Merchant of Magic Podcast #16 How to Start a Business as a Magician
In this episode of the Merchant of Magic Podcast, Dominic Reyes talks with Elliott Smith about the business side of being a magician.
Elliott Smith is the co-author of Highway to Success – The Entertainers Roadmap to Business
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Most people get into magic because it is fun and they love learning and performing magic for their family and friends. The majority of people continue developing their magic with that single goal in mind. However, some magicians want to take it a step further and turn their hobby into a business. If you are wondering how to start a business as a magician, it's important to understand that there is as much to learn about the business side of being a magician, as there is with the performance aspects.
About Elliott Smith
For over 40 years as a professional magician, Elliott regularly entertains corporations, television audiences and travelers across Canada, the United States, Europe, the Caribbean and Mexico. Prime Ministers of Canada, international Ambassadors, the late Liberace as well as Jay Leno have experienced Elliott’s special brand of magic and comedy! Elliott was honoured the Order of Merlin Shield, a very prestigious award by the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
Elliott Smith writes:
I was six when I saw my first magic show on television. It touched and inspired me greatly. The spark was ignited, the passion was kindled, the goal was set…and the dream began. I wanted to be a MAGICIAN. My parents, seeing this, bought me my first magic set. Back then, all my friends would laugh and make fun of me; they were out playing sports or just hanging around while I was at home playing with my magic set. They’re not laughing now; while many of them are sitting in their nine-to-five jobs, I’m traveling North America, Europe and the Caribbean doing what I love most—performing.
Naturally, when I announced to my parents that I wanted to be magician, their response was, “That’s nice, but go to school, get an education, get a ‘real’ job and then you can do what you want.” But they always supported and encouraged me. They always took me to the magic shop when I asked, brought me to the library to get more books, and every time they traveled, they scoured each city they vis- ited to find a magic store to fill my shopping list of goodies.
Magic followed me through my school years and my early working years, and I took advantage of any opportunity to perform in the evenings and on weekends. Sadly, in those early years, I often felt surrounded by negative people who assured me that this dream of becoming a full-time, professional entertainer would never be fulfilled. That’s why my co-author Ian Quick and I are so deter- mined that our work would give you the tools you need to set your goals, act wisely on them, and make your dream of being an entertainer come true.
An integral ingredient of what I teach is the business “how to.” My work in varied jobs, ranging from the Canadian Federal Government to managing restaurants, marketing and promoting, working in an advertising and marketing company, and in retail sales (selling everything from shoes to phone systems), had honed my business skills. I applied these to “my” business—the business of being a professional entertainer. I attained this knowledge, along with some savvy, from the school of hard knocks, not from the halls of formal education. My way was to try a lot of different things; some worked, and some didn’t. This book is the cul- mination of all the things that did and do (if consistently applied) work.
Live Video Recording of the Podcast
