Unknown Magician
to International Speaker

See that fedora-wearing goofball in a suit?

That’s me, just hours before delivering the 14-minute talk that completely changed my life.

In 2015 I was a struggling professional magician of 10 years, supporting Lindsey, my then-fiancé, through her Masters and barely keeping us afloat.

I was considering throwing in the towel and going back to grad school, to finally become an academic like my parents always wanted.

Then I was invited to give a TEDx talk at a local high school.

But what should I talk about?

At the time there were only a handful of TED or TEDx talks given by magicians, and they were all about magic - the art of wonder, the morality of deception, etc.

The question became:

What could I share that a non-magician would find interesting and useful?

And then I realized that the No. 1 skill of being a magician is “perspective-taking,” or the ability to see the world from the point-of-view of another person.

So in my TEDx talk I told the story of Ed, a blind man who once came into the restaurant where I did magic, and how we bridged the gap to create a true experience of wonder for him and his wife.

Lindsey came up with the title:

“How to Magically Connect with Anyone.”

We were hoping for 10,000 views and a few extra magic gigs.

Instead, it went viral with 3.5 million views and I built an entire new life as an international keynote speaker and writer on human connection.

Lindsey finished her Masters and became a therapist for at-risk kids. We were married and now have an amazing son, Milo.

The best part?

Now I only travel 30 days per year instead of 300, which means more time with my family and less in airport bars.

My income exploded, from $500-1000 magic gigs to $5000-10,000+ speaking engagements.

Yes, it was great for my wallet.

But my newfound financial security also gave me the freedom to choose the projects I cared about most, and donate my time to organizations I believe in.

TEDx also opened doors that were not only previously locked, but hidden from view.

Suddenly, I was in the room where it happens.

I published my first book which was endorsed by my heroes, and launched a podcast which has since cracked the Top 200 under ‘Careers’ on Apple, featuring many of the biggest names in the industry.

As a result, clients value my time, respect my advice, and trust me with their biggest problems.

Most importantly, it meant I could finally choose the life and career I wanted.

What kind of life would you choose with that level of freedom?