The ability to see more than one thing in an image seems to me...

The ability to see more than one thing in an image seems to me to be one of the keys to innovation and creativity. Leonardo da Vinci insisted he needed to experience…and draw…something from at least three different angles before he could truly understand it.

This is just one of the many, many subjects our Wizard Venture speaker/entertainers share with their audiences. Make YOUR life better by learning what the wizards know!

http://www.wizardventure.com

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I’ve recently updated this book, and the (slightly) revised...

I’ve recently updated this book, and the (slightly) revised version is now available on Amazon. The website for the book at beyondbeyond.me has also been upgraded signficantly.

Specifically, with regard to the web-site, there is now a page describing and providing syllabus materials for a college-level class based on the book. I teach one such course as an online seminar (12 sessions over 6 weeks). However, I’m also very interested in having those already teaching in performing arts programs around the world use the book as a central text for those courses.

So–I hope you’ll check the book out and send me your thoughts for making it an even better textbook! If you’re a performer or speaker…just click the contact link above to get in touch for a quick confab for full-on consultation. I look forward to hearing from you!

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I like Peter Drucker’s observation that a business really only...

I like Peter Drucker’s observation that a business really only has two tasks: innovation, and marketing. In the entertainment business, this seems particularly clear–your product is inseparable from your marketing. Your success will be directly proportional to your ability to create a product (act, show, video, film…whatever) that connects with and serves and appeals to a particular audience (your market).

In this pursuit, it’s imperative that you realize that everything you do communicates. Your language, your posture, your voice, what you wear…it’s all part of your brand, part of your marketing. When you stand back and look at yourself…is everything you see somehow serving your market?

It’s the same for every business, though it might not be as obvious for some. We’ll be exploring just that as a part of our Business and Magic seminar, hosted by David Morey, Jeff McBride & myself from March 12-14, 2020 in Las Vegas. Perhaps you’ll join us!

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As the tech and startup sectors begin to mature, I think we’ll...

As the tech and startup sectors begin to mature, I think we’ll be seeing fewer and fewer of that hard-driving, but somewhat insensitive “bro” culture that has often driven many startups to date. I’m firmly in the more “hear centered,” “win-win” camp, where we care as much about the greater good our companies create as we do about winning at all costs.

In the world of magic and magicians, which has been my own primary playing field over the past couple of decades, I see it again and again. Those striving to lift and popularize our art are always the long-term winners. Those who want to win at everyone else’s expense tend to make a splash, then fade away. Whatever your business, if I have to be your partner, client, customer–I hope you’ll feel the same way! 

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Science likes to break everything into understandable...

Science likes to break everything into understandable parts–but oftentimes a whole is much more than the sum of its parts. This is especially true for human beings. I think we do our young people a disservice when we separate the arts from the sciences. True understanding and mastery of almost anything are greatly enhanced by studying it in context. Students who learn to play musical instruments, or to create great visual art, tend to do much better in ALL of their other subjects as well.

So…what have you done lately to expand your own sensibilities beyond your specialties? When did you last have a deep discussion with people outside your industry or field of study? Have you traveled to experience cultures other than your own lately? If not–you have no idea what you’re missing!

That’s just one of the principles you’ll discover when you read The Wizard’s Way! (Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0977984389

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Spencer Scurr is a magical performer from Toronto who is rapidly...

Spencer Scurr is a magical performer from Toronto who is rapidly becoming one of the city’s more sought after acts. His work for both private and corporate events is thoughtful, funny…and completely baffling! Learn more at http://www.spencerscurr.com/.

And, as for our Beyond Applause Seminar…we have classes starting again Oct. 1. Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/y6ctbd64

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We are starting another round of classes on October 1, and...

We are starting another round of classes on October 1, and continuing for the next 6 weeks, twice each week. Most solo entertainers are great at what they do…but not so great at building a business around those abilities. If you want to build a good life and strong business around your performing, this book and course were created for you.

Here’s where you can find the full details: https://tinyurl.com/y6ctbd64

The course is a fairly intense experience for most–similar to an upper-level course you might encounter at a university. There are chapters to read which introduce all the basic concepts surrounding running a business, and then worksheets you must complete in order to actually move the information from the articles into your own experience and make them real knowledge. By the end of the class, you will have had hands-on experience in defining your market, building systems to help you negotiate finance, legal, communications, sales and all the other aspects of running a business–and may even have built the specific systems you’ll use to run your own business.

As they say, “Hope is not a strategy.” Only those who take the initiative, who learn to direct their efforts and do the actual work of building and serving a market, are going to thrive as entertainers. The course can show you the way…but the rest remains up to you!

https://tinyurl.com/y6ctbd64

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Although it’s true that when you run a business, you learn to...

Although it’s true that when you run a business, you learn to think like an entrepreneur more than just like an entertainer. But in thinking like the CEO of your business, it’s also tremendously important not to forget that you are selling an entertainment product. That part of your mission statement, your reason for the business to exist, is to entertain.

So make sure that you carry out that mission in all your communications. Your elevator pitch, your website, your business cards, every email you send…should deliver something that’s entertaining! If you can’t do that, how can you expect potential clients to believe you’ll be able to entertain them and their clients once they hire you?

That’s one of the many principles I teach in Beyond Applause…now available on Amazon. (https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Applause-Management-Independent-Performers/dp/0977984346/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=beyond+applause&qid=1568921649&sr=8-1)

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I’ve known Shaun Jay since he was a kid, performing as Harry...

I’ve known Shaun Jay since he was a kid, performing as Harry Potter and on the streets and at malls in his native North Carolina. He has moved on to performing more prestigious private and corporate events throughout the Southeast, and was recently featured on national TV on Masters of Illusion! Learn more about Shaun and his work at https://shaunjaymagic.com.

It has been a real pleasure to see Shaun and his business grow–based largely on principles I teach in Beyond Applause–both the book and the online course. We’re starting the next round of classes for the course on October 1…you can learn more and sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/y6ctbd64

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We are starting another round of classes on October 1, and...

We are starting another round of classes on October 1, and continuing for the next 6 weeks, twice each week. Most solo entertainers are great at what they do…but not so great at building a business around those abilities. If you want to build a good life and strong business around your performing, this book and course were created for you.

Here’s where you can find the full details: https://tinyurl.com/y6ctbd64

The course is a fairly intense experience for most–similar to an upper-level course you might encounter at a university. There are chapters to read which introduce all the basic concepts surrounding running a business, and then worksheets you must complete in order to actually move the information from the articles into your own experience and make them real knowledge. By the end of the class, you will have had hands-on experience in defining your market, building systems to help you negotiate finance, legal, communications, sales and all the other aspects of running a business–and may even have built the specific systems you’ll use to run your own business.

As they say, “Hope is not a strategy.” Only those who take the initiative, who learn to direct their efforts and do the actual work of building and serving a market, are going to thrive as entertainers. The course can show you the way…but the rest remains up to you!

https://tinyurl.com/y6ctbd64

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I’m inspired by Seth Godin’s blog several times a week. If you...

I’m inspired by Seth Godin’s blog several times a week. If you don’t subscribe…think about doing so. They’re usually short, pithy bits of wisdom from a master marketer.

This one hit on one of my favorite subjects. As I work with many different kinds of solo performers, I’m often struck by their passion, their skill, their creativity…but also by their utter obliviousness to the idea that their work is for something, that it has a purpose. Once we discover the purpose our work serves, we can figure out who it serves best, and therefore who the market is for our work. And that translates directly in more engagements, more money, and a much happier career. It’s worth spending some time thinking, “What is the purpose of my business? Who do I serve?” The answers could make you rich!

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Every business has a business model – how you turn what...

Every business has a business model – how you turn what you do into income. But not every model is equal. Most performers have a model like the one Seth describes above, which means your business is just there to give you a job…it’s not what I think of as a “real” business at all. A real business can “make you money while you sleep.” 

How, you ask? Well…there are many ways. Create products–books, posters, t-shirts…whatever–that you can sell not only at your performances, but online or through retailers. Use the same creativity that you put into your performing or speaking to create more tangible products that others can sell for you. You can hire people to handle manufacture, marketing, and other aspects of your business, and thus leverage their efforts to create income for yourself. For most of us, this doesn’t mean we stop performing–only that we start looking at our performances as a way to build and market something larger–our Brand.

Learn more about building from my book “Beyond Applause,” or take a deeper dive and join us for our next online series of classes. We do 12 sessions in which we work through each of the sections of the book, actually “doing the work” to think through and build your business, one step at a time. The book is on Amazon now. If you’re interested in the class, drop me a line: tobias@yourmagic.com.

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My friend and student Martin Brock attended one of my classes in...

My friend and student Martin Brock attended one of my classes in Las Vegas several years ago. Already an accomplished performer then, he has put what he learned to good use and is now enjoying a highly successful career in venues around the world. 

Learn more and laugh with Martin here: http://martinbrockshow.com/. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the time you spend with him!

The next version of that class Marten attended takes place online starting August 13, and it is (in my opinion) a vastly improved version of the one Martin attended. You can learn more about the next session of the class here:https://buff.ly/2LALn5A

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Check out our new site...

For magician Jeff McBride. Always adding and improving…we’d love your comments! www.mcbridemagic.com

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This is a re-statement of something from today’s “Monday Morning...

This is a re-statement of something from today’s “Monday Morning Memo,” (mondaymorningmemo.com), one of my favorite weekly blogs. It’s by Roy Williams, who runs the Wizard Academy in Austin and published my favorite 3 books on marketing and ad-writing, the Wizard of Ads trilogy. Highly recommended.

As many of you know, I’ve recently posted dates for our next Beyond Applause classes…which follow the Wizard’s advice by providing you first with information, then leading you through making that information real knowledge by getting you to put it to use (experience). We hope you’ll develop proficiency…hence the class homework and feedback…but that’s about as far as I can take you in a class setting. You have to go out and get your own real-world experience–with my guidance as a consultant if you like–which will help you to build your own business and career as an independent performer.

Learn more about the class here: http://tinyurl.com/y6ctbd64. Not for everyone…but if you’re building your business as a performer or speaker, it might be for you!

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This is a slight re-statement of something from today’s “Monday...

This is a slight re-statement of something from today’s “Monday Morning Memo,” (mondaymorningmemo.com), one of my favorite weekly blogs. It’s by Roy Williams, who runs the Wizard Academy in Austin and published my favorite 3 books on marketing and ad-writing, the Wizard of Ads trilogy. Highly recommended.

As many of you know, I’ve recently posted dates for our next Beyond Applause classes…which follow the Wizard’s advice by providing you first with information, then leading you through making that information real knowledge by getting you to put it to use (experience). We hope you’ll develop proficiency…hence the class homework and feedback…but that’s about as far as I can take you in a class setting. You have to go out and get your own real-world experience–with my guidance as a consultant, if you like–which will help you to build your own business and career as an independent performer.

Learn more about the class here: http://tinyurl.com/y6ctbd64.

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One of the primary thing I teach in the Beyond Applause course...

One of the primary thing I teach in the Beyond Applause course is how to develop and use your own systems. Once you’ve figured out the basics of what your business is really selling–its purpose and its market–there is almost nothing more important for developing excellence and saving yourself time and frustration than having great systems you can rely on. 

If you are one of those “independent performers” the book was written for, we’re starting the next class mid-August. Those who take the class must buy and read the book first (available on Amazon now (http://tinyurl.com/yxa3ul7z). You will commit to 12 classes over six weeks, from August 13-September 20…each with homework. I’m currently planning to meet at 9am PST on Tuesday and Friday mornings, but am open to other suggestions. The class is limited to a maximum of 8 students.  Learn more and register here: http://tinyurl.com/y6ctbd64.

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Leaders take charge–it’s all about responsibility. But...

Leaders take charge–it’s all about responsibility. But it’s not enough that you know what to do, what questions you want to ask, or what message needs to be communicated. You must also be able to communicate clearly, pay attention to the responses you get from your team and your customers, and really communicate. Especially at the highest levels in any organization, the success or failure of all depends on the ability of those in charge to communicate effectively!

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The best story wins. This might not be immediately obvious, but...

The best story wins. This might not be immediately obvious, but it’s true.

Whether you’re selling something, raising money for your business, or trying to impress a new acquaintance–you’ll have more success if you use stories to make your case. And so spending some time learning what makes a good story can pay off in all of those instances.

Another side of storytelling that I find fascinating is the telling of your own story to yourself. The words and images you choose to describe the things that have happened–or will happen–to you can have an amazing influence on your overall success and happiness in life!

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Another insight from Beyond Applause.Marketing is not the same...

Another insight from Beyond Applause.

Marketing is not the same thing as sales, but selling is a part of it. A better way to think of marketing is to think of how to best serve a particular market or set of clients. What are their values, their problems, their needs? If you can see a particular point of pain within a group, and you have a solution that removes that pain…go and build the best version possible of that solution and offer it to that market, to those clients and customers. The better your product–whether it is a show, a talk, a training or something else–serves that market and relieves their pains, the more successful your business will become!

If you’ve found this insight to be valuable, and are one of those “independent performers” the book was written for, you might find my class based on the book to be of interest:

We’re starting the next class mid-August. Those who take the class must buy and read the book first (available on Amazon now (http://tinyurl.com/yxa3ul7z). You will commit to 12 classes over six weeks, from August 13-September 20…each with homework. I’m currently planning to meet at 9am PST on Tuesday and Friday mornings, but am open to other suggestions. The class is limited to a maximum of 8 students.  Learn more and register here: http://tinyurl.com/y6ctbd64.

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The following is an excerpt from my first book, Beyond...

The following is an excerpt from my first book, Beyond Deception. The book is all about building your creativity and power as a magical performer. I’ve enjoyed the many workshops and talks I’ve had the chance to give based on the ideas in the book…I hope this bit might inspire you!

Assume the Role
There’s a funny thing about human beings - we are remarkably affected by the roles we are asked to play. One of my favorite books as a young person was a science fiction novel by Robert Heinlein called Double Star in which a
professional actor is hired because he looks just like the ailing leader of the government of the independent colony on Mars. When he arrives, he is asked to take over as figurehead while the president recovers. He does so, and
enjoys it. The real leader dies, and the actor, who has led a relatively dissolute and irresponsible life up until that time, finds himself committing fully to the role he has been assigned and takes over, becoming a decisive leader and
reformer. The role completely changes the man. I think I like the story because it demonstrates that we are all just one commitment – one role — away from taking control and becoming the gifted, brilliant human beings we were
always meant to be.

So try this: Next time you want to create something,  just take a few moments and ‘put on’ the persona of a great creator. Perhaps you see yourself as a great painter — a Leonardo da Vinci, for example, or as the brilliant theatrical director Harold Prince, or maybe you would like to be George Lucas or Steven Speilberg. Maybe you are inspired by a great poet or songwriter. Whoever inspires you, take a few moments and “step into” the role of being just like them. You’ll find yourself thinking different thoughts, behaving differently, and taking on powers you never knew you had before.

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Beyond Applause was released almost a year ago, with no fanfare...

Beyond Applause was released almost a year ago, with no fanfare whatsoever. Since then, the book has received a wonderful reception. The book was designed as a text for a university level course in business and marketing for independent performers (think jugglers, magicians, speakers…almost any performer who takes individual gigs instead of working a steady job). So I decided the best way to make sure such a course would be viable would be to teach the first edition of it myself and put out the word earlier this year.

Just a few weeks ago the first class wound up, and I’m happy to report it was a resounding success! It took place completely online and was comprised of 12 classes, each 90 minutes long, based on the chapters and worksheets from the book.  As I suspected…this material is really only learned through practice, and although the book strongly suggests that one work through each questionnaire as one reads…I suspect very few actually do so. It’s a different thing when you’re meeting with a group, twice a week, and everyone’s work is examined in detail and discussed! Everyone learns from everyone else, and students feel a responsibility to the group to contribute. Experience really is the best teacher!

So…we’re starting another class mid-August. Those who take the class must buy and read the book first (available on Amazon now (http://tinyurl.com/yxa3ul7z). You will commit to 12 classes over six weeks, from August 13-September 20…each with homework. I’m currently planning to meet at 9am PST on Tuesday and Friday mornings, but am open to other suggestions. The class is limited to a maximum of 8 students.  Learn more and register here: http://tinyurl.com/y6ctbd64.

Watch this space for more free insights, and if you think you would be interested in the class but have further questions, use the contact information on this page to contact me at any time.

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Passion vs. Comfort

Speaking before a group is a rare privilege–everyone else...

Speaking before a group is a rare privilege–everyone else in the room is there to give you their attention, free of charge! What will you do with it? If you don’t pay attention, aren’t flexible, and fail to connect, you’ll squander that gift. Remember, there really are no bad audiences–only performers and speakers who fail to connect with the audience that is before them.

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We all create experiences for everyone around us. Why not get...

We all create experiences for everyone around us. Why not get good at creating the kind of experience that will, in turn, create the positive change you want to see? 

Of course…first, you must decide just what that change will be. Then consciously set about building the presentations, both formal and informal, that are likely to create that specific change. That’s the Wizard’s Way–and the way to a more rewarding life!

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I know too many performers who experience some success, but then...

I know too many performers who experience some success, but then find them selves in unnecessary dry spells–times when they have difficulty finding work. For the most part, this is because during their “busy” times, they haven’t made time to nurture all of the great relationships they’ve created. Remember–tend your garden, and your garden will take care of you!

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I live in the San Francisco Bay area, where you can’t cross the...

I live in the San Francisco Bay area, where you can’t cross the street without encountering someone involved in a new startup business. There are over 80 incubators for new businesses operating here–which means there are hundreds and hundreds of those startups–each hoping to change the world. Most will fail, though… and many of those will fail not because their products and ideas don’t measure up, but because they have failed to communicate the benefits of those products to their market – or to the investors who might have provided the cash they need to succeed.

Powerful and persuasive is a superpower every entrepreneur needs to develop!

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My friend Jeff McBride loves performing his magic on cruise...

My friend Jeff McBride loves performing his magic on cruise ships during the winter. He gets kudos and standing ovations for the shows–but the cruise lines appreciate his attitude of being “always on.” Anytime he appears outside his cabin, Jeff makes a point of greeting the cruise guests in a friendly way, and makes sure his presentation of himself offstage is consistent with his role as a star performer for that group. His dress, his manner, the fact that he’s always ready with an entertaining bit–all of these things contribute to his success not only with the cruise guests but with the cruise line itself.

It’s the same with all performers, I think. While the cruiseliner presents a microcosm of the larger world–our work as solo performers and CEO’s of our own businesses is no different. Every contact with another human being presents opportunities to either build the relationship–or tear it down.

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Attention is one of our most valuable commodities today…...

Attention is one of our most valuable commodities today… don’t waste it when it is given for free! Know what you want to achieve, prepare, and achieve it! THAT’s the Wizard’s Way!

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Here at the beginning of a new year, we’re all inclined to take...

Here at the beginning of a new year, we’re all inclined to take some time to reassess our lives and businesses. I plan to start with a re-examination of my core values and purpose(s). I know there are a thousand little “fixes” I can make to current systems, materials, etc… but I don’t know which are most important until I can examine them again against current purposes and values.

I know, we’re all used to thinking of things like our values as being pretty fixed…but when you really examine them, you’re likely to find they have shifted as the world around them changes, and as we gain more experience. It’s the same with our overall or purpose. We live in a different world than we did a year or a decade ago–and the changes that need most to be made now are quite different from the most important ones back then. If you can stay on top of these things, and keep them in mind as you build and rebuild your business, you’ll be gaining a definite advantage over those who do not or cannot.

Best wishes for an exciting and prosperous New Year!

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