The Magic Industry Changed. Did You?

1. Night Cashier at a restaurant
2. Learning Contact Mind Reading
3. Vacation sales
4. Publish a tutorial of my silent SWE Shift.
5. Lack of filming and editing experience.
6. Help streamline the video creating process and make it easier to share with the community.

In 2019, I was an educator in the public school system in the state of Missouri. The big goal was to continue my vision of making my lessons relevant to my students’ lives and to inspire students to face the impossible. As of 2025-26, I am looking at a possible retirement from education. I still use magic for stagecraft and to build a rapport with students. The life lesson I continue to teach is that discipline is better than motivation, and failure is not the end but rather a chance to improve. The only obstacles that I face are time, age, and family commitments. As I have aged, physical activities tend to take me longer to complete. By the time I start to practice, my mind is mentally exhausted. My oldest son is a cancer survivor and requires supervision, constant redirection, and hospice care. However, the learning and practice of magic have provided me (along with my son) with a way to de-stress or decompress and, very often, to escape the serious nature of the life we face. Continued support from Ellisionist has been very helpful since 2010, and it remains so.
Thank you,
Jon Wells

1. What were you doing for work back in 2019? I was working in Los Angeles as a NBA strength coach and a entertainer by night.
2. What was your big goal with magic at that time? After visiting the magic castle in Los Angeles, California for the first time, I immediately fell in love with the Kraft. I had a dream of being able to blow. People’s minds with amazing Cardistry & magic
3. What do you do for work now? Construction.
4. What’s your goal with magic these days? I still love to see the amazement on Younglings faces and adult like when they have the opportunity to be amazed by the art of magic
5. What’s standing in your way right now? Time constraints, Money, family and opportunity have all become like gate keepers in preventing me from doing what I truly love entertaining.
6. How could Ellusionist help you get there? With the tools and the time and the right people anything is possible I’ve always believed since a young man I dreamed of being an entertainer and by my mid 20s I had a major record. deal. I had been on film TV. And worked with some of the most talented athletes in the NBA, NFL and Amy Myriad of other professional sports. One day, I hope to pursue my magic further I still have quite a few tricks of my sleeve and a collection of great vintage gaffs

Answers to above 6 questions: # 1: substitute teacher /. #2: had no magic goal at that time as the loss of my wife to a heart attack in 2016 had caused me to lose interest in magic and basically everything else. / #3 : Retired presently…. But writing a 4 book series of mysteries / #4: to relearn the magic I once knew + some other tricks and illusions….to renew my membership in the IBM / #5: time and present financial situation / #6: in all honesty I am not sure…..perhaps being patient is all you can do. I may (at a later time) ask for a letter of support to the IBM.

1. What were you doing for work back in 2019?
I’ve been an electronics engineer all my career. That didn’t change.

2. What was your big goal with magic at that time?
Entertain family & friends, particularly at family get-togethers, or in just private one-on-one encounters.

3. What do you do for work now?
Electronics engineering.

4. What’s your goal with magic these days?
It has never changed! I’ve loved magic my entire life. I never wanted to perform professionally doing it. Don’t get me wrong, I have not qualms about being in front of people or crowds. Public speaking or performing doesn’t frighten me. In fact, a huge part of my professional career, I’ve trained industrial automation techs and engineers in weeks-long classes. And even sometimes I loved opening up training sessions with a little magic… lol. But mostly my goal is to practice for fun, get good at it, and then perform it for family & friends, mainly kids. I enjoy their honest reactions the most!

5. What’s standing in your way right now?
Nothing really, except maybe prices. I subscribe to tons of magic shops and visit every shop I’m near. The simplest of gadgets or information is, most of the time, extremely expensive. I realize magicians who design tricks and gadgets must be paid, however! So, I’m not complaining, just stating the facts. So, I’m constantly on the lookout for “free” tricks, or good deals. And since I’m not a professional magician, but merely a hobbyist, I just buy things here and there. Usually once or twice a month.

6. How could Ellusionist help you get there?
By things like this! Or running exclusives or specials on occasion. I greatly appreciate your website and online store. And always look forward to the daily email pointing me to the latest thing in your store. Keep up the good work and quality of your products! Godspeed.