at the moulin rouge, it’s all in the family

Jean-
Jacques cleico is president and chief executive of the Moulin Rouge family
There are songs and dances in Paris. Q.
Your grandfather bought the Moulin Rouge song and dance show the year you were born [1955]
Then your father started the business in early 1960.
Have you always wanted to work there? A.
I really got into it when I was very young.
I remember when I was a child, after a new show, my father would call the people around us and we would have a big party to celebrate.
I always like this big family.
I think I can choose another career.
I wouldn\'t mind working in the commercial Navy, but again, it\'s good to run a business between artists, music, acting, clients. Q.
When did you join the family business? A.
I really started 1980.
I was 25 years old.
I started studying economic science in college, but I had a very serious accident and couldn\'t finish my degree.
Through a relationship with my father, I found a job in a company that provided legal and tax advice, which is a good foundation for my study.
I was there for four years and I was happy when my father suggested that I eventually join him. Q.
What is your first job in the company? A.
At the beginning, I was responsible for the infrastructure aspects of the business, sound, lighting, all behind --the-
Live activities.
I learned a lot at work.
I also travel a lot to see what other people around the world are doing, Australia, Las Vegas, and then Cirque del Sol.
I really looked at all the technical aspects of the product and tried to stay on top of all the technological innovations --
There have been a lot in the past 35 years, especially in terms of stage lighting.
You still have lighting technicians manually changing the color when I started, and then we have LED, filament.
Understanding the latest technological developments is important to stay ahead and competitive. Q.
How about working with your father? A.
My father has a very strong personality.
I\'m very different from him. I’m a Gemini —
It\'s easy for me to adapt.
I have always been a person who can unite with him.
Looking at my father, I learned a lot.
I saw him with someone he trusted.
My main point is that if I don\'t know anything, I will find someone who can help me.
I don\'t want to go beyond what I know I can do.
I know what I\'m good at, but there are other aspects of the business, like auditing, that\'s not what I like. Q.
How is this resolved when you are more involved in this business under the leadership of your father? A.
I remember we used to perform on the white stage in our 80 s, and I noticed that there are a lot of shows performing on the dark stage now, as the lights work better around the artist, this helps to show costumes and performances.
I have to work hard to change even if the designer is worried about the light reflection on the black background.
So I just re-painted the scene overnight, and the next day when my father came, he was not very happy.
It took him a week to see the results and then agreed that it was the right thing to do.
The most difficult time I had to convince him was in 2009 when we had to buy back the building of Moulin Rouge, a very historic place.
We spent 24 million euros. $25 million]
But I think we have no choice.
We had a new landlord who could have raised the rent and let us go bankrupt.
This is a must, but my father is really against it and feels too expensive.
It took him more than three weeks to finally agree. Q.
In 1997, Moulin Rouge went bankrupt.
What did you learn from this experience? A.
This is the real test for me.
When I had to start thinking more about the day from the infrastructure side of the business --to-
Business days.
Some difficult decisions must be made.
For example, my father has always wanted everyone to have the same fare, but we have to build a new tariff grid.
We also realize that we can\'t rely on a particular consumer sector, so we have a quota form in place so that we don\'t have more than a certain percentage of customers from any particular region.
Today, we have about 50% French consumers and other international consumers.
It is important that we decide that we still need to invest.
We paid 8 million euros for a new revue \"Féerie\" that was launched in 1999 \". Q.
How does bankruptcy management affect you personally? A.
It\'s obviously difficult mentally, but you have to keep fighting spirit --
Otherwise, you can put the key under the door.
You were comfortable in the office and suddenly a group of people came over and talked about your weaknesses and suggested what you should do.
In addition, as a C. E. O.
In a bankruptcy management companyà-
To your staff.
But we are the first company to be able to repay creditors in full after three and a half years.
I think the reason why we can get out of trouble is because I am willing to listen and because I have the support of our staff and suppliers.
Now, I\'m always open to criticism because I think it\'s the way to review, innovate and move forward. Q.
What is your working day?
Or is it more appropriate to \"work night? A.
After getting married, I said to my wife, \"Saturday night --
I don\'t know what they are.
\"I have to work when my employees work.
The first show began at 9: 00 in the evening. m.
The second one ends at 1 in the morning. m.
So I ended my day at two in the morning. m.
Luckily I have an extraordinary ability that I owe to my grandfather: I was able to take a nap
I can fall asleep quickly, only sleep for 15 minutes and wake up refreshed.
Today, though, I only do four nights a week, and it\'s a bit difficult to recover. Q.
Your two children have joined the family business now.
What advice did you give them? A.
I want them to be educated and they are all educated. B. A. s.
As the business grows to 1,500 people, they really need to have minimal legitimacy in addition to being the son of the boss.
On top of that, I told them, \"Your father will be like your grandfather to me.
Over time, he will teach you about the entertainment industry.
It will come slowly, not overnight.
Look, listen.