Dear Friends:
Many people are afraid to ask for help. They think asking for help is a sign of weakness.
Writer Lorie Corcuera offers a few reasons why you should ask for help and support.
Read Lorie’s full article here:
http://www.inc.com/lorie-corcuera/become-a-better-leader-by-asking-for-help.html
Getting Help with Your Business
Years ago, I asked Tobias Beckwith to help me with my career and business. His advice and guidance was essential to my success. Now, he can help you make good choices and help your career to grow. Just look here:
Money is the Best Applause: Building Your Business as a Magician
It’s time to get your career in gear with this special workshop conducted by Tobias Beckwith and Jeff McBride. You will learn techniques for enhancing all aspects of the business, and marketing of your business as a magician. You will also receive Feedback on your act, and learn about practice sessions on executing all aspects of finance, legal, communications, gig management and marketing. Includes a photo shoot with Richard Faverty. Only 12 students will be admitted, due to the extensive amount of personalized material we will be processing.
Do You Need to Find Your Direction?
A very important person in my life is Bob Fitch. Bob has directed my shows for many years.
Now you can study with Bob here at the Mystery school.
We are excited to be offering – The Bob Fitch Workshop at The Magic & Mystery School
In the past, magicians have had few resources available to learn theatre and movement skills. These intensive, structured multi-day workshops have been tailored to magicians, and are intended to help them obtain basic theater tools and self-directing skills to take away, and be able to apply to their work. The multi-day workshop format allows time to effect real, hopefully lasting, change. http://www.magicalwisdom.com/events#504
The writer J. Michael Dolan reminded me that
— Asking for directions doesn’t mean you’re inept. It could mean you’re eager to get where you’re going ASAP.
— Asking for tech support doesn’t mean you’re over-the-hill and out of touch. It could mean you’re eager to learn something, so you’ll know what to do next time.
— Asking for coaching is not a sign of surrender; it’s a sign of determination.
— Asking for help doesn’t mean you’re not ready, on the contrary, it means you’re ready to move on.
The Institute for Magic Education
This new program is making history! How can YOU give back to our magic community?
Just look here http://www.instituteformagiceducation.org/
McBride World Tour News:
Jeff will be some exciting places this next month, including:
June 20-26: In the Close-up Gallery at Hollywood’s world-famous Magic Castle
July 6-10: The Ignite Festival in Santa Cruz, CA
July 11-12: A McBride Magic Experience Event sponsored by SAM 94, in Cupertino, CA
July 23-24: The National Speaker Association annual convention in Phoenix, AZ
See the calendar at the side of this page for a more extensive listing.
Wonderground Alert:
June 16th- 3 Great Shows!
7 PM Â Christian & Randilyn, Hosts
Strolling magic with Miguel & Juan Pablo
Allen Scott will do tarot readings
The Magic of Will Bradshaw
8PM  Tim Wise, Your MC & Host
Jeff McBride – Always a NEW Wonder
Chris Funk – From WIZARD WARS
Roilan Hernandez – Amazing Circus Skills
Chris Ruggiero – World Class Juggling
Allen Abbott- Something Mysterious This Way Comes
9PMÂ Christian Diamond, Your Host
James Kelsey – Close Up Bar & strolling
Chris Funk – Comedy with Magic
Elliott Hitchcock- Man of Mystery
Will Bradshaw – Prepare to be Amazed
10PM  Jeff McBride, Master of Ceremonies
Les Contortionettes – Unique in all the World!
Miguel Romero Ramirez – A Rising Star from Cuba
Chris Ruggiero – World Class Juggler
Iam Creed – “Radio- Active” Illusion
Roilan Hernandez – Acrobatic Sensation
Allen Abbott – Flights of Fancy
PLUS: Bar Magic with Zack Pattee and Scott Steelfyre, Iam Creed, and Randilyn, Photography by Sheryl Garrett.
The NWR-Tribal Belly Dance Troupe, Psychic Sideshow with Alan Scott, live art with Areeya and Suzanne and many more surprises and special celebrity guests!!
All info at: Â www.vegaswonderground.com
I will see you at the shows in Vegas or on tour!
Jeff McBride
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds!
   –Marcus Garvey
Even though it was 15 years ago, I clearly remember the day I walked into my annual performance review at Motorola. My boss was coming in to tell me I was getting a promotion and an 18% raise.
I told him I was leaving!
It wasn’t that I was unhappy with the work or pay. I just wanted more freedom with my time.
I had decided to start a business.
Fast-forward 13 years…
I had done really well building custom software for companies (and a few magic websites here and there on the side). The work was fun and challenging. The pay was much better than my corporate job…. and, most importantly, I had control of my time.
Or did I?
See, I could take a week off any time I wanted… and I did quite often.
But I always had to come back to the work.
Then it hit me:
I didn’t own a business.Â
I owned a JOB!Â
If I wasn’t working, there was no business.
That’s certainly not what I had set out to create. My original vision had two key components that I had not achieved:
Time for another major life change!
Just like before, I resigned… this time from my own company.
I knew that I would need a different set of skills and, more importantly, that there were attitudes and habits I had as a solo-preneur that would hold me back from building the business I really wanted.
Fast-forward two years…
It’s been a crazy ride. I have achieved things beyond my wildest dreams… and had many days where I could barely get out of bed, because I was terrified to do what needed to be done that day (I still did, though).
Most importantly, I’ve created the new attitudes and habits I needed.
When Larry asked me to write a Museletter with an update on my journey, I wanted it to be more than just my story. So I’m going to pass on the Top Three “Things†I’ve had to integrate into every fiber of my being and my business.
There’s nothing new here. Anyone who’s been through this process has to learn the same lessons if they’re going to succeed. But, trust me, there’s a whole new level of understanding that comes from having done it, not just read about it.
If there’s any one thing that has made the most impact, it’s forcing myself to work strictly by priority and nothing else. What’s more important? That email or text that just came in… or building the future you desire?
If you have problems in this area, I have a daily practice that will help:
Most people, myself included, can’t think in “big picture†and “work mode†at the same time. This allows me to do both daily, but in a focused way.
Want to know why so many entertainers are struggling financially?
They’re waiting for the phone to ring.
One of the key differences between a hobby and a business is sales. How many prospecting calls are you making each day? How many emails are you sending? How many references are you asking for?
I understand that most people don’t want to do this. But without sales, you have no business. Period. It’s just math. And you’re not going to have any sales unless you start picking up the phone.
(NOTE: If you don’t do it because you’re uncomfortable doing it… keep reading)
Want to know the fastest way to achieve success?
Find someone who’s done it and ask them to help you!
Notice I put an emphasis on done it. This is where people get burned over and over again… they don’t do their due diligence when choosing who to take advice from.
I have a simple rule: before I spend any time or money to learn from an “expert,†I find out how many hours they’ve spent doing what I want to learn. Not teaching. DOING. If they’ve surpassed the magical 10,000 hour rule, I’ll consider them.
With that in mind…
I’ve met some truly amazing people over the last two years. Some are just customers that inspire me with the success they’re having. Others are experts in related fields that have shared their hard-earned wisdom with me.
While much of what they do isn’t applicable to entertainers, there are a few skills that are sorely needed by many of the people who read these emails.
So we’re considering starting up a special program to bring some of this work to those that are interested.
Because we know not everyone on this list is an entertainer… or interested in these topics, I’ve started a special list for people who feel they might want to know more.
If you are interested, you can learn more and join the group here:
http://www.magicalwisdom.com/business
Once we see how many people sign up, we’ll decide if we’re going to do this at all.
Until next time…
Bryce Kuhlman
Founder / Creator
Wisdom Robot
This is Jeff, writing from Las Vegas.
How can we give back to the world, and to the Art of Magic?
PLEASE take the time to read this important message! We have helped, and are in the process of creating something that we hope will change the world of magic!
The Art of Magic Gets a New Champion!
New Organization Formed to Promote Education For Magicians
May 12, 2016, Las Vegas, NV — The Institute for Magic Education, Inc. has been created to help magicians, magic students, and magic enthusiasts increase their skill and knowledge of the magical performing arts. The Institute has just received its designation as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization by the IRS, and has commenced operations. To support its initial activities, the Institute has launched a $100,000 fundraising campaign – Transforming Magicians and Magic – to provide scholarship support for deserving students and help underwrite innovative magic projects.
The McBride Magic & Mystery School 25th Anniversary
The Institute for Magic Education was created by the McBride Magic & Mystery School, which is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary. The Institute is an independent, self-sustaining, tax-exempt organization. The formation of the Institute extends the mission of the McBride Magic & Mystery School to help students of all ages fulfill their own interests and potential as magicians and performers, and to lift the level of the art throughout the world.
Jeff McBride, founder of the Magic & Mystery School, notes that “As was true for Harry Houdini or Harry Potter, becoming a full-fledged wizard requires specialized training that goes well beyond reading a library book or having Uncle Bob teach you how to pull pennies from your ear.â€
Scholarship Program
Dr. Lynn Miner, President of the Institute, states that “While magic schools exist in the United States and elsewhere to teach the performing arts, most lack a firm financial footing to award scholarships to needy students.â€
Dr. Miner adds, “The Institute intends to fill that gap as a tax-exempt organization headed by seven top-flight magicians on its Board of Directors, including Jeff McBride, the “World Ambassador of Magic,†and Mac King, acclaimed by MAGIC Magazine as the premiere comedy magician in the world today.
Other Board members include Tobias Beckwith, an innovative producer of magic shows in Las Vegas, New York and around the world; Bill Evans, a lawyer/magician who is Past President of the International Brotherhood of Magicians; Bill Cook, hailed by his peers as the Young Master of Magic; Simone Marron, a magic enthusiast active at the local and national levels; and Dr. Miner.
How can YOU help the future of magic?
Further details about the Institute, including how to donate funds in support of magic education or apply for financial aid, are available at the web site:
www.InstituteForMagicEducation.org.
Contact: President@instituteformagiceducation.org
Healing and Magic
Can the magic we do help heal the world?
Join us to explore that question and get real answers–and learn great magic at the same time! This four-day Seminar is specially designed for physicians and other health care providers, including nurses, therapists, and alternative medicine practitioners.
The Seminar is taught by Jeff McBride and Eugene Burger, two of the world’s leading magicians, Ricardo Rosenkranz, M. D., who has pioneered a revolutionary Magic and Medicine teaching program at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, and Lawrence Hass, Ph.D., a philosopher and a magician who founded the internationally-celebrated educational program, The Theory and Art of Magic.
The Seminar will explore many areas of theoretical interest, such as the history of the relationship between magic and medicine, the importance of ritual, and the place of magical art in human life. However, the primary focus of the educational experience is on practice—on how the powerful skills of performance magicians can enhance the interactions between providers and patients, and thus yield better outcomes in healing relationships. 
It is by no means necessary to be a performer to attend this learning experience. In fact, most attendees will have little to no magic performing experience at all. Even so, attendees will learn some magic appropriate for their skill level during the Seminar, and they will have an opportunity to share a story or a performance if they would like to do so.
For more info: www.magicalwisdom.com/events#486
Wonderground News – May 19, 2016Â
All info at : www.vegaswonderground.com
7 PM -Â Christian and Randilyn, Hosts
Strolling magic with Miguel
8PM – Tim Wise, MC
Steven Owens – The Shadow Magic Act
Joe Atmore – Master of Mental Mystery
Jeff McBride’s Mask Theater Ensemble Present- “Obama & Trump”
Elliott Hitchcock – International Man of Mystery
9PM – Christian Diamond, MC
Joe Atmore – Modern Mind reader
Jeff McBride – New Egg-splorations
Special guests will present strolling magic
Zack and Tim at the WONDER-BAR
10PM – Jeff McBride, MC
Steven Owens – The Competition act
Jarrett and Raja- the Drunken Piano Player
Ryan Stock & Amber-Lynn – Comedy Daredevil
PLUS: Bar Magic with Zack Pattee and Scott Steelfyre, Iam Creed, and Randilyn, Photography with Sheryl Garrett.
The NWR-Tribal Belly Dance Troupe, Psychic Sideshow with Alan Scott, live art with Areeya and Suzanne and many more surprises and special celebrity guests!!
All info at: Â www.vegaswonderground.com
I will see you at the shows in Vegas or on tour!
Jeff McBride
Dear Friends:
How did the first of May ever become a call for distress? Wikipedia has the answer:
The Mayday procedure word was originated in 1923, by Frederick Stanley Mockford (1897–1962).[1] A senior radio officer atCroydon Airport in London, Mockford was asked to think of a word that would indicate distress and would easily be understood by all pilots and ground staff in an emergency. Since much of the traffic at the time was between Croydon and Le Bourget Airport inParis, he proposed the word “Mayday” from the French “m’aidez“, a shortened version of “venez m’aider” (meaning “come and help me”).[2]
I love it that it is, or at least corresponds to, the French “M’aidez,†or “Help me.â€
So what, you may well ask, does this have to do with magic, and with you? What might it have to do with our efforts here at the McBride Magic & Mystery School?
Well, we’re certainly not in distress. Classes have never been fuller, and we’ve never had a stronger or better team helping us keep everything running smoothly, and expand our efforts. I hope you’re not in distress, either.
Nevertheless, we can certainly use your help. Even the best of organizations is really only as strong as its relationships. In a company, that means how it relates to employees, investors, and clients. Smart companies know that it also means everyone with whom they communicate, whether they wind up being customers or not. How you are perceived in the eyes of the general public has a lot to do with your ability to accomplish the mission your company has set for itself.
Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream is a good example. On their web-site, they state the basics of their mission as follows:
Our Product Mission drives us to make fantastic ice cream – for its own sake.
Our Economic Mission asks us to manage our Company for sustainable financial growth.Â
Our Social Mission compels us to use our Company in innovative ways to make the world a better place.
Many people who, for whatever reason, don’t buy and consume Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, nevertheless have a great opinion of the company, largely for the ways in which it accomplishes it’s social mission. They pass on good “word of mouth†about the company, and that translates to more sales. These people are the company’s fans, it’s community. They provide invaluable support.
For us, you are the support network. Whether you ever pay to come to a class, buy a product, or otherwise provide financial support for our mission, you continue to stay tuned in to what we have to offer. Our mission is to lift the general level of the art of magic. We are committed to providing safe environments where that can happen — where we can encourage our students to test the limits of their abilities and their own comfort zones, in order to become better magicians.
We’re about to embark on a new phase of our activities that will vastly expand our own ability to achieve those goals. I can’t tell you more about it just yet, but watch this space in the coming weeks, and we’ll tell you all about it. For now, just enjoy the mystery. We are, after all, a Mystery School.
There is something you can do right now that will help, if you’re willing. Help us spread the word. There are almost 15,000 of you who receive our Museletters. Although we continue to do our Monday evening shows and do as much outreach through our faculty’s attendance at various magic conventions, lecture tours and the like, the Museletter reaches more people, with a higher frequency, than all of our other activities. However, we need to reach an even wider audience. That’s where you come in.
Please help us by forwarding this Museletter to at least two of your friends who you think might benefit from seeing it. Encourage them to sign up! Please also do the same when you post to social media. This and all our past museletters are archived at https://blog.mcbridemagic.com. You can use that URL in social media posts to send your followers there. The more the merrier!
As you already know, we do our best to bring you not only the latest news on what we’re up to, but new ideas and techniques that we think will be of special interest to you as magicians and fans of magic; things that will improve your lives. We seek to build a community of those who care as much about the art of performing magic as we do, and we love having you as a part of that community. This is your chance to help bring friends and family who share your passion into the community, as well. We’ll continue to do everything we can to support the mission… but hey: If you help us expand the community, you’ll be leveraging our efforts. Just by spending a few minutes of your own time, you can make a big difference, and you’ll have our undying gratitude.
Jeff McBride will be back in this space in two weeks with more of his special brand of teaching for you, along with news of this month’s Wonderground.
Till then:
Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! Please help spread the word!
Best to all.
Sincerely,Â
Tobias Beckwith
PS: On a personal note: I’ve begun a new enterprise in association with the school, whose mission is to take what we’ve learned in our work with magicians, and expand our principles and teaching methods to a wider community. Please visit the new website for that enterprise, and send me your feedback: http://www.wizardventure.com.
Thank you!