Rising Stars: Meet Seth Dolan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Seth Dolan.

Hi Seth, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.

I grew up in the tiny state of Rhode Island and always loved the world of entertainment. From the time I was very young, I aspired to make people feel happy, feel connected, and feel entertained. I also loved teaching, giving back and trying to improve the world around me.

I left RI right at 18 and went to college in Boston and worked at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL before settling in LA. I was really fascinated by a company I had learned of in Florida called MAC Cosmetics. At the time, MAC was younger in the beauty space…and they were the first company I noticed that really stood up for individuality, celebrating all of their staff – so many of their leaders were LGBTQ+ and/or women. As someone who was quite an outsider growing up, it felt like a place I wanted to be. I loved the message and wanted to be a part of it. I applied incessantly [at the time, there were few MAC locations and it was very difficult to work there]…and finally got a job as an Artist. I didn’t know makeup much, but grew up in the theatre so was able to handle best I could.

In MAC in the United States at the time had very minimal event activity and not a large team. Working in LA the #1 market for MAC [California/Southwest], I voluntarily started helping create small events and experiences. This was long before ‘experiential’ and ‘experiences’ were common vocabulary. I met my mentor, Philip Ing, who was part of the very foundations of MAC and brought in by the founders. With his guidance, I started really creating a new disruptive event pattern at MAC. And eventually, I proposed that it become a full-time job. Over the years, I went from leading California, the West Coast, and then eventually becoming Head of all Events for North America. In this, I was able to create, propose, ideate, design, produce and direct everything from theatrical performances to immersive experiences to pop-ups to trade shows to premieres and product launches – it felt like a playground! We tried never to repeat ourselves and always think out of the box.

As time went on, it felt like my time at MAC was nearing a close and I needed new challenges. MAC itself was evolving and changing, and I wanted to continue to create positive disruption in a space that can often feel very redundant. I had often told my team at MAC that anyone who works with me are ‘Gladiators’. Not because of the gruesome things that may come to mind; but because we held a standard of excellence above the rest and were not afraid to work as hard as it took to deliver an impeccable production. I knew should I ever start my own company, Gladiator would be in the name.

So in 2019, I started forming GLADIATOR PRODUCTIONS. The vision was for a new kind of production company – one that thought like an agency in terms of strategy and alignment but had full-scale production in-house to deliver the very best in execution. I wanted it to cover a broad range of areas – live events, virtual events, experiences, pop-ups, permanent builds, filmed entertainment and so much more. A shop where we were inclusive in every way – not just in staff, but who we reach – how we think – and what we can accomplish. The mission was simple, we were trying to create experiences and productions that bring people together. To create more connectivity in a world constantly divided. I felt super inspired and really excited. I wrote 6 Principles to guide everything we do. We will operate like our own brand in terms of thinking and what we stand for; yet cater to our clients in an exceptional way. We did the prep, I secured my team, and secured a few initial Clients! I left MAC in February 2020 and planned to launch in…March 2020!

And then as we all know, the world changed forever. Obviously, the COVID-19 Pandemic struck, and by March 13 all the projects were canceled, and I chose to delay communication about the launch of Gladiator, fearing it would come off as completely tone-deaf and insensitive at a time when everyone was losing their jobs and there was nothing happening in our industry at all (nor most others).

I was told by almost anyone I spoke to, except my closest friends and family, that I was nuts. Why leave a solid job? Why start a new company in the midst of a global pandemic? I should give up, look for work, and take whatever job I can get. This was a recipe for disaster.

As a strict abider of protocol during the pandemic, I was home. I live alone, but thankfully my best friend is my neighbor in the same building so we formed a pod along with my amazing brother who also lives in LA. These two people were my lifeline! And I would say that the time I suddenly found myself with was time I had NEVER had before. At MAC, I was constantly traveling, working LONG weeks (frequently seven days). So suddenly – with the launch delayed until who knows when, and all of us stuck at home – I had time. LOTS of time. And it was pretty scary. But then I turned to reading, I turned to meditation, I turned to searching inward and I had an epiphany – this wasn’t the wrong time to launch. This was the RIGHT time because I needed time to figure out how to approach Gladiator with a fresh outlook. We weren’t bound by overhead yet, didn’t have a ton of processes or ways of working – I knew how I normally worked at MAC, but not how I wanted to lead with Gladiator. So although I wasn’t making any money, I curtailed my spending and lived off my savings and plugged away trying to find innovations that Gladiator could contribute when ANY semblance of reality began to return.

We officially launched in August 2020, when the pandemic was just looking like it was going to start to ebb (before we realized how many waves the world would face). And an old friend gave me our first gig. It was for January 2021, and the biggest criteria were that it would be original and that it would be 100% safe no matter what was going on in the world.

We sprung into action and created a million protocols and designs – and what came to be was pretty cool. The Client was happy, we were excited and the countdown to the activation began. But by NYE, Los Angeles was facing its absolute worst in the entire pandemic era. Hospitals were full, ambulances turning people away – it was terrifying. Our event was January 5th and we all had an emergency call – can we do this safely, and if we do, will it be for the betterment of people?

After a lot of dialogue and consideration, we all aligned to move forward. It was a mobile event, staged like a delivery service but with some really fun theatricality to it. We followed the FilmLA Guidelines at the time as they were the strictest on record anywhere – everyone was tested multiple times, wore double masks + face shields, and the crew was minimal. As we pulled up to each house, the concept automatically provided massive distance – and the attendees were also masked. What was amazing was that, despite being covered in the masks, you could see the UTTER JOY on people’s faces. Most of us in LA hadn’t seen anyone in person or experienced anything other than TV and computers for MONTHS…and it was incredible we made those people’s days, weeks, in some cases months. The Brand was happy, the launch was a success, and we felt like we did what we intended to do.

After that, I knew that if we stayed true to our values and our objectives, we would succeed. I knew that we could be that amazing experience for our Clients and their Guests if we remained steadfast in our principles and continued to think out of the box. Over the following months, we were some of the first to execute various experiences safely, and that led to new Clients and more projects.

Today, Gladiator Productions has a strong plate of really amazing Clients who are supported by a group of Gladiators that I am SO PROUD to work with. Honest, beautiful, loyal people on both sides who work together to create something awesome. And we all need a lot more awesome in this world these days!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not!

I think the biggest obstacle was our planned launch mentioned previously that coincided with the beginning of the widespread pandemic in the US. It threw everything upside down. And the biggest thing as someone founding and starting a new company that CAN set in is fear. Fear of money (because there wasn’t much), fear of failure (because the news and everyone around us was telling us it was inevitable) and fear of not being enough…not being enough to survive such bad timing.

But I feel I was able to overcome that by a mindset shift. There will always be critics, there will always be haters, and there will always be gossip. But if I live a life that is true to myself, and I lead my company and my team with my strongest values…we will overcome the challenges. And we did.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a Producer and Director at my core. I am known for my theatricality – I was trained in the theatre, worked in theatre since I was young and participated at school. I went to college for a BFA and double majored in performance and production. It gave me a unique sense, so I think looking at both sides allowed me to create environments and projects where the talent feels valued and appreciated, which in turn allows them to perform at their best which makes the audience and/or guests feel more engaged. Before all of the terms of ‘immersive’ and ‘experiential’ became so common, some of my knowledge of theatre in the round and interactive theatre (as they were all called at the time) were brought into live events. So as a producer, I started introducing this in my productions and it really allowed me to stand out uniquely in my space. I also put a great emphasis in unity in my shows – and that includes every worker and crew member. I want everyone to be a part of that journey so we can increase connectivity. That always led to a lot of jubilant experiences, and I’m proud to see friendships and relationships that have formed during many of the productions I’ve led.

I would say what sets me apart is that I NEVER like to repeat myself, that I am always trying to find fresh ideas, and that I have an impeccable standard of excellence. A lot of folks see that as a negative – but I view it as a positive and I think our Clients appreciate that.

Some of my most proud moments in my career include building a Starship Enterprise recreation for Star Trek’s 50th Anniversary at San Diego Comic-Con, staging a massive world premiere for MAC Selena in Selena’s hometown of Corpus Christi, TX, creating a unique Holiday Show at Disney Springs in Walt Disney World called Shiny Pretty Things that celebrated bringing people together in a very non-traditional way (the performance was epic!), and most recently creating a magical imaginary land called Dewtopia in the middle of the desert!

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I think I could fill a book here…there are so many people that have contributed in my life. They say people come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime and I firmly believe that – and have had people support me in all three categories!

My biggest mentor was Philip Ing at MAC, who is literally the father of experiential. Phil created immersive experiences before ANYONE…he has broken so many boundaries, and I am constantly inspired by him and his leadership.

My biggest supporters and advocates include Suzanne Chu, Cora Tan, Gregory Arlt, and my brother and parents. They are all incredible in their own fields and ways – and they have done nothing but support me. You need those people who will stand by you no matter what.

Two recent Clients who have been so amazing include Del Samat of ghd North America and Catie Neel of Ole Henriksen. They have provided incredible opportunities for us to get creative and are also just amazing human beings.

ALL of my teammates have had an impression on me, but Charlotte Pavlik is my Head of Business Development and literally my rock. Dylan Stevenson is our Head of Design and literally he is a genius and we have the best time together.  Matt Petit is our official Gladiator photographer and beyond incredible at what he does. But everyone who is a part of Gladiator is epic, and I am just fortunate enough to work with them.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.gladiator.productions
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gladiatorproductions/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GladiatorProds/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/gladiatorprods
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR2TqJiLmqXj4Zw7Pg2DYog
• Other: https://linktr.ee/gladiatorprods

Image Credits:
Matt Petit @mattpetitphoto