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Discourse in Magic: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Jonah Babins and Tyler Williams
Jonah Babins from Discourse in Magic tackles magic’s hardest issues, theories, philosophies, discussion, and more to help you explore. He jumps into all sorts of magic, and resources, and most importantly actionable tips to help better the art and become a killer performer!
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- Oct 5, 202622 min
How Ivan Went From Kids Magic to Corporate Parties
In the third episode of Magicians and Margaritas, Jonah Babins sits down with Ivan, a Long Island-based magician who successfully transitioned from performing at kids’ parties to booking high-ticket corporate events. Together, they break down the systems, mindset shifts, and team-building strategies that helped Ivan rapidly increase his revenue from roughly $100,000 to approaching $170,000 a year. Key Takeaways: Automated Lead Generation: To maintain a consistent flow of incoming inquiries, Ivan relies heavily on Google Ads and maintains an active presence on multiple gig platforms, including GigSalad, Bark, The Bash, Thumbtack, and Entertainers Worldwide. Building a Reliable Team: Hiring a Virtual Assistant (VA) can be challenging—Ivan cycled through four or five assistants before realizing he was micromanaging and needed to accept “80% good” to avoid burnout. Today, his VA efficiently manages his inbox and schedules 10 to 20 calls a day, freeing him to focus purely on performance and business strategy. Pricing and Mindset: Surrounding yourself with successful peers can provide the psychological “permission” needed to raise your rates. By joining the Mastermind and seeing other magicians confidently quoting high prices, Ivan overcame his internal blocks regarding premium pricing. Elevating the Performance: Shifting from children’s entertainment to corporate events requires a refined, professional presentation. After receiving honest feedback, Ivan injected more humor into his act and elevated his show’s overall quality, leading to glowing testimonials from corporate clients. The $12,000 Gig: Relentless follow-up and strategic package structuring can lead to massive paydays. Ivan initially lost a lead on a gig site but kept the client in a “No and Maybe” email sequence, which eventually landed him a $6,000 4th of July house party the following year. When the client returned for an even bigger event, Ivan offered tiered pricing and successfully up-sold them a $12,000 package featuring large-scale stage illusions. Resources Mentioned: Discourse in Magic YouTube Channel: You can watch the full video version of this episode, along with additional resources and visual models, on their YouTube channel. The Mastermind: There are still a few spots open in the Mastermind before the end of 2026. If you want to work together to grow your magic business, send an email with the word “Mastermind” to magic@torontomagiccompany.com. How Ivan Went From Kids Magic to Corporate Parties This video is the YouTube version of the podcast episode with Ivan, providing the visual context and full conversation about his transition to corporate magic and massive financial growth.
- Oct 5, 202623 min
Six-Figure Magic Business Blueprint
In this episode, magic business coach Jonah Babins outlines the foundational model for growing a magic business from a part-time hobby into a six or multi-six-figure enterprise. He breaks the growth process down into three core pillars—Leads, Sales, and Systems—and provides actionable self-evaluation questions alongside real-world examples of magicians who have successfully scaled their incomes. Key Takeaways Generating Leads: A magic business cannot survive without a consistent flow of inquiries. Leads are categorized into inbound traffic (such as Google Ads, which helped Cameron Leo cross $150,000 a year), outbound traffic (such as cold emails, which drives 60% of Cody Clark’s business), and nurturing past clients (which helped Manuel instantly book a $5,000 gig). Mastering Sales: Converting leads requires strategic pricing, packaging, and high-quality promotional materials. Babins emphasizes that clients need visual proof of your value, noting how Max Olbrich used a specific promo video template to significantly increase his booking conversions. Additionally, refining your sales call process and follow-up strategy can drastically increase revenue, as seen when Daniel Shafer added $50,000 in 90 days. Building Systems: To run a smooth operation without burning out, magicians must leverage technology, such as CRMs for automation, and build a team to handle administrative tasks. For instance, Caleb Wiles hired an assistant to manage emails and invoicing, while Jeff Newman uses CRM software to streamline his daily operations. Prioritizing Work/Life Balance: Being a solo entrepreneur should not mean working all day and night. Babins highlights the importance of deliberately stepping away from the business to recharge, using the example of Katrina, who intentionally schedules time for personal enjoyment, vacations, and self-care. Resources Mentioned YouTube Channel: You can find the video versions of these podcast episodes, complete with on-screen visual models, by visiting the Discourse in Magic YouTube channel. Each video also includes links to download related examples and worksheets. Discourse in Magic Instagram: If you are interested in scaling your magic business, you can send a direct message with the word “scale” to the Discourse in Magic Instagram account to start a conversation. The Mastermind: There are still a few spots left in the Mastermind program before the end of 2026. To apply or learn more about working together, email the word “Mastermind” to magic@torontomagiccompany.com.
- Oct 5, 202625 min
How Caleb Wiles Became a Professional Magician
In this episode of Magicians and Margaritas, Jonah sits down with Caleb Wiles to discuss his journey from doing casual side gigs to becoming a full-time, highly successful corporate magician. They break down the mindset shifts required to elevate a magic business, the realities of raising your prices, and why you must stop performing for other magicians and start focusing on what real-world audiences actually care about. Key Takeaways The Power of Raising Prices: Increasing your rates creates a healthy internal pressure to over-deliver; when you charge top dollar, it forces you to ensure the client feels completely taken care of and validates their decision not to hire a cheaper, lower-quality performer. Tinkering vs. Performing: You must separate the time you spend tinkering with complex magic concepts from the time you spend on stage. When performing for laypeople, the only metric that matters is whether the audience is having a great time and being genuinely entertained. The Social Engineer: If you encounter a guest at an event who actively dislikes magic, do not force your performance on them. Instead, act as the “social engineer” of the party by gracefully moving on and finding the groups of people who actually want to engage and have fun. Mastermind Growth: By joining the Mastermind program and shifting his focus away from smaller, poorly paid gigs, Caleb was able to concentrate entirely on the corporate market, which caused his business revenue to skyrocket. Avoiding “Convention Magic”: Real corporate clients do not care about highly technical, arbitrary puzzle tricks designed to fool other magicians. You need to curate a show that connects deeply with lay audiences and avoids the weird, practical disconnects of convention-style magic. Resources Mentioned YouTube Channel: You can find video versions of these podcast episodes, along with additional resources, by checking out the Discourse in Magic YouTube channel. Six-Figure Roadmap: Click the link in the video description to watch the comprehensive roadmap video detailing exactly how magicians are scaling their businesses to six figures and beyond. The Mastermind: There are still a few spots open in the Mastermind before the end of 2026. If you want to work together to grow your magic business, send an email with the word “Mastermind” to magic@torontomagiccompany.com.
- Oct 5, 202620 min
Stop Getting Ghosted on Gigs
This episode tackles the frustrating nightmare of “ghosting” in your magic business—when a lead inquires, has a fantastic phone call, and then completely vanishes before booking. The typical sales process involves a website form fill, a sales call, and finally the decision to book, but many magicians lose their prospects in the ambiguous gap immediately following the call. By implementing a specific structure at the end of your calls, sending a targeted proposal email, and utilizing funny, low-pressure follow-up tactics, you can actively prevent ghosting and close more gigs. Key Takeaways: BAM FAM (Book A Meeting From A Meeting): Never end a sales call by sending the client off into the ether with a vague “let me know”. Instead, explicitly schedule the follow-up conversation on the calendar before you hang up. Train for Replies: While on the phone, ask the client to reply to your upcoming proposal email just to confirm it did not go to spam, which establishes a habit of two-way communication. The Anatomy of a Proposal: A strong proposal email should include a summary of how your services serve their event, relevant links (like a promo video or bio), case studies or reviews, pricing, and a clear confirmation of the next scheduled step. Ghostbuster Emails (SPEAR): When following up, send emails that are Short, Personal, and Expecting A Reply (SPEAR). Avoid needy, nagging check-ins that make you sound like an accountant. The GIF Check-In: If a client goes quiet, send a single sentence paired with a funny GIF (e.g., asking if they were eaten by a shark, abducted by aliens, or attacked by a raccoon) to break the ice and elicit a quick laugh and response. The Breakup Email: Send a multiple-choice email asking the prospect to reply with a single letter indicating their status. Give them options like “A” for ready to book, “B” for not interested, or a funny option like “Brad learned magic and is doing the show instead”. Resources Mentioned: Free Ghostbuster Templates: Download a document containing examples of the proposal email format and the most effective Ghostbuster emails (including the GIF and Breakup templates) discussed in this episode. Six-Figure Scaling Roadmap: Check out the linked video outlining the exact playbook used to help magicians scale their businesses to $100k, $200k, and beyond.
- Oct 4, 202620 min
Unleashing the Power of Past Clients
This episode transitions some of our best recent YouTube content into podcast form, giving you actionable business lessons you can listen to on the go. Many magicians constantly spend money trying to acquire new leads through ads, agents, or gig sites. However, the most underutilized resource in your magic business is the people who have already hired you. This episode breaks down how to properly re-engage your past clients, turn them into your biggest fans, and secure repeat bookings without spending additional money on marketing. Key Takeaways: The 9-Word Email: A highly effective, simple email template originally from Dean Jackson that simply asks, “Are you still looking for entertainment for your [event]?” to instantly revive cold leads. Optimal Follow-Up Cadence: Reaching out to your past clients 4 to 12 times a year is the sweet spot to keep you top-of-mind without being annoying. The 70/30 Rule: You must ensure that 70% of your communications are “gives” (providing genuine value) and only 30% are “asks” (requesting new bookings or referrals). Creative “Gives”: Send your past clients engaging magic news, provide helpful vendor lists for event planners, or share interactive magic teaching videos. VIP Client Treatment: Spoil your absolute best clients with physical gift boxes or free tickets to your public shows so they remember you the next time they plan an event. Resources Mentioned: YouTube Channel: Subscribe to the Discourse in Magic YouTube channel to watch the video versions of these episodes and access the free downloadable templates and worksheets. The Mastermind: If you want to grow your magic business to $100k+ and beyond, email magic@torontomagiccompany.com with the word “Mastermind” to claim one of the final spots.
- Jun 29, 202620 min
Magicians & Margaritas
Welcome to the brand new series on Discourse in Magic: Magicians and Margaritas! In this inaugural episode, host Jonah Babins sits down over a margarita with Mastermind member and stellar Australian magician, Cameron Leo. Together, they pull back the curtain on Cameron’s massive business transformation. We unpack the exact trajectory that took Cameron from zero to $20K a year, and then explosive growth from $20K to over $150,000 a year doing magic full-time. If you want deep business insights, actionable scaling models, and real strategies you can steal for your own career, this episode is packed with invaluable nuggets. Jonah also drops a major announcement regarding the future of the podcast and the community: Discourse in Magic is officially launching video content on YouTube! You can now watch full episodes (including this one) to see the action live, alongside exclusive strategy breakdowns to help you optimize your business systems. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: The $0 to $150k Blueprint: The foundational shifts and milestone strategies Cameron used to scale an international magic business. From Solo Effort to Systems: Why building a six-figure business relies less on raw working hours and more on creative system design. The Mastermind Effect: How collaborative, high-level accountability helps magicians break past the $20k plateau. Stealable Business Nuggets: Real-world advice on booking mechanics, pricing, and positioning your value. Key Pillars of the Discussion: Magicians and Margaritas: The concept behind this new series—casual, transparent, and unfiltered business breakdowns with magicians who are actively crushing their financial goals. Stepping Up Your Marketing Asset Management: Shifting your perspective from being just a performer to running an automated, high-converting booking machine. The 100K Plan & Beyond: A look into how modern tools and structured mastermind planning can help scale a magic business to six figures without requiring you to buy more tricks. Mentions & Links: The 100K Plan YouTube Video: Watch the full, detailed breakdown of how we help scale magicians to six figures and beyond.h The Discourse in Magic Mastermind: The premier community helping magicians scale their businesses through modern tech, collaborative strategy, and high-level innovation.
- May 28, 202615 min
AI For Magicians
In this solo episode, Jonah Babins reports back from the annual Mastermind Summit. Every year, Jonah takes the mastermind group to an epic, tropical destination to map out business growth, and this year they returned to a beautiful resort in Mexico. While the room tackled classic pillars like contracts, public shows, SEO, and cold email, one massive topic dominated the entire trip: Artificial Intelligence. Jonah issues a direct warning to performers: it is 2026, and running a business without looking at AI is simply irresponsible. This isn’t about shoving technology down anyone’s throat; it’s about recognizing a unique window of opportunity to out-innovate your competition before your booking systems feel completely ancient. What You’ll Learn in This Episode The Rising Floor: Why “okay” websites and generic marketing won’t cut it anymore as new competitors launch with highly optimized, AI-driven setups. Lead Generation in Flux: How the foundational engines of magic bookings—including SEO, Google Ads, and cold email—are shifting under our feet. Automating the Stuff You Hate: Turning over tedious tasks like inbox management, contract writing, web scraping, and chasing payments to AI so you can focus on performing. The Speed of Creativity: Why business no longer moves at the speed of pure effort and hours, but rather at the speed of creative system design. The Mastermind Evolution: Why the Discourse in Magic Mastermind has officially transition into an AI-driven innovation company. Key Pillars of the Discussion Shifting From Effort to Creativity Once upon a time, the magic business favored whoever could put in the most raw hours—sending the most emails or writing the most blog posts. Today, the tools are equalized, meaning the most creative system wins. Jonah contrasts a basic user who merely transcribes a sales call with a creative producer who uses AI to instantly sync with a CRM, generate automated follow-up sequences, pull dynamic client testimonials, and build custom pitch decks instantly. Just like a deck of cards, the tool remains the same, but the output depends entirely on the creativity of the performer. Erasing the Admin Work The most easily replaced tasks are the repetitive admin jobs that most magicians procrastinate on anyway. AI excels at calendar management, draft sorting, data scraping, and contract refinement. By automating these friction points, you preserve your energy for the parts of the business that require true human relationship-building: the magic, the client interactions, and the live performances. Mentions & Links The Discourse in Magic Mastermind: The premier community helping magicians scale their businesses through modern tech and strategic innovation. Jonah’s Daily Companion: Claude—the specific AI platform Jonah and lead coach Kelvin use for 3 to 5 hours every single day to test new workflows. Don’t wait until it gets easier. Jonah’s ultimate challenge to the community is to spend at least one hour a week (ideally an hour a day) playing with these tools. The magicians who jump in now are the ones who will capture the market while everyone else waits on the sidelines.
- Apr 12, 202623 min
Inside the Chicago Magic Round Table
In this special episode, Jonah Babins shares a “meaty” excerpt from his recent business lecture delivered to the Chicago Magic Round Table. Recorded while Jonah was in the midst of a residency at the Chicago Magic Lounge (654 Club), this session skips the tricks and goes straight to the systems that allow a performer to scale from a hobbyist to a high-earning professional. Jonah breaks down the exact philosophy they use at the Toronto Magic Company. While the full lecture covers everything from t-shirts to thumb tips, this episode focuses on the “engine” of your business: how you handle leads, how you optimize your time, and when it’s finally time to ditch the spreadsheet for something more powerful. What You’ll Learn in This Episode The Chicago Residency: Jonah’s experience performing close-up in the legendary 654 Club and the unique energy of the Chicago magic scene. Systems vs. Software: Why you shouldn’t buy a CRM until your current system is “breaking” from too much success. The “Fast Talker” Philosophy: Why Jonah pushes the pace during business lectures and how to absorb high-level strategy without getting overwhelmed. Lead Management: The transition from manual copy-pasting to automated forms and why efficiency is the ultimate competitive advantage. AI in Magic: Why Claude has become an indispensable “coworker” for drafting copy, organizing ideas, and managing the backend of a magic brand. Key Pillars of the Lecture Identifying the “Break” Point Jonah discusses a common trap: magicians buying expensive software to solve problems they don’t have yet. He argues that you only need a system when you are getting so many leads that a simple spreadsheet is no longer manageable. Systems should be the solution to your growth, not a distraction from it. Continuous Optimization The secret to the Toronto Magic Company’s success isn’t one big secret—it’s a thousand small optimizations. Jonah explains the importance of looking at every step of your booking process and asking, “How can this be 1% better?” Leveraging Modern Tools From using AI like Claude for business heavy-lifting to utilizing automation for client inquiries, Jonah highlights how modern tech allows a solo performer to operate with the professionalism of a much larger agency. Mentions & Links The Chicago Magic Lounge: A world-class venue and home to the Chicago Magic Round Table. Claude: Jonah’s recommended AI tool for business efficiency. Lecture Inquiries: If you want Jonah and Ben to bring this lecture (including the tricks!) to your club or convention, email magic@torontomagiccompany.com. Follow Jonah: Find tips and business advice on Instagram @discourseinmagic
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About Discourse in Magic
Jonah Babins from Discourse in Magic tackles magic’s hardest issues, theories, philosophies, discussion, and more to help you explore. He jumps into all sorts of magic, and resources, and most importantly actionable tips to help better the art and become a killer performer!
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