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Episode 230: Rick Boss – Drone Showrunner, Sky Elements Drone Shows

Rick Boss, the VP, Business Development at Sky Elements Drone Shows, joins the show to share his journey from putting on fireworks shows to launching a drone light show business. Hear how drone light shows work, what the planning process looks like, how loud they are, the largest drone show they’ve ever done, and the coolest thing Rick’s seen in the sky. This episode covers everything from Star Wars to network engineering. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• How does Rick like drones compared to fireworks
• What were the biggest adjustments getting into the drone show space
• How do you find customers for drone shows
• What is the typical crowd reaction like
• How does Sky Elements choreograph the drone shows
• What’s the drone show approval process from the FAA
• How does Sky Elements test their drone designs
• What was the most challenging drone show to tackle

Connect with Rick at SkyElementsDrones.com.

Enjoy the shoooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail. You can also find the full transcript here.

Show Notes

• Intro & Drone Light Shows
  • [0:30] Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [0:40] Connect with Rick at SkyElementsDrones.com
  • [2:50] What did his life look like before he started working with drones
  • [3:37] How does he like drones compared to fireworks
  • [4:44] Seattle Mariners Drone Show 2022 | T-Mobile Park | Sky Elements Drones, The MOST EPIC Star Wars Drone Show EVER! | Sky Elements Drones
  • [5:24] How does Rick divide his time between drones and fireworks

• The Sky Elements Drone Shows Story
  • [6:44] What were the biggest adjustments getting into the drone show space
  • [7:27] Sales Cycle
  • [8:10] How do you find customers for drone shows
  • [9:24] Marketing Agencies
  • [10:15] What is the drone show planning process like
  • [10:41] Outsourcing
  • [12:18] Run of Show
  • [13:03] How does Sky Elements test their drone designs
  • [13:56] Bat Signal
  • [14:21] Guerrilla Marketing
  • [14:28] Epic April Fools Prank – Drone QR Code – Epic Rick Roll | Dallas Texas
  • [14:58] Social Media
  • [15:11] Behind the scenes of the RodeoHouston drone show
  • [15:35] What is the typical crowd reaction like
  • [16:33] Larry David walks into a Drone Show
  • [16:58] How does Sky Elements choreograph the drone shows
  • [18:24] IP (Intellectual Property), Trade Secrets
  • [18:34] How do drone shows work
  • [20:04] Redundant Systems
  • [21:21] What’s the drone show approval process from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)
  • [23:19] What do Rick and team do during drone shows
  • [24:08] Can you just fly the drones to the venue
  • [25:28] Network Engineer
  • [26:07] How loud are drone shows
  • [26:12] Droids, Star Wars
  • [26:51] Incredible Star Wars Drone Show | Oakland As 2022, Los Angeles Dodgers
  • [27:09] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity

• Drone-Theme Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [28:14] 1001 DRONES! Record Breaking Christmas Drone Show
  • [28:27] Marvel
  • [28:49] Pittsburgh Pirates Drone Show 2022 | Sky Elements Drones
  • [29:08] Star Wars Shows
  • [29:51] What is the coolest thing Rick’s seen in the sky
  • [30:25] What would his dream birthday drone show look and sound like
  • [31:04] Americana Shows
  • [31:22] Blink Cincinnati Show
  • [31:38] What was the most challenging drone show to tackle
  • [32:23] Sky Elements’ Clients
  • [32:56] Connect with Rick at SkyElementsDrones.com
  • [33:28] What are Rick’s Final Thoughts
  • [34:15] Follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about the podcast. And 5 stars on Apple Podcasts & Spotify if you’re feeling extra nice
  • [34:33] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on Goodpods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [34:37] Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn @MaxBranstetter
  • [34:41] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • [34:47] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – “Jungle Tribe” – provided by Jamendo

What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share the wildly creative and unusual ways they grew their business – and teaches you how to do it, too. Hear the minds behind WordPress, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Drybar, the voice of Bart Simpson, and more wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but don’t want to deal with the time commitment of all those behind-the-scenes details? I’ve got you covered. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Rick Boss on the Wild Business Growth Podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about it. And go see a drone light show with them. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!