experience—my dad suggested I bill myself as the funny guy who marries people.

Since then, I’ve married more than 200 couples in ten states: on boats, rooftops, mountaintops, beaches, banquet halls, concert halls, and once in a hot air balloon.

Same thing with charity auctions. A comedy client at a museum in Chicago asked me to host their auction after my corporate clean comedy show at their gala. Fortunately, it was a huge success and that’s when I realized that almost any endeavor can be improved with some charm and humor.

The world doesn’t need to be segmented. This is when I work on my business, this is when I spend time with my family, this is when I’m productive, and this OTHER time is when I laugh.

Why wouldn’t you want to be involved over and over again with couples and families on the happiest day of their lives? And, why wouldn’t you want to help charities to raise the funds they need to do good work?

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

You may recognize comedian and actor Dave Goldstein from one of his many appearances on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, including a particularly memorable role as a naked cop directing traffic in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on 5th Avenue in New York City.

His comedy special, Isn’t It Obvious, was just released to rave reviews by Dry Bar Comedy. You can check it out on Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, etc.

Dave’s stage act, which has been praised by The New York Post (“…funny”) and The Asbury Park Press (“…his comic star is on the rise!”), is a blend of original writing and inspired live riffs. You can hear his stand-up comedy on Sirius/XM Radio.

He has performed numerous times for our troops and veterans, and was the headlining comic on a tour of U.S. Army posts in Europe. He has also been the comedy auctioneer for The Nelson Mandela Legacy Fund, UNICEF, The Pritzker Library and Museum, Fort Ticonderoga, and The Carlos Beltran Foundation ($50,000 for Derek Jeter’s cleats).
He’s opened theater performances for Dennis Miller, handled the audience warm up for Drew Carey’s CBS TV show The Power of Ten, been read on the Sports Illustrated website, and was an original member of the improv group Far Beneath Gotham in New York City. He is also in demand as a wedding officiant having married more than 200 couples in ten states.

Dave Goldstein has also been seen in commercials for Sprint, New England Bank (also naked, why?), ABC Sports, and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. He is a voiceover artist and has been heard in numerous instructional videos and was the voice of Madacy Home Video on the Howard Stern Radio Show. He has also had a number of essays on international affairs published. You may have also seen his copywriting on numerous websites and, of course, on 70-story billboards in Times Square.

Dave’s career has taken him across the United States, Canada, and Europe after first performing publicly at 13 as a guest of disc jockey New Orleans Slick on WFEC in his hometown of Harrisburg, PA.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

I find that if you can be a resource for your clients and provide honest feedback, even if it’s outside of the scope of the actual tasks you do for them, then you can work together with candor to plan and brainstorm and that’s the foundation of an enduring relationship.

I’ve worked with many of my auction and copywriting clients for years, some for over a decade, and that shared history gives me the intuition to be more effective for them.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I love noodling around with an idea or concept, working on it and working on it some more, and then finally seeing the results, whether it’s a room full of laughter, a thrilled bride telling you that the ceremony is exactly what they wanted, or just a happy client whose clicks went through the roof.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.davegoldstein.com
• Instagram: @comicgoldstein
• Facebook: comediandavegoldstein
• Linkedin: Comedian-Dave-Goldstein
• Twitter: @comicgold
• Youtube: @comicgold
• Other: www.goldsteinweddings.com, www.goldsteinauctions.com

Image Credits
I have the rights to all my photos.