The Magic Industry Changed. Did You?

1. What were you doing for work back in 2019?
I taught math (grades 9-12)

2. What was your big goal with magic at that time?
At the time I would do a magic trick for my classes on every Friday.

3. What do you do for work now?
I still teach math at the same school.

4. What’s your goal with magic these days?
I try to do a magic trick on Fridays but I find it hard to find new effects that I can perform. I am good with card magic but thats about it.

5. What’s standing in your way right now?
Having the time to practice and getting to know new tricks are both difficult right now.

6. How could Ellusionist help you get there?
I really don’t know. Thanks for asking but I really don’t know what you can do to help me. I would like to learn new effects I can do in a classroom. The challenge is being in a small room and watching my angles. I am always afraid of students sitting in the front ( left and right of me) of seeing something they are not suppose to see because of an angle issue. I would really like to learn magic with things other than cards. Keep in mind that I LOVE card magic and would love to learn a killer effect using cards. Also, I teach three classes and students talk about my magic effects in the hallway so my effects must be repeatable with different outcomes. This makes it more difficult for me to use gimmicked cards as I must make sure I can have different outcomes with my three classes. Anyway, thanks again for asking.

Mike

1. What were you doing for work back in 2019?
Driving ready made concrete truck.
2. What was your big goal with magic at that time?
Part time. Fun with friends and family. Entertaining people through laughter and amazement.
3. What do you do for work now?
Retired. But ready to turn heads with visual and verbal amazement.
4. What’s your goal with magic these days?
The same or more so. To be noticed as a great entertainer.
5. What’s standing in your way right now?
Nothing.
6. How could Ellusionist help you get there?
Good literature and up-to-date outrageous affects.

1. What were you doing for work back in 2019? Escape Room Owner and Entrepreneur.
2. What was your big goal with magic at that time? Nothing. I wasn’t doing it. I became a magician during the pandemic, as I needed something to do with my hands that wasn’t screens. So, the pandemic was really crucial in allowing me to learn and build a business that would happen post-pandemic.
3. What do you do for work now? Entrepreneur and Part-Time Magician
4. What’s your goal with magic these days? To perform 6-8 times a month.
5. What’s standing in your way right now? Building a business, referrals
6. How could Ellusionist help you get there? I think a lecture, training, or a book on how to get gigs, social media marketing, etc would be cool.

1. Getting back into magic after recovering from a series of strokes. It took me close to 10 years to start performing again. Doing Renaissance Faires
2. To get back to performing as much as my recovery would allow
3. Still doing Ren Faires except this season – since I’m going in for heart surgery
4. My goal is to continue in magic after recovering from surgery but I want to do more corporate/hospitality
5. When I had my strokes my magic business had progressed to repeat business and word of mouth. Unfortunately, the marketing I did in the ‘80s and ‘90s is no longer applicable and I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around all the newer aspects of marketing and the conflicting information put out by “experts”
6. I know that Ellusionist’s bread and butter is tricks and playing cards but it would be nice to see reasonably priced offerings on the business of marketing. When I first started out I was at a lecture at a Stevens Desert Magic Seminar and the lecturer said to remember that show is four letters and business is eight. I’m not saying that Ellusionist should change their business model – just that maybe a little something for anyone that wants to take that step to full time professional

1. What were you doing for work back in 2019?
I was working full time as a security guard
2. What was your big goal with magic at that time?
to learn new effects and tricks for walk-around and street performance
3. What do you do for work now?
still working as a full time guard
4. What’s your goal with magic these days?
learning card manipulation for parlor shows Ie: yu ho-jin, park jun-woo
style of parlor effects
5. What’s standing in your way right now?
lack of practice and tutorials/resources books are great but learning from them can be challenging
6. How could Ellusionist help you get there?
offer tutorials on stage manipulation basics to advanced technics or a how to learn from magic books series on magicstream