Podcasts about Magic Castle

Jason was a full-time touring musician for years, playing hundreds—if not thousands—of shows around the world. Today, he's recognized as one of the world's leading card magicians. He was incredibly generous with his time, sitting down with me to explore the fascinating parallels between mastering both music and magic. We met at New York City's legendary Birdland Jazz Club and went deep into the lineage Jason comes from—one that traces back to giants like Dai Vernon, his mentor Darwin Ortiz, and a rare circle of elite card magicians. These artists are keeping the craft alive and evolving, both through live performance and the modern era of video we currently find ourselves in. One of the performance's referenced in the interview is Jason's Magic Castle set. I highly recommend watching it for some context, and also to get your brain melted:He is touring constantly, and having been in the room while he handled the cards, I cannot recommend checking out a live show enough. Check out tour dates and everything else Ladanye.He is also @CardMagicByJason on all platforms.More soon, Janek Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of 'Don't Cut Your Own Bangs,' host Danielle Ireland introduces John Kippen, a resilience and empowerment coach, magician, and motivational speaker. John shares his incredible journey of overcoming a life-threatening brain tumor and how it transformed his life and career.  Throughout the episode, John discusses his healing journey, the power of vulnerability, and the importance of facing one's limiting beliefs. He also reveals the origins of his unique phrase 'impossible really means I am possible' and offers a special gift to listeners. Tune in to uncover valuable wisdom nuggets and be inspired by John's story of triumph over adversity.   00:00 Introduction to the Episode 00:40 Meet John Kippen: A Multihyphenate Talent 01:23 John's Life-Altering Diagnosis 05:46 The Surgery and Its Aftermath 08:04 The Road to Recovery 13:30 Embracing the New Normal 17:29 The Power of Truth and Magic 29:14 The Power of Magic and Connection 29:31 Introducing Treasured: A Journal for Self-Discovery 30:44 The Magic of Personal Connection 32:59 Overcoming Personal Struggles Through Magic 34:38 The Journey to Self-Acceptance 35:42 The Importance of Asking and Vulnerability 50:24 The TED Talk Experience 54:34 Final Thoughts and Encouragement   RATE, REVIEW, SUBSCRIBE TO “DON'T CUT YOUR OWN BANGS”  Like your favorite recipe or song, the best things in life are shared. When you rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast, your engagement helps me connect  with other listeners just like you. Plus, subscriptions just make life easier for everybody. It's one less thing for you to think about and you can easily keep up to date on everything that's new. So, please rate, review, and subscribe today.    DANIELLE IRELAND, LCSW I greatly appreciate your support and engagement as part of the Don't Cut Your Own Bangs community. Feel free to reach out with questions, comments, or anything you'd like to share. You can connect with me at any of the links below.   JOHN KIPPEN: https://www.ted.com/talks/john_kippen_being_different_is_my_super_power_magic_saved_my_life   https://www.johnkippen.com   DANIELLE IRELAND, LCSW Website: https://danielleireland.com/ The Treasured Journal: https://danielleireland.com/journal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielleireland_lcsw TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dontcutyourownbangspod?_t=ZP-8yFHmVNPKtq&_r=1 Transcript:   John Kippen Edited Interview [00:00:00] [00:00:07] Hello. Hello, this is Danielle Ireland and you are catching an episode of Don't Cut Your Own Bangs. And today I have the great pleasure of introducing you to someone I can now call a new friend John Kippen. John is a multihyphenate. He has had quite a life and he's an excellent storyteller. So this episode you're gonna wanna buckle up. [00:00:31] It is so good. Get those AirPods in, go on your walk, get safely in your car, get ready to listen because this is just an absolutely beautiful episode. But let me tell you a little bit about John. John is a resilience and empowerment coach. He was and is the CEO of a very successful IT company. [00:00:49] He was a main stage performer at the Magic Castle in Los Angeles, so if that just gives you a little insight, is the level of his magic. He is a motivational speaker. He's a life coach, and. He has a TED talk that has received over a million views. And the heartbeat of this TED talk is how he triumphs over tragedy with a diagnosis of a tumor the size of a golf ball that is separating his brainstem and the procedure he needed to save his life, changed his life forever. [00:01:23] Doing the work of healing does not come easily to anyone, but as John so beautifully puts in this episode, if John can do it, you can do it. He's using his stories, his vulnerable and raw experiences, and talking about not only what happened to him, but how he moved through the impossible. [00:01:45] He actually coins a phrase that I love and I'm going to keep. Which is that impossible really means I am possible. So the ultimate magic trick, the ultimate illusion is what your limiting beliefs are about yourself, and how do you use facing those fears and those limiting beliefs to transform your life. [00:02:08] And in John's case, he takes that healing and offers it as a gift to us. As listeners to his clients and his coaching practice to the readers of his book, he has authored a book The Forward by None other than the Jamie Lee Curtis from all of the places. You know her most recently. The Bear where she won an Emmy, but everything everywhere, all at once. [00:02:32] She and John are buds, and she believes in him and believes in his work, and as a champion of that work, it just adds a little extra sparkle and fairy dust to the beautiful work that he's already doing to say that he's been vetted by someone who is so sparkly and magnetic and also deeply entrenched in holding space for the truth and honoring the truth. [00:02:52] This is a heartfelt episode, so what I would recommend. If you're in a place to do so is you might wanna jot some notes down because John drops some beautiful wisdom nuggets in this episode. And the book that he authored is playing The Hand You're Dealt. And what I wanna share too, we talk about it in the episode, but I wanna highlight this 'cause it's really important. [00:03:12] John is giving everyone who listens to the episode a free gift, but it is not linked in the show notes. It is only available to those of you who listen. It's a special little surprise embedded in the episode that you have to listen to find, but it is a free gift from him to you. So without further ado, get ready to sit back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful wisdom of John Kippen. [00:03:35] ​ [00:03:36] Kippen, multihyphenate resilience and empowerment, coach magician, keynote speaker, author, and all around. Nice guy. Thank you for joining me today on the Don't Cut Your Own Bangs podcast. [00:03:47] Danielle: Hollywood legend wrote the forward of his beautiful book, playing the Hand You're Dealt Forward by the one and Only Take It Away, John, Jamie [00:03:58] John: Lee Curtis. [00:03:59] Danielle: Jamie Lee Curtis. Yes. So you have to stay and listen to the entire episode because he's going to tease out a special little giveaway that will only be revealed in the audio. [00:04:10] So you gotta listen. It's not gonna be linked in the show notes, folks. So buckle up, sit down. This is gonna be a great episode with a fun gift for you, a special little dose of magic hidden inside. So, John, you, I mean, all the different fun things that we listed about what you do. You're a magician, you're a motivational speaker, you're a coach. [00:04:30] What I know doing the work I do as a therapist is the skills and trade that you're building your life on. Those were skills that they were. Hard one, like nobody chooses, in my opinion and in my experience, no one chooses to go into a helping profession that hasn't needed help in their life. It's like the, our healing becomes our medicine. [00:04:54] And I really wanna learn about not just what you offer, but your healing journey that put you in the unique position you're in to do the work you do. So, welcome and I'd love to hear from you. [00:05:05] John: So just quickly, the Reader's Digest version of my backstory. Grew up Los Angeles, middle class family, two great parents loving, no sisters or brothers, had everything I needed. [00:05:18] They sent me to a nice school and, I got into theater, started doing theater, in college. I studied theater and became the big man on campus because pretty much I grabbed every opportunity that presented itself. Started a computer company out of college. 'cause I'm a creative problem solver. [00:05:38] That's the thread that goes through everything I do in my life. [00:05:42] Mm-hmm. [00:05:42] John: I look at a problem, I say, how am I gonna solve that? [00:05:45] Mm-hmm. [00:05:46] John: And then in June of July of 2002, I was diagnosed with a four half centimeter brain tumor called an acoustic neuroma. [00:05:55] Danielle: Yes. And this was, so it was slowly severing your brainstem? Correct. [00:05:59] John: It was displacing the brainstem. Causing not only hearing issues, but dizziness upon standing or walking. [00:06:07] Mm-hmm. [00:06:08] John: I had to have something done with it. I would not have survived. [00:06:12] Mm-hmm. [00:06:14] John: And. It was a whirlwind , I went and saw the doctor who finally diagnosed it after seeing him the MRI films, and he, he had no bedside manner. [00:06:25] I remember sitting on the examining room table, right. And the, the tissue paper is crinkling under my butt. Mm-hmm. I could feel the, I could sense the temperature. I'm heightened sensitivity. [00:06:37] And he looks up at the MRI after talking to a neurosurgeon, and he turns around and says, John, you have a four and a half centimeter brain tumor. [00:06:46] It's killing you. We're operating you on Friday. You're gonna go deaf in your left ear, and there's a possibility for some facial weakness. We're gonna do everything we can to prevent that. And he left [00:07:01] Danielle: the room. So he knew, and in his own. Brash in abrupt way, essentially prepared you for the outcome and challenges that would come assuming the surgery was a success? [00:07:17] John: Yeah. He is a world renowned acoustic neuroma surgeon. He's one of the guys you go to, when you have this kind of tumor and that's all he does. Wow. But he literally left the room and I'm sitting there and I didn't bring anybody in and [00:07:31] yeah. [00:07:32] John: A tip to anyone who's potentially going in for a serious diagnosis. [00:07:36] Yeah. [00:07:37] John: Bring a friend or a family member. [00:07:39] Because it goes in one ear and out the other, you're in shock. Right. Right. When you get home and you say, wait a minute, he said that surgery gonna be four hours or 14 hours or 20. How, how long ago and you have all these questions. Yeah. And you know, getting ahold of the doctor to ask them again is just not the way our medical system works. [00:08:01] He's back to back, to back to back patients. [00:08:04] So, I checked in the night before, they did blood tests and I tried to get an hour or two sleep, 6:00 AM my clockwork the orderly came in and said, okay, get naked, get on this cold gurney. What a sheet over you and we're going take you to the operating room. [00:08:21] Danielle: I wanna pause your story for a moment. 'cause there's a couple things that I, I wanna tease out a little. So one is you, the way that you tell your story, so well probably because you've told it on stages, you've shared it with others, you've written about it. There is something about a trauma. [00:08:37] That really marks the sort of BCAD of life. And the way you shared, I felt like I was in the room with you when you were getting this bomb of news dropped on you so you were theater trained, theater kid, a creative person, a creative problem solver, and a business owner. [00:08:57] Like I, I think about that often when people are experiencing trauma. What, what was life sort of the, the illusion of normalcy. The, the, you know, the predictability of this is my life and this is my to-do list and this is my calendar. So before that moment, you were just a guy on the west coast running a business. [00:09:17] Is that right? [00:09:18] John: Very successful business. [00:09:19] Danielle: And I, I just wanna share briefly too, I haven't met too many other only children. Theater background 'cause that's me too. [00:09:30] John: Oh, really? [00:09:31] Danielle: I'm an only child and I was a theater major and started acting when I was 13, so before. But, the creative problem solver, God, my theater background has paid dividends in ways I didn't know at the time. [00:09:42] I didn't know that when I was preparing for this interview, but now that you've said that, it's like that thing that I couldn't put my finger on has clicked into place. [00:09:49] John: I love doing improv. [00:09:51] Improv is the, you know, everybody talks about being in the moment. [00:09:57] Yeah. [00:09:57] John: What does that really mean, being in the moment? [00:10:00] When you do improv, you have to be in the moment. Otherwise you fall flat. And everybody, you're doing improv looks at you going. Well, it's your turn. [00:10:10] Danielle: You've tapped in. Now you've gotta say something. How are you gonna move the story forward? [00:10:14] Exactly. I feel most alive when I'm engaged in moments like that. And I, it's, I'm not a, a adrenaline junkie, but I would say that's my high, it's the, rush of connecting with somebody like that. So you were running a very successful business. This bomb has dropped. [00:10:32] You can barely remember what you were told and what your life is likely going to be. Assuming everything goes well, what is going to happen when you wake up off your op? And how long was your operation? [00:10:46] John: 15 hours. [00:10:48] Danielle: And the surgery was a success. They were able to remove the golf ice tumor. [00:10:52] Yeah. So they removed the fall sized tumor. [00:10:54] John: I didn't have time to think, you know, I got one of my guys who worked for me told him that he was gonna be running the company for a month or two. He agreed. [00:11:05] Mm-hmm. [00:11:05] John: Had to shovel up some more money to get him to do it, but, you know, it is what it is. You do what you have to do. [00:11:11] Yeah. And then,, I just tried to think positively, hope for the best. Plan for the worst. You know, I had someone gonna stay with me the first week, make food because I just wanted to recover and I didn't know what it was gonna be like. [00:11:27] Danielle: Yeah. You're like, I just need a week to recover, and then I'm just gonna hop back into life, hopefully. [00:11:31] John: Rolling the gurney into the surgical, prep area. [00:11:35] The nurse saying, Hey John, you know, we know we have to shape after your head. You want me to do it now or after you're under. [00:11:42] Danielle: So you didn't even know that they were gonna shave your head. Well, I didn't think about it. [00:11:48] John: I mean, if I had thought about it, I got a shaved part of my head. [00:11:51] Danielle: Right. [00:11:52] John: I said to her, please. [00:11:56] Danielle: Yeah. [00:11:58] John: And so, they roll me into the operating room. You got these really bright lights, , blinding you, and you're laying there and they're like, okay, you're gonna count back toward five. [00:12:09] The next thing I know, I hear faint voices and it was like I was 30 meters deep in a pool. Struggling to get to the surface. And I remember this like it was yesterday, literally trying to swim to the service to regain consciousness. [00:12:26] And finally when I got enough, I realized that my dad was sitting on the edge of my bed holding my hand, [00:12:34] and [00:12:34] John: he was smiling at me, but I didn't see my mom. [00:12:40] So I asked my dad for my glasses and he handed me the glasses. And I remember trying to put the, and then I realized my head's bandage. [00:12:48] Danielle: Oh, right. [00:12:50] John: So I had to figure out how to get the glasses in Cockeye to get 'em on my face, right? [00:12:55] And the look on her face was one of horror. What did these butchers do to my son's face? And at that point, I didn't know my face was paralyzed. Because I have full feeling, I just can't move it. [00:13:10] Danielle: So you currently, you still have full feeling in your face. You just lost mobility, [00:13:14] John: so I didn't really understand what that look was. [00:13:18] Danielle: Right. How could you? [00:13:19] John: And then my mom handed me her compact makeup. [00:13:22] And I opened it up and I'm like, holy crap. And then, I'm still getting [00:13:30] accustomed to, the one thing I noticed is leading into surgery, I was constantly dizzy and that dizziness was gone. [00:13:38] Danielle: Wow. [00:13:39] John: And that was like, oh my God, what a relief. [00:13:42] Mm-hmm. [00:13:43] John: So the doctor finally made his way in and I was like, so when's my face gonna move? And he said, John, we were, successful. [00:13:50] The tumors removed. Right when we were close the incision, your face stopped moving. But we think it's just to do the swelling, and once the swelling goes down, your face should start moving again. So I'm like, okay. I can handle that. That's a, it's not a permanent thing. I can deal with it. [00:14:05] So I'm in the hospital a week and, they're like, when you can do three laps around the hospital floor, without a walker, we'll send you home. [00:14:16] So that became my goal. I remember getting outta bed and then they said, no, no, no. Wait for the, I said, no. The doctor said that I need to rock three laps around. [00:14:26] I want to get the hell out of here [00:14:28] Five days I got home. My dad drove me home and I sat on my couch and now I'm like, okay, I can start healing and check email here and there. And I was taking lots of naps. And then I coughed and I touched the back of my neck and it was wet. [00:14:45] Mm. [00:14:47] John: Oh, it was a spinal fluid leak on the base of the incision. [00:14:51] Whew. [00:14:53] John: So immediately I called the doctor's office and the said, oh, get your ass back here. And I went back to the hospital three times with them to redo the bandaging to try to prevent the leak. [00:15:05] Danielle: Wait, you call the hospital. Hey, their spinal fluid leaking out of my surgical incision. And they're like, yeah, you should get in a car and drive yourself to the hospital. [00:15:16] John: They didn't say how I should get to the hospital. [00:15:19] Danielle: Okay. Fair, fair. But that, [00:15:22] okay. Wow. ' [00:15:24] John: cause that's not good. [00:15:25] And there was potential for getting, spinal meningitis in that. From what I understand is one of the most extreme pains out there. [00:15:35] Okay. [00:15:35] John: I went back and forth three different times over that week. [00:15:39] They tried to, it was just as right behind my ear, right at the base of the incision. So, there was no way that they were going to be able to, put a pressure manage to keep that and so it could start healing. [00:15:51] Danielle: Mm-hmm. [00:15:52] John: So they finally said, all right, tomorrow you're gonna come in and we're gonna, redo the incision and pull more belly fat outta your belly to fill the hole. [00:16:01] And Yeah. This time they used staples, man, thick Frankenstein. [00:16:07] All the way up. [00:16:08] But then I'm like, I was only in the hospital for a day. And then, and I'm like, okay, I can relax. I remember getting up and brushing my teeth, you know, and I'm looking at the mirror and God, , I don't recognize that guy. [00:16:24] Yeah. And I got rid of all the mirrors in my house. [00:16:30] I didn't want a constant reminder. [00:16:33] My face was screwed up. [00:16:34] Danielle: I, there's so much specificity to what is uniquely your story. [00:16:46] Mm-hmm. [00:16:47] Danielle: But what I have found is when people. Are able to share elements of their experience. It's when you go into the specificity of what you experienced. I can see myself in so many elements of your story in my own, like when we get in deeper, it becomes somehow more accessible and universal. [00:17:16] And in that way, you're not alone, even though it happened to you and that detail about your removing the mirrors from your home. It, it brings me to something I really wanted to ask you about. You share by saying, and then also , by, actually demonstrating in your TED talk that, once you began the healing process of really addressing your depression after your operation, that, the story, it led you to magic, literally. And I also think in a more magical way, beyond performing an illusion. And I know not to call it a trick, I learned that from arrested development. [00:18:03] But, there's something you said that I wanted to quote that it's amazing how accepting kids are of the truth. You open up your TED talk, which I will link in the show notes so people can see. But that you mentioned that this in a way that your permission and your humor and your honesty, it created levity and lightness. [00:18:27] For something that would be considered maybe so precious and heavy. And what I wanna speak to, and open up a question if that's okay, is, I'm curious what your relationship with the truth is because I think humor in its highest expression is allowing us to laugh at something that we see the truth in. [00:18:49] And yet it's this razor's edge between laughing at someone or laughing at something versus inviting us to laugh at the, the human experience that we maybe don't know how to name or express in another way. But I wanna know personally for you, what your relationship is with the truth and the value of embracing it. [00:19:13] And then in your line of work as a coach, where do you see people struggle with it? [00:19:19] John: Truth is an illusion. [00:19:21] Danielle: Ooh, tell me more. That just, that was a zingy response that you popped right out. Please tell me more. [00:19:28] John: Yeah. Truth. Everybody has their own truth. [00:19:31] Danielle: Oh, well there you go. [00:19:32] John: Their own perspective, [00:19:34] Danielle: uhhuh, [00:19:35] John: And the truth is formed out of your limiting beliefs. [00:19:41] Danielle: So the truth is formed out of your limited beliefs, [00:19:44] John: your limiting beliefs. [00:19:45] Danielle: Limiting beliefs. Okay. [00:19:47] John: Yeah. [00:19:48] I just wanted to take a slight step back. [00:19:50] Danielle: Mm-hmm. [00:19:51] John: I told you this was gonna be the Reader's Digest version. [00:19:54] Danielle: Yes. [00:19:54] John: But it took me 12 years [00:19:57] To come out of that hiding. Wow. 12 years. [00:20:02] Danielle: How old were you when you had your operation? [00:20:05] John: 33. [00:20:06] Danielle: 33. Okay. [00:20:08] John: And fortunately for me, I could work from home. But I miss so many celebrations with friends and family. 'cause I just didn't want to have to explain it. I didn't want to have to deal with the looks, , and I tell this story on my TED Talk and in my book. You know, at a restaurant I wanted to get a burger at Tony Aroma's. And I'm sitting there by myself and in a booth, and there's a booth right in front of me and there's a family with a kid, two parents and a kid. And the kid's squirming and gets up and turns around and is now on his knees on the bench and looking at me. [00:20:44] And he gets up and he comes over and he says, Mr, what's wrong with your face? And in that moment, I didn't want to have a five or 6-year-old come over and Right. And I'm like, okay, I had the strength to come out and go to a restaurant. I have to deal with this. So I started talking to this little boy [00:21:06] Danielle: Mm. [00:21:07] John: And saying, I had a medical procedure that caused me not to with my face before I could continue his mom grabbing him [00:21:16] mm-hmm. [00:21:17] John: The arm and drug him back and said, don't bother him. The nice man, he has enough troubles already. And I couldn't leave it there. [00:21:25] Mm-hmm. [00:21:27] John: So I had to go to the little boy and I knelt down and I got eye level and I said, I love my new face because it's different. [00:21:34] It's different just like yours. And I remember it like it was yesterday, he took his fingers and he tried to distort his face to be crooked like mine. And he turned to his mom and said, look, mom, I could do that too. And then he went back to eating his meal. His question was answered. [00:21:56] He had no judgment. And his parents were like, holy crap, did we just learn a lesson? How to raise our child? [00:22:03] They whispered, thank you on their way out. [00:22:07] Danielle: But there is something I, there, there's something to that woman's response to you that really resonated with me. [00:22:14] And it also, highlights the point you made so well about the, essentially the truth being relative. Because she projected onto you what her perception of your life was. Don't bother the nice man one, she didn't know you were nice, though. You are. But she didn't know that. Right. And she also didn't know what your troubles were or weren't, and she assumed that. [00:22:39] John: But I always wonder what her motives were. [00:22:41] Danielle: Right. [00:22:42] John: was it to make me comfortable or was it to make her and her son comfortable [00:22:48] Danielle: it for her? I think so. [00:22:50] John: And that's how I took it. [00:22:51] Danielle: I remember. So I have two children and I was pregnant once before and lost that pregnancy. [00:22:57] 12 weeks in. And I haven't thought about this in a very long time, but I remember going into, a annual doctor's appointment and she saw on the chart that I was listed as pregnant and clearly now was not. And it was in her own discomfort of not, she was asking me about the baby thinking, 'cause she was not my ob, GYN it was a different type of doctor. [00:23:20] And, she caught. Oh, and then I had sort of explained to her what that meant, and then she said, well, I'm sure, you blame yourself and I want you to know it's not your fault. Like she took her discomfort and tried to turn it into, she positioned herself above as someone who knew what he was experiencing and wanted to offer me this sympathy that was, one, she was wrong. [00:23:45] I totally misplaced. Yeah. I didn't blame myself. And it, that, that moment was such an extension of her own inability to hold the moment and the discomfort of the moment, and, tried to offer it up as a gift for me, which that's, yeah. [00:24:03] John: It's your perception of how you deal with that. [00:24:06] Danielle: Mm-hmm. [00:24:07] John: Losing a child can be. Empowering because you know that you can try again and get a child that is not gonna have any kind of defects and is gonna have a good life. And you know whether or not you believe in God or not. [00:24:24] Danielle: Yeah. [00:24:25] John: Things happen for a reason and we don't always understand the reason for them. [00:24:30] Danielle: I don't know if it, what the reason was, but I can say a gift from that was that somebody who lived with a very active monkey mind and a lot of head trash and some anxiety in the experience of the early grief, not for very long, but there was a moment in time where my mind was quiet, not numb, but quiet. [00:24:55] And it helped me realize, oh, there's the observer within me. Then there are the different conversations that are happening in my head that aren't me, which are maybe the perceptions that I call truth sometimes I wanna bring that same question of truth, which you had an answer I was not expecting, which I love when I never see it coming, so thank you. [00:25:18] Where do you see your clients? Because you're a coach, right? You are taking your healing and offering it as medicine to people that are trying to make a connection in their own life. So where do you see people that you work with? Struggle with the truth? [00:25:36] John: Everybody's hiding from someone something in their life. [00:25:40] They have buried something so deep and it keeps them from moving forward in their lives. 'cause it erodes their self-confidence. [00:25:50] That's what I learned through my love for performing magic. [00:25:58] Going to the magic castle, sitting at a table with a paralyzed face. [00:26:03] Yeah. I'm this overweight guy with balding, balding with a paralyzed face. And I could sit at a table and have people come to me. I tell this story sometimes, that the Magic Castle is a place where you have to get dressed up to the nines, you know? And women love to get dressed up [00:26:22] Danielle: That's true. [00:26:23] John: They're wearing their best outfits, right? And all of a sudden I'd have five or six women sitting at the table, and their reactions are very guarded. [00:26:34] Hmm. [00:26:36] John: You know, they're sitting there with their legs and arms crossed. [00:26:39] Hmm [00:26:40] John: they're leaning back. They have a smile that's just more of a grin. [00:26:45] Mm-hmm. ' [00:26:47] John: cause I don't know what I'm about. Sure. They don't know if I'm gonna be inappropriate, if I'm gonna come onto them, if I'm what it is. So they have no expectations other than they're gonna see some magic. [00:26:58] Mm-hmm. [00:26:59] John: So I start my act saying, hi guys. My name is John and I'm doing magic all my life. [00:27:05] But in 2 0 2 I had a brain tumor. And when they cut over my head, they traumatized medication, nerve offense, a paralyzed face. But something happened to me on that talk table that day, Danielle. [00:27:16] Mm-hmm. [00:27:17] John: I'm not sure what it was because I was unconscious. All I know is I recovered. I realized I had acquired some new skills and I pause. [00:27:29] Yeah. And I wait for everybody to get on the edge of their seat. Like, what happened, John, what? Skills. Skills I could acquire. I'm having brain surgery. [00:27:40] Mm-hmm. I [00:27:41] John: looked to my right and I looked to my left like it's the biggest secret. [00:27:45] Lean in and I whisper in a loud voice as I am able to visualize people's thoughts. And then I do some mental magic mentalism. Love it. And what I just did was I turned my biggest challenge into a superpower. [00:28:07] Danielle: Yes, you did. And I wanna pause you because when you said that in your talk, have, have you read Elizabeth Gilbert's book, big Magic? [00:28:15] Yes. [00:28:15] Danielle: When she talks about trickster energy, I was like, John Kippen is a freaking trickster. [00:28:22] That is trickster energy that you can shift. Before someone's very eyes. It's like you are performing magic and you are performing magic. You shifted before them and you invited them, your audience to see beyond their own limiting beliefs, their own projected truth. [00:28:47] John: They were distracted. They wanted to know why it was paralyzed, but they couldn't ask, did he have a stroke? Did he have be palsy? What was the reason? So I found them being distracted when I was performing. So I got that outta way in the first two minutes. [00:29:00] Mm-hmm. [00:29:01] John: I explained why my face is paralyzed. [00:29:03] And now I treat it as the experience is now I'm able to do superhuman things. [00:29:10] And now they're like, okay, cool. So as I perform [00:29:16] I focus on the spectator. Magic happens in your mind as a spectator. [00:29:22] Danielle: Oh, I love that magic happens in your mind [00:29:26] ​ [00:29:31] If you've ever wanted to start a journaling practice but didn't know where to start, or if you've been journaling off and on your whole life, but you're like, I wanna take this work deeper, I've got you covered. I've written a journal called Treasured, a Journal for unearthing you. It's broken down into seven key areas of your life, filled with stories, sentence stems, prompts, questions, and exercises. [00:29:51] All rooted in the work that I do with actual clients in my therapy sessions. I have given these examples to clients in sessions as homework, and they come back with insights that allow us to do such incredible work. This is something you can do in the privacy of your own home, whether you're in therapy or not. [00:30:10] It has context, it has guides. And hopefully some safety bumpers to help digging a little deeper feel possible, accessible and safe. You don't have to do this alone. And there's also a guided treasured meditation series that accompanies each section in the journal to help ease you into the processing state. [00:30:29] So my hope is to help guide you into feeling more secure with the most important relationship in your life, the one between you and you. Hop on over to the show notes and grab your copy today. And now back to the episode.​ [00:30:44] John: Magic is what you see in your mind or someone else sees in their mind. [00:30:49] Magic is that thing that immediately makes you present. [00:30:56] Danielle: Yeah. [00:30:57] John: And your, all of your sensors are now in a heightened state , whether it's a sunset or a beautiful beach or a beautiful woman or a magic trick or whatever it is, there's that sense of awe and wonder. [00:31:15] So as I would start to take each spectator, I would learn their names. [00:31:19] And I would use their names throughout the show. [00:31:22] Danielle: People love that. [00:31:23] John: People, I ask them, the one word in everybody's language that they love to hear the most is their own name . and so I use that as a way of engaging the audience. [00:31:33] They start leaning in and now they've got real smiles on their face [00:31:37] and I can literally see this wall that women in today's society are forced to put up as a self-protection mechanism. [00:31:45] Yeah. [00:31:46] John: I see this wall start to grow as they start to identify with me and they're like, I'm okay being myself. [00:31:54] And then the end of this [00:31:56] they're asking permission to hug me. [00:31:58] And , having a creative mind, I wanted to understand. What that is. What that, what was going on. [00:32:06] Danielle: You also, not only through performing magic, inviting the curiosity you could see in other people's faces into your opening act essentially, or your sleight of hand. [00:32:17] I'm gonna show you this over here so that you can not see what's coming here. Vulnerability in its purest form is magic because it's the one thing sharing the story you feel like you couldn't share. Letting somebody see the one part of you that you would never let anybody see 'cause you were so utterly convinced you would be outed or you would be cast out by exposing that vulnerability is the birthplace of true connection. [00:32:47] Yeah. Which is the ultimate magic trick. It's, it's like what they say in nightmares, if you stop and face the thing that's chasing you, it, it can't chase you anymore in the dream. And so you spent a decade, did I remember that correctly, you wanted to be a main stage performer at the Magic Castle? [00:33:06] It took you about 10 years and you did it. [00:33:08] John: I did. [00:33:09] Yeah. [00:33:09] Danielle: 10 years. [00:33:11] John: Yeah. [00:33:12] Danielle: 10 years. [00:33:13] John: It was my creative coping mechanism. I had hit rock bottom, was I suicidal? No, not really. But I was unhappy. [00:33:25] Danielle: Yeah. [00:33:26] John: I was, my girlfriend left me, and, fortunately I had a job that I could focus on. But I needed something more. And through sharing something so personal and tying magic into it and making it a positive instead of a negative [00:33:45] people are attracted to it. [00:33:49] Danielle: Yeah. Well, because you're holding fire in your hand. Yeah. You're not just saying it's possible, but you're living. You're turning it into a performance, which I think for an artist is one of the most selfless, beautiful acts. [00:34:11] John: It's what separates great artists from mediocre artists. What is he giving me to care about? [00:34:18] Danielle: I never thought about that with magic. What are they giving me to care about? [00:34:22] John: Yeah. What do I want them to think when they leave the theater? [00:34:27] Ability to put your own life in perspective. If John can, so can I. [00:34:33] That's my true message. [00:34:36] Any different is your superpower. [00:34:38] Now, my facial paralysis does not have to define me if I don't let it. [00:34:44] You know, Danielle I live my life that it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission. [00:34:51] And that's bit me in the butt numerous times. [00:34:54] Danielle: I can also say the opposite, can bite you in the butt. I think I waited probably too long, many times for permission that wasn't really coming because no one can ultimately grant it. Right? Like, if there's a path you wanna carve, like the job that you built, all of the different things that you've done, there's no resume posted on LinkedIn. [00:35:15] No one's hot. Like that's an empowerment coach slash magician slash keynote speaker, slash documentarian like that. You have to get curious and still, and listen to that little voice inside and follow that curiosity to a path that may not make sense for anyone for a really long time. And I didn't do that. [00:35:40] And that can bite you in the butt too. 'cause regret's hard to hold. [00:35:42] John: Alex SBE came out on national television [00:35:45] to his fans, to the world and said, I'm scared. I am fighting the battle of my life and I'm gonna ask for everyone's good thoughts and prayers . of what I'm going through. I reached out to Nikki Trebek, Alex's daughter and I said, Nikki, I need to perform for your dad . we're having a 75th birthday party and we don't have any entertainment. [00:36:13] So if you wanna be the entertainment, and I was like. Damn. Yes. [00:36:18] Danielle: Well, yeah. I will go to his house and perform magic for him. a [00:36:22] John: restaurant, but [00:36:23] Danielle: Oh, a restaurant. Okay. [00:36:23] John: Wrote a unique magic show [00:36:25] With Jeopardy themes and the whole nine yards and he was actually at the table as one of my assistants. [00:36:33] Oh. Along with his daughter. so he was this, he needed to understand how things worked. [00:36:39] Was a genius. And so he was constantly looking at me like, wait a minute. That's not possible. Just embrace it, Alex. You're not gonna figure it out. Just enjoy it. [00:36:52] Danielle: That's awesome. [00:36:54] John: And there's, on my website, john kipp.com. There are some magic videos and there are two videos of me performing for Alex , sat with him, and I said, Alex, I need to share something with you that, when you came out so publicly about your diagnosis [00:37:10] I asked for everybody's support and love and prayers that resonated with me. I am here to give to you. You've been a part of my life and the lives of millions of people. [00:37:27] And your life's work is meaningful. [00:37:30] I just wanted to tell you that, 'cause I had a feeling that no one ever takes the time to say thank you for your life's work. [00:37:37] And he immediately started welling up. [00:37:39] Danielle: Well, anybody who makes something look easy that we do take for granted. [00:37:45] And I think that, like I appreciate so much in the telling of your story, you share not just the struggles, but the time you had a vision of yourself. On the main stage performing at the Magic Castle, like the most elusive place where magic is. And you didn't just wanna get in, you didn't just wanna get an audition, you didn't wanna just like get to per perform an illusion, like main stage. [00:38:23] You didn't just have a goal. You had the goal and you did it, but you also say that it took you 10 years. And there's usually themes that run with anxiety, about not enoughness and the crunchiness of time. There's never enough time. I'm not enough and there's not enough time. And not being worthy. [00:38:42] Yes, yes, yes. One of my main motivations when I started this podcast originally several years ago, was I was. Starting to increasingly feel, trapped in this sort of, world of before and after story. And it was no longer feeling inspirational. It was just another measuring stick for how not enough. [00:39:03] Yeah. 'Cause it, it's great to see where somebody was and where they are, but when I'm knee deep in my own struggle when I'm the caterpillar goo and the chrysalis, and I'm not the shiny butterfly, but I'm also not the caterpillar anymore. What do I do when my life is literally a shitty pile of goo this is something that most clients don't come right out and ask me like in sessions one, two, and three. But it inevitably comes well, I've been doing this for, so many months. How much longer is it gonna take? How long is it gonna take? And I just always, I appreciate when people can acknowledge. [00:39:41] The time and consistency that goes into healing [00:39:47] John: joy is in the journey. [00:39:48] Danielle: Mm. [00:39:49] John: Not in the destination. [00:39:51] And that's the thing I really focus with my clients. [00:39:55] I have clients come to me because they're holding themselves back in their life. [00:39:59] And it's my job to get that out of them by asking open-ended questions, by building a rapport, I can trust this guy. [00:40:08] Danielle: Yeah. Would you say that's your superpower as a coach? [00:40:11] John: Through my journey of reverse engineering who I am and who I wanted to become. Coming out the other side immediately understood that it's not about me. [00:40:24] Danielle: Yes. It's only true every single time. [00:40:27] John: The joy comes from helping others get that realization, [00:40:32] That they understand they are truly powerful and have a chance to shape their destiny. [00:40:40] That's why I talk about limiting beliefs. [00:40:43] And we grow up with our parents or whoever raised us, those are our belief systems. [00:40:49] And so that's what forms who you are. You stop dreaming. [00:40:54] That's what midlife crisis is all about. [00:40:58] Danielle: Yeah. [00:40:59] John: We got educated, we got a job, we built a career. We have a family. [00:41:06] Danielle: It's, I think the version of that I hear in my sessions is essentially I did everything right. Shouldn't I be feeling better than I am? Yeah. Like, I followed all the rules. I'm winning. Why does it not feel like I'm winning? Yeah. And finding our way back to that. [00:41:29] The unlearning and the unraveling. That is a, it's a process. [00:41:34] John: I'll talk to a friend. How you doing? And so many people respond automatically living the dream. But is it your dream? You're living? [00:41:46] Whose dream are you living? Because you're wasting your life by living someone else's dream. And that's why you get to that point in life where it's not enough. [00:41:58] Cause it's not your dream. You just finished the last 30 years building. [00:42:03] Danielle: Yeah. And the joy really is in the process and there's no way to enjoy the process of fulfilling the wishes of somebody else because you, what you're constantly chasing is when I get there, then the relief will come and then you're there and you're like, well, where's my pot of gold? [00:42:22] John: Yeah. I had, I spent 20 years learning how not to hide my face. [00:42:28] And what happened in March in 2020? The pandemic hit [00:42:33] now covering your face with a mask, became not only politically correct. [00:42:41] But government mandated and I'm like sitting there thinking to myself, what do I do? So I found a company who prints things on masks and I sent them a picture of my face and a picture of the lower part of my job. [00:43:01] Danielle: Trickster energy, John Kippen trickster. That's the new hyphen to your list of all of your accomplishments. [00:43:08] John: I would walk around and strangers would look at it and not understand. [00:43:12] Danielle: Right, right. But people who knew me [00:43:15] John: would do a double take. [00:43:17] Danielle: I will not hide. [00:43:19] John: Refuses to hide. [00:43:20] Even through a global pandemic. [00:43:23] Yeah. [00:43:23] John: I'm gonna live my life [00:43:25] Danielle: mm-hmm. On [00:43:26] John: my own terms. [00:43:28] Danielle: Yeah. I work too hard, too long to get free and I will not hide for you. Wow. Wow. And [00:43:37] John: when I share that story, people like, wow, John's done some soul searching. [00:43:44] Danielle: Which is why your clients come to you. [00:43:46] John: Yeah. [00:43:46] Danielle: Yeah. I unfortunately have come across many. People in the helping profession that haven't started with their first client, which is themselves. I put myself in that camp. I've talked about it on the podcast before, but I didn't start seeing a therapist until I became one, which is probably not the right order, but I didn't realize until I was sitting there trying to help people. [00:44:09] And then my own stuff was getting activated in the session. It's called Counter Transference. And, yeah, I was like, oh shit, I gotta look at the mirror. I gotta do a little more digging. But I think a, what leads a lot of people into helping professions is its desire to heal. And it sounds like in your case you did the herculean task of lifting your own self up before you said, now what can I offer you? [00:44:39] I wanna ask, just a purely curious, selfish question before we get to the very end I wanna ask. In your book playing the Hand you're Dealt how did you connect with Jamie Lee Curtis? The same way you did Alex Trebek? Did you just find someone and you DMed them and [00:44:55] John: you're like, her assistant worked for a production company [00:45:00] in a previous job. [00:45:02] Danielle: Gotcha. [00:45:02] John: That I knew. [00:45:03] When Jamie was like, I need it. So help with my computer. Her assistant said, I've got the guy for you. And I remember being at Jamie's house. [00:45:15] She knew me before my facial surgery, and after. [00:45:18] Danielle: So you have a history then? [00:45:19] John: Oh yeah. We met in 2000. [00:45:21] Danielle: Oh, okay. [00:45:22] John: So she saw me before. [00:45:24] She saw the struggle. Sure, she has two. Great kids. [00:45:29] And she adopted me as her third child. Wow. She saw the ability to help me. And so I had a filmmaker friend of mine reach out and said, John, I'd love your story. [00:45:45] I want to film a documentary on you. And I'm like, cool. So I realized I'm paying for the damn documentary. [00:45:51] Danielle: Oh. So I wanna offer you this gift, and by the way, here's the bill. [00:45:55] John: Yes, exactly. But at that point, I'm all in and I'm like, what do I have to lose? I'm a risk taker. I can afford it. [00:46:01] I've got money in the bank. [00:46:03] Let's make sure we stay on budget or close to budget, so there I am working on Jamie's computer and I'm staring at the screen and I'm summoning the courage. Ask Jamie. So I'm telling her the story. My friend Ryan's gonna direct this documentary about my life and my journey, and then I pause and I'm just staring at the screen. [00:46:23] I feel these eyes burning into the side of my head. [00:46:26] Mm-hmm. [00:46:28] John: And Jamie says, and [00:46:32] Danielle: I love that she didn't do it for you, but she made you do it. [00:46:36] John: And then at that point, I realized what the question was. I said, Jamie, will you be in my documentary? [00:46:44] And she goes, fuck yes, I will. [00:46:48] Danielle: Yeah. [00:46:49] John: She gets it. [00:46:50] Yeah. [00:46:51] John: Going through her sobriety, she wears her sobriety on her. Shoulder as a badge of honor. [00:47:00] And that is her message. [00:47:02] Yeah. [00:47:03] John: If she can get people to stop drinking by showing up for people. That's her ultimate goal in life. And so, she saw in me what I didn't see, [00:47:18] Danielle: and you asked the question. I think it's a lesson that I feel like I'm eternally playing a game of peekaboo with where I forget, and then I remember and then I forget and then I remember. But like the opportunities that you're asking for, you have to ask. [00:47:39] Yes. You have to say the thing. Right. Which is so brave and so vulnerable. But then the magic is sometimes when you ask, someone will say Yes. Now, in your case, she was essentially lovingly poking you until you, [00:47:55] John: asked. There was a point where I was debating plastic surgery. [00:48:00] Did I want to try to fix my face? Because at the end of the day, I wanted symmetry at rest. I wanted to be able to get rid of the droopiness and just, have a symmetrical base. That's all I really wanted. Sure. And because I would say, I hit my smile. And I've had friends come up and say, John, your first smile, we love your smile. [00:48:23] But I didn't love my smile. And until I, not up here, not in my head, but in my heart, accepted my smile. I couldn't move forward. I couldn't heal. And once I accepted my new smile, I found joy. I found that I could love myself. [00:48:46] And what's funny is when you get to that point, [00:48:49] yeah. [00:48:50] John: You overcome whatever that thing is that's holding you back. [00:48:53] Yeah. [00:48:54] John: And you want to share it with every person you come in contact with. [00:49:00] Danielle: Yeah. You are the love you're seeking. [00:49:02] John: Yes. Yes. And you are your acceptance. [00:49:05] Danielle: It reminds me of, something. He said in an interview, in, A New Earth, but author Eckert Tolle said that right before his essential death of the, he called it the death of his ego, but we could call it enlightenment or rebirth. [00:49:19] But he remembers the last thing he said before he went to sleep was, I can't live with myself anymore. And it wasn't about in the interpretation , of , taking one's own life . but what he realized is that he couldn't live with the self that was hating him. He couldn't live with that self. [00:49:40] And that self never woke up. But he did. [00:49:45] John: Through my journey [00:49:46] Of coming to accept myself for who I am. I immediately see others. [00:49:53] Yeah. [00:49:53] John: How they're hiding. [00:49:54] Before they recognize it. And so my coaching is all about not saying, this is why you're hiding. [00:50:03] That's what's holding you back. [00:50:06] Danielle: What you said about once you, you see somebody's wall so clearly because you understand your own so well. My less eloquent way of saying that to clients, it's once you smell bullshit, you can't unm it. It's the scent in the air and you're like, huh, what am I smelling? [00:50:23] Oh, it's bullshit. Well, John, I would love to know your, don't cut your own bang moment. [00:50:30] John: I'm backstage. There are a thousand people in the audience and I had theatrical training I had a talk memorized. It had to be 12 minutes long. [00:50:39] I'm doing a magic trick with other people that are coming up stage. I needed to control that. I got there early the morning of the TED Talk and helped the guys focus the lights so that it looked better. I'm all in. I want to shine in this TED Talk. , I remember I'm going up on stage and I'm saying, to the cherry picker operator, can I give you a hand? Because I have lighting experience. And I expected the presenter come and say, no, John, you're the actor. Go in your, the green room and there's some donuts and coffee , and we'll call you already, but you didn't. She knew that I was there to make the entire event better. And she let me do it, [00:51:18] That's awesome. [00:51:19] John: This is my first real speech. Okay, in front of a thousand people. And I knew that I had a limited time to get the audience on my side. [00:51:30] Get the audience engaged. How was I gonna be able to break their, going through their phone, talking to a neighbor, drinking, eating, snacking in a full day of speech? [00:51:41] Yeah. [00:51:43] John: So I said, I wanna go first. And everybody has said, great, but we don't, you can go first. And right before the mc went on stage to introduce me. I did a magic trick war. I turned Monopoly money into real money and then back again. [00:52:00] So as a magician, everything was possible. I turned monopoly into real money, but then I realized that's actually called counterfeiting he stays out for like seven seconds. I did that to the mc and now he just saw a miracle happen. [00:52:16] So he turns around and walks on stage beaming, and he told that story to the audience and said, Hey guys, your next speaker just did a miracle. He turned monopoly money into real money in front of my eyes. Pay attention to this cat. [00:52:37] Yeah. [00:52:38] John: So I walked on that stage. I had the love of everybody in the audience that everybody wanted to see what I was gonna do. [00:52:46] Everybody wanted to hear what I was gonna say, so I didn't have to warm up the audience. I got the mc to do it for me. Genius. And I do that every time I speak because it works but anyway, three quarters of the speech, I'm standing on my red circle and I'm delivering my talk. [00:53:08] And the front lights go out. [00:53:10] Danielle: Wait, you were three fours of the way done when they went out. [00:53:13] John: I'm standing in shadows. And my first reaction was, whoa. That Whoa. Got the lighting guy to realize, holy shit, I hit the wrong button, and he brought the lights slowly back up. [00:53:27] As the lights went back up, I went magic [00:53:32] and so I got an amazing laugh from the audience. [00:53:36] Because I cut the tension, I was doing improv. [00:53:38] I remember walking off stage and the producer of the event said, John, don't worry about, we'll edit that part out. And I said, don't you dare. That was my finest moment. Don't you dare edit that out. [00:53:54] I want that in the video. [00:53:57] She just smiled as I went back to the dressing room and sat down and then the adrenaline was like, whew. Walking out into the audience after the event and having strangers just come up to me and wanna hug me and say, holy cow, I resonate with your message. [00:54:18] And my message on the TED Talk was, treat people are different with respect to compassion. [00:54:23] That's what TED talks are all about. You want one key message and that was my message. [00:54:27] You never know, you might be in their shoes in an instant. [00:54:34] Danielle: I wanna add to that, another way to speak to the value of doing some self investigation, whether that's through journaling, through therapy, or seeking out a coach from someone like yourself is, because that expression of, treat other people the way you would wanna be treated. [00:54:53] What I know is that we don't treat ourselves all that well. A lot of us, many of us don't treat ourselves well, which is why accessing the compassion. Of treating others kindly is sometimes harder for us to find, jumping to criticism or judgment, because there's something we are rejecting in us. [00:55:13] So I think a way to do the thing you're saying , that beautiful treat others with kindness and compassion. The best way to do that is to look within. And I invite anybody listening to go to the show notes, visit John's website, seek out a coaching call, grab a copy of his book. There are resources that can help you be kinder to yourself, to lowering the walls, to lifting the veil, to seeing yourself in a new way, to performing the ultimate illusion, which is [00:55:52] to love yourself more fully exactly as you are so that we can be kinder to each other. 'cause we need that, we need a lot more kindness. [00:56:00] Thank you, John. Do we have the information we need for our listeners to get the special code? [00:56:06] John: John kipping.com. [00:56:08] Slash free gift. [00:56:11] Danielle: Ooh, you heard it here. John kipping.com/free gift. And this is only the gift for those of you who have listened this far. [00:56:20] So if you listen to the beginning and you just try to skip to the show notes, sorry. You ain't getting a gift. Thank you, John. [00:56:28] Thank you so much for joining me on this incredible episode of Don't Cut Your Own Bangs. I hope that you love listening because I thoroughly enjoyed making it. My favorite episodes are the ones where I get to learn something too. I'm also a listener. And benefiting from the wisdom and insights of all of the experts, creatives, performers, adventurers seekers that I get an opportunity to meet in this podcast format. [00:56:56] Don't forget to check out the show notes and please before you sign off , always remember rate, review, subscribe to the podcast when you interact with the podcast. It just helps send it out like a rocket ship to other people that are looking for the same value that you are. And it also helps create a conversation where I can continue to develop and cultivate something that benefits you more and is more fun for you to listen to. Feedback is great, and also if you just wanna throw a compliment, that's sweet too. But thank you so much for being here. [00:57:26] Your intention, your time mean the absolute world to me, and I hope you continue to have an incredible day. [00:57:32] ​

Jon Armstrong, winner of Close Up Magician of the Year, has headlined at Disney and Las Vegas, toured 30+ countries, and is known for his signature Tiny Plunger routine. A consultant on Ant-Man, The Mentalist, and more, he stars in Netflix's Magicians: Life in the Impossible and performs regularly at the Magic Castle. Join us live to ask this seasoned pro how you can enhance your own performances! Follow Jon on Instagram - @jonarmstrongmagic Learn more about Jon - https://www.cardjon.com/ Get the Magic guys Merch! https://themagicguysshow.com/en-aud/products/im-a-magic-guy-t-shirt Leave a voicemail for The Magic Guys - https://www.speakpipe.com/themagicguys Join The Magic Guys Discord!!! - https://discord.gg/sBUUCVwjPR Email Us - themagicguysshow@gmail.com The Podcast where Professional Magicians, Josh Norbido, Doug Conn & Nick Kay take on the important questions of life (Mainly from our youtube subscribers) and deliver answers from a Magicians point of view. Come hang out with us while we chat about our lives as Magicians and the ups and downs that go with it.

Send us a textMeet John Kippen, a resilience coach, magician, and inspirational speaker who is not just a member of the exclusive Magic Castle in Los Angeles but also connected to the prestigious Magic Circle in the UK. A true renaissance man who has transformed personal adversity into a powerful message of hope and empowerment.In this electrifying episode, prepare to be transformed by John Kippen's extraordinary journey from brain tumor survivor to a magician and an inspirational life coach. After a life-altering brain surgery, John didn't just survive—he discovered a profound secret to human potential.Watch this episode on youTube: https://youtu.be/cWphz3dJX3cThrough the spellbinding world of close-up magic, John learned to turn his most challenging moment into his greatest superpower. His million-view TEDx talk and award-winning documentary (featuring Jamie Lee Curtis) reveal a powerful message: your perceived limitations are actually your hidden strengths.John breaks down the psychological barriers that hold us back, showing audiences exactly how to:Overcome physical and emotional challengesTransform self-doubt into unshakable confidenceUse personal struggles as a launching pad for successDevelop resilience that turns obstacles into opportunitiesWant to dive deeper into John's world?Explore his coaching and full story: https://www.johnkippen.comWatch his powerful documentary featuring Jamie Lee Curtis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u462NpswNsoGet ready to unlock your inner superpower and see the magic that happens when you embrace your unique journey.Don't forget to "Like and Subscribe", so we can reach more people to help.Visit www.mindandmood.co.uk, email info@mindandmood.co.ukor call us on +44 (0)207 183 6364 to find out more.#JohnKippen #BeingDifferentIsSuperpower #TEDxTalk #Resilience #JamieLeeCurtis #Inspiration #MagicCastle #OvercomingAdversitySupport the show

Diana Zimmerman is an enchanting woman in every sense of the word: personality, charm, abilities, looks, intelligence, skill, and so much more. She has led a life of magic like few other women. And she is being recognized for her achievements by being inducted to the Los Angeles Times Global Magicians Hall of Fame on July 9th, 2025. Married at 19 to Dick Zimmerman, magician and creative genius, she performed around the world on television and stage with her one-woman performance. She traveled with a giant gramophone then later switched to a thumb tie and pick pocketing. She developed and still works with the Magic Castle Junior Program (which just celebrated their 50th year) and is the author of several books of fantasy. But she also authored the definitive collector's edition of the Siegfried and Roy book. View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize Diana has so many stories that she shares with us this week including her early days working with her then-husband, Dick Zimmerman, then how Cary Grant encouraged her to form the junior program at the Magic Castle, and many stories about the late Siegfried and Roy. She was a close confidant to the illusionists and shares some “behind the scenes” stories from Little Bavaria to “the Incident” that ended their Las Vegas run. Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Pandora and SiriusXM (formerly Stitcher) by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here. If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here.

SUMMARY: Joe Stapleton comes back to update us on his stand-up tour documentary, the camera guy who thought he could do comedy, an "Air Show" of a breakup, and the state of poker in 2025. Also, Anne gets lauded by the Audubon Society, and Matt's name has no leverage at the Magic Castle. Plus a Scoopardy and exciting news about a Scoops documentary in the works.

Magician Gabriella Lester joins Emily & Haley to discuss her work as an escape artist, performing at the Magic Castle, and the art of teaching magic to kids. Emily can't believe Gabriella has never seen 'Harry Potter,' Haley pulls a stuffed animal out of her printer, and we attempt to start a crisis management firm. So locate your wand, stay awake for twenty-four hours, and eat a prop as you enjoy Chapter 26 of 'How To Make It.' Watch this full episode on YouTube: @HowToMakeItPodFollow us on Instagram: @HowToMakeItPodFollow Emily: @emilydorothyyFollow Haley: @haleymuralee

This week Justin Willman joins us at the table! It's magical! Justin shares how he got his start in magic after breaking both his arms, how he builds out his tricks, and reveals if he plants audience members. Enjoy! Check out Justin's new Netflix special, Magic Lover - out now! Text PAPA to 64000 to get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply. ButcherBox is offering our listeners $20 off their first box and free protein for a year. Go to ButcherBox.com/papa to get this limited time offer and free shipping always. -------------------------- 0:00:00 Intro 0:01:10 Patreon Shoutout 0:01:40 Welcome & First meeting 0:03:40 The Wilman black tee 0:05:35 Justin's new special 0:10:10 Debunking tricks and plants 0:12:12 Starting magic at 12 after breaking both arms 0:19:02 Starting young & Kings of Comedy 0:21:20 Overhearing magician hurting bird after bad set 0:23:48 Learning about human behavior from deceiving humans 0:28:54 Getting stumped 0:29:34 Magician influences 0:32:53 Rising up with comedians 0:35:14 IQ Bar Ad 0:38:07 Butcher Box Ad 0:40:34 Magic history 0:42:49 Traumatic kids bday party bird experience 0:44:30 Rabbits 0:47:48 Uncomfortable moment 0:54:00 Magic Castle 0:56:26 Coming up with a new hour 0:57:38 Lucky playing card trick 0:59:42 First magic Netflix special and showing the audience -------------------------- Tom Papa is a celebrated stand-up comedian with over 20 years in the industry. Watch Tom's new special "Home Free" out NOW on Netflix! Patreon - Patreon.com/BreakingBreadwithTomPapa Radio, Podcasts and more: https://linktr.ee/tompapa/ Website - http://tompapa.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tompapa Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@tompapa Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/comediantompapa Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/tompapa #tompapa #breakingbread #comedy #standup #standupcomedy #bread #justinwillman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zabrecky stops by the show to discuss the development of his award-winning persona, winning the AMA Close-Up Magician of the Year award, creativity, and dealing with ethics and theft of your material in magic. The show starts with Nick Locapo and Erik Tait discussing the newest Danny Garcia trick, Erik's trip to the Magic Castle, and the latest tricks making it through their repertoire.

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Today, I have the honor of sitting down with the legend himself Jamy Ian Swiss, a master of sleight-of-hand, a celebrated author, and a respected historian of magic.Jamy Ian Swiss has mesmerized audiences across the globe, from the prestigious Magic Castle in Hollywood to the Smithsonian Institution. Known for his razor-sharp technique and thought-provoking insights, he has contributed to numerous books, including Shattering Illusions and Preserving Mystery. His expertise extends beyond performance—he's a passionate advocate for skepticism and critical thinking, making him a fascinating figure in both the magic and intellectual communities.In this exclusive interview, we'll explore his journey, his philosophy on deception, and the secrets behind his legendary performances. Whether you're a magician, an improv enthusiast, or simply someone who loves the art of astonishment, this episode promises to be an unforgettable deep dive into the world of magic.To learn more about Jamy Ian Swiss, you can visit his website jamyianswiss.com.Feel free to rate and review, and feel free to visit my brand new website ldmadera.com.

JLJ has a fun convo with the Tubi TV star of Culture Shock!Rich Manley is dubbed the “Adventure Illusionist,” and explorer, magician and actor and uniquely combines his sleight of hand skills on the new Tubi series, “Culture Shock” shot in Peru and Africa now airing and was just renewed for season 2 to shoot in Boliva and also will perform his live stage show “Diary Of Magic” which he will tour around the US with Erich Recker,Criss Angel's “Mindfreak” producer. Rich is also an actor, who's production banner, 12th Planet Productions, starring in the action thriller, “Fallen Cards”which he wrote and co-directed along with Zack Ward and Justin Zagri now in post-production and other credits include the comedy, “Slay Belles” starring Barry Bostwick as well as the critically acclaimed, “The Debt Collector” starring Scott Adkins, Michael Pare, Louis Mandylor, directed by Jesse V. Johnson, the action adventure “Knight And Day” starring Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz,directed by James Mangold and the family comedy, “Cowboy Spirit.” Rich Manley was born in Concord Massachusetts and raised in the city of Stow and as a ten-year-old learned magic from his grandfather, Dr. Douglas Marchant, a surgeon who explored global cultures and their medicinal traditions. Rich attended College at Radford University in Virginia for Acting/media studies and sports studies focusing on martial arts and left college, and traveled to Los Angeles as part of a film crew for a reality show pilot called "Stars Stunts Action" and also engaged his magic abilities by performing at the prestigious Magic Castle in Hollywood.

We are joined by the hilarious Deric Poston to talk Zootopia, Lord Of the Rings tattoos, and how Deric's unborn baby changed genders after watching Brave. Liam has an owl-related heartbreak, Will has a new-found interest in light art, and Emily had some Jewish telepathy at Magic Castle. FOLLOW DERIC POSTON: https://www.instagram.com/dericposton/?hl=en DERIC'S POD: https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@TheSolidShow2024⁩  LIMITED SHIND TEES LEFT: https://fridaybeers.shop/collections/af-pod FOLLOW OUR SOCIALS: https://www.flowcode.com/page/almostfridaypod SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS: LIGHTSTRIKE - THE FIRST HARD BEVERAGE BUILD FOR THE LONG GAME. VISIT https://www.drinklightstrike.com TODAY OR FIND LIGHTSTRIKE ON INSTACART! Find Death Wish Coffee Near You: https://www.deathwishcoffee.com/pages/friday?utm_source=almost_friday&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=rtd Head to https://www.squarespace.com/FRIDAY to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FRIDAY. (6:17) - Magic Castle (21:06) - Light Art (26:53) - Deric's Zootopia Bit (30:28) - Why Will Doesn't Do Standup (32:40) - Will's Character (38:42) - Washing Jeans (42:57) - Will Mentions His Silent Retreat Yet Again (48:48) - Deric Is Going To Be A Dad! (52:08) - Lord of the Rings (58:29) - Deric Was a D1 Athlete?! (1:12:20) - Cracker of the Week (1:18:26) - Jerry Springer Show (1:31:13) - Characters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello from happy hour in our dining room, it's Date Night! We have a new segment - our Party moments of the week. We went to the Magic Castle and Timmy's 25th high school reunion! Plus all our usual suspects - what's on our mind, best things we ate, pop culture palette cleanser, and updates with Sonny. We haven't had a Date Night in a minute and this was a nice, cozy check in. Cheers to Blend! This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episodeThis episode is brought to you by Astral Tequila, Purely Elizabeth, The RealReal, Aruba Tourism, and Caudalie. House Marg Summer is here. Time to stock up! Go to www dot AstralTequila.com to find Astral near you - and don't forget the limes! Please Enjoy responsibly.Taste the obsession for yourself and Visit PurelyElizabeth.com and use code WITHWHIT at checkout for 20% off.The RealReal is the world's largest and most trusted resource for authenticated luxury resale. With thousands of new arrivals daily, no one does resale like The RealReal. And now, get TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS OFF your first purchase when you go to therealreal.com/whit. URL is case-sensitive - "whit" is all lowercase.So if you are daydreaming and plotting your next getaway, maybe this is your sign. Let's both finally go. Plan your next trip at Aruba.comTransform your complexion with Caudalie's iconic Vinoperfect serum - Available at Sephora and Caudalie.comProduced by Dear MediaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Penn & Teller join the Raider Nation, thoughts on the new Pope, Penn's book appearances for his new novel Felony Juggler, Matt moves up to the big room at the Magic Castle, and lots more!

Coeval & Balbutient.Grandpa Bill's Location Idea: A Grand Castle.THIS IS ALL BASED ON MY BEING A 3 YEAR STUDENT OF THE MAGNETIC MEMORY METHODS STRUCTURED ONLINE COURSE AND PARTS OF PARTICULAR ASSIGNMENTS THERE!!Here's how GB is adapting the objects to guide someone through the castle and ultimately to my location within it:CO (Company of Coalas): Imagine a group of identical, cuddly "koalas"(bears) (representing "coeval") gathered in the Castle's main Courtyard. They are all facing a specific archway or doorway.E (Emerald Green Vests): Each koala wears a vibrant Emerald green vest. On the back of each vest is a directional arrow, all pointing towards the same inner part of the castle.VAL (Identical Valises): Each koala holds an identical small VALise. These valises are not just filled with treats, but each has a small, identical map peeking out. When the maps are pieced together ( they each hopefully will show a different section), they will be revealing the specific room or area where GB's examples are located within the castle.So, someone following this mnemonic journey would:Encounter a company of coeval koalas in the castle courtyard.Noticing the arrows on their emerald vests pointing inwards.Examining the maps within their identical valises to piece together my exact location within the castle, as depicted in MY fictional Mnemonic Memory Palace.Again this is to coincide with a specific assigned Word Tracker project as part of my being a student of MMM this is my adaptation of next up  "Balbutient" STAY TUNED!!Creative Solutions for Holistic HealthcareTo our esteemed agencies and potential guests, Grandpa Bill here, host of the BH Sales Kennel Kelp Holistic Healing Hour Podcast (airing today, May 13th, 2025).For the past eight years, as part of my retirement Goodwill Ambassadorship, I've greatly valued the opportunity to host diverse voices on the show.Please note that for the next three months, commencing immediately, I will be taking a temporary hiatus specifically from accepting and scheduling new guest appearances. This focused period will allow me to dedicate time to writing my Mnemonic Fictional Memory Palace novel, deeply rooted in the history and locales of my home city, Portland, Maine.The BH Sales Kennel Kelp Holistic Healing Hour Podcast will continue its regular programming during this time. I look forward to resuming guest bookings in the fall.Thank you for your understanding.Sincerely,Grandpa BillBH Sales Kennel Kelp Holistic Healing Hour Podcast

CLIP- Klein Goes to the Magic Castle full 627 Mon, 12 May 2025 14:51:50 +0000 UZBMRck6DU0Z5ykyt7igUMNP2SU29mBJ society & culture Klein/Ally Show: The Podcast society & culture CLIP- Klein Goes to the Magic Castle Klein.Ally.Show on KROQ is more than just a "dynamic, irreverent morning radio show that mixes humor, pop culture, and unpredictable conversation with a heavy dose of realness." (but thanks for that quote anyway). Hosted by Klein, Ally, and a cast of weirdos (both on the team and from their audience), the show is known for its raw, offbeat style, offering a mix of sarcastic banter, candid interviews, and an unfiltered take on everything from culture to the chaos of everyday life. With a loyal, engaged fanbase and an addiction for pushing boundaries, the show delivers the perfect blend of humor and insight, all while keeping things fun, fresh, and sometimes a little bit illegal. 2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc. Society & Culture False https://player.amperwavepodcasting.com?feed-link=https%3

6am- Ally's Parking Hack, Klein Goes to the Magic Castle and MORE full 2004 Mon, 12 May 2025 14:52:55 +0000 s1BNAgUAVj425hs7r7Ppfc1fUTcwJE6A society & culture Klein/Ally Show: The Podcast society & culture 6am- Ally's Parking Hack, Klein Goes to the Magic Castle and MORE Klein.Ally.Show on KROQ is more than just a "dynamic, irreverent morning radio show that mixes humor, pop culture, and unpredictable conversation with a heavy dose of realness." (but thanks for that quote anyway). Hosted by Klein, Ally, and a cast of weirdos (both on the team and from their audience), the show is known for its raw, offbeat style, offering a mix of sarcastic banter, candid interviews, and an unfiltered take on everything from culture to the chaos of everyday life. With a loyal, engaged fanbase and an addiction for pushing boundaries, the show delivers the perfect blend of humor and insight, all while keeping things fun, fresh, and sometimes a little bit illegal. 2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc. Society & Culture False https://player.amperwavepod

I had an unreal time chopping it up with the legend himself, Neil Patrick Harris!

9am- Bud Light Bros Find Jobs, Klein Goes to the Magic Castle and MORE full 1507 Fri, 09 May 2025 17:13:00 +0000 lFsZgOmmP4bpjwxbzd8iIgsvVaAeJr1G society & culture Klein/Ally Show: The Podcast society & culture 9am- Bud Light Bros Find Jobs, Klein Goes to the Magic Castle and MORE Klein.Ally.Show on KROQ is more than just a "dynamic, irreverent morning radio show that mixes humor, pop culture, and unpredictable conversation with a heavy dose of realness." (but thanks for that quote anyway). Hosted by Klein, Ally, and a cast of weirdos (both on the team and from their audience), the show is known for its raw, offbeat style, offering a mix of sarcastic banter, candid interviews, and an unfiltered take on everything from culture to the chaos of everyday life. With a loyal, engaged fanbase and an addiction for pushing boundaries, the show delivers the perfect blend of humor and insight, all while keeping things fun, fresh, and sometimes a little bit illegal. 2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc. Society & Culture False https://player.amperwa

In today's show we get worried about Vanessa after she falls off her rollerblades, Ally has a lackluster LA first, have the great mom off, we see what Johnny knows about religion, Jake has a weigh in and talks to people on the street to see what they think about the new pope, the Bud Light bros find jobs and Klein has to find a suit to go to the Magic Castle

Jon Armstrong stops by the show to discuss his new award as The Magic Castle's Parlor Magician of the Year. He also discusses writing and creating for your own show, and how you can move from close-up to stage. The show kicks off with Nick Locapo and Erik Tait discussing the newest tricks from Penguin Magic, answering Listener questions on how to conquer butterflies before performing, and Nick gives a report on the convention he just performed on.

Welcome to episode #224! We dust off our microphones and catch up with latest scuttlebutt and cruise happenings in Southern California. The competition is heating up again and we are going to see new cruise ships and even a new cruise line coming to the west coast!  Are you ready for Real ID, renewing your passport or traveling to Europe soon? We have some updates and information for you. And finally, we share about the beautiful and stunning Sun Princess. Princess Cruises has launched its first Sphere Class ship and it is truly a luxurious ship with fine dining experiences, unique entertainment shows, and introducing Spellbound by Magic Castle, a spectacular new magical venue. Tommy shares about his time aboard this phenomenal cruise ship. Enjoy the show! Tommy & Scott

About the Guest:John Fareed is the Global Chairman of Horwath HTL, the world's largest and most established hotel, tourism, and leisure advisory firm. But before becoming a leader in global hospitality consulting, John was a U.S. Marine, a professional magician, and a young radio DJ. With a career marked by bold pivots and relentless curiosity, John's story is a masterclass in personal branding, adaptability, and the power of saying “yes” to unexpected opportunities. He is also the author of From Invisible to Icon: How to Become a Known Expert in Your Industry.About the Episode:In this inspiring and wildly entertaining episode of the Growth Ready Podcast, host Steve Mellor welcomes John Fareed for a conversation that travels from a small town in North Georgia to the global stage. John shares how a willingness to be “open in all things” led him from radio and magic shows to the U.S. Marines, and eventually to chairing an international consulting firm. The episode explores how personal and professional growth often stem from the same core values, and how intentionally shaping your personal brand can be a game-changer. Packed with jaw-dropping stories and practical wisdom, this episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating career shifts or looking to build a personal brand with authenticity and purpose.

Mayday! Paul is absent due to a power outage, but visiting Scoops Kevin and Susan help fill the void with their story attending the Penn & Teller show. Matt's playing the Magic Castle with Alex Ramon but has a not-so-happy experience getting there. Nicholas Newman joins in to talk about our new horse racing podcast and what's going on with the industry.

Today Rebecca is joined by Kristen Brancaccio to react to some anonymously submitted production horror stories - the good, the bad, and the downright hilarious. BREAKDOWN: 0:30 - Updates with Kristen! Full-time directing largely in vertical soap operas 3:55 - Anonymously submitted production horror stories!4:20 - UPM asked LAPD to ID homeless defecation, cop reverse unos and asks production to read screenplay 6:23 - Cops respond to film shooting but not gun shooting7:05 - Chandler Berg the PA putting out a Malibu fire with the production fire extinguisher 8:30 - Producers digging into an actual cemetery 10:06 - Director beat up PD on set, Kristen stands up for art department11:14 - 300 extras were told to actually fight each other, actor gets stabbed12:28 - Rap video with dog fights, stabbing, and computers stolen out of motor home 13:09 - Kristen is up to direct a music video, artist goes to jail before they can shoot 14:22 - Script supervisor stole the lined script for ransom 14:45 - “The Terminator” goes off on PA for chewing too loudly15:40 - Department head commits fraud, blames assistant 16:18 - Kristen declines to deposit production budget into department head's personal account17:30 - Woman shocked by amount of cash taken out by Hollywood productions18:17 - Person asked to only be paid in gold bars18:40 - Camera van without handbrake runs through video village on car commercial28:55 - Portable toilet driven for 45 minutes on bumpy road with person inadvertently inside 19:50 - Talent rage quit his own pilot 20:40 - mayor allowed filming in exchange for photos with celebrities 21:06 - Extra wardrobe malfunction 21:58 - Background actor backstories22:58 - Bribing the neighbor with Magic Castle tickets24:25 - Director freaks out that set design isn't bougie enough 25:22 - Client decided day of the shoot that pre-approved wooden paneling needed to be VFX'd out26:52 - Wet garbage falling30:27 - Unusable footage from holding camera on top of a moving camera29:50 - Petty cash disappeared x231:35 - Who can decode these acronyms? DM us @nosetpathshowKEEP UP WITH KRISTEN: IG: @kristensrealityKristen's first episode on No Set Path: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/02-pitching-matt-damon-producing-for-finneas-w-kristen/id1676370871?i=1000605417778KEEP UP WITH THE SHOW: All Platforms: @NoSetPathShowwww.NoSetPathShow.combio.site/nosetpath

Ep. 84: Improv Magic, ft. TORI & ROBERT - Tori and Robert are students of improvisation and magic, and today they are seated at the kids' table with our regular JESTIES goofballs, to discuss a life built on illusion and adaptation. They bring some wacky true tales of unforgettable magical experiences and tough crowds at their shows.First, they need us to explain what to expect on this podcast (hint: it involves Cleveland, and not the city).Next, we get to hear stories of their magical partnership and marriage.Of course, there's always input from the Jesties, who can relate to wacky audiencesChristopher Walken-here, has a sayWhat are those audience hecklers all about?Stand-up experiencesCleveland drops in for a bit, to make sure Alex isn't upset with him.Kids in a family really want to see a magic show, but their Paw won't let them.JEST IMPROV'S upcoming showsHear about Tori and Robert's podcast (The Jesties guested on it, once -- for the sake of cross pollination)THANK YOU FOR LISTENING - PLEASE Like and Subscribe. Thank you for listening. LIke what you hear? Want to hear something more? Drop us a comment at team@jestimprov.com Let us know if you want a mention in our episode, we'll do our best to give you a shout-out.Visit us anytime at https://www.jestimprov.com to find out more about us in Ventura, CA - including when to drop-in for classes and shows!

Have you ever stepped into a place so full of wonder and surprises, it felt like you were inside a real-life fairytale? https://dreambigpodcast.com/448 That's exactly what happened when host Sophia Karpman visited The Magic Castle in Hollywood—a members-only clubhouse where some of the world's best magicians gather to perform illusions that seem, well… impossible. ✨ In Episode 448 of the Dream Big Podcast, Sophia takes you behind the red velvet curtain to explore what makes this legendary castle so special—and asks the BIG question: Is what we see on stage truly magic… or is it something even more powerful like skill, practice, and the energy we bring to life?

"DOME with bamfomania" is the greatest freestyle-rap/comedy podcast IN THE WORLD. If the beat drops while you're talking about it... you gotta rap about it. This week, we are joined by Ben aka @ karma0036 on IG. We get into the new Playboy Carti album, Crypto, The Magic Castle in LA and DUMPING a chick for having 6 toes. Also freestyles! If you would like to support the show, get access to episodes early, bonus episodes, and other content weekly, sign up at https://patreon.com/DOMEwithbamfomania Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bamfomania/ https://www.instagram.com/sultansatire/ https://www.instagram.com/karma0036/ https://www.instagram.com/_hiterry/ Listen to "DOME with bamfomania" on all podcast platforms: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/dome-with-bamfomania/id1601495349 https://open.spotify.com/show/2IMnymbj1RU5U0NVXYLH9T?si=3ffba705f3a24e8f https://soundcloud.com/bamfdome Listen to bamfomania music on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1w5Z3rwfh4BOU78BKZgFbk?si=rQB7uhH_SKmYrzYyI_Kvkg Listen to Sultan Satire music on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4fvxByDc6w4Q49dcl9AKYS?si=LWa1-oSnQYmVZB1_qTKzTg If you enjoy this content, please like, comment, subscribe and share

This week on Improv and Magic I had the privilege of talking to the brilliant and captivating Alyx Hilshey.In this interview, Alyx Hilshey shares her journey from earning a Master's in Electrical Engineering to becoming a nationally acclaimed magician. Know for her sharp humor and technically stunning magic, Alyx's story is one of passion, creativity, and perseverance.Alyx Hilshey has been featured on the cover of Vanish International Magic Magazine, and has performed sold out shows at The Magic Castle, Philadelphia Smoke and Mirrors, Chicago Magic Lounge and Boston Magic Lab, among many other venues.  She has also been featured on television, and shares her experience of performing on Penn & Teller: Fool Us.You can learn more about Alyx Hilshey by visiting her website, alyxmagic.com.Don't forget to rate and review, and feel free to leave a comment!

Los Angeles may be the city of dreams, but its dark history is filled with eerie hauntings, cursed landmarks, and spirits that refuse to leave. From the ghostly magicians of Hollywood's Magic Castle to haunted hotels, occult rituals, and spectral celebrities who still walk the streets, the City of Angels has a chilling side that's anything but welcoming. Are these just legends, or is something truly lurking in the shadows of L.A.?CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Show Open00:01:42.381 = Hollywood's Haunted Magic Castle00:10:40.836 = Los Angeles' Haunted Hotels00:29:40.762 = Los Angeles: City of the Occult00:54:59.625 = L.A. Ghosts01:04:30.433 = Show Close, Verse, and Final Thought01:05:39.693 = BloopersSOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…“Hollywood's Haunted Magic Castle” by Christina Sanza for Graveyard Shift: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/nhdf2f29“Los Angeles' Haunted Hotels” by Andy Miller from Weird History: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/mvbdcwac“L.A. Ghosts” by Jen Lennon for Graveyard Shift: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/39xypc6c“Los Angeles: City Of The Occult” by Christine Aprile for Weird History: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4y9rj77r=====Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateInfo on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScreamInfo on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV=====(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: April, 2021EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/HauntedLA

In this episode I sit down with actor, magician, and podcast host Steve Valentine. We go way back to my Vegas days, and it's been incredible to see his career evolve. Best known for his role as Nigel Townsend on Crossing Jordan, Steve has also appeared in Mars Attacks!, Spider-Man 3, and voiced characters in Dragon Age and Uncharted 2. Beyond acting, he's an acclaimed magician who has performed at the legendary Magic Castle and now explores the art of illusion on his podcast, Magicians Only. We dive into what people misunderstand about magic, the surprising parallels between acting and performing illusions, and how he's reinvented himself in Hollywood. If you've ever been curious about the magic behind the curtain—both literal and metaphorical—this is an episode you won't want to miss!Want to advertise on our show? Email us at: info@truenativemedia.com--- --- ---VISIT OUR AMAZING SPONSOR!--- --- —THRIVER'S COFFEEwww.thriverscoffee.com use code: DRINKTHRIVE for an exclusive discount. Check out the Deliver Fund as well - https://deliverfund.org/--- --- —Shop Miss Understood Merch https://mumerch.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Rachel on Instagram!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/racheluchitelnyc/?hl=enFollow Rachel on TikTok! https://www.tiktok.com/@itsracheluchitelExecutive Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Carmona Please like, share, subscribe, and give us a 5-star review!Do you have show ideas or media requests? Email the show at: ru@missumedia.comListen on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube:⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw13NrSKD-nD_8E0vBHt5hA⁠⁠Website: https://missunderstoodpodcast.com/

David Gerard is one of Silicon Valley's most sought-after magicians and mentalists, performing over 90 shows annually for Fortune 500 companies and tech industry leaders. Before pursuing magic full-time, David spent 12 years in tech, starting at Google where he worked on flagship products including YouTube, AdWords, and Google Play, before leading growth and marketing initiatives at Discord and Aalto. Now, David combines his expertise in product growth with his mastery of psychological principles from magic, consulting with series A and B startups while maintaining a rigorous performance schedule that includes over 60 shows at Hollywood's prestigious Magic Castle. His unique background bridging tech and magic makes him a distinctive voice on user psychology, attention, and engagement.In our conversation, we unpack: A magician's secret for creating engaging experiences How magic shows achieve retention (and what products can learn from it) The misdirection technique that can transform user experiences What magicians know about building trust that most companies miss The surprising way performers make experiences feel personalized at scaleFrom Google to the stage, David Gerard has mastered both tech product growth and performance magic. In this episode, he reveals the psychological principles behind great magic shows and how product teams can apply them to create experiences users can't look away from. A must-listen for growth, product and design leaders looking to add a touch of magic to their user experience.Enjoy this episode? Rate it and leave a review. It really helps others find the podcast.Learn more about Kristen and Irrational Labs⁠here⁠.

Abby Segal is a rising young star in magic. She has written a hit children's book that is sold at The Magic Castle, lectured and performed at Magifest, and is a featured performer at The Chicago Magic Lounge. She talks creativity, how her visual art influences her magic, and a whole lot more.

Send us a textJustin Rivera is a dynamic entertainer. He seamlessly blends comedy and magic to create an unforgettable performance experience. With a natural talent for humor and a passion for illusions, Justin has carved out a unique niche in the entertainment world. Known as the “Comedian's Magician,” he combines quick wit, observational humor, and clever storytelling to keep audiences laughing, while his magic skills captivate and mystify, making his performances not just funny, but full of wonder and amazement.Justin's magical journey began at the age of 13, when he was accepted into Los Angeles' prestigious Magic Castle junior program. His dedication to his craft led him to become a continuing member of this iconic institution, where he honed his skills and built the foundation for his extraordinary career. His rise in the entertainment world skyrocketed, with performances on Comedy Central, Playboy TV, and the Speed Channel. His ability to merge comedy and magic has earned him recognition in various entertainment circuits, making him a sought-after performer for events ranging from comedy clubs to corporate gatherings.Justin was on Season 7 of NBC's America's Got Talent, where he was named a judges' favorite by Howard Stern, Howie Mandel, and Sharon Osbourne. His unique approach to blending humor and illusion won over both audiences and judges, propelling him into the spotlight. Justin's performances are celebrated for their wit, charm, and remarkable tricks, making him a favorite in intimate settings as well as large arenas.Whether performing for small groups or large crowds, Justin has a knack for engaging and connecting with people through his energetic and interactive style. A true innovator, Justin continues to push the boundaries of traditional comedy and magic, blending the two to create a fresh, exciting experience for audiences of all ages. His career has taken him to international stages, captivating audiences worldwide and leaving them both laughing and spellbound.Instagram: @thejustinrivera___________________Music CreditsIntroEuphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OGStingerScarlet Fire (Sting), Otis McDonald, YouTube Audio LibraryOutroEuphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG__________________My SGV Podcast:Website: www.mysgv.netNewsletter: Beyond the MicPatreon: MySGV Podcastinfo@sgvmasterkey.com

In this deeply personal episode of Hollywood Live with Tanya Hart, Tanya reflects on the devastating wildfires currently ravaging Los Angeles County. Drawing from her experience covering military coups and wars, she describes the unparalleled destruction in neighborhoods like historic Altadena and the Pacific Palisades, which have been nearly wiped off the map. Even iconic Hollywood landmarks, such as the Walk of Fame, Magic Castle, and Hollywood Bowl, narrowly escaped disaster thanks to the heroic efforts of firefighters. Celebrities like Diane Warren, Paris Hilton, and Maria Shriver have lost their homes, joining over 80,000 displaced residents. Maria Shriver's heartbreaking words, “Everything is gone,” resonate as Tanya details the emotional and physical toll on the community. With events like tonight's Lakers game canceled, Los Angeles remains on high alert as the fires rage on. Tanya offers her gratitude to the firefighters and shares her prayers for those affected. For updates on this crisis and more, follow Tanya on social media and visit @aurnonline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI: Hour TWO of ‘Later, with Mo'Kelly' Presents – Live Coverages of the SoCal Fires from Altadena to the Hollywood Hills & Beyond with KFI Reporter Michael Monks and the legendary ‘Magic Castle' General Manager Herve Levy - on KFI AM 640…Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app

Meta introduces Black AI people, wrong questions at the ultrasound place, Null is told to lose weight and overreacts, giant boob vaccine sideeffects, a marine does a terrorism, I am banned from the Food Bank, the Magic Castle, the All State Ceo releases a message of tolerace, and British r*pe gangs; all that and more this week on The Dick Show!

Happy holidays to all our haters & more importantly to our lovers! This episode we pick our least favorite contestants from the most recent season of Love is Blind & discuss the disadvantages of being a hot ginger (such as interacting with the pumpkin pounder community). We also talk Erewhon, our recent foray into the Magic Castle, & celibacy, all before introducing a new confessional segment in which we realize that unfortunately, pick up artists might be onto something. patreon.com/onlineforeverpod for tons of bonus content including the full, hour-long, unedited version of this episode

Episode 293 Guest: Gabriella Lester Profession: Magician, Escape Artist, Stunt Performer --- Today I am thrilled to welcome the extraordinary magician and escape artist Gabriella Lester to the show. Join us as we delve into her early beginnings, where a passion for magic ignited at a young age, leading her to an incredible career that defies the conventional path. Gabriella shares her experiences of growing up in the magic community, finding mentors, and honing her craft with relentless dedication. We explore the unique challenges and joys of performing at prestigious venues like the Magic Castle, and how each audience interaction shapes her performances. Gabriella's natural ability to connect with people shines through as she discusses the psychology behind her art and the empathy required for engaging live shows. We also discuss Gabriella's upcoming TEDx Talk, where she will share her personal journey and the profound impact of pursuing one's passions. Her story is a testament to resilience, creativity, and the power of living in the moment. Thanks for listening! Kyler --- Episode Links: GabriellaLester.ca IG: @thegabriellalester Linktree: @GabriellaLester --- SLD Podcast Info: www.saltlakedirt.com Radio Broadcast every Monday on KPCR 92.9 FM Los Gatos & 101.9FM Santa Cruz - 6PM - 8PM PST Listen on SPOTIFY Listen on APPLE Podcasts Instagram: @saltlakedirt Bluesky: @saltlakedirt.bsky.social Follow KPCR on Instagram

Please subscribe and rate us on your preferred podcast platform and sign up for the patreon! Chad Riden currently lives on the Taos County, New Mexico high desert mesa where he is building a sustainable, off the grid compound with some awesome friends while producing comedy shows for the TaosComedy 501c3 non-profit. Riden has appeared on “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central, the Late Show with David Letterman's “Tony Mendez Show,” ABC/CMT's “Nashville,” “CBS This Morning,” HBO/Max “Love Off The Grid,” “Chrisley Knows Best,” “Still The King,” “TRUMP OCH KOMIKERNA – HUMORKRIGET” (TV4 Sweden, C-MORE's “Trump Vs Comedy”), CMT-Canada's “Mississippi Snake Grabbers,” and once ate lunch at The Magic Castle in Los Angeles whose newsletter called him “the most famous un-famous person.” Chad produced and hosted the annual Guinness world record breaking 184+ hour long #BrokenRecordShow (longest stand-up comedy show, multiple comedians) every year from 2015-2018 as part of the Nashville Comedy Festival. “Broken Records,” a documentary shot during the 2016 show, is available to stream on ShortFilmsMatter.com Riden ran for Mayor of Nashville in 2015, which was hilarious and everybody loved it even though he lost miserably. Undaunted, in 2018 he ran for Governor of Tennessee and garnered 1,096 votes statewide, finishing 14th out of 28 candidates on the ballot – a mere 1,335,011 votes short of winning the whole damn thing.

Our sponsor, FLESHLIGHT, can help you reach new heights with your self-pleasure. FLESHLIGHT is the #1 selling male sex toy in the world. Looking for your next pocket pal? Save 10% on your next fleshlight with Promo Code: SNEAKY at fleshlight.com. ☎️ Text us! 310-356-3920 ☎️ This week on Sex Talk With My Mom, we answer your questions on everything from mismatched sex drives and sissy cuckolds to the awkward realities of dating after divorce. We dish out advice, spill personal tea (like Cam's Magic Castle shenanigans), and Mom sneaks in some Chicago Bears hot takes. We finish with a hilarious game of Would You Rather…sneaky freak style. Buckle up—it's juicy, weird, and ridiculously fun! Chapters 1:16 - Listener Question: Husband's Difficulty Finishing 5:08 - Role-Playing and Sexual Enhancement 6:05 - Listener Question: Saving Sexual Energy 10:56 - Listener Question: Child's Preference for Father in Morning 17:15 - Listener Question: Seeking a Loyal Companion 19:59 - Listener Question: Cheating Concerns on Partner's Birthday 22:43 - Listener Question: Age Gap Relationship and Sex Drive 26:22 - Listener Question: Sissy Cuckold Concerns 30:25 - Listener Question: Dealing with Parents' New Relationship 33:02 - Listener Question: Effectiveness of Silver Singles 35:17 - Cam's Wild Experience at the Magic Castle 44:06 - Karen's Disappointment with the Chicago Bears 45:59 - Would You Rather Segment 54:46 - Closing Remarks and Acknowledgments Please support our show and get discounts on our favorite brands by using our sponsors' links at sneakypod.com! UBERLUBE – UberLube is our favorite lube! Perfect for oral, anal, and vaginal sex. Use code SNEAKY at www.UberLube.com for 10% off and free shipping. VB HEALTH – Want bigger, tastier loads? Visit loadboost.com and use code SNEAKY for 10% off.   ❣️You can view many of our full episodes in video form by going to our YouTube channel. Join our sparkling new Sneaky Freak chatroom on Discord! Just visit: https://discord.gg/jJZqkUw3dV. To gain exclusive access to all our Discord channels, join us at Patreon.com/sextalkwithmymom. If you've enjoyed the show, please consider leaving us a review at RateThisPodcast.com/Mom. Also, it would mean the world if you'd support us through Patreon.com/sextalkwithmymom – a platform where you can get exclusive STWMM bonus episodes and Zoom chats with us! Grab some Sex Talk w/ My Mom swag at sextalkwithmymom.com. Get close with us on socials at: Text us - 310-356-3920 Facebook/Instagram - @SexTalkWithMyMom Twitter - @SexTalkWMyMom Website - www.SexTalkWithMyMom.com Our podcast's music was crafted by the wildly talented Freddy Avis! Check out his work at http://www.freddyavismusic.com/ Sex Talk With My Mom is a proud member of Pleasure Podcasts, a podcast collective revolutionizing the conversation around sex. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meet Evan Disney; entertainer extraordinaire, he's the magician on a mission. With accolades like performing at the Magic Castle to America's Got Talent, it's been quite the journey for him and he's not slowing down as he continues to raise thousands of dollars for various organizations he's passionate about. Learn more: https://www.evandisneymagic.com/

An iconic illusionist makes a castle his home.More Ghost Town: https://www.ghosttownpod.comSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/ghosttownpod (7 Day Free Trial!)Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ghosttownpodSources: https://bit.ly/4fpQr7OEdited by Brian Fernandes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A deep dive into the mysticism and lore within the walls of the castle.More Ghost Town: https://www.ghosttownpod.comSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/ghosttownpod (7 Day Free Trial!)Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ghosttownpodSources: https://bit.ly/4fkhroYEdited by Brian Fernandes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An iconic Los Angeles mystical landmark has a dark and fascinating history.More Ghost Town: https://www.ghosttownpod.comSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/ghosttownpod (7 Day Free Trial!)Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ghosttownpodSources: https://bit.ly/40bpjoAEdited by Brian Fernandes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello! And welcome to the Dana Gould Hour Podcast's annual Halloween spectacular. Or spooktacular! Ha ha! Get it? Not spectacular but – okay, you get it.   What a show we have for you today. Mike McCarty and James Knight are brothers, even if they don't have the same last name. And they are the hosts of a new horror podcast called The Head, the Tail and the Whole Damn Thing. It's not your ordinary horror podcast as you will soon learn. I have known Mike forever. He is a special effects make-up artist who has worked on Blade Runner 2049, Mind Hunter, The Exorcist, The Orville, Stan Against Evil, if anyone remembers that show. James is an actor and educator but together, they share a love of all things creepy, and, most importantly, they are great guys and they're super funny. Mike McCarty and James Knight.  Also, Rob Zabrecky, or just Zabrecky, if you are a fan of magic, is here. Rob is an actor, and an author and a musician, a Valley kid, who has since gone on to become a professional illusionist and a walking encyclopedia if all things magic. Rob runs the Houdini seance at The Magic Castle and is here today to talk about the history of Midnight Spook Shows! He's also performing one at the Mayan Theater this month here in Los Angeles, but we have him right here, right now, Rob Zabrecky.  True Tales From Weirdsville takes us on a deep dive on Dracula, from Bram Stoker's book to Hamilton Dean's west end production in the 1920's all the way up to Gary Oldman's fright wig. We'll discuss which film version is closest to the book, and why, but also ask, how much does that actually matter?

Penn checks out a few shows at the Magic Castle including Matt's. Paul lacks a proper mindset to watch a new movie. Scoop mail, errands to a strip club edition. Jock Vs. Nerd Trivia Scoopardy.

Penn got a new phone and spent an entire day setting it up, Matt's adventures with the neighborhood kids continue with a trip to the movies, stories from the recording studio with Bob Dylan and Frank Zappa, Penn prepares to see Matt The Mind Noodler live at the Magic Castle, and more.

Flames flicker as Roz sets her intentions on conjuring none other than actress, writer, and comedian, Hayden Johnson! Beneath their sickening bangs and a full moon, the two discuss the ghosts of an abandoned school in Texas, Ohio University's eerie campus, and Hayden's fateful tarot experience at the Magic Castle. Want to share YOUR paranormal experience on the podcast? Email your *short* stories to GhostedByRoz@gmail.com and maybe Roz will read it out loud on the show... or even call you! Be sure to follow the show @GhostedByRoz on Instagram. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwYCsr Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices