Jacques Le Sueur - Conjure

www.JacquesleSueur.com

"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labour and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both." - James A. Michener.

Welcome. Let me introduce myself... Conjure noun: "summon into action or bring into existence, often as if by magic."

My name is Jacques le Sueur, and I've never had a "real" job. I've spent my life traveling the world as a professional entertainer, doing magic shows at corporate events and high-end private parties. People, quite literally, fly me to the ends of the earth and pay me large amounts of money to do the amazing. It's a very cool career, filled with adventure. And this book? Well, thanks to vehicles like the media, mankind generally gets a bad rap. But the more you travel, the more you see that the world is, in essence, a good place, filled with strong people, doing great things. Korea, Dubai, Las Vegas, Nigeria... everywhere I go, the more I meet what can only be called a new breed of bright, brave superstars, who are changing the world in the most amazing ways. Mainstream media don't typically spotlight them, but they are out there. Lots of them. They're happy by default, curious about the world around them, and finding creative solutions to the problems we face. Their most valuable asset is their imagination, and they have the wisdom and tools to make their dreams reality.

The essence of their success are the ideas - the message - they share with the world.

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible.” - Walt Disney

Believe me when I tell you, the stronger the message you can share, the greater you'll become. The most powerful are those who can communicate their story with clarity and precision. With all humility, a good magician is, in essence, a master communicator. He gives audiences a taste of the impossible, even just for a moment. Magic has been around a lot longer than you may think, and gives me a very unique perspective on life. In these pages, I'm going to give you a brief, backstage glimpse into this art of astonishment. You're about to get a small taste of the ancient tricks and psychology conjurers use to create the language of illusion. We'll remove some of the filters society has created around your mind so you can aim for true freedom. If you can decode the secrets of the impossible, you'll discover what's truly possible. It's going to be exciting. Tighten your chin-straps, and let's dive down the rabbit hole...

A brief overview of what's ahead...

"He who lives by the crystal ball soon learns to eat ground glass." - Edgar R. Fiedler

In section one I'm going to introduce a handful of core constructs we'll build on in later chapters. Section two, we'll unwrap a strong message you want to share with the world, and polish it into an experience people will resonate with. Then I'll teach you how to communicate this message – this experience – to the right people who will pay solid cash for it. And finally, we'll take a look at these concepts in action in the everyday world. But first, let's have some fun... Take a deep breath. Maybe I can tell you a little about yourself... I get the impression you are basically self-sufficient: you don't have a strong need for other people to like you or for them to admire you. You tend to accept yourself as you are, rather than be critical of yourself. Sexual adjustment has not presented problems for you. Although you may appear worried and insecure on the outside, you tend to be disciplined and controlled inside. You seldom have serious doubts as to whether you've made the right decision or done the right thing. You're quite frank in revealing yourself to others.

Okay, how close was I? Am I maybe very slightly psychic? Probably not, in that sense of the word. "Loss is nothing else but change, and change is nature’s delight." - Marcus Aurelius

I've just given you a taste of an ancient technique, popularized by gypsies and television “psychics” who prey on the gullible, called cold-reading (Google it). The above snippet is based on an excerpt written by Robert Duetsch in 1982 it's a carefully engineered blueprint of generalizations which can make it seem like you're drilling information straight out of a person's mind. But re-read the above. See? It could really apply to anyone. And why does it work? Because the one thing everyone in the world wants is mystery. The core message of coldreading is hope. Possibility. Potential. Wait, we're getting ahead of ourselves... we'll get back to this in a bit... Here's fundamental element number one:

The essence of life is change.

Everything around you grows and evolves. It's the nature of the Universe. Motion and change are health. "It is better to create than to learn! Creating is the essence of life." - Julius Caesar

And those that are able to change their surroundings – those who can create – are the true leaders. It's been said that knowledge is power. But at the root of it all creation is power. For want of a better description, freedom boils down to speed and unrestricted movement. Being able to be, do and have without anything holding you back. Being able to survive, wherever you are. A nomadic mind. Freedom is fluidity. Being like water. Flowing through life. Unconstrained. Washing around obstacles. A true force of nature. Fundamental element two:

You are a creator.

We've already touched on the idea that the most powerful people in the world are those with a strong message... those who can create. And despite what society tells you, you can learn nearly anything. Your mind has an as yet infinite capacity – and thirst - for knowledge. "The man who has no imagination has no wings." - Muhammad Ali

And with knowledge comes the ability to do practically anything. If somebody has been able to do something, with enough time and the right teacher, you probably can do it too. Reverse engineer what the leaders in any field are doing, and you can join their ranks if you're committed to do what they did. Not many people know this, but the word “Abracadabra”, spoken by magicians throughout the ages probably has it's roots in the ancient Sanskrit language. It's meaning? “I say it, and it is so”. Think about that for a second. The clearer you see something in your mind's eye, the more convinced you are of it, the stronger the chances of creating it in real life. Interestingly, there is more and more evidence that the ancient cave paintings by our ancestors were not records of their hunts, but visualisations that psyched the tribe up before the chase. The imagination has been all powerful for over 40 000 years.

Which leads us, elegantly, into fundamental three:

Our base building-blocks are ideas. Messages. Everything you have in your life, started as an idea in someone's mind. Everything. “Everyone has a talent. What is rare is the courage to nurture it in solitude and to follow the talent to the dark places where it leads.” - Erica Jong

To use a metaphor (and building on Richard Dawkin's concept of the “meme”) these ideas are actual things – organisms in their own right. Think of them, for now, as if they are alive. Like a baby animal, the stronger the message... the vision... the dream... the better its chances of survival. Feed a message properly, and it will grow strong. And as it grows, it will sustain you – its carrier – so you can help it grow. Make sense, so far? Let me give you a real-life example: my buddies Duane and Jed Lawrence. These brothers are world champion B-Boys, breakdancing for a living. Type their names into Youtube, and you'll sit with your mouth hanging open at what they can get their bodies to do.

Two of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, they are real-life superheros, teaching the message of peace through the language of dance. And they live their message every day. I sometimes think they can't breathe unless they are moving. “Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.” - Napoleon Bonaparte

And their message – the power of dance – is a perfect example of what we're talking about. It keeps them fired up, strong, so it can spread itself. At the time of writing this, Jed has just recovered from a broken leg and Duane has a hole in his chest ripped open by a nail sticking out of a stage they were dancing on. But they keep dancing. Injured, but strong as ever. At world champ level. The message carries them. Fuels them. Still with me? Good. So how do we create these mystical messages? Element four:

We create by making choices. Right or left. Black or white. One or the other. Everything results from the choices we make. Power comes when we make these choices consciously.

The first major choice champions make is to be free. To be happy. On the flipside, they understand that fear and anger are weakness. That's not to say they don't get scared, it's just that when fear and doubt creep in, they choose to stay objective, see it for what it is, and move on. "The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity." - Bruce Lee

You see, the Universe throws us clues as to the directions to choose. If we stay connected and follow these hints – these daily breadcrumbs – our path is clear. We just need to stay open, and recognize them when we see them. And finally, the Fifth Element:

Messages amplify as we boil them down to their essence. Simple, really. The more we polish the message, streamline it, cut the fat from it, the stronger it becomes. It's a lifelong journey of sanding the rough edges in our mind. Good so far? Change. Creation. Messages. Choices. Essence. We've got pretty deep, pretty quickly, and covered decent ground. Let's steam ahead...

Practically everything that moves through your life is either a tool to build and polish your message, or a fuel to sustain it. Money, health, happiness, technology, ideas... all one or the other. Again, the most valuable asset in your life is, as we said before, your imagination. Learn to harness it properly, and the possibilities are epic. It's a basic law of the Universe. "A #2 pencil and a dream can take you anywhere." - Joyce A. Myers

In the chapters to come, we'll master specific techniques to carve ideas out of your inquisitive mind and launch them into the world. But again be aware, for now, that the clearer you can see a detailed concept in your head, the more successful it will be in reality. Right. Get up from reading this right now, and fetch a pocket notepad and pen. Go and buy them if you have to. I'll wait here. Got them? Good. Do yourself a favor, and keep these with you, everywhere you go. When ideas speak to you, even if it's a whisper in your head, write them down. Capture details. After a week you'll be amazed how many bits and pieces you've captured. Don't be shy to stop everything, and write down a good idea when it arrives.

Michaelangelo used to say he saw the sculpture he was creating preformed in the rock, and then just chipped away at releasing it. Likewise, your message is strong and ready-made in your mind, and it will communicate with you so it can spread its wings. "There is no resisting the wind of adventure. When it blows, I feel it and obey..." - Don Fernando

The next tool? Your sense of curiosity. If the root of the Universe is change, then your spirit of adventure is the vehicle you use to interact with this change. As a side note, I'm wired in such a way that I'll often drop myself into odd situations, just to see if I can get myself out again. The stranger, the better. And as I've traveled, I've experienced some of the rougher, poorer communities in the world. Villages in Nigeria. Soldier camps in the Congo. Ganglands in Asia. Amazing places. Tough, strong people. And I started seeing patterns developing. One striking thing is that the prettiest girls generally seem to pop up in the poorer areas. Rio is a case in point. Maybe it's a survival thing. Next, interestingly, is that the tougher the 'hood, the smaller the area people seem to function in. Live in the roughest zones, and your entire life generally operates within two or three blocks of your house. Strange, isn't it? And the

people who seem to pull themselves up by the bootstraps out of the slums all have one major thing in common:

They've expanded their horizons. "My country is the world, and my religion is to do good." - Thomas Paine

Questions creep in about what might be out there, in the big beyond, and they sail out into the great unknown. They become citizens of the world. Politics fade. There are no borders, no black and white, just all the beautiful colors in between. They morph into true free spirits, able to survive anywhere. Learning. Exploring. Growing. Do you sometimes get caught up in the microcosm of your world? How far could you actually expand your horizons? Is the spirit of adventure sparkling in your eyes? Let's move on to a fuel: enthusiasm. Champions, no matter what field they're in, have a unique quality about them. An excitement, a fire, an enthusiasm for what they're doing. When they're involved in their passion, past and future seem to fall away and they get absorbed – possessed, even – by it. Athletes call it being in the zone. It's like the primal energy of the Universe is surging up from the ground and

overflowing into your body. You're absolutely at one with everything. Have you ever been in this state? "Master the instrument, master the music, then forget all that shit and play." - Charlie Parker

It's a direct result of the message we talked about earlier. The stronger the message, the stronger the fire. Directly related. Find a strong enough message, and you'd be able to march to the ends of the earth on it. Good. Another fuel I'm sure you're very aware of: money... One of the biggest mistakes people make is to become emotionally attached to money, or the lack of it. Listen: it's just a fuel for the projects you set yourself. Nothing more. Nothing less. You can't eat it, have a conversation with it, or live in it. Don't get addicted to it. Addiction of any kind is weakness. Don't use it as a shell, an armor, to hide behind. Realize it's also not bad to have it. And there is more than enough available in the world for any of the projects you may need it for. Billions. Really. Billions. The key is to treat it like water: don't let it stagnate. Life is seasonal, Build up reserves for winter, but let most of it flow freely through you. Get. Give. Flux. And every time money flows into your life, give your future self a gift. Aim to

bring in more than you spend (we'll cover how to do that in a later chapter, don't you worry), and then stash the excess away. Freeze it, make a dam for it, store it.

“The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.” - Buddha

Other tools? Your body and mind. They're the primary vehicles for your messages. Physical fitness is beyond the scope of this book, but the basics above still apply. Fitness really only means how well you fit into your environment. Just keep moving. Motion affects emotion. Keep foods and ideas flowing through your system. Again, actively fight stagnation in all of its forms. Eat when you're hungry, sleep when you're tired. Your brain and your body are a unit, keep both active and strong. Tony Buzan advocates feeding your body food, water, air, sunlight and love. Profound in its simplicity. One final tool, before we dive into the active process of carving our dreams into reality: technology. The world is evolving at breakneck speed, and doesn't show any sign of slowing down (unless the Mayans were right, and everything pops in 2012...) (So far, so good... - Ed.) The Internet is a global brain - one huge lever, that expands your reach, and once you've crafted your message, lets you inject it directly into the minds of millions of people globally. Respect it. Befriend it. Learn how to use it. Play

with it. Let it show you its possibilities.

"The future has already arrived. It's just not evenly distributed yet." - William Gibson

Three quick things to Google: “digital nomad”, “Linux” and “Freeware”. All are exciting advances in the world of technologica, waves you can ride at minimal cost. Check them out. You might find they're an avenue to pursue. Have a look around the rooms of your mind for a second and see what other things in your life fit into the tool or fuel category. More than we realize, initially. See them for what they are. Right. Enough talk. It's time to start building...

Fantastic - now the fun really begins. But first a quick recap of where we're at... ♠ Champions are at the top because they have the strongest messages. ♣ The clearer you can communicate this message, the further it will spread. "Men must live and create." - Albert Camus

♥ Streamlining the message amplifies it. ♦ Everything in your life is either a tool or a fuel to propel your message. ♠ Your enthusiasm is the fire which brands the message deep into people's brains. In this section, we're going to carefully lure your core message out into the open and cast it into an experience you can share with the world. It's this communication which is going to make you rich. Your ultimate freedom. Let's start with some broader brush-strokes and then wade down into the details... So where do you find this message? Well, honestly, you already know what it is. It's a matter of removing the filters shading your mind. Let me ask you:

What have you always been good at? Drawn to?

"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." - Jack London

What do your friends ask you for advice about? What do people you gel with need or want, that you can provide? What good can you do in the world around you? What do you zone on? What leaves you grinning when you think about it? Makes you so excited your gums itch when you think about it? What's possible? Jot your answers on your notepad. Now for the million dollar question:

What does the list above mean to you? For me, my Magic has been everything I've lived for since I was a kid. It's given me everything good in my life. To me, it represents freedom. Love. Possibility. So that's my message. If I can create products and shows for people that communicate freedom and joy, and trigger the imagination, I'm resonating. The message spreads like wildfire, and the cash rolls in. This book is a case in point. Simple.

Understand, there is no distinction between a product you create, or a service you provide for somebody. They are all an experience. A vehicle for your message. At its crux, you're selling experiences. The secret to massive, unlimited riches, boiled down in a nutshell: "Sell everything you can make." - Sergio Zyman

Find out what they want, find out what they can't get anywhere else, that no-one else is providing, and give it to them. So how do we start creating these experiences? An example from the world of legerdemain: understand that if someone can figure out a trick, it's not magic, just a clever puzzle. How is it that a master magician can engineer an experience that can convince an intelligent spectator they're witnessing the impossible? What is the process he goes through? There are two blueprints: we either come up with a totally new concept and then try to find ways to make it work, or we take an existing trick and try to improve it and match it to our persona. Let's start with the first...

You get the idea for what you want in your mind's eye (Remember those prehistoric shamans?) You ask yourself what would make people sit up in their seats and go “Wow!” You also decide whether this trick will actually suit your personality and performance style. The truer you are to your core, the more impact the trick will have. "Most people don't believe in Magic, because they've never seen Magic." - Paul Vigil

Maybe you want to fold a banknote into a ball, hold it in your hand, blow on it, and it transforms into a butterfly which flutters off and out the window. Cool idea. You grab paper and pen, and try to capture everything you see in your head. Everything, no matter how small. Really work at dilating your mind's eye. See things from the spectator's point of view, imagining what real magic might look like. You write. You sketch. No detail escapes you. Next, you go through all the methods you've already learned in magic, the building-blocks created over the centuries, and see what might fit. You check the textbooks of tricks (yes, laymen, they're out there). Maybe someone has come up with a way to freeze an insect so you can revive it during the show. Maybe it doesn't even need to be a real butterfly, it could be mechanical. Electronic. Maybe a very fine thread could run down from your teeth to your fingers, and lift the butterfly. Your breathing would vibrate the thread, making it dance as if it's alive. Maybe. Maybe.

"By three methods we may learn: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." - Confucius

A similar process happens when we learn a trick created by someone else. Doing it exactly as it was created is a recipe for disaster, you need to match the trick to your mannerisms and persona. So you go through and try it out exactly as described. Get a feel for where the creator was going with the idea. You play around with the trick, looking at it from different angles. Maybe you know a better method of doing part of it. You can slot in someone else's idea in the middle. Who knows. But you play. Experiment. As you progress, you originate a script: the key checkpoints in the routine, the things that absolutely have to be in place for it to work properly every time. You create a system. And just as crucial, you figure out all the things that might go wrong, thinking through every eventuality, and try to come up with solutions before these things happen. Once you have the basics down, with either method, it's time to rehearse. You stand in front of a mirror or video recorder and do the trick. You see what it will look like from the audience's point of view, noting areas that don't quite gel with the overall picture. If there are any bits of sleight-of-hand you haven't quite perfected yet, you spend time practicing them, on their own, and then slotting them back into the routine. Working on the whole, you work on the surfaces: anything your audience comes into direct contact with. The cards you use. Your clothing.

Your speech. Even the environment you're in. The aim is to communicate with laser-sharp clarity. You work on your timing, using silence and pauses to create impact, letting the trick breathe. You fight the urge to rush. Polish, polish, polish.

"Who seeks shall find." - Sophocles

Then it's crunch time – audience testing. Sometimes you spend weeks perfecting an idea, and when you try it live for an audience it bombs completely. No reaction, or they see the thread between your lips and finger. If you decide to continue with the idea, you make detailed notes at every performance. You keep tweaking things until they're smooth, and the trick hits hard every time you perform it. Magic. I know you're smart enough to see how this can be applied to anything you want to design, in any area of your life. It's a blueprint for creating those vehicles – those experiences – we talked about. Again, recap: ♠ You ask yourself “what's possible?”and get the image that forms as lucid as you can. You also decide if it matches up to your core message. Who are your audience? What makes them tick?

♣ You capture every detail as clearly as possible on paper. ♥ You ask yourself: “How? How? How?”, drawing on what you know, or others have done, for inspiration. What have others in the field done already? What's already successful, that you can do better?

"True happiness involves the full use of one's power and talents." - John W. Gardner

♦ You map the checkpoints that have to be in place – templates you can use to duplicate success consistently, and inoculate against any problems that might crop up. ♠ You create the individual parts, and polish the surfaces. Streamlining. ♣ You launch a prototype into the world, so you can get feedback and adjust as necessary. ♥ You aim for a point where the experience takes over, and you're in the zone every time you produce it. And that's it. Real life example? My mom is about to launch an online radio station. She's been a presenter of classical and jazz music on a local broadcaster for over a decade, but it's time to spread her wings...

"If you've got a talent, protect it." - Jim Carrey

She does a ton of research, looks around at what other stations are out there, what software is available, what music she can get copyright-free. What the best in the world are doing. Possibilities. A mental sketch of the perfect listener. She actively looks for music that vibrates with her soul, the message she wants to share with the world. She fills pages and pages of notes, figuring out the details of how it will all work. She doesn't leave anything to chance. Details, details, details. Once she's comfortable, she works on the processes: the sequences she'll need to go through to get an episode finished and online. The sequence to get sponsors on board. The lifespan of each part of the whole. She sees the journey people will take with her, one step at a time. Blueprinting. Next, she starts putting the structures in place. She opens folders on her computer, creating template emails to send to sponsors. She builds a file of music to use. She installs all the software necessary, and gets a working knowledge of how it all fits together. She figures out any potential problems, and their solutions. She builds systems so that she knows she's delivering consistently every time she decides to upload a new program. Step next: she goes over everything with a fine-tooth comb, cleaning up, refining, tuning. The visual image. The sound. All the surfaces. Finally, she launches a test-run, maybe just to a handful of listeners. Friends. The

feedback leads her, and she adjusts until all systems are finely honed, operating at full capacity. And it's now that she can play... every episode is a joy to produce because it's a celebration, a gift she's sharing with the world. She is, in essence, gifted. Creating something she'll be proud of way down the line. "Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig." - Marcus Aurelius

R.E.S.O.N.A.N.C.E. Good. If you haven't done so already, make it a mission to connect with your core message. And start imagining experiences you can create to share this message. Look for vehicles that you can launch and then step away from. Step away from? You see, there are a limited number of hours in a day: you will only generate massive cash once you start charging for the value you provide rather than your time. Pump solid, focused energy into it initially, get it fighting fit, and then send it out into the world with a blessing, freeing you to set the next one in motion. Next big question: who do you sell your experiences to? Is there a demand for it? Where do you find these people? How do you persuade them to part with their hard-earned moolah?

There are, literally, thousands of books on what business people call “lead generation”: finding people to buy our products and services. All great advice. Now scoop up all those books, and toss them out the window. We're going to approach things from an oblique angle...

"Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul." - Democritus

Your message is unique – clearly, not for just everybody. If it is a gift, as I'm suggesting, we should pay it the respect it's due and only give it to people who will truly appreciate it. So our mission is not to get as many people as possible into our address-books, but rather to find the right people for the message, the perfect fits. How do you recognize them? Easy. Look for yourself. If they're going to vibrate at a core level with your message, chances are, they are very similar to you, and see the world in the same way you do. Share your message with people you'd be proud to have as friends. Listen to your gut. Your instincts. One of the most valuable sentences you can learn to say is: “...you know, this is probably not the best fit for what you're looking for. I'll point you in the direction of someone who can better suit your needs...” Initially, it'll may feel awkward, but as time unfolds you'll be working with people you really connect with, at a primal level.

They will appreciate your message. Fall in love with it, like you have. Have an urge to spread the word about what you're doing. As marketers say, the news will go viral. Which segues cleanly into the concept of “hubs”.

"Give me a lever long enough, and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world." - Archimedes

In any community, there are some citizenry who have a talent for uniting groups. They bring people together. They know a mixed bag from all walks of life. Think of them as the hub in a bicycle wheel, the “spokes” or connections branching out in every direction. Keep an eye out for the nodes who influence your target audience, and actively get your message into their hands. One word from them, and you'll have a hundred... a thousand... ten thousand ears listening. Leverage. Getting their attention is not difficult either. Look through other people's sales messages and marketing. Websites. Brochures. Ads. What in these ads makes you want to buy? What colors and images do you connect with? What wording? You see where I'm going with this? If your audience is just like you, they will be attracted to the same things you are! Create experiences and ads you'd be excited to share with your friends. Make no mistake, the most effective ads on the planet are written in a natural tone, scripted as the writer would speak to you, face-to-face. No convoluted

word-strings or tangled language patterns. No headlines, puffed up guarantees, or bullet-points. Just a down-to-earth exchange from one heart to the other. Essence, as always.

"Put your heart, mind and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success." - Swami Sivananda

Do this, and all your competition falls away. You literally compete by dreaming up something more remarkable than the other contenders. Creation trumps competition a million times to one. You end up being so unique that if they truly want what you share, they can only get it from you. That's power. Let's jump back a couple pages and discuss money again for a second. It's not uncommon for people to feel so connected with their message that they feel awkward charging money for it. Pull your chair closer, and listen to what I'm about to tell you: pay your message the respect it deserves. You don't just get paid in money. Sometimes a smile is enough. But money is just a fuel. Again, just a fuel. Nothing more. You're giving your experience as a gift to someone special, and they're giving fuel in exchange. Fuel to share the experience with someone else, send it further down the road. Look around at what the leaders in the field are charging for what you're doing, and match or better them. I'm going to say it again, until it sinks in:

Don't be shy to charge what you're worth. Respect your message. You're proud of what you're doing. You're creating value. That's valuable. A good price will make your audience sit up and say to themselves: “Wow. This is something special.” It is. You are. Believe. "Be true to your work and your work will be true to you." - Charles Pratt

Happiness. Let's get back to our workbenches and start building... You've asked yourself the questions we proposed earlier to sift out your core message. Now flesh out the experiences you can create to share this message. Think leverage: what is the biggest vehicle you can create, the one that will have the most impact, reach the maximum numbers of eyes and ears? Done? Take the time to build an experience for your present and future friends which is worthy of the message. It could be a product. A job you do for them. A journey you take each of the players on. Whatever it is, spend as much time as it takes. Tweak. Play. Wreak havoc on the mundane. Zone out on it, keeping the word “masterpiece” tucked right behind your lips. Focus on the entire experience, from start to finish.

And it probably begins earlier than you suspect – from the original “hello”. The very first contact they have with you. One of my mentors used to say: “...the show doesn't start when you walk on stage, it starts the moment you step out of the car.” Wisdom.

"The power of imagination makes us infinite." - John Muir

Create templates of emails, scripts for meetings and telephone calls, everything that happens from the initial contact. Leave nothing to chance, hold them by the hand and lead them confidently, but gently, through the experience. Teach them how you communicate, what to expect, what happens next. Design right through to the very last step. Make us proud. Wow, I've just realized something... I can actually give you a real-life, in-the-trenches example of what I'm talking about. I'm performing at a festival in Austria later this year. Great gig, good fun every time I've been. And the entire city goes, for want of a better phrase “entertainment ballistic”. It'd be nice to hook up some extra shows while I'm there. High-end dinner parties in those clockwork villages are a strangely beautiful thing. I'll let you inside my head while I set these up, write down the processes I'm going through, as I do them. It'll also be easier to teach you the persuasive subtleties I'll be playing with. Ready for the trip? Andiamo...

Let's start at the beginning, as the White Rabbit would say... My message and vehicle on this one are clear: give people an amazing evening of magic they'll remember for a while. Blow their minds as substantially as the law will allow. And I've got to keep everything as enjoyable as possible... as my son Alexander says, if it's not fun, you're doing it wrong. "Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present." - Jim Rohn

Let's flesh out some ideas. Again, it's a game of quantity over quality. The more ideas, the better. If I was invited to a party to see an amazing magic show, what would I like to see? What would have me sitting up all night, raving to my friends at work the next day? What's possible? After pages of scribbling, it looks like a dinner show will be a good idea. The host of the evening invites guests for a night of mystery and fine dining. They bring in a top-flight chef, she leads them on a journey of culinary delights and then after the meal I step up to the side of the dinner table to do my performance. Informal magic, table-side, is always extraordinary – the performer gets to react and interact on a direct level with the guests, playing off the energy of the room. Even so, a tight show script needs to be in place: paradoxically, the tighter the script, the more freedom the artist has to veer off from the structure and explore the moment.

And a good script has a high-impact opening, that grabs everyone's attention and then builds, steadily, to the climax. When the magician walks out, everyone should sit up and think: “okay... this is going to be interesting”. The audience should, by the end, get to know the entertainer on a personal, human level... connect with him.

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." - Robert Louis Stevenson

There shouldn't be any dead spots, a consistent, paced flow from start to finish. Saying that, the routine should have space to breathe, without rushing through the magic. A pause – a silent moment – will spotlight the sections that should stand out, like the white space on a page. And then, the finale. Whatever I wrap up with, it better be as tight as a submarine airlock. It should knock the guests' socks off so hard, their feet hurt. If I crack that, a standing ovation is a done deal. And if I land an ovation, guests will go home and seriously consider throwing their own magic dinner parties before I fly home to South Africa. I just need to make sure everyone leaves remembering my name, and knows how to get in touch with me while I'm in town. Ka-ching-a-ling. I believe I have some solid material to put into the show, so I get down to the scripting. I also know a couple of the Germanic magicians around that neck of the woods, who are star acts. So I'm aware the audiences are connoisseurs of conjuring, as it were. I have the fact I'm come from distant lands to my advantage, but it's still a case of refine, refine, refine.

(Striking opening, then a tight build, right into a dynamite climax. A polished glimpse into the soul – the spirit – of the man on stage. This is a centuries-old formula that can be applied to any experience you create. Can you adapt it to yours?)

"Belief creates the actual fact." - William James

Okey-dokey. Locked and loaded. Austria's on the diametrically opposite side of the planet from where I am right now... how in the name of all things Harry Potter do I go about booking the shows? One word. It starts with an “I”, and ends with “nternet”. Wait, wait, we are, once again, getting ahead of ourselves. We haven't considered the actual logistics of getting to and doing the show. Time for a flowchart, on a clean sheet of paper. I take a stroll down an imaginary time-line, the sequence of events as these parties might typically unfold: ♠ The client raises their hand, saying they're interested in the show. ♣ I send them a confirmation, detailing exactly how everything will work. ♥ I email them a week before I leave for Austria, reconfirming everything. ♦ I phone them once I land, touching base.

♠ Show day rolls around, and I head off to their house. ♣ I get there early, meet up with everybody and setting things up. ♥ I deliver as rip-roaring a show as I can! ♦ The next day I send a heartfelt thank you to the host. "Repeat anything often enough and it will start to become you." - Tom Hopkins

♠ I jump on a train to Vienna to celebrate... Not overly complicated, but it is crucial to stay on top of the details. Magician Eric Paul used to suggest it's easier, when you map out these sequences, to start from the end point and work backwards. Good advice. Okay, let's dissect another layer down: The client gives the go ahead. This is where amateurs might drop the ball – but it's here that the real work begins. When they give the thumbs up, you need to take clients by the hand and lead them right up to, and then through, the experience. Explain everything as it unfolds. Clarity builds a cushion of trust. Trust builds repeat work. Leave nothing to chance. The confirmation. You give the details, as you understand them. Times, places, how much and how you'll be paid. Exactly what you're committing to providing. Precisely what they need to secure on their side. You're framing

yourself in their mind as a competent international professional. Make it clear, as well, that you're excited to work with them... it's going to be fun! Last minute emails and calls. Building trust, building trust, building trust...

"There is a wisdom of the head, and a wisdom of the heart." - Charles Dickens

Ssshhhoowwwtttiimmmeee. This is the easy part. You've set the groundwork, built the aura of mystery and excitement. Now it's time to step out and shine. Post-show gratitude. Send a handwritten thank you, and mean it. Snail mail. So few people take the time to do this, you'll be surprised the impact it has. I also ask them to write down what it was like to work with me, on their letterhead. Do a great job, and you'll get some great testimonials as the years unfold, like this one I got after entertaining the then-President of South Africa (Oh, I pickpocket audience members, and return everything at the end of the show. All in good fun):

“... the President would like to express sincere gratitude to you for returning his watch...” - Secretary to State President Nelson Mandela.

That right there has been worth its weight in gold to me. And the only reason I got it was I tucked my insecurities in my socks, contacted the Presidential office, and asked for it.

"Ignorant men raise questions that wise men answered a 1000 years ago." - Johan Wolfgang von Goethe

One more mind-sweep of the sequence checking for holes: any problems which might crop up? Anything we can prepare in advance for? Maybe our taxi runs late? The audience can't speak English? Our luggage gets lost on the way to Europe? What can we prepare for and inoculate against? Right. Things are taking shape. But, I hear you ask, how do we persuade people to share our experiences in the first place? Clearly, being amazing at what you do doesn't necessarily mean you'll get rich. You need to tell the world about your offer. Is there a template we can use to sell them with, without seeming like we're trying to unload a fleet of pre-owned cars? Let's go on another mental tangent for a second, this time into the colorful history of conjuring. We'll get back to our Austrian adventure in a second... The history of Magic is full of adventure, packed with flamboyant characters who'd give Jack Sparrow a run for his money. There are hieroglyphics in the Pyramids of Egypt of magicians doing their thing: legerdemain probably dates back to the dawn of time. (My buddy Andrew Eland always says he imagines the first magician producing fire for his tribe, and some idiot in the back of the group shouting out: “That's easy... it was up your sleeve...”)

If it intrigues you, Google Dedi, Maskelyne, David Devant, Robert Houdin. They lived full, amazing lives, and their biographies are are truly breathtaking. We'll be focusing on one man in particular, Max Malini.

"To be satisfied with a little is the greatest wisdom; and he that increaseth his riches, increaseth his cares; but a contented mind is a hidden treasure, and trouble findeth it not." - Akhenaton

Max had a decidedly rough personality, bordering on rude, but despite this performed for more royalty, presidents and world leaders than any other magician in history. What made him so successful, even in the early 1900's? Let's take a brief look at how he used to promote himself... His slogan was “You'll Wonder When I'm Coming – You'll Wonder More When I'm Gone.” And his modus operandi was not the vaudeville or theater stage that his contemporaries were chasing. His vision was braver. And a lot bigger. He used to travel to every corner of the planet, Honolulu to Hong Kong, and get in with the management at the top hotels in town. Always dressed impeccably, he'd spend the evenings performing what seemed to be impromptu magic in the bars and would then, riding the wave of amazement he was creating in guests, talk the hotel into giving him their ballroom for a fulllength evening show. These would sell out every time, thanks to the buzz he'd created in the taverns, earning him a small fortune, even by today's standards. The essence of his success, the genius-hook which got audiences sitting up in their seats, was his eye for opportunity, and the outrageous lengths to

which he'd go to prepare for a once-off performance, particularly the “impromptu” ones. One of his classics used a little-known fact that you can “hypnotize” a bird by drawing a chalk line on a pavement, run its beak down the line, and the fowl will sit cross-eyed, but absolutely still (I'd say try it, but hey...)

"Go big or go home." - Eliza Dushku

Max had a show at an exclusive dinner party where he was able to pay off the kitchen staff to find a live turkey, pluck all its feathers (this was before animal rights were even considered) and then give it to him to hypnotize. Garnished in a platter with potatoes and gravy, it must have looked thoroughly roasted. Later, he steered the conversation to reincarnation, and then declared at the top of his voice: “I'll show you magic! I can bring the dead back to life!” A sharp fork in the pope's nose and the bird launched itself off the table! (As a side-note, I was touring in England with a crazy Moroccan magician, and we arrived at a farmhouse in Glastonbury looking for a place to crash for the night. The farmer was truly obnoxious, and chased us away. We were still kids, so hopped over a fence and slept in a field. But the next morning we broke into his chicken-coop, systematically tranced every bird and laid them out strategically around the farmhouse's front door. Covered in straw, they were practically invisible. There was diabolical chaos at sunrise when the kids came out to the school-bus and the fowl woke up...)

"If you want to be found stand where the seeker seeks." - Sidney Lanier

More examples: Max would see a politician's suit hanging at a tailor and talk the owner into sewing a playing card into the lining of the jacket. Just in case he got to meet that Senator one day and the guy was wearing that jacket. Talking about Senators, he saw a statesman in Washington one day and, marching straight up to him, leaned down and bit the button off the man's waistcoat. Before anyone could react, he'd spat the button back and it was once again sewn in place. The shows streamed in as a result. Let's break his system down: ♠ Max would arrive in town and target the best hotels. Location, location, location. ♣ He would introduce himself to the management, but not ask for anything in particular. He'd bide his time. ♥ He would head out onto the streets, creating buzz with amazing spur-ofthe-moment magic. He'd hook them, leaving them wanting more. ♦ He'd let things simmer, let the stories spread. The key to all sales is storytelling. Stories, spoken or visual, are the most persuasive tool available to us. They slip our message deep into someone's mind like a psychic hypodermic syringe.

♠ Now was when he approached the hotel and asked for the ballroom. If you don't ask, you don't get. He'd established his credentials, shown he was an investment, worth his salt.

"Sit loosely in the saddle of life." - Robert Louis Stevenson

♣ He unfolded a spectacular full evening show, delivering on everything promised. Tight scripting, no dead spots, and building a crescendo of amazement. Pure showmanship. And adapted for Austria? ♥ I build a list of people I resonate with. Ask at the consulate, check the omnicient Google. And I aim high: Five-star hotels. Sports car dealerships. A horse-racing stable. A-List all the way. Malini would be proud. ♦ Clearly, selling in person to people with influence is the key. But logistics can be difficult, which is where a well-written letter is valuable. It never gets tired or forgets key points. And it keeps selling, every time someone reads it. Magic. So I email, saying I'll be at the festival. If they're around, pop in. ♠ A couple of days later, I email them a short video clip of me doing some pretty cool, flashy magic. Short, and optimized for the web, I ask them to forward it to their friends. Adrenalin and fun are the glue that stick memories in a brain. Hook them by getting their juices pumping.

♣ I wait a week, letting the stories breed...

”First you must learn to love what you will do. What you sell is that love.” - Wayne Dyer

♥ Now I email them, tell them I would like to perform at dinner parties while I'm in town. I lay out my credentials, all the countries and celebrities I've performed for, the hundred plus testimonials I've collected over the years. And I tell them in specific detail how it will unfold and what to do to book the show. ♦ I confirm and do the gig. (See pages previous). Those that say no, I send off with a blessing and move on. From here on in, it's a numbers game: I don't stop until I've hit my target and filled the dates I have free. This sequence was not originated by the legend that was Max Malini, but he certainly perfected it. Remember: cool things attract people. Whichever route you choose, a mischievous glint in your spirit will go a long way. And it rolls through into all of life's arenas: don't start any communication, whether it's an email, phone-call, or a meeting, until you have everyone's complete attention. Be exciting. Be mysterious. Be interesting. It bears repeating, the key to selling anything, is enthusiasm. No-one can sell your message better than you can. The spark in your eyes is what will light the fire in people's imaginations, and spread the word. Nothing else.

All the sales tools in the world only back up that core emotion – that passion – you have for what you're selling. Show your credentials, prove your skills, tell your story. Share your message. Get them emotionally involved, committed.

"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change

Show them you understand things from their perspective. Ooze empathy. Get them imagining the bright future you're about to create together. Explain why it's better to use you than your competition, or worse, not use you at all. Burn this into your brain:

something, build a new model that makes the old one obsolete." - R. Buckminster Fuller

Your offer is YOU, amplified. You get paid for being yourself. Here's an idea: visualize your communications as slick emissaries from a king's court, dressed in finely tailored suits, walking into your client's office and speaking clearly and eloquently about the exquisite gift you're about to present them. As time progresses, you'll get better at creating and delivering them. Create bulletproof templates and systems. Polish. Streamline. Cut the fat away. Don't forget to polish your “surfaces” too: the pictures you use, the fonts, the colours, the sounds. All design is a language, every surface an alphabet your content speaks through. Keep things crisp and exciting. No fuzziness. Create

a message you'll be proud of down the line, it will work for you for years. Don't underestimate its impact, how much money it'll make you over time. Emissaries. Listen to your gut feelings. Feed their minds. Again, create communications that'd you'd enjoy receiving, your mantras: "Learning sleeps and snores in libraries, but wisdom is everywhere, wide awake, on tiptoe." - Josh Billings

What would make me buy this experience if I was on the receiving end? ...and...

What would make me spread this experience for all I know to share? Wow, we've come a long way together in these few short pages. All that's left is to wrap things up...

Time to go out and spread your wings, share your power, your prestige, your light with the world. Don't hope, do. Some people spend their entire lives preparing. It's the new you, right now. Flip the switch - take your life into your own hands. Find your message, launch it, and move on to the next vehicle. Rinse, and repeat. "The greatest good we can do for others is not just to share our riches with them, but to reveal theirs." - Zig Ziglar

The possibilities are huge. Limitless. Monumentally epic. Promise me this: don't ever, ever be in awe of anyone, treat everyone as an equal, no matter who they are. My Magic has blessed me in that I've met people from all walks of life, princesses to Presidents. Believe, the higher up the ladder you go, the more human they actually are – despite the press, they're just good souls trying to make a difference in the world. Trying to leave their messages in the pages of history. The more people you connect with, the closer you'll be to finding the perfect match for your gift. You'll know them when you find them. Confidence is not arrogance. Demolish whatever shyness you may have: find the “hubs” who can create the leverage your message deserves! Communicate, make the sale, and deliver. Leave them so happy with you that they can't help spreading the word. Use emails and social media like Facebook to keep in touch, stay in orbit so that

"This is not for every brain... only the healthy, happy, wholesome, handsome, hopeful, humorous, high-velocity should seek these experiences. This elitism is totally self-determined. Unless you are selfconfident, self-directed, self-selected, please abstain." - Timothy Leary

when other opportunities crop up you're the first name on their lips. Provide mementos – talismans – to jog their memories. Give them all the tools and rituals they need to easily spread the word for you. Websites. Games. Bits of interesting that position you as an authority with your enthusiasm. Create Online villages, virtual campfires where they can share their successes. Make people smile, make them happy, and the word will spread. Call every once in a while to find out how they're doing. Be generous, and genuinely interested in others. Send relevant, valuable messages, stuff you find practical, interesting or funny. Connect them with other like-minded champs where you see a good fit. You've already chosen people you vibrate with, so become that trusted friend! Fall in love easily and continuously, with everyone and everything around you. Make women feel beautiful where you can, and men feel like heroes. Try and make everyone who comes into your orbit, client or not, a better person for having met you. Build a web that will support you as you grow. As a side note, there will always be people who don't connect with you. As comedian Chris Rock says, if you don't have any “haters”, you're not doing it properly! Your success isn't other peoples' first priority. Flow. Roll with the punches.

"Turn your wounds into wisdom." - Oprah Winfrey

Grow a skin as thick as a Kenyan elephant... let their comments and problems wash right over you, smile, and continue to be awesome, the shining star that you are. Ask any martial artist, you don't have to win every round to win the fight. You have a message, which will support and protect you. Learn from everyone, share with everyone, but do what's necessary to get the job done. Trust the message. Gather momentum. Live it, to your core. Time to shine! Peace, Love, Magic,

P.S. Please, don't hesitate to say hi: [email protected]. And thank you for your donation, if you're able to make one. Looking forward to hearing your adventures!

Jacques le Sueur has never had a "real" job... He's a fulltime magician, and has performed live for well over two and a half million people worldwide. A leader in his chosen field, most of his current shows are for global corporations and high-end celebrity parties, but he has performed in ludicrously extreme places, everywhere from nightclubs in Hollywood to Theme Parks in Korea. He's even done magic inside the Pyramids of Cairo... He's been robbed, stabbed, shot at, learnt to shoot an AK47 with Warlords and child soldiers in the Congolese jungle, stolen Nelson Mandela, the King of Dubai and Margaret Thatcher's watches from their arms without their knowing, eaten dog, monkey and snake in Asia, swum with dolphins in Mozambique, eaten fire in Edinburgh, lived with Bedouins in the deserts around Dubai, drunk vodka with Siberian soldiers, been chased down a riverbank by an angry crocodile in Central Africa, arm-wrestled a Russian Mafia boss, learnt pickpocketing techniques from Algerian pickpockets, had lunch with a NASA astronaut, lived with a Mexican high-diving team in Korea, been set on fire by drug addicts in San Francisco, crowd-surfed over 500 000 people at Glastonbury Festival and been knocked unconscious by a 90 year old woman in Scotland. He lives in Cape Town, South Africa with his wife and two children - the biggest, most magical, adventure of his life.

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.” - Roald Dahl