Magic, Marketing, and Making a Living Living Life | MagicBrad, Magician #068

Hello everyone. It's Karissa from Shining Light on Minnesota today and we're super excited. I have MagicBrad with us today. Welcome. Thank you. It's good to be here. Yes. So, let's kind of start back. You've been in the magic world for a long time. What kind of got you into magic when you were young? It's kind of all my life. I remember when I was about four, a friend of my brothers made a quarter disappear and then he pulled it out of my ear and I thought, "How did that work? I don't I thought I washed my ears. So, it just kind of fascinated me as a as a young kid and then I started dabbling with it as a hobby. He gave me a a couple pamphlets. One was on coin magic and one was on card magic and I didn't really understand them that much, but there was some pictures and I just got into it and started dabbling with it through grade school into high school. Yep. And then it kind of evolved into a lot more. It did. I mean, I I've got a video up on YouTube. It's um 55 years in five minutes. So, I'm 68 now, but I could do that. Yep. [laughter] I can I can tell you that whole story because that that's kind of where it all started. Um when I graduated high school in 1975, I was already doing making some money at working at I never did a Burger King or worked at the drugstore. I was doing magic shows for Okay. churches or hospitals or whatever I could get. Yep. And that was my high school thing. And then when I graduated in 75, people said, "You should get a job." I thought, "Okay, maybe. All right." So, I got a job and I working for the Enela County Parks and Wreck, cutting down the trees and y mowing the lawns and taking out the garbage and and then about four years later, they said, "Uh, the program is over and we have to let you go." I thought, "Where's my gold watch? I thought I had a job here." Right. I had my name on my shirt, everything. I thought it was a a long-term official. Yep. And then uh I thought, well, I'm going to do my own thing cuz that's more secure. I learned early that jobs are temporary. And because I was in Minnesota, I knew there's a lot of corporate here, you know, with all the businesses, General Mills and Pillsbury and 3M and Yep. Carville, all that kind of stuff. Metronic, Landlakes. And I knew that when you worked for a company like that, they had the money and they had the audience. You just go do their events because they do company picnics and holiday parties and awards banquetss, client appreciations, employee recognition, trade shows, product launches. Yes, they do all these different things whether it be entertainment or marketing for their uh for their company. So that's where I focused on and this was I guess late 70s going into like around like 1986. Um, there was a woman, her name is Patty Saxs Meshbasher, and they called her Party Patty. So, she had put together a party planners trade show where event planners that wanted to plan a party would go there and find balloon decorators and tables and chairs and centerpieces and florists and entertainers and all the stuff you need for a party. Yeah. And I I went to it and then uh her and I teamed up and did one and I asked her I said you know this would really be good for me to get magic gigs. Yes. I said how would it be if I did this and she said go ahead I just did it for the PR. So in 1991 I started a company or started a show called the Great Minnesota Event Show and it was at International Market Square over in Minneapolis. Yep. And did it all the way to 1998. It was a really nice event where event planners, this was like pre- internet, so they would fill out a little form that said, "I'm Tammy from 3M Corporation. We have a company picnic at Tartan Park for 3,000 employees, and we're looking for a pig roster and a tent, bouncy thing for the kids, face painters, and a magician." And then they would call me up and say, "Are you available for a picnic August 15th?" And I go, "Sure." So I did a lot of postcard marketing. Yes. To stay in front of them. And then the internet came in around n around the I guess 98 98 late 90s. Yep. And I I could see that people are going to just go on the internet to find stuff. They would go on back then it was Netscape. It wasn't Google. And I sort of saw that. Yep. And I don't know if I panicked, but I thought I I needed to get some other people. So I started a more of a legitimate company instead of just myself. I brought on two business partners, which I would not suggest because it creates a tripod. It does. Three-legged stool. And one of the guys was, "Do you got kids?" I do. So, you know that they go, "Well, dad said I could. Well, mom said, they do that." Yep. That's what this guy was doing to me and my other business partner, right? Of course. And then he was pulling a little money out of the bank account, too. Yep. So, that all collapsed and I thought, I don't want to be in business anymore. So, I I Threes a crowd. Yep. I just gave it all up and I I a friend of m I went bankrupt. Everything went away and a friend of mine was doing a martial arts thing out in California and he'd been asking me come on out and help me at the thing and I said I'm running my business here but seeing the business collapsed. I was a freeird. Why not try it? So I packed up the computers and my magic tricks and some clothes and I drove out to California and helped him for a year. Nice. And then a friend of mine that was a a magician actor out in LA, he wanted to work on a magic project. It was a it was an infomercial of how to do magic tricks with video VHS tapes. Yep. So I said, "Sure, I'll do that." So I moved over to Studio City. That project was over and I was out in LA going, "Now what am I going to do?" Right. I don't want to be an actor. I don't know how to sing. I can't dance. Uh I don't know how to act. What can I add to it or what's going to make me stand out? Right. Yeah. Well, you got to do all that. And I I didn't want to wait on tables. So, I said, I'm going back home. So, I went back to Minneapolis and I was doing digital marketing stuff and learning how to sell stuff with the internet. And then a friend of mine that used to do singles dances. He knew I did trade shows and he wanted to do trade shows. So, he started calling me over and over and over because he's I I call him like a pitbull on the phone because he doesn't quit, right? And he kept calling and I said, "I don't want to work. I just want to sit down at Calhoun Square and look at girls and play with my computer and drink coffee. I don't want to work, right? Because I was still wounded. Mhm. And he kept calling and finally I said, "Okay, let's do it." So in 2004 we started a company, Mediaax events and expos. And we were the expo guys and we did home improvement shows in different areas. um Blaine, Canterbury Park, Maple Grove, Lakeville, and Brooklyn Park were the places that had the most um building permits pulled. Yes. So, I thought that's a good place to do home shows. Yep. So, I I think strate strategically. Yep. You got to think outside the box and you got to see where they work. Yeah. He didn't want to think outside the box. That that's why it didn't work so good for us. But, we did it till 2012. I had a minor stroke. Okay. And just the three-minute episode, they call it a transient eskeemic attack where it shuts you down for a little while. Yeah. But it was a shot over the bow saying, "Hey, you're stressed." So I told him, "I quit. I don't want to do this anymore." So I sold my shares in the business and he took over everything and I went and called me to Asheville, North Carolina. I don't know what it was because I never heard of Asheville. But it was just kind of a weird experience because I would see things all about Asheville, North Carolina. So me and the wife picked up, moved to Asheville, North Carolina. And I don't know why I was out there. And nothing really happened out there other than being there. And then we got sick of Asheville and decided to come back to Minneapolis. and we got an apartment over at uh by Ridgedale and stayed there for quite a few years. And then Monica says, "Let's get a house." And I thought, "Okay, I'm fine by me." And it was weird because I grew up in Fidley. My brother still lives in the same house that we grew up in. And we looked all over the cities for a house. Yep. all the way Menota Heights way up in [ __ ] Rapids, almost Elk River, way out west by Lake Minnetonka and White Bear Lake and now I'm back in Fidley. Come came full circle all the way around. Yes. So there I am there and then um I wanted to start another event business because doing internet stuff it's kind of lonely. You're by yourself all the time. It is. Yep. And I wanted to get out in front of people. Mhm. So I started another business with another guy in 2019 and we did uh one show we did the event expo again and we did a business expo and then some we did one for March 4th 2020 and you remember what happened then? I do remember. [laughter] How can anybody forget those days, right? So that's what happened in 2020. Uh the COVID thing stopped all events dead. Yep. Time to start, right? or end. Well, I don't quit. That's Yeah, I I got a third degree black belt in martial arts and I learned that if you keep on going, keep on going. Y So, the philosophy is you can't fail if you don't quit. Correct. So, I'm still going at it. Yep. And I tried to do one um uh what was it? Uh I tried to do one in 2021. It just wouldn't work. I would only get about 60 people that wanted to come. Then I tried one in 2022 and it didn't work. And then I tried one in 2023 and it worked. There you go. I thought, "Okay, we got the momentum going. Got this. Now we know." And I thought, I've I've never really done one in the fall, but I thought, "I'll let me keep the ball rolling. I'll keep it doing it. I'll do it in the fall." And I tried it again and it sucked. It was horrible. So, I got frustrated and just said, "I don't want to do this anymore." Got it. So, I started doing more digital marketing and I started doing a I got a membership thing where people can be a member and I promote on the internet and I if I can start doing them again then you can have complimentary exhibit space at the show because you've been paying your membership. Yep. So, it's like a building that's still in place. But I don't know if I want to do the event industry stuff anymore because it seems it's a lot of work. It's a lot of time. Well, it it doesn't doesn't I think co really affected event industry people. It's a different world now. That is especially because I mean you can do anything. Uh you can create an event on Facebook, on LinkedIn, you can do it on Eventbrite. You can do it on your own. Yep. I could create 400 events on this day on this time because they're online webinars, right? Yes. Yep. So it's too saturated, right? So you have to do something to stand out and change it and make it make it your own. Yeah. And then like we' talked before, the pe the communication is different. Yes. Y it's hard to get anybody's attention. Yep. And how can [clears throat] you make it how can you make it stand out? What what's going to make it your own? Yeah. Is the algorithm going to work for you or against you? Right. And are you going to go out door knockocking just to make sure that people are going to be there? How are you going to make them show up? All that stuff. Yes. Yes. Yeah. I tried direct mail postcards and sometimes people just don't check the mail, right? and the algorithm today, is it going to be different tomorrow? Like, who knows? Yes. Yeah. Exactly. And all the stuff that's happening with the AI and all these things. It's interesting to me and the stuff is happening so fast. Mhm. That it's um it's sort of exciting because it happens so fast, but it's also frustrating because Yep. It's happening so fast. You get something going and all a sudden that wasn't like that yesterday, right? And it's like, what can I do to stay on top of it for tomorrow or what's going to change for tomorrow that worked today? Yes. What do you think drives you? Um, I think a little bit of curiosity and you got to do something, right? I don't know if I could just sit at home. I don't golf, so I couldn't I'm sort of semi-retired, but I I don't want to retire retire. Yep. So I think it's just trying to figure out ways that uh like I like doing strategy with things so that it makes it easier or using automations and stuff because the internet is 24/7, right? But just ideas like like when I did the event expo, it was a great lead source for me as a magician because it was perfect alignment with the event supplier vendors and the planners. It was a perfect fit. they matched and trying to find that again and then finding a like I'll share an event format that uh a friend of mine Matt Noah he created it it was called net suds and this was before networking was social business events y this was networking computers correct so it was companies like compact computers and stuff like that y so from the outside this event looked like a entrepreneur networking thing where They drinking cocktails and trading business cards. Yep. And then someone gets up and talks for 15 minutes. Then they go back to trading cards and business cards. Yep. [snorts] From the outside, that's what it looked like. But what it really was was Compact was doing the talk and they paid like 10 grand to be up there. Mhm. Why did they spend 10,000 $15,000 to stand and talk to a bunch of people for 15 minutes, right? The reason was in the audience were five venture capitalists. Yep. You're getting in front of the people that wanted to hear what Compact had to say, right? So, the whole event was camouflaged so that these five investors can hide and get in front of those people. Yeah. You can they get the Compact gets to speak to exactly who they want to speak to and they're interested. Yep. They they want to know what the big product launch is. Yep. So, everybody else is just smoking mirrors. Sort of a magic thing. Yep. And then he he duplicated that for the medical industry, too. Did he called it meds? Yep. Same kind of thing. You know, someone like Metronic might get up and talk for 15 minutes and then there's money out there. Well, that's a lot of the events I mean that people still go to. It's like, okay, you want to go and hear someone speak, but you have all the other people that are speaking around it. And it's the people in the audience that you want to see or hear. You want to just hear that one person speak. So, but it's also the other people that are around that you can meet and talk to, too. So, it's kind of a win-win. There's a lot of those events out there, but it's just the one person that you want to hear that you're speaking to or that want to speak to you. So, I found events are different now, too, because it used to be like with with trade shows specifically, they had a booth and then they would buy the uh, you know, printed pens and mugs and give them away as, you know, advertising specialties. They used to want to kind of qualify the people before you just gave them something. You want to find out, are they a prospective customer, right? Now, I went to one, it was the ecom summit, and they have the vendor tables, and they're giving away stuff like hats and shoes and basketballs and baseballs with their logo. Yep. But they're just giving them away, right? They wouldn't even be at the table. They just put stuff out, the swag, and say, "Come and get it." It's being omniresent. It's how many times you bring those home or you get in front of them. It's I mean, we do so many events. We do I mean, we've got a lot of associations that we're a part of, but it's being in front of people. It's like planting those seeds. how many times those hats will go home or those mugs will go home or the pens will go home and you see the logo. It's seeing things three times and it's just even if they bring those pens home and they're sitting on the table, they'll see the logo and they'll see it multiple times. So whether or not they might need us now or they might need us later or whatever it is, they're still seeing the logo. So it's Yeah. You [snorts] got to stay top of mind kind of thing. Yep. Yep. There's lots of events. There's lots of things out there. Who have been some of your mentors growing up, whether in the magic industry or in the business industry, that have really kept you going and kept you strong? Um, a pretty good question. I guess when I was young, I liked Tony Robbins with his personal power thing and the way that he was talking about things. Um, as far as business, um, as far as magic, there's a guy that's local here. And the way he explained to do the magic is using natural movements. So, you don't you don't do something like put the coin in your hand and then and then point at it because that's not natural, right? You do something that looks natural and it's it'll it'll sort of u the illusion. Yeah. The illusion is better because we're programmed from a natural movement. If you do something different like if you have tension in your shoulder people pick up on that right they say okay something's going on there they know something's coming so this guy was very specific on that kind of thing his name's Al Schneider got it he's retired now too but uh him I think he was a good mentor and then uh I guess with Tony Robbins would be a yeah guy in the the business world what do you think has been one piece of advice that you've been given that has really stuck with you. Um, I think in the martial arts thing, there used to be a big banner up. It said jungas, which means if you put your mind to it with enthusiasm and persistency, nothing's impossible. So, just keeping on keeping on, keeping on, keeping on. Right. That I think is what got me where I am now. I'm not going to stop. Right. Until I'm dead. Yep. Correct. Well, and a a lot of the people these days don't put anything into it, right? they kind of they don't want to put the effort into it. They don't want to they expect to just have things handed to them. Yeah. Which is which is frustrating. It's it's hard to train the motivation. It's hard to train the drive and a lot of people it's hard to get out there and push them into things. So, it's Yeah, it's an interesting one. Well, you have to take the physical effort because we're on this physical 3D planet. So, you need to do something. Yeah. Get out there and do something. If you get hungry, you got to get up and walk to the refrigerator. Correct. Yep. Take that first step. Oh, I'm full now. Right. Magically. It's magically delicious. Yes. It's magically delicious. Yep. [laughter] What would be a piece of advice that you'd give to the younger generation coming up? That kind of thing. You can't fail if you don't quit. Correct. Just find out what you want to do. And I think alignment is important. Um I say that you if you're selling hamburgers, you know, don't try and sell them to vegans and vegetarians, right? I don't care if you get a million followers, right? There's no alignment there. So, I think it's important like in the I've gone to some networking events and you you see these BNI events and things and somebody might do something like I know a guy that did um commercial roofing. Yes. So, the malls and the apartments, he did roofing for commercial buildings. And he'd go to these things and and the audience is uh a Mary Kay representative or someone that has a yoga school or someone that does retreats and maybe there's somebody out there that has a shopping mall, right? But it's the probability isn't there. So, as far as advice to someone, I would find where is the fertile garden, right? Because in Minneapolis and St. Paul here there's organization called Bulma which stands for you know what we're part of it. Yeah. Yeah. Building Owners Manage Association. Yep. So there's your ideal client if you're if you're a commercial person. Go to the people that own the buildings, right? Yep. Instead of finding your ideal Yeah. clientele, finding your niche, finding your persona. You got to A lot of times people don't know. It's like, okay, who's your ideal customer? Who's your ideal client? And they're like, oh, I don't know. I've never really thought about that. It's like, okay, well, how can you be a business owner if you don't know who your ideal persona is or who your ideal clientele is or what age bracket is that or just getting down to that ideal person? Yes. I'd also say that that was important to know your niche and not be afraid of missing out on other things. Mhm. Like if you like there's a friend of mine that uh did photography and he did the glamour shots and he did senior portraits and landscapes and pets and all these different things. Then he decided to focus on Mung weddings. That's it. And there's a big M community in St. Paul. Yes, there is. Y and he says I'm doing Mong weddings. Now if someone says will you do a picture of my family in front of the boat? Sure. Absolutely. But he was known as the Mong wedding photographer. Yep. So now people know who how to refer him. Absolutely. Yep. So try not to be the jack of trades. And I I speak this but I'm guilty it myself. I've got so many things going on. Yes. Yep. But I kind of doesn't matter to me. I've got too so much stuff going on. It doesn't make any difference. If you have products for everybody, that's great. I mean, if it if it works and you have legit products for everybody, then you go out and preach all those products to everybody. It's it's easy. Um get out there and promote your products and do what you do. I mean, you've if you've got it all, you can do it all. Sell it all. Absolutely. Like the Walmarts and the Target. Yeah. They got all sorts of stuff. Yep. Yep. If you're a general general contractor, be the general contractor, but if you're a roofing company, be that roofing company. Yep. Stay in your lane. I think that's very important to do. What's What's going to happen? You and your wife have any traveling coming up? I wish we did. We used to uh do a lot of road trips, but we haven't so much. She's self-employed as well. Okay. So, we're both trying to get some things going. Right. spurring some things. Yeah. So, we haven't really focused on where to go. I think she wants to go over to France because right now she's learning how to speak French. Yeah. So, that might be a place that's in the future, but we don't really have anything specifically planned, right, yet. But, I do like the road trips. We go up to Duth a lot and sometimes just for the day up by the Northshore and stuff. Yes, we have a location in Duth. It's it's a lovely area up there, especially the Superior and even getting up past there and going up to all the all the other areas up north. Yes. Yep. I haven't been to Canada yet. No, I've been really close. I could throw a rock, but I didn't go quite that far. There you go. Then Canada's next. [laughter] What else is on your agenda? What do you think's next for you? Um, I've got I've got a LinkedIn group that I acquired that has about 37,000 people in it. And that's another thing I like about the what you're doing with the Minnesota thing. Yes. I would I've got a an idea to do some type of event, but I don't know what it is. Okay. I've got a date in a place schedule for uh April of 2026, but I don't really know what it's going to be yet. Got it. So, I put a stake in the ground and I'm going towards it. Y So, that's what I'm doing from now to then. Yes. is just kind of putting things together, but I'm not sure what it's it'll probably be a business type event, but it's got to be have some some edutrainment in it. Yes. So, we always do an event. We've got our second annual expo coming up on August 22nd here at Sun Control. Our first annual one, we had over 20 vendors. We had 450 people here. Uh we're doing one on August 22nd here. We're going to try to double it. Um, it's a business one where we have contractors come in, we have subcontractors come in, we've got the general public that will come in, we'll have food, we'll have a golf simulator going because we have products for everybody, window film, safety, security film, wall graphics, vehicle graphics, paint protection. Um, it's a lot of fun. We just get people in here. We'll have food, drinks, everything like that from 2:00 to 5:00. It's a good time. We we've done a lot of events here. Um, people like to come, so yeah. Yeah. keep me posted on that. If you want me to help promote it, I'll for sure do that. We have We'll have tables so vendors can come and have their table. Um and then also just come and have a good time. So that'd be great. Yes. Yeah. It's a different world in the event world. I It is. I know that in the 80s I joined the Minneapolis Convention Bureau and that's how I had all my exhibitors. Yes. Because their members were my exhibitors, right? It was a perfect alignment. Yes. I thought I'll try that again. So I joined Meet Minneapolis. But it's so different now. It is. You know, there's a old 60-year-old guy going in. There's always young 60-year-old young. Well, I mean, uh, from their point of view, it's like, how come he doesn't have a walker? [laughter] But a lot of times the people I mean, even when I go to them, you see the the young the younger generation coming in and they are still learning how to get out there and network. So, I do a lot of mentoring with a lot of them because I've done it for a while. We've got a lot of associations we're a part of and it's fun to take the younger generation out and teach them how to network and teach them how to start the booths and how to network and how to get out there and meet people and really connect because a lot of them are on their phone. Yeah. A lot of them are on their phone and just want to text and don't even know how to pick up the phone and call people or don't know how to connect and get out there and do those things. So, it's Yeah, that's kind of what the COVID thing is put masks in front of everybody so you you don't know if someone's smiling or not. you're kind of scared when you see them. Shake a hand. Go out there and meet people. Go door to door. Go out there and go to the booths. And actually, when you're at an expo when it's slow, go talk to people at all the other booths. And yes, take their business cards. Give them your business card. Don't just tap the phone. Yep. That's a relationship kind of thing. I've kind of flipped things around, too. Like for the business events, it is business people that I invite to these socials, but it's it's really more about what's our common thing other than business, right? Yep. Do you like fishing? Do you like rocking? Being intentional, right? Yes. Yep. Finding out what I mean, that's that's the whole name of the game. Let's get intentional and let's find out more about somebody. Like, what's your favorite food? Where are you going next? You know, let's let's have those conversations. So, when you see someone, you're like, "Hey, how was your last trip?" You know, or what did you do? Like, how was your fishing? You know, what what kind of fish did you catch? Was it a walleye? What size was it? How are your kids? Things like that. Yes. Find a common connection. Yep. Absolutely. Higher probability of doing business if you Yes. Or when you go to an event and someone's like, "Hey, you're from Blaine." I'm like, "Yeah, that's that's where I'm from. I was just, you know, saw you around the corner walking or whatever it was." Yes. You always have to find the common ground. Yes. Favorite food. I like sometimes like spicy stuff. Um I like like the Thai food. Yes. And I like breakfasts. I'm not really a night person. Yes. So I like breakfasts. Got it. Know they're standard omelets and stuff like that. So when you went out to California, is that when you got your black belt? Uh, no. I got my black belt when I graduated high school in 19 not I didn't get it in 1975, but I started. Got [snorts] it. Because I had I got that county job with the county parks, so I had money. So I joined karate there. Nice. And then it was about four or five years after that to get the black belt and I continued it through there. How long did it take you to get your black belt? It's about four years. Four years. Got it. Yep. Do you still practice or do you still do it once in a while? A little bit, but not really. I don't want to break a hip, right? [laughter] What do you do outside of work these days? Um, I kind of always work, but I don't look at it as work. I don't The work is like a four-letter word thing to me. Keeps you busy though and active. Just doing something. Doing something. Yeah. So, you I got the phone and that works. That's my office right here. So, I can do videos and things. Yeah. And you can do it from anywhere as long as you get an internet connection. Um, I I like going places and hanging out and observing. And And I like being spontaneous. Yes. I don't like planning things out where, right, all of a sudden you got something that's in the calendar and you you're going to do I have to be here. It's locked in. Right. Yeah. And then all a sudden something better comes along like, "Oh, shoot. I should have been there." Yes. So, I like to just keep an open calendar and if someone calls, hey, let's go grab a burger. Let's have a pizza. Let's go Topg golf. Let's Yep. Go walk around the lake. Yep. What have been some of the fun things that you've observed that have been spontaneous that you've really enjoyed? Let's see. Something that happens spontaneous. I know there's something I just got to pick up on it, right? Where it happened by accident. I I don't know if I really enjoy it, but it's interesting. I remember we were um driving around in Asheville, North Carolina. and we um there was a house. We we wanted to buy maybe get a house out out there. And we're coming back from an area and it was raining a little bit. So, we went to this place and looked at the house that we were looking at, but it was raining and that's up in the mountains and you know, it's a new development. So, they're they're rerouting some water. Yep. Well, the water rerouted and it was pouring in the back of the house. And it was just amazing to me that how could that be flooded like that when it's just drizzling out, right? It was it's just one of those random things. It's like, wait a minute, how does this work? Yes. And it it made me uh realize maybe we don't want that house. No, don't want to don't want to do that. I like seeing things like that that that's that's kind of make you think. Yeah. It's amazing that that kind of stuff happens. Like once I went to the Minnesota State Fair and going down that big hill where the where the fresh French fry booth is going towards Midway. Yep. You see all these people, thousands of people, and they all have heads and eyes and ears and a mouth, arms. They all look the same, but they're not. They all look different. They're all very different. Yes. When you get close, they all look different. And that's fascinating to me. How could everything that looks similar Yep. be so different. How could they be so different? Cuz animals aren't like that. A robin looks like a robin looks like a robin. A dog looks like a dog. Yep. It's very intriguing. It's just one of those things like you stop and think and you're like, "Okay, how does this all work?" like everything is all so much the same but yet so very different. I spend a lot of time in my own head thinking about how could that possibly be? What's your favorite magic trick that you've done or that people catch up on? Either way, I I like things that um that happen like sometimes in the hands of the person. And things that sort of have no explanation like you know when you've got a box or something you could look at, oh that's a special kind of box. There's something in that. Mhm. But if there's no box or if the box is clear, right, you can see right through it and then something disappeared in that box. So, anything that happens like that where there's kind of like no explanation to it. Y or something that happens in the hands of the spectator. Yes. Where I stepped away and then something happened. So, that that kind of stuff because magic happens in the mind. Got it. Do you like watching magicians or do you watch other magicians and you're like, "Okay, I want to learn that or I want to figure out how they do that one or different things like that, too." Um, I've been doing it so long that I can kind of see how to figure it out, how to do it. Yep. Um, it's fun when when uh all of a sudden there's something that you don't quite understand. Trying to back back engineer it and figure it out. Yeah. I I did that. I helped a friend drive his props down to someplace down south and there was a little arcade and I walked into the arcade and there was this glass ball on this table moving back and forth. Mhm. And I'm thinking how does that work? Like I'm trying to work this out in my mind and figure out there was no magnets or anything like that. It's a glass ball. So trying to figure all that stuff out. And then there was another situation when I went out to with my martial arts friend in California. We are on Venice Beach and we're walking down the boardwalk and I'm This is my first time out in California, so it's kind of um what's the word? Like mystical with with the You ever been to Venice Beach? I have, but it's been a long time. Yeah. Yeah. They got the belly dancers and the incense and the drums and the dancers and the way it's kind of weird out there and I I had not been out there so it's kind of creepy for me. So I'm walking along with my buddy and we're just talking. We're away from the vendors tables and at the shops and stuff, but we're just talking. I'm looking at things. I'm talking to him. I look over here. I look back and he's gone. I stopped and it just freaked me out. I thought, "Wait a minute. People don't disappear." So, I just stood there and then all of a sudden he walks out of this shirt shop and he didn't try and ditch me, right? He just walked in there. Yeah. But the timing was perfect where I just glanced back and he was gone. It's like, "Oh, okay." And it freaked me out. So being able to feel that cuz cuz I believed it. Oh, absolutely. Some people believe things. Yes. And they're not necessarily true, right? He didn't really disappear. He just walked into a shop. But you felt that he just disappeared. It's like, "Okay, maybe I'll just magically disappear." And so that kind of stuff. That intrigues me how the brain can because some people are very very uh what's dedicated to whatever it is they believe. Yes. Yep. It it'll shift with your perspective. Yes. You get it from a different point of view. Yep. And the feeling that's in your brain makes Yeah. Yep. It's interesting how the brain works, too. Yes. Absolutely. And sometimes doesn't work, right? [laughter] And as you as you grow and change, that brain works differently, too. Yes. Especially like when you start getting older and you deal with people that have Alzheimer's, dementia, things like that too. And the forgetfulness, it's like, hm, I wish I could get inside your brain and figure out what's what's working or what's not working. Things like that, too. The different uh what do they call them? Neural transmitters. Yes. Firing inside that. Yep. I want to just back engineer and see how we can backfire that and make that work again. Yes. Some of it um they they're doing some of that stuff with like the psychedelics and things. Yep. kind of rewiring the plastic brain. Yep, they are. There's there's lots of different cures out there and there's lots of different options out there. If the medical world would get into it and Eli Liy would slow down a little bit, that would be interesting. Yeah. [laughter] We won't go down that route, but yes, a whole another episode, right? Yeah. Yep. Well, we really appreciate having you on. We look forward to seeing and hearing what you have going on in April and having you out to our expo that's coming up in April as well. and we'll definitely stay in touch and for sure see you at some events, I'm sure. Absolutely. Thank you. Thank you. And how can people get a hold of you? You uh I tell people just Google the word MagicBrad and you'll find the Brad and the [music] ugly. There you go. See you guys later. [music]