Leadership / 05.30.24
Joe Carter’s Joyful Journey in Ticketing
Christine Payne
A career in the busy, ever-evolving live entertainment industry can be challenging. But Joe Carter has managed to climb the ladder to the top of his profession by adopting a simple philosophy.
Joe Carter
“We all have strengths, weaknesses and challenges,” he notes. “The challenge in life is to understand those aspects of yourself and shift so that you best utilize those traits to improve your journey … Also, lean on those around you and encourage those who haven’t found their way yet to strive forward and find that path of joy for themselves. Life isn’t always easy, but when you look for the joy within the journey, it is amazing how much more you will get out of life.”
Joe initially found his joy in music and wanted to become a music teacher like his late mother.
“I performed in bands, orchestras, choirs and musicals from elementary school to college,” he says. “When I was in school … I loved to sing but got nervous to sing solo unless it was as a character in a show. I was surrounded by music, be it the family gathering around the piano, playing in the pep band, marching band, jazz band, wind ensemble or singing in the choir in high school. My high school show choir was a big deal in its day and was, in part, an inspiration for the TV show ‘Glee.’ We even had a local news station broadcast a holiday special about us and our effort to defend our Midwest championship. In college, I joined the men’s glee club and toured the country with concerts for alumni throughout my four years there. Many of my school friends went on to be Broadway performers, backup singers to internationally known stars and local performers who make their living through song. Unfortunately, I got away from singing in the last 30 years, so now it is only singing in the shower or the car.”
Joe with his Godspell castmates. He played Jesus and is wearing suspenders in the center of the second row from the top.
In high school, Joe met The Manhattan Transfer, a vocal group he counts among his favorite artists. He asked for their autographs for a choir fundraiser, and they, in turn, asked for his as a “fair trade.” “That stuck with me,” Joe says. “I was happy we presented their final concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall this past December — a great full-circle moment.”
Joe counts several other legendary performers among his favorites. They include Earth, Wind & Fire, which was his first arena show as a kid. He loves Barbra Streisand “just because she is amazing” and has seen most of her movies, seen her in concert four times, and read her memoir. Also on Joe’s list of top artists, in no particular order, is Dolly Parton.
“Dolly is just great, and I loved working on her musical 9 to 5 when it first launched in Los Angeles,” Joe recalls. “To see her work a room and captivate an audience as if they were there one-on-one was awesome. And though I didn’t sing with her on stage, she did introduce me on stage at the House of Blues — I was doing the sales pitch to group leaders for 9 to 5.”
Fresh out of college at Miami University and with a business degree, Joe worked briefly in the retail industry before switching to a career that better suited his joyful personality and love of music. He spent almost two decades as Ticket Sales Director for Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, combining that with a few years teaching theatre at the University of Southern California (USC). In 2009, he joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, where he currently holds the position of Senior Director of Sales and Customer Experience and works with his favorite venue, the iconic Hollywood Bowl.
Joe at the Hollywood Bowl.
“It was the first venue I went to when I moved to LA,” he recalls. “I had only heard of it until then but didn’t expect to so enjoy being completely immersed in an atmosphere of joy and light. I’ve seen everyone from Mel Torme & Cleo Laine, my first concert there with my parents, to standouts like Barbra Streisand, Joni Mitchell, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Earth, Wind & Fire, Billy Joel, ELO, James Taylor and Carole King, Grace Jones, Jill Scott, Yo-Yo Ma, and the Muppets, to artists coming up this season including Laufey, Sara Bareilles, Noah Kahan and so many more.”
As for the best live event Joe has ever seen, he says there are too many to count.
“That is the joy of working in this industry. We have access to the magic of live events — be they concerts, games, plays or visits to iconic venues. I have been lucky enough to see world premieres of award-winning plays and musicals and sit in on the rehearsals as they were created, watch master conductors shape the sound of an orchestra right in front of me ahead of their performance to the public, and watch championship games in football, baseball and basketball close up and in the nose-bleed seats. In all cases, they left indelible memories to last a lifetime.”
Joe taking in a Dodgers game.
He says, “After years in this industry, I still love to be connected to work that inspires so many people. [I love] that we provide access to these live events that so many people remember for the rest of their lives. I also love when my team is clicking and makes crazy ideas happen that change how we do things and improve the experience of our customers. They make me so proud.”
Joe concedes that he would not have been given such opportunity were it not for others with whom he has worked over the years, including several he considers mentors.
“Pat Kenny was my boss at Macy’s NJ when it merged with Macy’s NY back in the ‘80s. She taught me how to carry on through tumultuous corporate change and to make sure everyone felt heard and respected. Jena Hoffman [the former President & CEO of INTIX] … taught me to stand up for myself and command respect from within my own company. Maureen Andersen [our current President & CEO] … teaches so many of us how to connect, respect and value all that we can … [I value these types of leaders who] bring along their workers, colleagues and partners into a stronger future. And when difficult decisions need to be made, they show clarity of purpose and the vision to show what can be.”
Joe at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Joe was INTIX Board Chair and Director for a few years during the transitional time when the association moved from brick-and-mortar to virtual, and also during the transition of executive leadership from the aforementioned Jena Hoffman to Maureen Andersen.
“I have gained so much over the years as a member [of INTIX, including] lifelong friends and colleagues, career skills, ideas and inspiration,” Joe says. “I use my connections to help myself get through tough situations and new challenges. And I get inspiration for how to do new things at work and in life … [It is great to know] that I can turn to a community that understands what I do and in turn share ideas, vent and connect as people.”
INTIX friends at the 2019 conference in Grapevine, Texas. L-R: Shawn Robertson, Mardi Dilger, Joe Carter, Alison Barry. Back row L-R: Brian Butler and David Winn.
Joe continues, “There are so many [memorable INTIX moments from] over the years, but the one that stands out most is winning the Spirit Award just days after my mother had passed away. In my acceptance speech, I spoke about her and how I knew this would make her so proud. As I spoke, I had the strong feeling that she was there watching me. It was a bit of a transcendental moment that still gives me goosebumps.”
While winning the Spirit Award in 2012 and the Patricia G. Spira Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 were certainly highlights in Joe’s professional life, he did not name either as his most memorable career moment — that was something else. “Learning that I am an inspiration to one of the people who most inspires me. I was speechless.”
Joe accepting the Patricia G. Spira Lifetime Achievement Award in Anaheim, California, in 2016.
Joe, right, with Patricia G. Spira, center, and past Patricia G. Spira Lifetime Achievement Award recipients in attendance at INTIX 2016 in Anaheim, California.
Joe’s parents inspired him early on, and he credits them with helping him become who he is today. They are, he says, the people he admires most.
“Though both have passed, the realization of what they did for their family, friends, community and business colleagues has only grown with time,” he says. “Just recently, I learned of how my father turned down a major promotion that required a move out of state so that his kids could stay near the wider family (to keep those bonds strong) and the schools they had thrived in to better position them for their future. Once my brothers and I made it through college, they took another opportunity that moved them to California and showed those more mature sons how to take on new challenges and take risks. These same parents were also there when we each failed at different times and nudged us to find our paths of success — in work and in life.”
He also mentioned something important that his father taught him.
“My father was a straight shooter but recognized that you needed to speak to someone in a way that they could actually hear you,” he says. “In his last year at work, his company went through a major merger with another firm. His final role was to be the one to go to each city and walk them through the impact of that merger, which was, in fact, telling hundreds of nervous people that they would be losing their jobs. It was the hardest thing he ever had to do, but he felt they deserved to understand why things were happening and how they could be helped to find their next place in their career. I would meet him for dinner some nights during that time, and he would share the variations of how people responded. I asked him how he then responded, which was to listen, acknowledge their pain and frustration, and then help them see their path to what was possible for them. Many years later, one of my co-workers realized who my father was, recalled that he had worked for him, and had one of those conversations with my dad. He said it was one of the kindest conversations he had ever had. That even though he was being laid off, he felt seen, heard and appreciated for what he had brought to the company up to that point. It made him more confident [about finding] the next job, which he did.”
Talking about his parents evoked even more special memories.
“My family used to have a house on Lake Wawasee in northern Indiana,” he recalls. “As a kid, I learned to water ski and snowmobile there. It was a refuge from the drama of life. As an adult, I would go for a week every year to be with family and friends, eat fresh corn on the cob and strawberry shortcake and lounge in a hammock reading or listening to music. It was heaven.”
The view at Lake Wawasee.
He continues by sharing details of some of his most treasured possessions.
“My Grandma was very creative (and a nurse on top of that). She painted canvas (oil and watercolors), crocheted blankets, knitted sweaters and also made hand-painted Christmas ornaments and china Easter eggs. We got one each holiday as we grew up … I have a small Christmas tree that holds just her painted ornaments that comes out every year. At Easter, her eggs and bunnies get special placement in the living room … I also have several of her paintings in my home.”
Today, Joe shares his home with his partner of 23 years. He lives a quiet life and enjoys reading. When he was younger, he leaned toward the works of Anne Rice, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Tom Clancy. In recent years, Joe has shifted more toward inspirational writers (business and personal), including Brené Brown, Malcolm Gladwell, and Greg McKeown, as well as biographical books. “And, of course, the occasional trashy beach read to clear the mind,” he says.
Joe enjoys good food and has a couple of favorites. “I love Mexican and Italian food and generally eat it every week — either making it at home or going to restaurants,” he shares.
With his deep love for music, it is no surprise that Joe loves to see concerts in his spare time. He also enjoys watching movies, taking walks and seeing the world.
“Some of my favorite walks are in the Hollywood Hills near my home or on treks in my travels — through the hills of Tuscany, the streets of Paris and London or numerous National Parks, [with] Yosemite being my favorite.”
Joe at Yosemite National Park.
Joe in Paris.
In addition to visiting locations near and far, Joe has moved from one coast to another. With that being the case, is there a place he would most like to live? “Near friends,” he said. When pressed further, Joe added, “I have been so focused on the work side of life that I have not seen my friends as much as I would like. They are scattered all over the world now, so either having them visit or going to visit them would be a joy. Several of us promised many years ago to retire in the same community. We will see if that actually happens, but it is a nice idea to think about.”
Indeed, when asked what he would wish for if the proverbial genie popped out of the bottle, his first request was along similar lines. “To have all the money needed so that I could buy a large home in a tranquil location that I could then provide a place of refuge for all my friends and family to visit.” In addition, Joe would wish “to have a moment to go back in time and ask [my] parents and grandparents those questions that [I] always meant to ask but didn’t realize [I] needed to ask until they were gone. And for all people to see more of what they have in common and how they can help each other rather than see what is considered different and less than.”
Joe with his Los Angeles Philharmonic Association colleague Justin Foo at INTIX 2024 in Las Vegas.
In response to another reflective question, this one about the advice he would give himself if he could turn back the clock, Joe says, “Don’t put yourself under so much pressure to succeed. Trust your instincts, and if something goes wrong, that’s OK. Just learn from it.”
When asked about his greatest achievement, he says, “I don’t often look back at such things. In my life, I tend to look forward to what is possible. I have had great experiences and achievements in my life, so it is hard to narrow it down to just one. So, to cheat a little, I’d like to say that my greatest achievement is recently turning 60. And by that I mean that I’ve packed a whole lot of life in 60 years and have loved the life I’ve had so far. But I’m still looking forward and I am excited for what comes next.”
As are we, Joe, for your future is sure to include many more joyful moments and essential contributions to ticketing and the INTIX community.
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Tags: Leadership , GTKY