For 25 years I have done corporate events.
I began all those years ago as the 9 PM performer.
That is a hard spot to be in only because, if you have no name in that space, then you are competing with casinos and other show offerings outside of the ballroom door in Vegas, or something better they may want to go do with peers for the rest of the evening.
My job was to always keep them in their seats long enough to realize I was a better choice than what was tempting them to leave. So I had to grab them fast, and keep their interest for an hour.
And through the years, I noticed that I would get raucous laughs from every group, except for the ones that hired me the most: Accountants, IT Guys, and Engineers.
They would just sit there, blankly watching me, and I felt like they didn’t like my show.
Yet at the end, they would give me a rousing standing ovation.
Every single time.
It was baffling and frustrating, until I took the time to shake their hands afterward and ask their thoughts of the show… and realized what they were experiencing during my presentation: absolute joy, silently inside.
The Accountants especially would deconstruct my entire act, make suggestions, it seemed every single one was a closet musician or comedian, and I was living their dream.
Once I realized this was their modus operandi, to sit silently watching me while laughing inside their bodies, then I became their favorite person to hire.
For years, corporate has been that space for me.
During various times in my career, I have also ventured outside of the corporate, private event market, where I would perform or speak in a public forum, meaning “hard ticket sales”. This is more of a tight rope situation, as you have to convince people to come and see you, whereas with corporate, they are already there and will get in trouble if they leave!
Finding success in both realms has been a joy, and I have a preference for both types of venues and opportunities with the differences they bring:
Corporate means consistent professionalism, expectations of it always being safe for work material, usually in a swanky hotel and ballroom with perks of great hotel rooms and delicious buffets, and the checks are fairly generous and always clear.
Public events means your name in lights, opportunity to sell merchandise and promote yourself, to find your tribe and following, test out new material because the audience is already there to see you and is happy to see new things (after the hits).
In 2025 I did the same amount of public events as I did private. It is the first time in over 15 years I have done so many public shows. Moving into 2026 I anticipate this will give me more opportunity to do the same, and I appreciate any and all having me for whatever style of event is of interest.
Thank you for coming along my journey, and to the Accountants, thank you for keeping me out of jail by doing my taxes correctly for me, and I appreciate the standing ovations after you’ve silently watched me for an hour.
~ Jason Hewlett
Inspiration Wrapped in Entertainment
- Husband, Father, Writer, Mentor, Hiker
- Speaker Hall of Fame * Award-Winning Entertainer * Emcee
- World’s Only Keynote Speaker utilizing entertainment, musical impressions, and comedy to teach The Promise
- Member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Author of #1 Spiritual Self-Help book “The Promise To The One”
- Messenger & President of Cardio Miracle
