Snapchat with Bravo Amici's Geoff Sewell: The Queen was delightful

Geoff Sewell (centre) and Bravo Amici. Photo / Supplied.

My first job was ... unofficially, mowing lawns in Hawke's Bay. Professionally, a chartered accountant for the National Bank of NZ in Wellington.

It taught me ... how to be commercially savvy, which has proved to be very important in my role as CEO for my entertainment company Incognito Artists (based in London and New York), sustaining a profitable business for the past 20 years, and creating my classical cross-over groups Amici Forever and Bravo Amici. In this industry I think it's 20 per cent show and 80 per cent business. It's important young people wanting to get into this game realise that.

My big break came ... no one "discovered" me. I soon learned I had to do the hustle, consistently work hard, persevere and love what I do to create success on my terms. Failure was common but learning from those mistakes was key. My definition of success changed over time too. Fame and fortune can't hold you tight at night. Family and good health are my priorities.

The last job I quit was ... I quit banking to follow my dream of becoming a professional singer and entertainment entrepreneur. At the time, people thought I was crazy. I used to ask my colleagues to call me "Superstar" around the office and they did it, in jest. Now friends call me that and they mean it.

The most famous person I've ever met is ... The Queen, Princes Charles, William and Harry, Nelson Mandela, David and Victoria Beckham, Leonardo DiCaprio, Elton John, Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, etc … I am blessed to sing for amazing people at exotic events worldwide.

They were ... delightful and surprisingly down to earth.

The best time I've had on set/stage was ... My first performance for a big sporting event was the FA Cup Final at Wembley when Amici sang the anthems – I was shaking, I was so excited and I'll never forget the roar of 80,000 spectators. Singing for the All Blacks at their hotel in London two nights before they won the RWC 2015 was a major highlight of my career, too. Touring the world with Incognito and Amici, I have the best time on stage with my friends. Performing at a Russian wedding with P!nk, Kylie, Robbie Williams and Lionel Richie was pretty special as well. Hard to choose one time, ther have been so many.

But the worst was ... at a billionaire's home in Monaco, we were randomly cut off mid-song and all guests and performers were asked to leave immediately.

My dream role would be ... I'm living the dream! But if I could ask for an impossible dream (one of my favourite songs to sing) I'd have a residency in Vegas, like my hero Elvis Presley, so people could travel from all over the world to see me or Bravo Amici, rather than me travelling about 300 days out of 365 to our audiences. When I was 25 I wrote down my goals, including a record deal and a No.1 album - and I was in banking at that time. My dreams came true, so maybe Vegas is a possibility, I'll put it out there.

• Geoff Sewell and Bravo Amici will tour New Zealand in May.