#17 Magician Kevin Blake | The Business of Magic | Performing on National TV for America's Got Talent and Penn and Teller

Kevin Blake is one of the top entertainers in the country. He’s a San Francisco Bay Area magician and mentalist who has been featured on America’s Got Talent and Penn and Teller’s Fool Us. You can watch him at his weekly show, the Illusionist at the Palace Theater (in San Francisco), or at his in-person and virtual corporate events. In addition to magic, he’s a big swimmer and has competed in the US Olympic Team trials twice in the 50 freestyle. In this episode, we discuss how Kevin got into magic, the business dynamics of magic, what it was like to perform on national tv, and his current performances.(00:44) Getting into magic(06:31) Ethical frameworks for mentalism(08:27) First time getting paid to do magic(09:34) Doing magic as a side-gig(11:49) Moving into magic full-time during COVID(16:43) How to get audience feedback to improve(17:15) Magician pricing and distribution strategies(19:01) Impact of VC on distribution(20:44) His ideal customer profile and personal brand(24:33) Magician competition(26:17) Where magicians make money(30:41) Where magicians buy tricks(35:10) How magicians spend their time(37:55) Are magicians lonely?(39:17) Going on America's Got Talent and Penn and Teller's Fool Us(47:44) Kevin's show the Illusionist at the Palace Theater in SF(49:26) Relationship with theater and producers in regard to distribution(52:54) Rapid fire - favorite books, advice that is incorrect in magic(56:36) Where to find KevinBook Kevin for Corporate EventsThe Illusionist at the Palace Theater in SF Favorite BooksAbsolute Magic by Derren BrownTitus Groan by Mervyn PeakeThe Search For Growth PodcastAlfie Marsh B2B Go-To-Market AdvisoryAlfie Marsh's Newsletter "Rocket GTM"Chris Gibson's Newsletter "Content I Consumed"Alfie's LinkedInChris' LinkedIn Get full access to Learn AI with Alfie at alfiemarsh.substack.com/subscribe