Follow Your Passion and Money will Follow

“I just couldn’t do it anymore.”

I listened as my long-time friend (we’ll call him Groot) told me his story.

We had reconnected after not talking much for the last several years. Like me, Groot was a full-time magician for years. And like me, he also loved copywriting.

In 2017, Groot turned to copywriting as his main source of income. Years later, he had built a successful career managing the accounts of some big names. Hearing some of those names, I was really impressed.

But after dealing with these clients, despite the money he was making, he decided to rededicate himself to his true passion in life – performing magic.

Watching him pivot back toward something he thought he had mostly left behind was inspiring.

You see, dear reader, it’s not just about the money.

Don’t get me wrong. Magic has enabled me to have a very profitable career, more than I could have ever imagined.

But money isn’t worth it if you’re miserable.

I say this because, in the world of magic, there was and still seems to be a belief that certain markets are more “glamorous” than others.

When I was first building my magic career, the big market was trade shows. Most of the magicians I knew wanted to get into performing at trade shows.

I’d heard of some truly monstrous checks trade show performers received. Part of it had to do with selling giveaways to the client on top of the fee.

But regardless, trade shows were the big deal. I wound up performing at a few trade shows in my 30s. The money was good, but not great, mostly due to my inexperience in the market.

I knew if I stuck it out, I could eventually raise my fees. But there was a problem.

I hated performing at trade shows.

If you’re unfamiliar with trade show performing, I’ll recap it briefly.

Trade shows are events where certain niches in business – we’ll use digital security as an example – have these big events where vendors all gather at their booths. Business representatives then tour the trade show floor, visiting some booths and ignoring others.

Each booth has a staff hoping to make connections, get leads, and so on. Done properly, trade shows can be very popular for companies that set up booths at these things.

Magicians are sometimes used to draw in potential clients. The good ones know how to craft presentations for their clients’ products around their magic routines. They then build a crowd and at the end of their 10-minute set, turn things over to the staff manning the booth.

So you’re performing a 10-minute show all day. For 8 hours.

It’s hard work. You’re on your feet all day. And yore trying to get the attention of people who don’t want to see magic.

Some people enjoy it. But it’s not for me.

And if you’re a kid show performer, you already know many of the available markets: birthdays, daycares, schools, libraries, and so on.

Children’s birthdays are looked at by a lot of snobbish magicians as the bottom-of-the-barrel stuff.

But I maintain that birthdays are one of the most challenging markets you can perform in. And you can make really good money in birthdays.

I’d rather do 100 birthdays than one trade show.

My point?

Don’t listen to other magicians who say, “Oh, if you want to be successful, you gotta do XYZ shows.”

Listen to your heart. What gives you joy in performing? What are your favorite shows? Where do you excel?

As long as you give the market you love the kind of show they want, it doesn’t matter which market you pursue. All that matters is what you love.

Yes, you need good marketing. Yes, you need a specific show to fit that niche.

But my point is, do what you like. Don’t get into a market just for the money. You’ll be miserable. Trust me, I have been there!

There’s another area in magic that I’m extremely passionate about. It’s sharing my knowledge and expertise. That’s why I started this newsletter.

Which ties into a big announcement I teased in last week’s newsletter.

After a LOT of work, I have been able to get my product line back onto my website.

My past customers know that I used to have a separate website strictly devoted to my products. For reasons too boring to explain, I took that site down several years ago.

So unless you dug deep into the bowels of the Hocus Pocus magic website, you were likely unable to find my stuff.

But now, everything I currently offer is on the Products page on The Professional Magician Club Pro website.

Check it out HERE.

Best of all, everything I currently offer is in digital form. No more shipping charges. And you can start learning immediately.

My legendary Murder By Magic corporate show is on the page. So is my school assembly marketing course.

Other hidden gems are there, too. My high school assembly marketing course. My three Cause & Effects books of routines.

I’m excited to finally be able to offer these products again. And in the coming months, I’ll be adding a few goodies to the product page.

One project I’m extremely excited about is my stage hypnosis training program. My goal is to make it the most effective and complete stage hypnosis training available.

But that’s a little ways off.

In the meantime, check out the new product page HERE.

And reply to this email. I’d love to hear what you’re most passionate about in magic.

--Cris

P.S. By the way…whenever you’re ready, here are 4 ways I can help you grow your magic business to book more shows at higher fees:

 
1. Grab my FREE report for professional working magicians.

It’s called “The 2-Word Secret to Eliminate Your Competition & Become Your Area’s Busiest Magician.” This report reveals a strategy that almost NO magicians are using (and the ones who are don’t use it correctly). Get your free copy HERE.

2. Get my website video training for under $10:

 
In this 2-hour video training, I’ll reveal exactly what your website needs if you want to succeed as a professional entertainer in the 21st century. Get all the details HERE.

 
3. Get a complete business-building plan handed to you on a silver platter.

 
Not sure how to move your magic business forward? I’ll analyze your complete magic business (website, market, competition, and more) and give you a complete game plan for getting your performing business to the next level. Find out how HERE.

 
4. Work with me privately.

 
Need help in multiple areas? I can help you with your website, direct mail, email, or other marketing strategies. I also offer consulting services for crafting magic routines or even entire shows. Want to find out more? Shoot me an email at cris@theprofessionalmagicianclubpro.com.

To find out more how I can help you book more shows at higher fees, click the button below to see my list of services.

© Copyright Cris Johnson, Inc.