737: Terry Ward - 10,000 Hours

You’ve probably heard of the 10,000 hour rule, which was popularized by Malcolm Gladwell’s blockbuster book “Outliers.” As Gladwell tells it, the rule goes like this: it takes 10,000 hours of intensive practice to achieve mastery of complex skills and materials. Our guest this week is Terry Ward who has exceeded that minimum by a factor of many. He has performed over 40,000 shows over a period of more than 30 years. He was the resident magician in Disney World for many years where he developed more than one character who delighted the millions of annual visitors.

Terry started out in theme parks and for the most part, never left that type of venue. Certainly he does more than his share of corporate dates, but his “bread and butter” has been theme parks.

Terry talks this week about working in theme parks, finding the job, developing his performing character, and the importance of “being a good guy” and getting along with management to assure longevity at a venue.

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Thank you to everyone who entered the contest but there could only be two winners in this contest. Please watch for another giveaway in a future episode of The Magic Word Podcast.

If you would like to know more about the "10,00 Hours Rule" and help The Magic Word Podcast with your purchase. Brilliant and entertaining, Outliers is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.

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671: Erick Olson - Always Prepared

As the Roman philosopher, Seneca, said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” This week’s guest is always prepared, even in the worst of times. From Disney World to restaurants and resorts to bar bets, theatre management and trade shows, Erick Olson has accomplished a lot and finally reached a level of professionalism and prestige in our industry that has rightfully earned him a “spot at the table” among the “big dogs.”

An example of a way to make a theatrical presentation for a mathematical magic trick

Erick Olson talks this week about his secret to success in the trade show business. If you listen and apply his ideas (based upon his years of experience), then perhaps you, too, can lead a “charmed life.” For more information on his Bar Bets and Tricks, please CLICK HERE or follow this link: https://www.barbetsandtricks.com/

136: Alex Ramon - Man in Motion Part One

Even though he is only in his twenties, Alex Ramon has accomplished much more than many magicians who are three times his age. How does he do it? He is true to himself, honest, hard working and original. He lives by the Steve Martin quote, "Be so good they can't ignore you."

Alex Ramon continues to find new opportunities, or is it that opportunities continue to find him? Whatever it is, he can't seem to stay in one place for too long before he moves on to something even more amazing in his magical career. For the past two years he has held forth at the Horizon Casino in South Lake Tahoe. But the road to success didn't happen overnight, nor is the journey over.

At age 18 Alex Ramon received the coveted Lance Burton Award and was named "National Stage Magic Champion" by the World Magic Seminar in Las Vegas. In 2005, he auditioned for Disney LIVE!® presents “Mickey’s Magic Show”, and won a spot as a professional illusionist alongside Master Magician Mickey Mouse. Alex traveled the globe with the world’s most famous mouse for two and a half years, seeing 14 countries, four continents, 658 shows and entertained more than a million people.

Alex’s talent and dedication put him top of mind when producers Kenneth Feld and Nicole Feld imagined a magical circus.With over a decade of magic experience, Alex brought an unexpected twist to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents Zing Zang Zoom. At age 23 Alex became the first magician and the second youngest Ringmaster in the 139-year history of The Greatest Show on Earth®. Starring as the Magical “Zingmaster” (Ringmaster), During his two-yea with the circus tour Alex Ramon crisscrossed America performing in the largest arenas in the world, such as Madison Square Garden and The Staples Center, and brought smiles and wonder to people 10,000 at a time.

He’s been seen on national and international television, has made elephants disappear, magically transformed men into tigers, as well as made Whoopi Goldberg levitate.

In this podcast, Alex talks about his life and how he came to where he is today. He has a rather amazing story that should serve as an inspiration to many of us. He relates a story from the road (well...literally, the circus train) that he has never shared before now. He also has some rather unorthodox viewpoints towards magic and magicians. He uses the social media to promote himself and doesn't use paid advertising but basically uses word-of-mouth to get the word out about his shows. He has always stayed true to himself which has paid off.

This is one of the most amazing podcasts I have produced. It is fun, full of interesting stories and chock full of great advice. I was torn whether or not to break up this two hour chat and finally decided that there is too much information to digest in one sitting. So this is Part One of a two part interview. This first part tells you about the man and his early life and how he found success or rather, it found him. The next podcast will include his philosophy on magic, some advice and more great stories.

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. (please note: this RSS Feed subscription system may not work with Android systems). Remember, you can download it through iTunes. See the preview page by Clicking Here.

Magic & Martini's Thursday