The Approach

The Approach
By
Jamie D. Grant

A guide to becoming a working

Walkaround magician.

by Jamie D. Grant

The Approach

Copyright 2013
Jamie D. Grant

by Jamie D. Grant

The Approach

Intro|Advice

If you want to get discovered,

be awesome.
-David Moses
Be awesome.
Thats what this book is about. Its not about getting discovered,
making a zillion dollars, or getting famous. Its about bringing out
the best in you and showing it to the world; via the greatest art there
is: the art of

Magic.

That said, theres no reason why you

shouldnt be able to make money at the same time. And Im here to

hopefully help you with both.
But how do we do it? I mean really do it.

How do we actually

get there? Ill be honest; were going to take different paths. None
of us is going to take the same route to awesome-ville, but I can

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share with you my route. I can tell you the exact steps

Ive

taken to get to where I am today and, let me tell you, its brought
me happiness, joy, and wonder. Im excited! Its going to be a fun
journey, sharing all Ive learned with you!
Before we get started, lets go over some

ideas I have for this work

of mine. Ill be including a lot of anecdotes, mistakes, stories, and

lessons. Hopefully itll all make sense by the time this goes to press.
So bear with me as we go along. My plan was to go through my
career in chronological order; from the day I picked up my first
effect all the way through to yesterday. But there are simply too
many things that went on concurrently. So, instead, Im simply
going to give you over

100 things to think about, study, and learn

from. Theyll be split up into:

Advice: Ideas that have worked for me over the years.
Essays: Longer pieces that I believe apply across the board.
Articles: Previous articles Ive written before.
Tips: Quick ideas to apply.
Tricks: Secrets to making things easier for yourself.
Study: Introspective work to help make you a better performer.
Anecdotes: Stories from the road.
Lessons: Ideas to take things to the next level.

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We may jump around a bit, so feel free to start (and finish)
anywhere you like. And, on that note, let me also mention this:

please use this book.

Make it your own. Dog ear the

corners, write your name on it, doodle your logo in it - the one that
will one day be splashed across the TV- put notes in the margins,
own it. Help me make it

awesome. Youre the only one for the

job.
Finally, dont let my formatting scare you. As a writer, I hate massive
chunks of text so youll see me use a lot of italics, bold, and

different font sizes to help break up the text. Im also going

to be highlighting one sentence in each chapter that I think is the
most important. So have fun and jump right in!
All right, enough preamble, lets get started.

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Chapter 1|Article
How Many Tricks You Should Know.
You cant be a magician without knowing tricks. I think we can
all agree on that, right? Or effects. Or illusions. Or whatever you
would like to call them. A lot of people are very passionate about
calling them one thing and not another; but all I know is that if
someone is hiring you to come to their party and perform magic,
you had better know how to do something. So how many
somethings do you actually need to know? Its easy to get caught
up in the latest and the greatest that the magic world has to offer
but, at the end of the day, how many tricks can you do at

moments notice, blindfolded, while riding a bicycle? I wrote

this as an online essay a couple of years back so Im going to put the
original here and then well talk a bit more about it after
Originally written, Sep.20/2010
I just thought I'd offer some insight into how many tricks/effects are
actually required to do a working Walkaround gig. Please let me preface
this by saying that this is what I've found, after years of doing every kind of gig

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conceivable to mankind, and it is simply what works for me.
Now a lot of people will say it all depends and that each person is
different, etc. Me? I'll just straight up tell ya...

9.
There's an old saying that an amateur can perform a ton of tricks
with average skill, but a pro can perform three brilliantly. That's true,
to be sure, but it needs a bit of refinement...
Basically, I find that you need three sets of three effects. Here's
why: you're at the event; it's a cocktail party type of setting where
everyone is standing and drinking. You approach a group of four or
five people and absolutely kill it with three amazing effects (tricks
1, 2, and 3). They're laughing and screaming and can't believe you
pulled the card out of their nose.
So what's next? Well, you take two steps (if you're lucky- sometimes
you'll just turn around) and begin for the group of eight people who
were standing behind you and sort of already watching. And you
don't want to pull a card out of their nose as well. Remember~
Once is magic, twice is a lesson. This is where you'll bust out
your second set of three effects (tricks 4, 5, and 6). You'll show this

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group something completely new and this will help if any of the
people from that first group are still watching.
Next? Same thing. Take a couple of steps and perform your final set
(tricks 7, 8, and 9). By this time, you should physically be far
enough away from your original group that, when you approach
your fourth group, you can start over with your original three tricks
(1, 2, and 3 again).
This will also give you the added benefit of, if less people come to
the event than were intended (which will happen way more often
than you think), you will be able to start over from the beginning by
showing that very first group your second set and carrying on,
essentially allowing you three tours of the room.
~jamie

After re-reading that, I think everything still holds true. The only
thing I might add is that, instead of thinking of it as 9 separate
effects, start splitting them up into 3 sets of 3 right away. That way
youll get an idea of how one trick can flow into another and how

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they work together. Thats how I try to learn new magic;
whenever I pick up something new I ask myself:

If I start using this effect at working gigs, where will it go? Will it be an
opener, a closer, or something in the middle?
Keep those questions at hand when purchasing new magic. And
dont worry; well be talking more about what makes great openers,
middles, and closers a bit later.

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Chapter 2|Study
Who Are You?
I know that sounds like a weird question, but its an
important one. And when I ask, Who

are you? Im referring

to who you are in your heart. Who do you want to be. This is the
question you need to start thinking about right away. So while
youre working on your nine effects, describe your ideal you. Even
better, write

it down here. Im serious! Grab a pen and write down

who you are. Ill give you my description, if itll help. This is how I
would privately describe myself on paper. Youll do the same in a
second:
My name is Jamie D. Grant and Im a comedy magician. Now,
before you think I walk around making jokes, let me give you a
better idea. Picture Brad

Pitt. Okay, with a little less hair. Now

picture Brad Pitt walking around a party and showing

people amazing card tricks and sleight of hand illusions. Everyones
laughing and talking excitingly. People are making new friends.
This is probably the greatest party these people have ever been to.
Its the party of the century. All because Im here helping them have
an amazing time!

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Arrogant? Brash? Absolutely not! You need to get a mental image
of the type of person you want to become. You need to visualize how
you want others to perceive you. Yours might look like this

My name is John Smith and Im a smooth man of mystery. I

float from group to group silently reading minds and changing
peoples lives. Not everyone will know Im there but the ones that
do will remember me forever.
Or,

My name is Jane Doe and Im absolutely hilarious. I can

make everyone laugh at the drop of a hat and I drop my hat a
lot. I can also do coin tricks like nobodys business- all with a
smile.
So why is this important? Because who you are is going to help
determine what kind of tricks youll be learning. Are you a
serious mentalist? If so, one of your 9 effects probably shouldnt be

sponge bunnies. Are you the funniest guy in the room? Well,
putting a spike through your neck most likely isnt a great fit. So
before you get too far ahead of yourself, picture who you want to be
and then fill this in.

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Seriously. Fill this in.
Who Am I (inside)?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

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Chapter 3|Lesson
Developing Your Sets ~ Part I
Okay, now that youve got an idea of who you are (and well
be coming back to that) and who youd like to become, its time to
start working out what effects are going to make up your

sets. And

Ill be honest, this list will change many times over the course of your
career. Youre going to be experimenting quite a bit and there is
going to be a lot of trial and error. But we can do a good deal of preplanning in the meantime. So lets start with writing down 12 tricks
that you know.
If youre already a worker (someone who performs
regularly), this is an awesome exercise. Itll give you some insight
into what effects youre actually performing regularly. 8 of my 12
regular effects are ones I started performing over

ten years ago,

for example.
I know I said you only need to know 9, but youve got to have a
couple extra that you learned along the way. If you dont have a
dozen, then use this list as a list of effects you need to learn. And
dont worry about whether these are the latest and greatest magic

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has to offer. Just get learning. The classics are the greatest
place to start but its okay to explore the entire magic world. Some
things to consider, though:
~Can they be performed standing?
~Do they have a quick reset?
~Are they smaller than a toaster?
My 12 Tricks:
(E.g.): CHOP CUP

by

Dennis Loomis

1) ________________________by______________________
2)________________________by______________________
3_________________________by_______________________
4)________________________by______________________
5)________________________by_______________________
6)_________________________by_______________________
7)__________________________by_______________________

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8)__________________________by______________________
9)__________________________by______________________
10)_________________________by______________________
11)_________________________by______________________
12)_________________________by______________________
While youre working on your initial dozen, were going to move
onto some other things that you should be working on. Before we
do, though, let

me ask you this. Take a look at your 12 effects

up there. Now, ask yourself, when is the last time you performed
each and every one of them? Be honest with yourself. If were
going to pull the best 9 out of there and start charging people money
to see them we should probably make sure you really, truly, know
them. Thats not always the easiest thing to do, though. So the
question now becomes, how do we actually do that? In real

life?

How do we practice?

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Chapter 4|Essay
How To Practice?
Its is a 3 step process.
Step 1:
The first step is reading the instructions. Or watching the DVD. Or,
my favourite, reading the book. Knowing the moves and
performing them on yourself, this is always the beginning.

Step 2:
This is what I personally feel is one, if not THE, biggest stumbling
block that prevents people from

becoming working

magicians. And its not that they dont practice, its that they
dont practice in front of other people. But wait, if youre doing
tricks in front of other people, its not practicing, its performing,
isnt it? No. And heres why

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You must find a group of people who you can regularly
show magic to without fearing failure.
You must find yourself a safe environment. What exactly does that
mean? It means if you drop the coin, you can

actually say,

Hold on, I dropped it, let me start over. For a lot of people, its going
to be their wives or husbands, or family, or girlfriend or boyfriend.
But it cant be just one person- and thats hard for some. So if you
only have one of those people in your life, go find some others. If
you dont trust your friends, start going to magic clubs or meetings,
socialize; find someone else.
Who are your three people that you can show new magic to without
stressing yourself out?
1)_______________________________________
2)_______________________________________
3)________________________________________

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Step 3:
My final step is taking it out into the real world for people who
arent paying you money. And this is where I can give you a
solution that Ive been doing for the last

8 years.

Magic Friday.
If you have a day job, youre golden. From this day forward, youre
going to perform magic at work. No job? Time to start visiting
friends, family, and baristas at coffee shops, whatever it takes.
Because the plan to is to perform one trick, and one trick only, as
many times as you can, every

Friday. Do you work in an office

with only three co-workers? Well, youll probably only get to do it

once. Are you in a warehouse with over a hundred? You can
probably get ten performances out of it. Ill even give you the exact
script to get you started.

Hey everyone, I have an announcement. Ive been studying the art of

magic and, with your permission, Id like to show you a trick today. Just
one. And Id like to do this every week. Sometimes itll take 90 seconds,
and others, maybe 5 minutes at most. Whaddya say?

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Homework:
Do a month of Magic Fridays.
Done? Really? Dont lie to me (or yourself)! Come back after a
month
Congratulations, youre now a magician. Now before my magic
community starts cry ing from the rooftops, What?!? You cant
be a magician after a single month!!! Let me tell you this: in
your co-workers eyes you absolutely are. People are like that. Let me
put it to you this way: if you show your coworkers a painting youve
drawn, I guarantee you that if one of them introduces you to
someone else and it comes up, theyll say, Jamies a painter! In
their eyes, I am. And I only showed them one

painting. Same

with juggling. Jamie can juggle! After only one time! So, the point
is, after showing someone one effect, theyre probably going to label
you as a magician. The only question is; are you a good one? And
how do you become a good magician? By practicing. Practice by
yourself, and then in front of other people.
Learn the moves. Practice. Show your three regulars. Reflect.
Practice. Show your Magic Friday Crowd. Review. Hey, that seems

like more than 3 steps! Life can be like that.

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Chapter 5|Anecdote
Your Magic Fridays.
Okay, lets actually do this right and document it. Youll be doing
magic every

week so dont lose great information. Write it down!

Ill provide space to record your first month and then Ill leave it to
you to carry on your own. Be

ruthless! Make notes, write

down the script you used, any changes you made, what the reactions
were like, and how it made you and your audience feel.

I can still remember the rush of my very first Magic Friday. What would
they say? Would anyone actually want to watch? I had no idea! This will
change your game.
Ready?

Set?
Start (performing) and writing!

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Week 1
EFFECT NAME:
______________________________________________
CREATOR:
_______________________________________________________
HOW MUCH DID IT COST?
_______________________________________________________
HOW LONG DID YOU PRACTICE IT?
_______________________________________________________
HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU PERFORM IT ON FRIDAY?
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WAS THE BEST REACTION?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WAS THE WORST?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

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YOUR PATTER:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
HOW DID IT MAKE YOU FEEL?
_______________________________________________________
DID YOU ENJOY IT?
_______________________________________________________
IS IT A KEEPER?
_______________________________________________________

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Week 2
EFFECT NAME:
______________________________________________
CREATOR:
_______________________________________________________
HOW MUCH DID IT COST?
_______________________________________________________
HOW LONG DID YOU PRACTICE IT?
_______________________________________________________
HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU PERFORM IT ON FRIDAY?
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WAS THE BEST REACTION?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WAS THE WORST?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

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YOUR PATTER:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
HOW DID IT MAKE YOU FEEL?
_______________________________________________________
DID YOU ENJOY IT?
_______________________________________________________
IS IT A KEEPER?
_______________________________________________________

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Week 3
EFFECT NAME:
______________________________________________
CREATOR:
_______________________________________________________
HOW MUCH DID IT COST?
_______________________________________________________
HOW LONG DID YOU PRACTICE IT?
_______________________________________________________
HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU PERFORM IT ON FRIDAY?
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WAS THE BEST REACTION?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WAS THE WORST?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

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YOUR PATTER:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
HOW DID IT MAKE YOU FEEL?
_______________________________________________________
DID YOU ENJOY IT?
_______________________________________________________
IS IT A KEEPER?
_______________________________________________________

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Week 4
EFFECT NAME:
______________________________________________
CREATOR:
_______________________________________________________
HOW MUCH DID IT COST?
_______________________________________________________
HOW LONG DID YOU PRACTICE IT?
_______________________________________________________
HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU PERFORM IT ON FRIDAY?
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WAS THE BEST REACTION?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WAS THE WORST?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

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YOUR PATTER:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
HOW DID IT MAKE YOU FEEL?
_______________________________________________________
DID YOU ENJOY IT?
_______________________________________________________
IS IT A KEEPER?
_______________________________________________________

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Chapter 6|Advice
Business Cards.
Sweet Marie! Why on earth are we talking about business cards
already?! Well, because people are going to start asking you for
them. Heres the thing that, for the most part, drives the magic
community crazy. A young person learns a trick (that he probably
stole) runs out to a print shop (knocking a little old lady over on the way),
gets business cards with a rabbit and the word MAGICIAN on
them, and then goes and creates a terrible name for

all the rest

of us. Well, that may be true, but thats not you. Why? Lets
recap
1)

Youve learned 12 effects that you can do blindfolded.

2)

Youve gone out into the real world and performed for
actual

3)

people.

People at work are starting to think youre pretty good.

STOP!!! Read number 3 again. If that isnt the case, there is no

need to get business cards yet! But, how do we know? How do we

really know if people think were any good and not just saying it to

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our face? Well, one of the ways is that someone will ask you for a
business card! So for those moments, we must prepare.
This isnt going to be your final branding. Well, it might, but
this is just to assist you in getting work in the beginning. And a lot of
working magicians might want to take note. The single most

important thing that has to be on your business card isnt a picture,

or a logo, or a trick. Its how to get a hold of you. Your contact
information. Period.
Ive seen this mistake time and time again. We get so caught
up in design that we forget that most of the time the person looking
to hire a magician is someone whos just been told to organize the
company holiday party within 15 minutes, and she remembers
getting a card from this awesome magician one night, and she just
wants to get a hold of you. The ONLY thing she wants is your
phone number or e-mail. Thats it. She could not care less if the
cards got stripes.

JAMIE D. GRANT
MAGICIAN
604-555-1234
SendWonder@gmail.com

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Thats it. Flashy? Nope. Easy to read? Yep. Youll have to trust
me when I tell you whats more important. And, make no mistake, if
someone cant easily find your contact info, theyll move on to one
thats easier. Guaranteed. Does this mean that we cant design
super hip, ultra-cool business cards that do effects and levitate on
demand? No. But, be warned. What impresses you and your pals isnt

necessarily what will get you gigs. Take a look at every business card
you see and ask yourself: if I wanted to get a hold of this person in
the next 3 seconds, could I do it? Always apply that to yourself.
I know what youre thinking: but if it doesnt have a trick, they wont
keep it! No, if

they dont want to remember you, they

wont keep it. Focus less on design and more on making yourself
memorable.

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Chapter 7|Tip
Websites.
Ah, websites. Nothing has caused magicians to lose as much work as
websites. Read that again. LOSE as much work. Websites are
almost exactly the same as business cards. However, instead of
looking for your contact info, they want to see what you look like.

I remember one time I was doing Magic Friday at work, back when I was
a bike messenger and I would perform for people I delivered to, many of
whom I had never met before. This particular delivery was to the office of
Canadas wealthiest businessman. I gave my usual pitch to the receptionist
of, Sign here, please. And Happy Magic Friday!
Whats Magic Friday? Well, Im a magician and I do a
super quick magic trick for people for free today if
theyd like to see something. Well, the receptionist called out
the entire office! Luckily it was a great trick and had everyone screaming.
They were so loud that the head office manager came running out and,
after some explanation, she mentioned that they were having a holiday
party and was wondered if I was available to work it. Before I said yes,
however, she had one question. What do I WEAR when I perform...

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She had decided that I was good based on the reactions

of her

staff, but she still had to decide if I was a good fit for their event.
She obviously couldnt have someone working the party who wore a
helmet and a messenger bag. So when I replied, Suit and tie.
she looked at my website to double-check and said, See you
Tuesday.
So that is exactly what your website is for. It should start as a
vehicle to get across the best possible image of yourself to the public.
Of course itll also be a way for people to find you; but that shouldnt
be the focus in the beginning. Becoming easily searchable will come
later.

Image. Think about that word. Its everything. As soon as

people click on your site, theyll have a first impression that will
probably stay with them. So what is that image? Clean, cool, and
professional? Or busy, confusing, and garish? Because what they see

will be attributed to you, as well. So, how do we get our

best look onto the screen? Well, youll be light years ahead of the
competition if you have professional headshots taken. Just like your
phone number and e-mail are the most

important things

on your business card, when it comes to websites, the headshot

reigns supreme. I know that will go against what a lot of people

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think, that surely its flashing lights and things to click that get people
to like your site, but after networking with receptionists and event
planners for years, I can tell you what they say behind the scenes. And
for the most part its not pretty. People will talk about your polka-dot
suit (in a bad way) far more than how much they liked the spades
floating down the screen of your homepage. So, before

headshots (which comes before website) we must answer something

else.

Take a deep breath, and get ready for some honesty

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Chapter 8|Study
How Do You Look?
Put this book down and go look at yourself in a mirror. Go
on! Ill be here when you get back.
Okay, describe the person you just saw. Tall, dark, and handsome?
Short, scrawny, and in need of a haircut? Describe yourself
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Now is time for some brutal

honesty. Is there anything you dont

like?
Ill go first. I need more hair. Im not sure how to get it but Im
working on it.

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Your turn.
I dont like:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Heres the question of the day, Can

you fix what you just

wrote? Did you write, Poor posture? Overweight? Missing

teeth? If so, fix it. Make yourself better. Get it done. Being a
professional entertainer is about bringing the best of you to every
gig. If youre not offering them the best youve got, youre not
committing to your art. Its not all about tricks, its about making
people feel amazing. And

the first person you need to make feel

that way is yourself.

Okay, now time for something you do like about yourself!
My teeth, for example, are super white.
Your turn.
I like:
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

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_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Okay, so now the question is, how do we

accentuate the

positives and eliminate the negatives? Are you overweight and youre
not happy with it? Are you missing a tooth and its been driving you
crazy? Whatever the case may be, if it can be fixed, now is the time
to do it. Because a good headshot photo might last for a few years,
were going to make ourselves the best we can be before we capture
it on paper. But we need to be

specific. Making plans about the

future isnt exact enough. So write down the date three months from
today:
3 months from now:
_______________________

That is the day youre going to get your headshots. And its plenty of
time to create a whole new you - if thats what you need. You need
to be honest, if you saw a picture of yourself, would

you hire

you?
3 months from now. Youve written it down. The time to start,
though, is

today.

Drop and give me twenty!

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Chapter 9|Advice
What Are You Wearing?
Not right now! For
of your most

your gigs. Believe it or not, this will be one

important decisions and will affect not only how

you look (obviously), but also how you feel! Because now were
starting to talk about character. What is character? Well, in essence,
it means the role youre going to play. Is your character an
easygoing, funny personality? Or is he or she the more mysterious
James Bond type? That person you described a few chapters ago,
what do they look like? All of this will be reflected in

how you

dress.
So go get dressed. Put on the actual outfit youd wear if you were
going to work a gig today. Ill

wait.

Okay, are you wearing anything with pictures of playing cards on it?
If so, take it off. Why? Because clichs are the bronze standard (if
that). And you are the gold

standard. Clients in the

corporate, wedding, and private party world want elegant. Cool. Fun.
Not cheesy, outdated, or dangerous. I know you love your card tie. It

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says magician. But, trust me, were going to let them know that in
another way.
So where does that leave us? Surely we dont want to all look
the same? How does one stand out if everyones wearing the same
suit?
The first thing is to start looking at actors headshots. Type
headshots into Google and see what comes up. See what
doesnt come up? No

one is wearing a tie that says,

actor all over it. Nor is anyone holding onto a copy of

Acting for Dummies. So put that card fan away. Were not selling
the fact that youre a magician. They already know that. Thats why
theyre on your website. What were trying to sell them now is you.
So take a look online, find someone you like, and see if it blends with
your character. And its not just the clothes theyre wearing that
were looking at but also how they stand, their pose, where they
are looking, how they are looking, what tilt is their head at, how they
have their hair, etc. Start studying these pictures and emulating

them. Businesses hire models for ads because models sell things
without saying a word. You are the model for your business. So start

selling. And start saving while youre at it! If your headshot costs
less than $200, youre probably not using the best there is. No shots
from friends. Hire

a professional; after all, thats exactly

what we want our clients to do.

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Chapter 10|Anecdote
Funny Or Serious?
Before we click that camera shutter, we must look a little closer at
what were becoming first. Brooding and cool, or smiley and
loveable? Like I mentioned at the very beginning of this book, Ill
tell you what has worked

for me and, believe me when I tell you;

Ive tried them all!

In the end, that age old adage is 100% on point

Funny is money.
I know what youre thinking, What about the guys we see on TV?! The
ones making gazillions

of dollars! Well, I cant speak for them. All I

can tell you is that if Im in charge of throwing a party and the

president of my company is telling me it better be good (i.e. fun)
then you can safely assume that Im going to book someone who I
think is going to make the party fun. Youll hear what workers
call the trenches. Working the trenches is how magicians
describe the work that most of us do and which pays the bills:

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weddings, holiday parties, birthday parties, etc. The key to all of
these is that theyre

parties. The event planners are not (for

the most part) looking for serious method acting type evenings of

enchantment.
So what does this mean? Well, it means that for your headshots
that will go on your website which will be visited after someone
looks at your business card which will be handed out when they
ask for it which will be asked for when you show them how much
fun you are should be a

picture of you smiling. Having

fun. Spreading joy. So when it comes to funny or serious, let me tell

you about the time three guys walked into a bar
Actually, on that note, whats

the best joke you know?

Write it down here. Youll be shocked at how often youll use it.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

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_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

My very first gig I ever did was for a famous photographer

here in town. She had seen me performing magic in the lobby of an
office tower and asked me if I would do magic at her art opening in

exchange for a headshot. Perfecto! The gig was amazing and

soon afterwards she had me come by her studio. Throughout the
shoot, I had my hand to my head and looked like I was trying to do
some complex math in an attempt to look magic-y. Jamie, she
said, You need to smile. People like you better when you
smile. After a thousand gigs, I promise you- she was right.

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Chapter 11|LESSON
Are You Any Good Yet?
Remember those 12 tricks you wrote down? Lets go back and revisit
them for a second. How

good is your pass? Are you able to double

lift better than anyone? Awesome! Unfortunately, that tells us

almost nothing

Ask yourself- what does good mean? Im not talking about method.
Im talking about hire-ability (I think I just made that word
up). Are you hire-able? And the answer to this question has (almost)
nothing to do with magic tricks. It has more to do with people. Are
you a likeable person? Do people enjoy your company? Do you
have stories, anecdotes, lines, personality? Make no mistake, this is
what will get you hired and invited back.
I still remember meeting Barrie Richardson, who wrote a couple of my favourite
magic books, and he told me his only goal at the end of the event was for the
people who hired him to ask each other,

When can we have him

back?

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So let me ask you, when you leave a room, are you missed? If not,

why not? Are people, instead, happy to see you go? Maybe youre a
mean person? Or perhaps you embarrass people? Do you make
cutting side remarks to try and be funny? Because, if you do, a few
great card tricks arent

going to help you. People dont

remember what you did, they remember how you made them feel.
Just like you practice your pass, you need to start practicing,
immediately, making people feel good. And its not just about
complimenting them or tossing out flattery, even though thats a
great place to start. The ability to compliment someone, without it

sounding weird is actually hard to do in a convincing matter. So,

without actually performing a single magic trick, write down the
names of three people; and try and make them feel good about
themselves with a single sentence.
1)

_______________________________________________

2)

_______________________________________________

3)

_______________________________________________

Ill give you a couple of examples. If its a male friend I know, but
whom I havent seen in awhile: Dude, youre looking sharp!
What gym have you been going to? Notice the question isnt

Have you been going to the gym? Theres a difference there. If its a

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woman, Ill say something like, Have I ever mentioned that
you have the greatest smile?
Dont forget, we need to compliment without
1)

Sounding like were kidding.

2)

Coming across weird.

3)

Having it followed by awkward silence.

The only way to get good is to practice. Practice being

nice. Itll also help you find the best in people, which is a killer skill
to have. The key is to find something that is potentially believable
that they havent realized themselves. I cant very well ask someone
which gym hes gone to if hes totally out of shape. But even saying
something as simple as, Man, that is a sweet haircut. can
change someones day. For the better. Start doing this. Make

the day of everyone you meet better.

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Chapter 12|Advice
Starting Conversations.
People love to talk about themselves, thats human nature. So ask
them questions. The key, though, is to ask them questions that they
can answer in a positive

way, because for the most part, at gigs,

youll be asking them these questions in front of their friends or coworkers. So asking them how their divorce is going is probably not
the best idea.
And before we go any further, let me tell you right up front that this
chapter is the one that will save

you in a future gig. I guarantee it.

Because when you walk into a gig where there are supposed to be
three hundred people and only eight have shown up, its the

best

conversationalist in the room who is going to be

earning the money.
Here are five of my go-to questions to get a conversation going:
1) The ace of hearts, right?! Amazing!! I know!!! Hey, you look kind
of familiar, where did you go to high-school?

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2) The ace of hearts, right?! Amazing!! I know!!! So, does everyone
work here?
3) The ace of hearts, right?! Amazing!! I know!!! Hey, who here is
from the grooms side and who is from the brides side?
4) The ace of hearts, right?! Amazing!! I know!!! Hey, so what
exactly do you guys do here, anyways? Ill be honest, I have no
idea what a flux capacitor is.
5) The ace of hearts, right?! Amazing!! I know!!! Hey, whos the
biggest troublemaker here?

Now, anyone can ask those questions. The first question isnt
what makes a conversationalist. Its how

you respond to their

response.
So, what would you say if they responded with the following?
1)

Quesnel.

2)

Yes. Yes. No. Im married to her.

3)

Groom. Groom. Groom. Groom.

4)

Its a thing for your car.

5)

John.

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Write your follow up question here:
1)_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2)_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
3)_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
4)_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
5)_____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

And Ill give you my responses:

1)

What the heck is a Quesnel? Spell it for me! Is

everyone okay if I curse? Really? Okay, where the
f^$^ is that?!

2)

Lucky guy! Where did you guys meet? Has

everyone heard this story?

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3)

Whos known him the longest?

4)

Cmon, specifics man! But explain it in twenty

words or less. Well count.

5)

Which ones John? And, why? What does he do?

They key is to not

let them off the hook. People often

only hate talking at

first and feel socially awkward when they feel

like theyre in the presence of a stranger. And the only way to not
be a stranger is to spend time with them. So buy time. The longer
you spend, the

better theyll feel about talking and chatting.

This is what will separate you from everyone else. Because if you can
do this and show them amazing magic at the same time, youll be
golden. Dont forget, your goal isnt reactions. Your goal is
connections.

Ask questions.

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I hope you've enjoyed these first free dozen chapters.

As with everything I do, I don't want there to be any
"surprises"- I want you to know exactly what you're
getting. And these first 12 are just the beginning. As
we go along further into the book, I'll tell you
everything I know about my work as a professional
Walkaround magician, from what my contract looks
like to how I approach groups. Not only that, but I''ll
also be telling you a couple of my secrets that I've
never shared with ANYONE.
I'm super excited! I hope you decide to continue our
journey together.
Your pal,
jamie
SendWonder@gmail.com
www.SendWonder.com