For years, I have lived at the intersection of Broadway and the boardroom, working with world-class magicians to craft moments that feel like miracles. What I’ve learned is that all business today is essentially experience design. Whether you are launching a startup or stepping onto a stage, you are performing; you are providing an experience that defines your company’s identity.
I call the most effective leaders “Wizards”—change agents who possess the wisdom and nerve to facilitate transformation in ways the world rarely expects. Like Merlin or Steve Jobs, a true Wizard doesn’t just react to reality; they distort it. Jobs was famous for his “reality distortion field,” but it wasn’t about deception—it was the radical belief that the impossible is merely possible once you allow yourself to think the unthinkable.
In my directing classes back in grad school, the very first lesson I learned is that attention is everything. For an entrepreneur, this means orchestrating your team’s focus to bring a vision to life. Our experienced reality is often just a mental model built on sensory data and prior assumptions. In many ways, it is an illusion. By questioning everything—especially the “rules” our culture has installed in us—you can shatter limiting beliefs and “re-illusion” your organization’s future.
Success also demands what I call the power of the mask. By learning to consciously take on different personas, you can access dormant strengths within yourself and build deep empathy by “walking a mile” in your clients’ shoes. However, this performative power requires radical responsibility. A master performer never blames the audience for a sub-par experience. You must own the room and every result within it. This is equally true for a business you operate.
Finally, remember that mastery is a superpower born of perfect practice. It isn’t about mindless repetition, but about mindful rehearsal that builds neural pathways until the extraordinary appears effortless. In this grand theater of commerce, you are the playwright and the actor. By mastering the performer’s edge, you gain the power to rewrite your own script.
The Alchemy of the Pivot—Much like a magician uses “false solutions” to lead an audience toward a stunning reveal, an entrepreneur must stay agile. When an initial idea falters, you must be willing to pivot—turning a failed concept into a successful new reality by following your underlying mission rather than a rigid plan.
Think of your business as a stage. If you don’t direct the spotlight, the audience will focus on the exit signs.
Tobias Beckwith
(415) 889-9491
www.yourmagic.com
Find out more insider secrets to creating magical theater with Tobias Beckwith’s newest pair of books – The Performer’s Edge and Wired for Wonder, available at your favorite bookseller.
Hello friends!
Jeff McBride here.
Currently, I’m on tour in Vienna, Austria at Magic World – I’ll attach a fun video for you to see what I’ve been up to.
A few days back we sent out some information that needs to be updated. The correct 2026 event schedule for McBride’s Magic & Mystery School is as follows:
Jan. 27, Feb. 3, & 10: From Strolling to Stage with Paul Draper
https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/event/from-strolling-to-the-stage-essential-skills-for-building-your-career-in-magic
Feb. 20, 21, 22: Master the Classics, Las Vegas – SOLD OUT
April 20 – 26: 7-Day Master Class, Las Vegas – SOLD OUT
May 20 – 24: Jeff McBride at International Festival of Magic and Illusion, Brazil
https://festivaldeilusionismo.com/2026/pt/
June 25 – 28: Seance Summit, Las Vegas – 1 seat left
https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/event/the-las-vegas-seance-summit
Sept. 25 – 27: Weekend of Wisdom, Las Vegas
https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/event/weekend-of-wisdom-live-in-las-vegas-2026-09-25
Oct. 8 – 11: Master Class for Mentalism, Session 1 – SOLD OUT
Oct. 13 – 16: Master Class for Mentalism, Session 2
https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/event/master-class-for-mentalism-2026-session-2
One of the great joys of leading our Mystery School community is watching our students and peers grow along the magical path. My friend Tim Santiago Converse recently wrote a reflection on his first year in magic. His words capture the spirit of mentorship, humility, and self-discovery. I wanted to share a portion of it with you here.
From Tim Santiago Converse
“Year One: All the Things I Wish I Knew When I Started 30 Years Ago”
When I first began in magic, everything I owned fit inside a battered briefcase. I still have it–cracked leather, worn corners, and stuffed with memories of a younger version of myself… nervous hands, big dreams, and not a clue what I was really searching for.
These days, I find myself wondering what I would say to that kid if I could send a message backwards through time. What advice would have spared me years of frustration? What guidance would have helped me grow with more intention and less noise? This is what I would tell him, and what I now share with peers who’ve been walking this road just as long.
1. Find a Mentor
A mentor is the greatest shortcut you will ever take. A true teacher doesn’t just explain how a trick works, they ask you why you want to perform it. In your first year you may guard your secrets and want to go it alone, but trust me, the path is richer when someone walks ahead of you with a lantern.
And later, when you become the mentor, don’t imagine you’ve outgrown the need for guidance. Your mentors simply come from new places–theater directors, coaches, business minds, or storytellers. Teaching others refines your own philosophy in a way nothing else can.
2. Find Who You Are
Imitation is natural at the beginning. We all echo our heroes. But sooner or later you must turn inward. What do you want to express? What story do you want to tell? Is your character aligned with your look, your words, your movement?
And for those of us decades into the craft, are we still performing as the person we were at 25? Or have we quietly outgrown our old persona? Magic should reflect who we are now. Sometimes evolution is overdue.
3. Find Your Community
Magic may feel solitary, but it was never meant to be done alone. The right community will challenge you, support you, and keep you honest.
And for the veterans: if you feel isolated at the top of your local scene, it’s time to widen the circle. Seek collaborators outside of magic–dancers, actors, entrepreneurs, and musicians. Talk not just about methods, but about legacy, burnout, imagination, and longevity. And always make time for the younger magicians. They need your guidance, and their creativity might just reawaken your own.
From Jeff
These are just a few highlights from Tim’s beautiful letter. There is much more depth, honesty, and wisdom in the complete version. You can read the full piece in this month’s Secret Arts Journal: https://www.secretartjournal.com
The Gift of Magic
This is the season when we share what matters most: wonder, wisdom, and the gift of mystery. If you’re looking for the perfect gift for yourself or someone who loves magic, this is it. A private online session with me is one of the most powerful ways to deepen your practice. Whether you want to learn new techniques, refine routines, strengthen presentations, or explore magic’s history and philosophy, we can go exactly where you want to go.
Abigail has created a beautiful gift certificate to make this easy. To reserve yours, email her or call at 702-450-0021.
The Las Vegas Séance Summit
It’s hard to believe Houdini has been gone for over a century, yet his spirit lives, especially here at the Mystery School. To honor this milestone, we are hosting a very special, in-person training: The Las Vegas Séance Summit.
This immersive experience will show you how to create atmosphere, structure a séance, use classic “spirit theater” techniques, and, most importantly, how to build your own Houdini-themed séance to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of his passing.
This event is limited to 13 participants, and more than half the seats are already taken. If you feel called to explore this sacred and theatrical tradition, now is the time to join us.
Houdini’s Spirit Lives…at Mystery School
Before he became the world’s most famous escape artist, Houdini was known as “The King of Cards.” His early mastery, focus, and unshakable drive helped shape my own path in magic. Ok, I was even inspired by his poster, too!
Houdini’s spirit is alive in our school today and inspires me to continue releasing books, videos, and stage-ready routines for our community.
Featured Creation: Mental Towers
One of my strongest routines for stage is now available.
Our final shipment from Asia has arrived. This is the last production run, and only a few sets remain. You can watch the demonstration video and explore my full line of magic creations, just in time for holiday shows – https://shop.magicalwisdom.com
Our New Book! A Book for All Seasons
Our newest new book includes tricks, tips, and big ideas from magicians Jeff McBride and Eugene Burger, alongside work by Alexandra Duvivier, Bill Cook, Dani DaOrtiz, Shawn Farquhar, and many others. Both hardcover and pdf versions are available.
McBride World Tour News
Magic World Vienna
Soon I will be performing at the remarkable Magic World theater in Vienna. More details are available at https://www.magicworld.at/en/show/magicwinterfestival25
The Magic Castle – Hollywood
At the end of January, I will return to the Close-Up Gallery of the Magic Castle. If you are a Castle member, I look forward to seeing you there!
Blessings to all for a great holiday season ahead.
With gratitude and inspiration,
Jeff & Abigail McBride
Dear Friends in Magic,
In times when the world feels uncertain, art, and especially the art of magic, can become both a refuge and a response. This week, magician and philosopher Ferdinando Buscema invites us to consider how our practice of wonder can help us stay human amidst chaos. In this Museletter, Ferdinando reminds us that our sleights and scripts are more than tricks; they are acts of quiet courage and creative defiance.
Magic in Times of Chaos
by Ferdinando Buscema
Like many of us, I spend a lot of time thinking about magic. After nearly fifty years of this love affair, it still fills me every single day with deep joy and wonder. And, like many of us, I also read the news—trying to stay informed about what’s happening in the world—which can sometimes be overwhelming. It often seems as if the world is out of joint, spinning faster and stranger with every passing day. Yet, amid the noise and confusion, there is still so much beauty, kindness, and love worth protecting. Our attention is constantly pulled toward outrage and crisis, but the good is still there, if we know where to look. What follows are a few reflections on how to navigate this landscape of “High Weirdness”, as author Erik Davis calls it, and find some balance between these opposing forces.
Legend has it that on the night of April 14, 1912, as the Titanic sank into the freezing Atlantic, the eight musicians on board made a baffling choice. Instead of trying to save their lives, in the face of imminent disaster, they kept on playingtheir music.
Why did they act in such an unnatural way? We can speculate that perhaps, in that moment of chaos, they asked themselves, more or less consciously, What is my place in all this?
And maybe the answer was simple, bold, beautiful, and mad, “Just play on.”
It’s a striking image, one that feels deeply resonant for our times, as we find ourselves caught in our personal and collective turmoil. The world outside grows weirder and more incomprehensible by the day—faster, louder, meaner, and out of control. The effects on our inner lives are no fun–anxiety, helplessness, and disillusionment. And yet… here we are, magicians still honing our craft, still practicing our sleights, still rehearsing impossible things.
So why do we keep playing? Is it worth spending time and energy in the face of potential global disasters? Are we going to save the world from sinking with our tricks? Probably not. But magic is what we do, so we’ll keep on doing it anyway.
Magic—in its useless, beautiful, rebellious nature—is our way of staying human in a world that has forgotten how. In an age obsessed with efficiency and optimization, doing something that serves no practical purpose, like practicing sleight of hand or devoting endless hours to crafting wonder, is an act of quiet defiance and aesthetic resistance. We don’t do magic because it “makes sense.” We do it because it keeps our souls alive, and, hopefully, offers a glimpse of joy and wonder to those we share our art with.
Italian philosopher Franco “Bifo” Berardi wrote:
“I think that despair is the only appropriate intellectual response to our times. At the same time, I also think that despair and joy are not mutually exclusive, since despair is a mode of being of the intellectual mind, while joy is a way of being of the embodied mind.”
That’s a lifesaving reminder. Opposite feelings are not enemies. They can coexist, woven into the same breath. You can feel the weight of the world pressing down and still laugh at a dumb joke with a friend. You can be overwhelmed by the absurdity of it all and still be moved to tears by a song or a film. You can grieve and still dance in your kitchen, sing in the shower, fall in love, or play with your cat. You can be heartbroken about the world and still find yourself astonished by a magic effect, a new Fool Us episode, a piece of art, a book, or a friend.
Despair and joy–the real double lift–the secret move for surviving in times of High Weirdness.
Italian author Italo Calvino offers us a powerful magic spell, the ultimate compass to navigate our world:
“The hell of the living is not something that will be; if there is one, it is what is already here, the hell that we live every day, that we form by being together. There are two ways to avoid suffering for it. The first is easy for many: to accept hell and become part of it to the point of not seeing it anymore. The second is risky and requires continuous attention and learning: seeking and knowing how to recognize who and what, in the midst of hell, is not hell, and make it last, and give it space.”
Those words are a master key. That’s the trick. That’s the magic we need. We must learn to recognize who and what, in the midst of hell, is not hell, and then help those things last, and give them space to flourish. It all comes down to attention. What we pay attention to becomes our world. We become what we behold, and learning to direct our attention is no small task, especially in a world engineered to distract, disorient, and drag us into endless doom-scrolls.
So, my friends, here are three practical field notes, from one explorer to another, for thriving in the weirdness.
1. Practice — Attention as a martial art
Our art of magic lives and breathes through practice. Whether you’re refining a sleight, polishing a script, or rehearsing a full act, every moment of focused work is an act of quiet resistance against the chaos outside. Each minute spent at the table or at the mirror is a balm for the soul. When we practice, we’re not merely perfecting moves or words, we’re cultivating the martial art of attention. Attention is the ultimate superpower–the ability to shape our reality according to our will. So, learn to love your practice.
2. Perform — Just do it!
Whatever your level of skill or devotion to the art, magic is meant to be performed. Whether you are an amateur, a professional, or something in between, the more you share your magic, the more you spread joy and wonder to the people you meet. No, you’re not going to change the world with your Coins Across or Ambitious Card, but for a brief time, you have the chance to bring light, laughter, and astonishment into someone’s life. That’s no small feat. Magic is good medicine.
I’ve come to believe that real magic is the transmutation of despair into joy—by any means necessary. It’s how we say to the darkness–you don’t get the last word.
3. Community — That’s where true happiness lies.
No person is an island. Each of us is part of a greater whole. The communities we belong to shape who we are. We need others to form our sense of self, and, most importantly, we need others to create and share our happiness (and our sadness, too.) We’re so lucky to be part of the Magic & Mystery School community–this living, loving, breathing circle of wonder-workers. Personally, like many, I’ve found here a home for the soul. I’ve found friendship, knowledge, inspiration, support, and countless gifts. Here we share our joys and sorrows under the wings of loving and wise elders.
This community is an island of sanity, joy, and play amid chaos and darkness. It is a place of the heart, where we can nourish our souls, both in person and from afar. Cherish this place, and seize every opportunity to engage, contribute, and celebrate.
There you have it, my friends.
We don’t know where our global ship is sailing, or what the next wave will bring. The headlines may scream, but we, like the musicians on the Titanic, will keep on playing. Because this is what we do–our gentle, steady form of resistance, to multiply hope, beauty, and joy in the face of darkness.
The 19th Annual Magic & Meaning Conference
November 7–9, 2025 · Online Worldwide
Dear Friends,
Each year, magicians, storytellers, and seekers from around the world return home—to the heart and art of magic. It is time to reconnect with our tribe!
This is the Magic & Meaning Conference, our annual celebration of wonder, wisdom, and community.
Now in its nineteenth year, this gathering continues to inspire magicians of all kinds to think deeply, share openly, and rekindle their creative flame.
The Circle of Connection
Since 2006, our conference has brought together a global family of magical thinkers—people who know that magic is more than entertainment. It is a path of imagination, transformation, and meaning.
At this year’s conference, you will:
All sessions are recorded, so you can experience the conference live or at your own pace.
Guest of Honor: Stephen Minch
We are delighted to honor Stephen Minch—legendary magician, author, editor, and founder of Hermetic Press.
For decades, Stephen has illuminated the art of magic through his work with Dai Vernon, Tommy Wonder, Juan Tamariz, Max Maven, and many others. His presence this year will be both enlightening and inspiring.
Conference Schedule
Friday, November 7 – Opening Party and Circle of Gathering
Saturday & Sunday, November 8–9 – Talks, performances, learning sessions, and conversations that matter.
(Pacific Time: 11:30 AM – 4:30 PM each day; Opening Circle begins Friday at 2:00 PM.)
A Gathering of the Heart
The Magic & Meaning Conference is more than an event. It’s a homecoming—a chance to renew your passion for magic and rediscover the community that believes in its power to uplift, unite, and transform.
Come be part of the conversation that continues to shape the future of our art.
Join Us
Reserve your place now:
Register for the 2025 Magic & Meaning Conference
Watch the preview video:
Why Attend the Magic & Meaning Conference?
We can’t wait to welcome you home—to the heart and art of magic.
With warm regards,
Jeff McBride, Abigail McBride, and Dr. Larry Hass
and all your friends at the Magic & Mystery School