I was on the road in Ohio recently performing magic at a corporate event, working both strolling magic during the cocktail hour and a stand-up show later.
And if you’ve never done these kinds of gigs, there’s a part of it that sounds a lot more glamorous than it actually is.
You picture it as this clean, in-and-out experience. Drop in, do the show, take a bow, head home.
That’s not how it usually goes.
This was a daytime corporate event, far enough from home that I had to drive in the night before. By the time the event wrapped, there was no chance I was hopping back in the car for the return trip, so that meant another night at the hotel.
So now you’ve got two nights in a perfectly fine, completely forgettable hotel… in a town where there’s not a whole lot going on.
And then there’s the gig itself.
Four hours.
That’s the work.
The rest of the time, you’re just… there.
Now, don’t get me wrong. This is the job. This is what we signed up for. And when you’re working as a corporate event magician, this is part of the deal. You go where the work is.
But it’s a good reminder that this business isn’t built on the highlight reel. It’s built on showing up, doing the job, and delivering when it counts.
And this event? It counted.
Great venue. Top-notch food. A regional group of financial professionals getting together for a night out. The kind of room where everything is set up for success… if you do your part.
My role was simple.
Work the room during the social hour, then come back later and do the stand-up show.
So I’m doing what I always do during strolling magic. Moving from group to group, introducing myself, keeping it light, getting people laughing, building momentum.
Working the room.
I come up on one group. One guy, three women. I start to get into my opening…
…and before I even do anything, the guy looks at me and says, completely serious:
“So this is just a side hustle for you, right?”
Now let’s call that what it is.
That’s not curiosity. That’s not a compliment.
That’s a shot.
What he’s really saying is, “There’s no way you actually make a living doing this.”
And if you’re a working magician, you’ve heard some version of that before.
“I had a magic kit when I was a kid.”
“I know a couple of card tricks.”
“People actually hire this?”
It’s not about your ability.
It’s about what they think magic is.
But here’s the problem.
That kind of comment can knock the energy right out of your set if you’re not ready for it.
So what do you do?
Put It Back on Them
There’s a simple line I’ve used for years when someone throws something like that out:
“What do you mean?”
No attitude. No defensiveness. Just calm and direct.
Now they have to explain it… in front of everyone.
Most people won’t.
And sure enough, he backed off a bit.
But here’s the thing.
That alone doesn’t solve the problem.
Because this isn’t just about shutting someone down.
It’s about changing how they see what you do.
Let the Magic Do the Talking
I didn’t argue. I didn’t defend myself. I didn’t try to win the moment with words.
I went right into the work.
I handed him the deck.
“Take any card you want.”
He signs it. We go into a Triumph sequence. Clean. Direct. No fluff.
Cards go face up, face down. Mixed. Fair.
At the end, I play it like something didn’t quite work.
The card doesn’t show up where it’s supposed to.
But there’s one card sitting in his hand.
He knows it’s not his.
He turns it over…
…and it’s his signed card.
And in that moment, you can see it.
Everything changes.
The skepticism disappears. The edge is gone. Everything shifts.
No comeback. No joke. No explanation.
Just quiet.
That’s the moment.
That’s what this is all about.
The Real Lesson for Working Magicians
If you’re performing at corporate events, or really anywhere in the real world, you’re going to run into this.
Not everyone is immediately on your side.
Some people are skeptical. Some don’t get it. Some think they already know what you do.
That’s part of the job.
The mistake is thinking you need to fight that with words.
You don’t.
You handle it, you stay in control, and then you do the work.
Because when the magic hits hard enough…
You don’t need a comeback.
You don’t need to defend your career.
You don’t need to explain anything.
You just changed their mind.
If You’re Trying to Become a Working Magician
This is the difference between knowing tricks and being able to actually work the room.
It’s not just about method.
It’s about handling people. Handling moments. Handling pressure.
That’s what gets you booked. That’s what keeps you booked.
And it’s what separates hobbyists from professionals.
If You Want to Get Better at This Stuff
Moments like that don’t show up in practice.
They show up in real rooms, with real people, when something unexpected happens, and you’ve got about three seconds to decide how you’re going to handle it.
That’s the difference between knowing tricks and actually being able to work.
If you’re trying to get to that level, where you can walk into a room, handle anything, and come out looking like a pro, that’s exactly what I focus on in my coaching.
Not theory. Not moves for the sake of moves.
Real-world performance. Real situations. The stuff that actually gets you booked and keeps you working.
You can check that out here:
Learn More About My Coaching For Magicians.