In this episode I talk to magician Jay Alexander! We talk all about various methods that Jay uses to market his business, encourage word of mouth, build relationships with his clients, and customize his shows!

Jay Alexander is one of the top corporate and society entertainers in the country and one of the highest paid magical performers in the industry. Jay started his career early performing for the patrons of his parent’s shoe store. At the age of 14 he won the Society of American Magicians Gold Medal of Honor.

He now creates customized shows for Fortune 500 companies. Some of his corporate clients include Apple, Cisco, Lucas Films, Bank of America, Kaiser Permanente, Coca Cola, and Chrysler. He’s also performed at private parties and events for the likes of Robin Williams, The Rolling Stones, and Duran Duran.

In the words of Ron Wood from the Rolling Stones, “Jay is the best magician I have ever seen!"  

Success Mantra:

Under-promise and over-deliver.  

Failure Story:

Tells about not quite understanding the market he was targeting and how he created a very specific character called "Moishe the All-Kosher Magician" which didn't work at all for his target market. He learned a very important lesson of knowing your market.  

Favorite Success:

The time he made a young girl smile who hadn't shown a smile in at least eight years while performing magic at a school for autistic children.  

What's worked well for Jay's business?

Having a great show, word of mouth, and having something easy for the audience to remember about his show. (Ammar's adage: KISS - Keep It Slogan Simple)  

Interesting Story from the Road

Listen to a fun story involving Jay at the Fillmore with the Rolling Stones, and Card on the Ceiling.  

Biggest Professional Challenge

Staying relevant as he's becoming "The Old Guy."  

What would Jay have done differently?

Collaborated with more people and got more advice early on.  

Parting Advice

Learn how to manage your money.

Other Topics Covered

• You get ahead by working harder than everyone else.

• The magic isn't about you, or even your audience. It's about the Guest of Honor, or the person that hired you. It's your job to make them look great!

• Every moment from the time the client calls to the moment Jay sends the thank you card is planned and intentional. It's all part of the Jay Alexander experience.

• Going out into the audience right after his show to spend time with them, take pictures and do a little closeup magic.

• How he follows up with contacts even if he doesn't get their business.

• Word of mouth and getting video testimonials.

• Customizing his shows for his clients: Facebook is your friend!

• Getting your audience to remember you.

• Getting inspiration by watching bands and how they structure their concerts.  

Recommended books and resources:

Note: Many of the links in this section are affiliate links, meaning we earn a small portion of any sales. If you're enjoying our podcast and decide to purchase one of the recommended resources or books, please consider using our affiliate links to help support the work we're doing here at the Successful Performercast. Thanks!  

Resources

Siri: Jay does a great deal through Siri.

Also, make sure you have with you at every show, a toothbrush, prop list, color-coded cue sheet, and intro card. Pro tip: If you laminate the prop list, cue sheet, and intro card, you'll always get them back!  

Magic Books

Maximum Entertainment by Ken Weber  

Stage Performance by Livingston Taylor  

Business Books  

Million Dollar Speaking: The Professional's Guide to Building Your Platform by Alan Weiss  

Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi  

Where can we find Jay Alexander?

JayAlexander.com   Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter @JAlexanderMagic | Google+ | Youtube  

In this episode, I talk to paranormal magician Joe Diamond. We go into detail on publicity stunts and how to get the press to notice! We also have an interesting discussion on "Pay What You Want" pricing structures and he mentions an awesome resource that you probably already have but just aren't using! Joe Diamond is a paranormal magician from Chicago Illinois. Just in his twenties, Joe has been able to turn his fascination for the paranormal into a full time career and has an amazing understanding into the workings of the strange & bizarre, often defying the boundaries between what we assume can and can't be done. He was the youngest First Place winner of the “Close Up Magic Classic,” an award given in Colon Michigan, the Magic Capital of the World and now performs his paranormal magic all over the country for private parties, corporations, and theaters. Four years ago, Joe performed the world’s largest mind reading demonstration: completing a 33 acre cornfield maze while blindfolded, finishing in less than three hours. In fact, with his public demonstrations, Joe has been able to get more attention from the press lately than a good old fashioned Hollywood scandal. Magician Jay Sankey says it best” "Joe has great skill, a marvelous sense of humor and more energy than any other four magicians combined! What more could you want?"  

Success Mantra:

Dream like you'll live forever, live like you'll die today. — James Dean  

Failure Story:

Joe tells us about a specific "hell gig" story that he had to endure where he was getting paid too little for too much, and was generally just a horrible experience.  

Favorite Success:

Solving the world's largest corn field maze blindfolded!  

Publicity!!!

• Talks about his first venture into getting publicity. • Tips where he got his idea for the blindfold corn maze walk. Hint: It's Corinda's! • Putting different spins or angles on otherwise "classic stunts." • If you fail a stunt, the only people that will know are you and the reporter. And you can always find another reporter! • Getting the word out about your stunt. • Getting the photos and videos of your stunt. • Be safe! Do your due diligence. You don't have to do something dangerous. Joe has never done anything dangerous in his stunts.  

Other Topics Covered

• Always being ready. "What would I do if I had to do it tomorrow night?" • Touch on Joe's venture into a "Pay What You Want" pricing structure.  

Publicity Consulting

Joe offers consulting on publicity and publicity stunts. Shoot him an email for more info.  

Recommended books and resources:

Note: Many of the links in this section are affiliate links, meaning we earn a small portion of any sales. If you're enjoying our podcast and decide to purchase one of the recommended resources or books, please consider using our affiliate links to help support the work we're doing here at the Successful Performercast. Thanks!   Resources Use your camera phone to get video of your show and video testimonials. "Do you mind if we record this next trick?" "Would you mind if I get a quick 10–20 second review of my magic?"   Business Books Buzzmarketing by Mark Hughes Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer Thinker Toys by Michael Michalko   Magic Books Magic by Design by John Carney The Shiels Effect by Tony Shiels The Jinx by Theodore Annemann The Phoenix  

Where can we find Joe Diamond?

Joe's Website Youtube  

In this episode, I talk to casino magic and comedy act Mark Kornhauser. We talk about his career in magic, what it takes to perform in casino showrooms, his successes, challenges, and how hard work really pays off.   Mark Kornhauser is one of the most successful comedy acts in the world boasting 25 years plus, consistently performing in and producing shows in the most prestigious casinos in Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe, and Atlantic City. We’re talkin’ Harrahs, Planet Hollywood, Mandalay Bay, Flamingo, Tropicana, and Hilton, just to name a few.   He’s opened for more than a few top name entertainers like Tom Jones, Elvis Costello, Frankie Valli, Terry Fator, David Letterman, and Tim Allen.   He’s also been featured on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Masters of Illusion, NBC, FOX, Comedy Central, and HBO.      

Success Mantra:

Hard work, clean living.    

Working in Casinos:

• Fitting into a time slot   • How the casino venue has changed: catering more toward headliners than variety entertainers   • How he stays in the game: develops and grows new material   • Mistakes he sees people make in the casino market   • What he sees as the future of performing in casinos    

Failure Moment:

Did a Le Pétomane (flatulence) act that initially bombed.    

Favorite Success:

His current act with his dog Zsa Zsa.    

How Does Mark Differentiate Himself?

Makes his act vastly different from anyone else.    

What's Worked Well for Mark's Business?

Maintaining relationships with clients.    

Interesting Story from His Career

Listen in to what happened when Mark ran into James Brown at a bathroom sink.    

What's Been Mark's Biggest Professional Challenge?

Staying through the difficult times    

Other Topics Covered

• Success and how it's different for each person.   • Talks about how Doug Henning played a part in his journey.   • Listening to your audience.   • Talks about his inspiration and creative process.   • Gives us his take on magic on TV.   • You can no longer be an "expensive act," but you can be a "cheap show."   • Tells about his column in Magic Magazine.    

Parting advice:

Hard work, clean living. And courage.    

Recommended books and resources:

Note: Many of the links in this section are affiliate links, meaning we earn a small portion of any sales. If you're enjoying our podcast and decide to purchase one of the recommended resources or books, please consider using our affiliate links to help support the work we're doing here at the Successful Performercast. Thanks!       Resources   Have a place to collect your thoughts.   Also, keep a lookout for a compilation of all of his articles from Magic Magazine.       Magic Books   Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear by Jim Steinmeyer   The Glorious Deception: The Double Life of William Robinson, Aka Chung Ling Soo by Jim Steinmeyer   The Last Greatest Magician in the World: Howard Thurston Versus Houdini & the Battles of the American Wizards by Jim Steinmeyer   Our Magic by Nevil Maskelyne       Other Books Whack to the Side of the Head by Roger von Oech   Kick to the Seat of the Pants by Roger von Oech   Whack Pack by Roger von Oech   The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron    

Where can we find Mark Kornhauser?

Mark's Website

In this episode, I talk to corporate magician and mind reader Kevin Viner. We talk about his career in magic and numerous other topics including some insight into his internet marketing strategy. He gives some great practical advice that we can plug into our own marketing efforts! Seriously, this episode is packed! Kevin Viner is a corporate magician and mentalist. Starting young, he learned his craft and by the tender age of 14 started performing at the world famous Magic Castle. Within a year of that, Qualcomm hired him for his first corporate gig, but we’ll get to that in a moment. Kevin’s been recognized by his peers with numerous awards including First Place at the Las Vegas World Magic Seminar, he received a Comedy award from International Brotherhood of Magicians, and was awarded 1st Place at the Magic Castle Strolling Magic Olympics. He’s appeared numerous times on television on the program Masters of Illusion, on Johnny Carson’s American Masters Biopic, and on Japan’s SuperDrama TV. When it comes to corporate engagements, Kevin boasts 90% of his work coming from corporate presentations and trade show work for clients like Conoco Phillips, GE, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, PBS, SONY, Walt Disney, and Warner Bros. Just to name a few. And as if he’s not busy enough, in his spare time, he’s also a singer/songwriter composing for both piano and guitar, and somehow found time to train for and run his first marathon last year.  

Success Quote:

Knowledge and not doing are equal to not knowing at all. — fortune cookie  

A Moment of Failure:

Trying to get to the top of DIGG using some questionable means…  

Favorite Success:

Kevin's favorite success is being so busy with gigs he's able to travel the country doing what he loves.  

What's been Kevin's biggest challenge?

He learns and implements so much in his business, he has a hard time measuring the results of his efforts.  

Getting to the top of Google Searches

Kevin gives us some basic steps you can use to increase your organic google listings. Let's say, for example, Kevin wanted to  to get to the top of the searches for "Tulsa Oklahoma Magician." Here's what he would do: • On your website, create a title tag of no more than 70 characters that has those keywords and your name. Example: "Tulsa Oklahoma Magician - Kevin Viner" • Have "Tulsa Oklahoma Magician" a few times in the body copy and possibly in some H1 tags. (But don't keyword stuff!) • Find a couple online directories that are reputable and are local to Tulsa, link to them on you site and ask them to link back to you from their site. If you do any college shows, try to have them link to your website, as "edu" domains are more reputable. • Establish a Google+ page local listing, and get on Yelp for your city. • It also wouldn't hurt to go out and get a gigmasters or gig salad page to link back to your site for a little more "link juice" as Kevin puts it.  

Other Topics Covered

• If we feel stuck, it's because we're not doing the next thing that we're supposed to do. • Talks about taking constructive criticism. • Why it's important to "change it up"with your show when presenting for corporate clients. • Making sure you have a quality show. • Asking for referrals: "Can you introduce me to three of four people you think might be able to use this [my show]? • Describes his workflow when it comes to emails and how he gets to the ever elusive "Inbox Zero." • The psychology of shooting high. • Using correct grammar and being concise in your communications. • Recording your phone calls and re-scripting your dialogue for future use. • Maintaining confidence without boosting your ego. • Mastering skills  

Parting advice:

Don't do magic the way everyone else does it. Find a way to make it different.  

Recommended books and resources:

Note: Many of the links in this section are affiliate links, meaning we earn a small portion of any sales. If you're enjoying our podcast and decide to purchase one of the recommended resources or books, please consider using our affiliate links to help support the work we're doing here at the Successful Performercast. Thanks!

Kevin shared a small fortune of resources with us in this episode! Here they all are, organized for your clicking pleasure. :)

GMail Plugins
Boomerang for Gmail

Internet Resources
Adobe Creative Cloud - creative design software
iContact - Email marketing
Lynda.com - online instruction
moz.com - inbound marketing software
Omnifocus - Task management for Mac, iPad, and iPhone

Google Rankings and Adwords Resources
Advanced Google Adwords by Brad Geddes
Flying Solo: How Smart Solopreneurs Make Money Online by Josh London
Google Adwords for Dummies
Perry Marshall's Adwords Products
SEO for Dummies Google's own SEO Starter Guide

Business Books
4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr.
Getting Things Done by David Allen
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Creativity Books 
Thinker Toys by Michael Michalko
Whack on the Side of the Head by Roger von Oech

How the Mind Works
Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Magic & Performance Books
13 Steps to Mentalism by Corinda
Absolute Magic by Derren Brown Designing Miracles by Darwin Ortiz [Printed or Audio]  

Where can we find Kevin Viner?

Kevin's Website Facebook | Twitter @kevinviner | LinkedIn | Email

In this episode, I talk to bizarre magician Christian Cagigal. We talk about his career and numerous topics including leaving a long-lasting immersion on his audiences and how he gets people through the door of his shows.

Christian Cagigal is an actor, writer, and magician out of and around the San Francisco Bay Area. He’s one of “Ten Bay Area artists on their way to becoming icons” as dictated by the San Francisco Weekly and was voted Best of the Bay, for the second time, by the San Francisco Bay Guardian.

Has performed his unique brand of “slightly creepy,” and I’d add “mildly disturbing” magic as an artist in residence at two theaters: San Francisco's EXIT Theatre, and Quebec’s “Beyond the Mountain."

He’s Produced a number of his own shows: 

The 13 Steps, The Pandora Experiment, the long running OBSCURA, The Collection, and the show Now and at the Hour which he’s currently working on a performance film of and that is being directed by internationally recognized San Francisco filmmaker H.P. Mendoza.

Finally, he’s also consulted for a number of theater companies such as A.C.T.'s MFA program, Crowded Fire Theatre Company, The Traveling Jewish Theater Company, Marin Shakespeare Company, EXIT Theatre DIVAfest and The San Francisco Ghost Hunt Walking Tour.

In this episode, I talk to Los Angeles magician Micah Cover. We talk about his career in magic and how a little bit of humanity can go a long way.

Also, Micah has agreed to give a free copy of his 73-page lecture notes, "From the Trenches: The Pros & Cons of Being a Family Magic Entertainer," to all of our listeners. Listen at the end of the episode to find out how to get yours!

Micah Cover is a magician that spends his time performing all around Los Angels and has been a professional magician since 1995!

With a background in theater, improv and street magic, he brings his highly interactive magic shows everywhere from birthday parties, restaurants, large and small events, and a variety of different venues including the world famous Hollywood Magic Castle. It’s there where he produces the annual Night of the Raven, a yearly charity event for the Academy of Magical Arts.

In addition to performing magic, he also writes, lectures, and consults on the art of magic. You may have seen his work on TV on CNN and on the show 1,000 Ways to Die. Finally, he’s also an actor who’s appeared on Days of Our Lives and in a recurring roll on Dawson’s Creek.

As stated by the Magic Castle, Micah is an innovative performer with mind-boggling talent. His extraordinary effects will rock the room!

In this episode, I talk to Alex Ramon about his magic career covering such topics as building a tribe, engaging on social media and list building!

Alex Ramon is a magician who has accomplished so much in so little time, it makes my head spin!

Alex has toured around the world with Disney Live! Mickey’s Magic Show, performing more than 650 shows and for more than a million people, even performing his show in different languages.

He became the second youngest ringmaster and the very first magician in history to be the Star of The Greatest Show on Earth, in Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s Circus show, Zing, Zang, Zoom.

For over 2 years, his show “Illusion Fusion” was the number one rated show in Lake Tahoe on both Yelp and Trip Advisor and Alex can now be seen touring his new show NewMagic.

As for professional acknowledgements, he’s been presented with the Lance Burton Award, Society of American Magicians Presidents Award, International Brotherhood of Magicians Presidential Citation, was named “National Stage Magic Champion” at the World Magic Seminar, and most recently became the youngest ever recipient of the Milbourne Christopher Illusionist award.

The most amazing part is most of this was accomplished by the time he was 23.

In this episode I talk to mind reader Jonny Zavant about his performing career and what it takes to make it in the college arena. He also talks about how he experienced every performer's worst nightmare: getting boo'd off stage by 2,000 people, and what he took away from that experience. 

Jonny Zavant is a Comedy Mentalist Extraordinaire hailing from Chicago, IL. He acquired much of his talent from working with James “the Amazing” Randi at the James Randi Educational Foundation where he developed scientific studies to test the paranormal claims of and investigate applicants for the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge.

He toured with magician and internet celebrity Brian Brushwood where he learned the ropes of a traveling act. Since then, he’s struck out on his own performing at trade shows, corporate events, and touring colleges and universities around the US, earning acclaim and accolades along the way. Among these, he’s been nominated two years running as fastest rising star, best novelty performer, and best comedy entertainer by Campus Activities magazine.

He’s also put together some fun, light, “Two Minute Tours” videos highlighting some of the places he’s encountered in his travels. It’s definitely worth a look if you’re in the mood for a quirky look at some well-known as well as some hidden gems around the country.

Jonathan Levit is like the joker in a pack of cards. Magician. Actor. Television Host. Emcee. Producer. Consultant. Lecturer. These are all hats that he’s worn throughout his career and he’s been able to weave his love for magic throughout all his creative endeavors.

He’s traveled the country performing magic for private parties and on cruise ships. He’s a frequent performer at the Hollywood Magic Castle. He’s consulted for television and movies teaching the likes of Steve Carell, Jessie Eisenberg, Jack Davenport, David Duchovny, and Olivia Wilde how to do magic.

You might recognize him from some of his guest star roles on The X Files, FlashForward, The Others, and the Huntress, or as a host for The Discovery Channel, The Science Channel, The Biography Channel, or on VH1’s Celebrecadabra.

I think Teller, from Pen & Teller says it best, "Jonathan is funny, elegant, and disturbingly smart. Like something cuddly with really sharp teeth.”

Listen in as we talk about creativity, consulting, and how to deal with encouragement. 

Paul Green is a magician that I've had the pleasure getting to know a little bit here and there online, as well as through his works that he's published. Paul's made a living performing strolling magic for corporate & private events. He’s also been a frequent performer at the World Famous Magic Castle where he’s been awarded close up magician of the year and lecturer of the year. 

Within the magic community he's worn many hats, such as creator, teacher, author, columnist, and lecturer. Through his many avenues of teaching he’s taught, based on real world experience, on his area of expertise, which is strolling, or walk around closeup magic, as well as on the business side of things. 

His name may be Green, but he’s certainly not new when it comes to knowing how to win at magic and business.