People hire me because I'm fun. I get it — I'm theatrical, I'm high-energy, I work the room hard, and I love every second of it. But here's what I want every nonprofit to understand before they book an auctioneer based on personality alone: the energy is only half the job. If that's all you're hiring for, you're leaving money on the table.
I am, first and foremost, a day-of revenue strategist. The showmanship is real — but it exists in service of one goal: maximizing the fundraising moment. Not entertaining people for entertainment's sake. Converting that energy directly into dollars for your cause.
Here's what that actually looks like in practice.
I don't show up the night of and wing it. Long before I ever pick up a microphone, I'm partnering with you to strategically design the revenue plan for your entire event — not just the live auction, but the full arc of the evening.
I build the run of show around emotional beats, not just transitions. Every story, every testimonial, every moment leading into the live auction and the paddle raise is intentional. We're building momentum deliberately, so that by the time I ask the room to give, they're primed, inspired, and ready to give at their highest level. That's not improvisation — that's design.
The energy you see on stage is the delivery system, not the strategy itself. Being bold and interactive, reading the crowd, creating urgency in the room — that's how I execute the plan. But the plan comes first. Without it, even the most charismatic auctioneer is just making noise.
And here's something else worth knowing: I don't take a commission on what I raise for you. Some auctioneers earn a percentage of event revenue, which means their paycheck quietly grows alongside your paddle raise. I work on a flat fee. What I raise for you is entirely yours. That matters because it means every decision I make — how I structure the ask, how I pace the room, how hard I push at any given moment — is made with only one priority in mind: your cause. Not my commission.
So when people ask whether they should hire the "fun" auctioneer or the "strategic" one, I tell them: don't choose. Hire someone who treats the fun as a tool, not the goal — and who isn't financially incentivized to put a thumb on the scale. That's the difference between a memorable night and a record-breaking one.
I've spent 25+ years and helped raise millions of dollars for organizations like the American Cancer Society, United Way, and Feed the Children — not because I'm the loudest person in the room, but because I never stop thinking about the strategy behind the performance, and never have a financial stake pulling me away from what's best for you.