It didn't take long before he received invitations to take his character on the road to festivals and fairs all over the country. He captivated audiences wherever he went, and his uncommon approach to unleashing the natural energy of his audience soon inspired legions of fellow performers to follow the path he had blazed on the street. With the growth of his reputation as a street performer came invitations to become an artistic director and the opportunity to test his philosophy of connection and engagement.
Carr found opportunities to bring his uncommon performance and business philosophy to a number of ventures, each one providing a fresh set of challenges that expanded his knowledge and honed his ability to apply what he'd learned. As a retail store owner, Special Events Producer, and in national movie and television work, he explored and polished his approach. As a consultant for major corporate clients, he translated his skills into presentations, creative brainstorming sessions and leadership training, helping the companies mine the possibilities for creating a more invigorating and satisfying work environment.
When an offer came for Carr to use his performance ideas to train the managers, wait staff, cooking staff, suppliers, and corporate management at Champps, a national restaurant chain, he jumped on it. For instance, he helped the wait staff re-imagine what their jobs were, transforming them from "servers" into "engagement specialists" and "masters of connection." The staff embraced Carr's ideas, the company incorporated them across the country, and the restaurant's patrons were wild about how fun and engaging their dining experience had become. In 1998 Carr was introduced to The FISH! Philosophy based on the film, FISH!, by Charthouse Learning. The philosophy incorporated much of what he'd been preaching for years. Carr quickly became a master FISH! Philosopher and traveled to speak with companies and organizations all over the world about how to use FISH! to help them create more engaged workplaces. His presentations received rave reviews and the philosophy was embraced by staff and management alike. Drawing on the fresh energy from his presentations, and working with Carr as a Leadership Consultant, many companies saw dramatic increases in customer and employee satisfaction. The results were increases in productivity, higher employee retention rates, and increases in customer loyalty.
Today Carr is an in-demand speaker and consultant throughout this country and the world.
With the release of his new book, Top Performer, a Bold Approach to Sales and Service, co-written with Steve Lundin, PhD, author of the mega-bestselling series of FISH! books, Carr has finally incorporated the wisdom he gained on the street and the lessons learned on the corporate stage into a fresh and original approach to connection, engagement, and freedom. Top Performer moves several powerful steps beyond FISH! and
shows you ways to unleash natural energy and boost both your business and yourself.
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Carr Hagerman didn't follow the path of the MBA into the corporate world; he came up from the streets - literally. Over 30 years ago he started as a street performer at a local festival near Minneapolis. The character he created was unlike anything the festival patrons had ever seen before. Gritty, funny, smart and totally irreverent, his character instantly engaged his audiences and captured their imaginations - and loyalty. His character is still a favorite among patrons. 