Father and Son Duo Produce Traveling Play

Notes from Chris

Episode 1015

One in twelve American children, or more than 5.7 million kids under the age of eighteen, has had a parent in jail or prison at some point in their lives.

Ahmarr Melton was one of those children. His father, Coley Harris, went to prison when Ahmarr was just two years old and spent the next 14 years there, missing out on most of his son’s childhood.

When Coley was released, the pair wanted to find a way to rebuild their relationship. Both had responsibilities that made it difficult to find time, so they began to schedule weekly walks where they could spend time catching up. They knew that there were a lot of other people out there dealing with situations like these, but they lacked guidance and a model of how to rebuild a bond that had been damaged.

As part of their rebonding, the two began writing Out of the Ashes, a one-act, spoken-word play detailing their reconciliation process. Coley had some writing experience, having previously authored two books.

The pair called several venues looking for the best space for their performance. When they found one that worked, they had the play and the venue… they just needed an audience. They promoted this first show through Facebook ads—and the response in terms of RSVPs was tremendous… but almost no one showed up.

The father-son duo persisted, putting on other shows wherever they could, but now putting more emphasis on getting people to come out. The good news is that there is typically at least one person in the audience for each performance who wants to book the show for an organization they’re involved with.

In fact, the show was so successful that it turned into a cottage industry. The play is now the basis for speaking engagements, workshops, and even a DVD they’ve produced. In keeping with the theme of family bonds, Ahmarr’s stepmother came on board to help with booking and promotion.

Start-up costs were around $900 which was for setting up the LLC, purchasing their business license, booking the first venue, some graphic design work, and hiring the DJ who is part of the show. Annual profits are around $50,000 and a big chunk of that is from their contract with the state of Delaware for the programs they bring to schools.

This media-based side hustle is ripe for expansion—and Ahmarr and Coley plan to do just that. Next, they’re starting a podcast called Missing Dad, where they’ll interview adult children whose fathers were incarcerated about the impact that had on their lives. They are also working on a movie script.

 

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Out of the Ashes: Learn more about Ahmarr and Coley, their story, and their play at their website.

 

SEE ALSO:

• Mom & Son Create 'Comfy Cup' Support for Young Athletes: A Kansas City-area mom and her 10-year-old son invent an unconventional (but essential) product for young male athletes that brings in more than $5,000 a month.
• Acrobatic Mom Jumps Through Hoops to Become High-flying Entertainer: It’s a bird, it’s a plane… or actually, it’s an acrobatic performance troupe that started as one mom’s side hustle, and now employs 14 people.
• Father-Daughter Duo Sells Handmade Looms For Fun and Profit:A customer support manager sees her side hustling future looming off in the distance. You’d better be-weave it!

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,