Merchant of Joy

What you consistently do, reveals what you truly value.

When people inquire about my work, the answer could be "running a circus" or "giving keynote talks." But the real work—what has always been the work—involves helping people reconnect with something essential: hope, wonder, possibility, and joy.

These are not soft skills. They are human skills. And in today's work culture—where burnout, disengagement, and cynicism are common—these human skills have become more critical than ever.

Whether the setting is a leadership conference stage or a large-scale event production, the goal remains consistent: create meaningful connection.

When joy is present, people listen differently. They collaborate more willingly. They trust more deeply. When joy is absent, no amount of technical skill compensates for that loss.

Not long ago, a strange bit of fate occurred. For over fifteen years, our Circus Kaput shows have ended the same way. After the bows, as the crowd begins to drift back into the world, a particular song plays over the speakers: "Le Marchand de Bonheur" by Dario Moreno.

It is cheerful and warm—a closing note of levity and lightness.

There was never much thought given to it. I heard the song in a movie and liked it. It seemed to fit our style and simply wrapped everything up in a bouncy and fun kind of feeling. Like if the show were a movie, this would be the perfect song to play over the credits, so I added it to the playlist.

The singer, Dario Moreno, was a Turkish-Jewish polyglot crooner from the 1950s who sang at Bar Mitzvahs as a side hustle until he became famous. This song in particular was sung in French. After a recent show, my curiosity arose about the lyrics and the meaning of the title. Though I speak enough Spanish and Chinese to get into trouble,  French remains a mystery. Google Translate beckoned.

The discovery was surprising. The title translates directly to "The Merchant of Happiness." The closing lines declare, "I am, I am, I am the merchant of happiness." The lyrics tell a first-person story of a "vagabond" who travels spreading joy and happiness: "I am the vagabond, the merchant of happiness; I only have songs to put in hearts."

The realization struck—without conscious awareness, every show had been ending with a declaration of one of Circus Kaput's core values. Our operational standard is the ideal that bringing joy is not just a financial transaction or a service—it is a calling, one we have been committed to for decades.

Building Business on Human Connection

The entertainment industry offers a unique laboratory for understanding how joy functions in professional settings. Over three decades of work in this field has revealed that businesses centered on human connection operate differently than those focused solely on transactions.

Our business model itself reflects these values. Rather than competing on price alone, our motto "Circus Is For Everyone" guides our decisions. Dario Moreno's song echoes this sentiment, declaring that though he is a merchant, it is not about the money: "I give cheaply enough to laugh at everything." This philosophy ensures that both high-end corporate clients and single parents planning birthday parties can access the same quality of joyful experience.

Teams of performers—more than fifty in our case—providing our services to almost a thousand events annually learn quickly, that their product is not merely entertainment but an emotional experience. Each show we craft is not just a performance, but a series of meaningful moments that resonate beyond the immediate event.

I am fond of repeating around the office, to our performers, to our customers, to anyone who will listen: "We don't make widgets. Our product is joy."

Creating joy is serious work. Joy improves well-being, opens people to new possibilities, and builds lasting bonds. When moments of delight are sparked, ripples extend far beyond the immediate interaction.

This perspective shapes our leadership philosophy. Happy, empowered team members consistently deliver their best work, and that sense of care and enthusiasm radiates to every client and audience member they serve.

We are not unique. Highly successful companies worldwide reflect this mindset: the best leadership—whether on stage or in business—begins with empathy and shared joy.

Values in Action

In leadership, talking about values is easy. Most companies display them prominently on walls and websites.

The real measure lies in repetition—what happens when meetings run long, clients become difficult, or unexpected disruptions derail plans.

The core value of giving joy—not forced fun or surface-level positivity, but the kind that comes from people feeling fully seen, heard, and valued—must guide every interaction, every performance, every conversation.

Our many years of performances concluding with a song titled "The Merchant of Joy" without conscious awareness of its meaning, suggests a delightful universal synergy that happens when living in alignment with our deeply held beliefs.

Not perfectly. But faithfully.

The Leadership of Joy

When Dario Moreno sings about spreading joy, the message resonates because it captures an essential truth about leadership effectiveness. Joy as a starting point creates sincerity. Sincerity builds trust. Trust makes everything else possible.

This approach to leadership recognizes that the role extends beyond simply performing or delivering services. It involves serving as a reminder of what truly matters, the courage to prioritize human connection.

'Le Marchand de Bonheur' is not someone who simply performs transactions, but someone who trades in what people most need: moments of genuine joy that restore hope and possibility.

Every interaction we have with others becomes an opportunity to live these values, all the way until the credits roll.