www.JacquesleSueur.

com

"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his
work and his play, his labour and his leisure, his mind and his body,
his information and his recreation, his love and his religion.
He hardly knows which is which.
He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does,
leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing.
To him he is always doing both."
- James A. Michener.

Welcome.
Let me introduce myself...
Conjure noun:
"summon into action or
bring into existence, often
as if by magic."

My name is Jacques le Sueur, and I've never had a "real" job.

I've spent my life traveling the world as a professional entertainer, doing
magic shows at corporate events and high-end private parties. People, quite
literally, fly me to the ends of the earth and pay me large amounts of money to
do the amazing. It's a very cool career, filled with adventure.
And this book?
Well, thanks to vehicles like the media, mankind generally gets a bad rap. But
the more you travel, the more you see that the world is, in essence, a good
place, filled with strong people, doing great things.
Korea, Dubai, Las Vegas, Nigeria... everywhere I go, the more I meet what
can only be called a new breed of bright, brave superstars, who are changing
the world in the most amazing ways. Mainstream media don't typically
spotlight them, but they are out there. Lots of them.
They're happy by default, curious about the world around them, and finding
creative solutions to the problems we face. Their most valuable asset is their
imagination, and they have the wisdom and tools to make their dreams reality.

The essence of their success are the ideas - the message - they share with
the world.

"It's kind of fun

to do the impossible.
- Walt Disney

Believe me when I tell you, the stronger the message you can share, the
greater you'll become. The most powerful are those who can communicate
their story with clarity and precision.
With all humility, a good magician is, in essence, a master communicator. He
gives audiences a taste of the impossible, even just for a moment. Magic has
been around a lot longer than you may think, and gives me a very unique
perspective on life. In these pages, I'm going to give you a brief, backstage
glimpse into this art of astonishment.
You're about to get a small taste of the ancient tricks and psychology
conjurers use to create the language of illusion. We'll remove some of the
filters society has created around your mind so you can aim for true freedom.
If you can decode the secrets of the impossible, you'll discover what's truly
possible.
It's going to be exciting. Tighten your chin-straps, and let's dive down the
rabbit hole...

A brief overview of what's ahead...

"He who lives by the

crystal ball soon learns to
eat ground glass."
- Edgar R. Fiedler

In section one I'm going to introduce a handful of core constructs we'll build
on in later chapters. Section two, we'll unwrap a strong message you want to
share with the world, and polish it into an experience people will resonate
with. Then I'll teach you how to communicate this message this experience
to the right people who will pay solid cash for it. And finally, we'll take a look
at these concepts in action in the everyday world. But first, let's have some
fun...
Take a deep breath.
Maybe I can tell you a little about yourself...
I get the impression you are basically self-sufficient: you don't have a strong
need for other people to like you or for them to admire you.
You tend to accept yourself as you are, rather than be critical of yourself.
Sexual adjustment has not presented problems for you. Although you may
appear worried and insecure on the outside, you tend to be disciplined and
controlled inside.
You seldom have serious doubts as to whether you've made the right decision
or done the right thing. You're quite frank in revealing yourself to others.

Okay, how close was I?

Am I maybe very slightly psychic?
Probably not, in that sense of the word.
"Loss is nothing else but
change, and change is
natures delight."
- Marcus Aurelius

I've just given you a taste of an ancient technique, popularized by gypsies and
television psychics who prey on the gullible, called cold-reading (Google it).
The above snippet is based on an excerpt written by Robert Duetsch in 1982 it's a carefully engineered blueprint of generalizations which can make it seem
like you're drilling information straight out of a person's mind.
But re-read the above.
See? It could really apply to anyone. And why does it work? Because the one
thing everyone in the world wants is mystery. The core message of coldreading is hope. Possibility. Potential. Wait, we're getting ahead of ourselves...
we'll get back to this in a bit...
Here's fundamental element number one:

The essence of life is change.

Everything around you grows and evolves. It's the nature of the Universe.
Motion and change are health.
"It is better to create than
to learn! Creating is the
essence of life."
- Julius Caesar

And those that are able to change their surroundings those who can create
are the true leaders. It's been said that knowledge is power. But at the root
of it all creation is power.
For want of a better description, freedom boils down to speed and unrestricted
movement. Being able to be, do and have without anything holding you back.
Being able to survive, wherever you are. A nomadic mind.
Freedom is fluidity.
Being like water. Flowing through life. Unconstrained. Washing around
obstacles. A true force of nature.
Fundamental element two:

You are a creator.

We've already touched on the idea that the most powerful people in the world
are those with a strong message... those who can create. And despite what
society tells you, you can learn nearly anything. Your mind has an as yet
infinite capacity and thirst - for knowledge.
"The man who has no
imagination has no wings."
- Muhammad Ali

And with knowledge comes the ability to do practically anything. If somebody

has been able to do something, with enough time and the right teacher, you
probably can do it too. Reverse engineer what the leaders in any field are
doing, and you can join their ranks if you're committed to do what they did.
Not many people know this, but the word Abracadabra, spoken by
magicians throughout the ages probably has it's roots in the ancient Sanskrit
language. It's meaning? I say it, and it is so.
Think about that for a second.
The clearer you see something in your mind's eye, the more convinced you
are of it, the stronger the chances of creating it in real life. Interestingly, there
is more and more evidence that the ancient cave paintings by our ancestors
were not records of their hunts, but visualisations that psyched the tribe up
before the chase.
The imagination has been all powerful for over 40 000 years.

Which leads us, elegantly, into fundamental three:

Our base building-blocks are ideas. Messages.

Everything you have in your life, started as an idea in someone's mind.
Everything.
Everyone has a talent.
What is rare is the courage
to nurture it in solitude
and to follow the talent to
the dark places where it
leads.
- Erica Jong

To use a metaphor (and building on Richard Dawkin's concept of the meme)

these ideas are actual things organisms in their own right.
Think of them, for now, as if they are alive. Like a baby animal, the stronger
the message... the vision... the dream... the better its chances of survival.
Feed a message properly, and it will grow strong. And as it grows, it will
sustain you its carrier so you can help it grow.
Make sense, so far? Let me give you a real-life example: my buddies Duane
and Jed Lawrence.
These brothers are world champion B-Boys, breakdancing for a living. Type
their names into Youtube, and you'll sit with your mouth hanging open at what
they can get their bodies to do.

Two of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, they are real-life superheros, teaching
the message of peace through the language of dance. And they live their
message every day. I sometimes think they can't breathe unless they are
moving.
Nothing is more difficult,
and therefore more precious,
than to be able to decide.
- Napoleon Bonaparte

And their message the power of dance is a perfect example of what we're
talking about. It keeps them fired up, strong, so it can spread itself. At the time
of writing this, Jed has just recovered from a broken leg and Duane has a hole
in his chest ripped open by a nail sticking out of a stage they were dancing on.
But they keep dancing. Injured, but strong as ever. At world champ level.
The message carries them. Fuels them.
Still with me? Good.
So how do we create these mystical messages? Element four:

We create by making choices.

Right or left. Black or white. One or the other. Everything results from the
choices we make. Power comes when we make these choices consciously.

The first major choice champions make is to be free. To be happy. On the flipside, they understand that fear and anger are weakness. That's not to say
they don't get scared, it's just that when fear and doubt creep in, they choose
to stay objective, see it for what it is, and move on.
"The height of cultivation
always runs to simplicity."
- Bruce Lee

You see, the Universe throws us clues as to the directions to choose. If we

stay connected and follow these hints these daily breadcrumbs our path is
clear. We just need to stay open, and recognize them when we see them.
And finally, the Fifth Element:

Messages amplify as we boil them down to their essence.

Simple, really. The more we polish the message, streamline it, cut the fat from
it, the stronger it becomes. It's a lifelong journey of sanding the rough edges
in our mind.
Good so far?
Change. Creation. Messages. Choices. Essence. We've got pretty deep,
pretty quickly, and covered decent ground.
Let's steam ahead...

Practically everything that moves through your life is either a tool to build and
polish your message, or a fuel to sustain it. Money, health, happiness,
technology, ideas... all one or the other.
Again, the most valuable asset in your life is, as we said before, your
imagination. Learn to harness it properly, and the possibilities are epic.
It's a basic law of the Universe.
"A #2 pencil and a dream
can take you anywhere."
- Joyce A. Myers

In the chapters to come, we'll master specific techniques to carve ideas out of
your inquisitive mind and launch them into the world. But again be aware, for
now, that the clearer you can see a detailed concept in your head, the more
successful it will be in reality.
Right. Get up from reading this right now, and fetch a pocket notepad and
pen. Go and buy them if you have to. I'll wait here.
Got them? Good.
Do yourself a favor, and keep these with you, everywhere you go. When ideas
speak to you, even if it's a whisper in your head, write them down. Capture
details. After a week you'll be amazed how many bits and pieces you've
captured. Don't be shy to stop everything, and write down a good idea when it
arrives.

Michaelangelo used to say he saw the sculpture he was creating preformed in

the rock, and then just chipped away at releasing it. Likewise, your message
is strong and ready-made in your mind, and it will communicate with you so it
can spread its wings.
"There is no resisting the
wind of adventure.
When it blows,
I feel it and obey..."
- Don Fernando

The next tool? Your sense of curiosity.

If the root of the Universe is change, then your spirit of adventure is the
vehicle you use to interact with this change.
As a side note, I'm wired in such a way that I'll often drop myself into odd
situations, just to see if I can get myself out again. The stranger, the better.
And as I've traveled, I've experienced some of the rougher, poorer
communities in the world. Villages in Nigeria. Soldier camps in the Congo.
Ganglands in Asia. Amazing places. Tough, strong people.
And I started seeing patterns developing.
One striking thing is that the prettiest girls generally seem to pop up in the
poorer areas. Rio is a case in point. Maybe it's a survival thing.
Next, interestingly, is that the tougher the 'hood, the smaller the area people
seem to function in. Live in the roughest zones, and your entire life generally
operates within two or three blocks of your house. Strange, isn't it? And the

people who seem to pull themselves up by the bootstraps out of the slums all
have one major thing in common:

They've expanded their horizons.

"My country is the world,
and my religion
is to do good."
- Thomas Paine

Questions creep in about what might be out there, in the big beyond, and they
sail out into the great unknown. They become citizens of the world. Politics
fade. There are no borders, no black and white, just all the beautiful colors in
between. They morph into true free spirits, able to survive anywhere.
Learning. Exploring. Growing.
Do you sometimes get caught up in the microcosm of your world? How far
could you actually expand your horizons? Is the spirit of adventure sparkling
in your eyes?
Let's move on to a fuel: enthusiasm.
Champions, no matter what field they're in, have a unique quality about them.
An excitement, a fire, an enthusiasm for what they're doing. When they're
involved in their passion, past and future seem to fall away and they get
absorbed possessed, even by it. Athletes call it being in the zone. It's like
the primal energy of the Universe is surging up from the ground and

overflowing into your body. You're absolutely at one with everything.

Have you ever been in this state?
"Master the instrument,
master the music,
then forget all that shit
and play."
- Charlie Parker

It's a direct result of the message we talked about earlier. The stronger the
message, the stronger the fire. Directly related. Find a strong enough
message, and you'd be able to march to the ends of the earth on it.
Good. Another fuel I'm sure you're very aware of: money...
One of the biggest mistakes people make is to become emotionally attached
to money, or the lack of it. Listen: it's just a fuel for the projects you set
yourself. Nothing more. Nothing less. You can't eat it, have a conversation
with it, or live in it.
Don't get addicted to it. Addiction of any kind is weakness. Don't use it as a
shell, an armor, to hide behind. Realize it's also not bad to have it. And there
is more than enough available in the world for any of the projects you may
need it for. Billions. Really. Billions.
The key is to treat it like water: don't let it stagnate. Life is seasonal, Build up
reserves for winter, but let most of it flow freely through you. Get. Give. Flux.
And every time money flows into your life, give your future self a gift. Aim to

bring in more than you spend (we'll cover how to do that in a later chapter,
don't you worry), and then stash the excess away. Freeze it, make a dam for
it, store it.

The whole secret of

existence is to have no fear.
Never fear what will become
of you, depend on no one.
Only the moment you reject
all help are you freed.
- Buddha

Other tools? Your body and mind. They're the primary vehicles for your
messages. Physical fitness is beyond the scope of this book, but the basics
above still apply. Fitness really only means how well you fit into your
environment.
Just keep moving. Motion affects emotion. Keep foods and ideas flowing
through your system. Again, actively fight stagnation in all of its forms. Eat
when you're hungry, sleep when you're tired. Your brain and your body are a
unit, keep both active and strong. Tony Buzan advocates feeding your body
food, water, air, sunlight and love. Profound in its simplicity.
One final tool, before we dive into the active process of carving our dreams
into reality: technology. The world is evolving at breakneck speed, and
doesn't show any sign of slowing down (unless the Mayans were right, and
everything pops in 2012...) (So far, so good... - Ed.)
The Internet is a global brain - one huge lever, that expands your reach, and
once you've crafted your message, lets you inject it directly into the minds of
millions of people globally. Respect it. Befriend it. Learn how to use it. Play

with it. Let it show you its possibilities.

"The future has already

arrived. It's just not
evenly distributed yet."
- William Gibson

Three quick things to Google: digital nomad, Linux and Freeware. All are
exciting advances in the world of technologica, waves you can ride at minimal
cost. Check them out. You might find they're an avenue to pursue.
Have a look around the rooms of your mind for a second and see what other
things in your life fit into the tool or fuel category. More than we realize,
initially. See them for what they are.
Right. Enough talk. It's time to start building...

Fantastic - now the fun really begins. But first a quick recap of where we're
at...
Champions are at the top because they have the strongest messages.
The clearer you can communicate this message, the further it will spread.
"Men must live and create."
- Albert Camus

Streamlining the message amplifies it.

Everything in your life is either a tool or a fuel to propel your message.
Your enthusiasm is the fire which brands the message deep into people's
brains.
In this section, we're going to carefully lure your core message out into the
open and cast it into an experience you can share with the world. It's this
communication which is going to make you rich. Your ultimate freedom.
Let's start with some broader brush-strokes and then wade down into the
details...
So where do you find this message? Well, honestly, you already know what it
is. It's a matter of removing the filters shading your mind. Let me ask you:

What have you always been good at? Drawn to?

"You can't wait for inspiration.

You have to go after it
with a club."
- Jack London

What do your friends ask you for advice about? What do people you gel with
need or want, that you can provide? What good can you do in the world
around you? What do you zone on? What leaves you grinning when you think
about it? Makes you so excited your gums itch when you think about it?
What's possible?
Jot your answers on your notepad. Now for the million dollar question:

What does the list above mean to you?

For me, my Magic has been everything I've lived for since I was a kid. It's
given me everything good in my life. To me, it represents freedom. Love.
Possibility. So that's my message.
If I can create products and shows for people that communicate freedom and
joy, and trigger the imagination, I'm resonating. The message spreads like
wildfire, and the cash rolls in. This book is a case in point. Simple.

Understand, there is no distinction between a product you create, or a service

you provide for somebody. They are all an experience. A vehicle for your
message. At its crux, you're selling experiences.
The secret to massive, unlimited riches, boiled down in a nutshell:
"Sell everything you can make."
- Sergio Zyman

Find out what they want, find out what they can't get anywhere
else, that no-one else is providing, and give it to them.
So how do we start creating these experiences?
An example from the world of legerdemain: understand that if someone can
figure out a trick, it's not magic, just a clever puzzle. How is it that a master
magician can engineer an experience that can convince an intelligent
spectator they're witnessing the impossible? What is the process he goes
through?
There are two blueprints: we either come up with a totally new concept and
then try to find ways to make it work, or we take an existing trick and try to
improve it and match it to our persona. Let's start with the first...

You get the idea for what you want in your mind's eye (Remember those
prehistoric shamans?) You ask yourself what would make people sit up in
their seats and go Wow! You also decide whether this trick will actually suit
your personality and performance style. The truer you are to your core, the
more impact the trick will have.
"Most people don't
believe in Magic,
because they've never
seen Magic."
- Paul Vigil

Maybe you want to fold a banknote into a ball, hold it in your hand, blow on it,
and it transforms into a butterfly which flutters off and out the window. Cool
idea.
You grab paper and pen, and try to capture everything you see in your head.
Everything, no matter how small. Really work at dilating your mind's eye. See
things from the spectator's point of view, imagining what real magic might look
like. You write. You sketch. No detail escapes you.
Next, you go through all the methods you've already learned in magic, the
building-blocks created over the centuries, and see what might fit. You check
the textbooks of tricks (yes, laymen, they're out there). Maybe someone has
come up with a way to freeze an insect so you can revive it during the show.
Maybe it doesn't even need to be a real butterfly, it could be mechanical.
Electronic. Maybe a very fine thread could run down from your teeth to your
fingers, and lift the butterfly. Your breathing would vibrate the thread, making it
dance as if it's alive. Maybe. Maybe.

"By three methods we may

learn: first, by reflection,
which is noblest;
second, by imitation,
which is easiest; and third
by experience, which is the
bitterest."
- Confucius

A similar process happens when we learn a trick created by someone else.

Doing it exactly as it was created is a recipe for disaster, you need to match
the trick to your mannerisms and persona. So you go through and try it out
exactly as described. Get a feel for where the creator was going with the idea.
You play around with the trick, looking at it from different angles. Maybe you
know a better method of doing part of it. You can slot in someone else's idea
in the middle. Who knows. But you play. Experiment.
As you progress, you originate a script: the key checkpoints in the routine, the
things that absolutely have to be in place for it to work properly every time.
You create a system. And just as crucial, you figure out all the things that
might go wrong, thinking through every eventuality, and try to come up with
solutions before these things happen.
Once you have the basics down, with either method, it's time to rehearse. You
stand in front of a mirror or video recorder and do the trick. You see what it will
look like from the audience's point of view, noting areas that don't quite gel
with the overall picture.
If there are any bits of sleight-of-hand you haven't quite perfected yet, you
spend time practicing them, on their own, and then slotting them back into the
routine. Working on the whole, you work on the surfaces: anything your
audience comes into direct contact with. The cards you use. Your clothing.

Your speech. Even the environment you're in. The aim is to communicate with
laser-sharp clarity. You work on your timing, using silence and pauses to
create impact, letting the trick breathe. You fight the urge to rush. Polish,
polish, polish.

"Who seeks shall find."

- Sophocles

Then it's crunch time audience testing. Sometimes you spend weeks
perfecting an idea, and when you try it live for an audience it bombs
completely. No reaction, or they see the thread between your lips and finger. If
you decide to continue with the idea, you make detailed notes at every
performance. You keep tweaking things until they're smooth, and the trick hits
hard every time you perform it.
Magic.
I know you're smart enough to see how this can be applied to anything you
want to design, in any area of your life. It's a blueprint for creating those
vehicles those experiences we talked about.
Again, recap:
You ask yourself what's possible?and get the image that forms as lucid
as you can. You also decide if it matches up to your core message. Who
are your audience? What makes them tick?

 You capture every detail as clearly as possible on paper.

You ask yourself: How? How? How?, drawing on what you know, or
others have done, for inspiration. What have others in the field done
already? What's already successful, that you can do better?

"True happiness
involves the full use of one's
power and talents."
- John W. Gardner

You map the checkpoints that have to be in place templates you can use
to duplicate success consistently, and inoculate against any problems that
might crop up.
You create the individual parts, and polish the surfaces. Streamlining.
You launch a prototype into the world, so you can get feedback and adjust
as necessary.
You aim for a point where the experience takes over, and you're in the
zone every time you produce it.
And that's it. Real life example?
My mom is about to launch an online radio station. She's been a presenter of
classical and jazz music on a local broadcaster for over a decade, but it's time
to spread her wings...

"If you've got a talent,

protect it."
- Jim Carrey

She does a ton of research, looks around at what other stations are out there,
what software is available, what music she can get copyright-free. What the
best in the world are doing. Possibilities. A mental sketch of the perfect
listener. She actively looks for music that vibrates with her soul, the message
she wants to share with the world. She fills pages and pages of notes, figuring
out the details of how it will all work. She doesn't leave anything to chance.
Details, details, details.
Once she's comfortable, she works on the processes: the sequences she'll
need to go through to get an episode finished and online. The sequence to
get sponsors on board. The lifespan of each part of the whole. She sees the
journey people will take with her, one step at a time. Blueprinting.
Next, she starts putting the structures in place. She opens folders on her
computer, creating template emails to send to sponsors. She builds a file of
music to use. She installs all the software necessary, and gets a working
knowledge of how it all fits together. She figures out any potential problems,
and their solutions. She builds systems so that she knows she's delivering
consistently every time she decides to upload a new program.
Step next: she goes over everything with a fine-tooth comb, cleaning up,
refining, tuning. The visual image. The sound. All the surfaces. Finally, she
launches a test-run, maybe just to a handful of listeners. Friends. The

feedback leads her, and she adjusts until all systems are finely honed,
operating at full capacity.
And it's now that she can play... every episode is a joy to produce because it's
a celebration, a gift she's sharing with the world. She is, in essence, gifted.
Creating something she'll be proud of way down the line.
"Look within.
Within is the fountain of good,
and it will ever bubble up,
if thou wilt ever dig."
- Marcus Aurelius

R.E.S.O.N.A.N.C.E.
Good. If you haven't done so already, make it a mission to connect with your
core message. And start imagining experiences you can create to share this
message. Look for vehicles that you can launch and then step away from.
Step away from? You see, there are a limited number of hours in a day: you
will only generate massive cash once you start charging for the value you
provide rather than your time. Pump solid, focused energy into it initially, get it
fighting fit, and then send it out into the world with a blessing, freeing you to
set the next one in motion.
Next big question: who do you sell your experiences to? Is there a demand
for it? Where do you find these people? How do you persuade them to part
with their hard-earned moolah?

There are, literally, thousands of books on what business people call lead
generation: finding people to buy our products and services. All great advice.
Now scoop up all those books, and toss them out the window.
We're going to approach things from an oblique angle...

"Happiness resides
not in possessions,
and not in gold,
happiness dwells
in the soul."
- Democritus

Your message is unique clearly, not for just everybody. If it is a gift, as I'm
suggesting, we should pay it the respect it's due and only give it to people
who will truly appreciate it. So our mission is not to get as many people as
possible into our address-books, but rather to find the right people for the
message, the perfect fits.
How do you recognize them? Easy. Look for yourself.
If they're going to vibrate at a core level with your message, chances are, they
are very similar to you, and see the world in the same way you do. Share your
message with people you'd be proud to have as friends. Listen to your gut.
Your instincts.
One of the most valuable sentences you can learn to say is: ...you know, this
is probably not the best fit for what you're looking for. I'll point you in the
direction of someone who can better suit your needs... Initially, it'll may feel
awkward, but as time unfolds you'll be working with people you really connect
with, at a primal level.

They will appreciate your message. Fall in love with it, like you have. Have an
urge to spread the word about what you're doing. As marketers say, the news
will go viral.
Which segues cleanly into the concept of hubs.

"Give me a lever long enough,

and a fulcrum
on which to place it,
and I shall move the world."
- Archimedes

In any community, there are some citizenry who have a talent for uniting
groups. They bring people together. They know a mixed bag from all walks of
life. Think of them as the hub in a bicycle wheel, the spokes or connections
branching out in every direction.
Keep an eye out for the nodes who influence your target audience, and
actively get your message into their hands. One word from them, and you'll
have a hundred... a thousand... ten thousand ears listening. Leverage.
Getting their attention is not difficult either. Look through other people's sales
messages and marketing. Websites. Brochures. Ads. What in these ads
makes you want to buy? What colors and images do you connect with? What
wording? You see where I'm going with this? If your audience is just like you,
they will be attracted to the same things you are! Create experiences and ads
you'd be excited to share with your friends.
Make no mistake, the most effective ads on the planet are written in a natural
tone, scripted as the writer would speak to you, face-to-face. No convoluted

word-strings or tangled language patterns. No headlines, puffed up

guarantees, or bullet-points. Just a down-to-earth exchange from one heart to
the other. Essence, as always.

"Put your heart, mind and

soul into even your
smallest acts. This is the
secret of success."
- Swami Sivananda

Do this, and all your competition falls away. You literally compete by dreaming
up something more remarkable than the other contenders. Creation trumps
competition a million times to one. You end up being so unique that if they
truly want what you share, they can only get it from you. That's power.
Let's jump back a couple pages and discuss money again for a second.
It's not uncommon for people to feel so connected with their message that
they feel awkward charging money for it. Pull your chair closer, and listen to
what I'm about to tell you: pay your message the respect it deserves.
You don't just get paid in money. Sometimes a smile is enough. But money is
just a fuel. Again, just a fuel. Nothing more. You're giving your experience as a
gift to someone special, and they're giving fuel in exchange. Fuel to share the
experience with someone else, send it further down the road.
Look around at what the leaders in the field are charging for what you're
doing, and match or better them. I'm going to say it again, until it sinks in:

Don't be shy to charge what you're worth. Respect your message.

You're proud of what you're doing. You're creating value. That's valuable. A
good price will make your audience sit up and say to themselves: Wow. This
is something special. It is. You are. Believe.
"Be true to your work and
your work will be true to you."
- Charles Pratt

Happiness. Let's get back to our workbenches and start building...

You've asked yourself the questions we proposed earlier to sift out your core
message. Now flesh out the experiences you can create to share this
message. Think leverage: what is the biggest vehicle you can create, the one
that will have the most impact, reach the maximum numbers of eyes and ears?
Done?
Take the time to build an experience for your present and future friends which
is worthy of the message. It could be a product. A job you do for them. A
journey you take each of the players on. Whatever it is, spend as much time
as it takes. Tweak. Play. Wreak havoc on the mundane. Zone out on it,
keeping the word masterpiece tucked right behind your lips.
Focus on the entire experience, from start to finish.

And it probably begins earlier than you suspect from the original hello. The
very first contact they have with you. One of my mentors used to say: ...the
show doesn't start when you walk on stage, it starts the moment you step out
of the car. Wisdom.

"The power of imagination

makes us infinite."
- John Muir

Create templates of emails, scripts for meetings and telephone calls,

everything that happens from the initial contact. Leave nothing to chance, hold
them by the hand and lead them confidently, but gently, through the
experience. Teach them how you communicate, what to expect, what
happens next. Design right through to the very last step. Make us proud.
Wow, I've just realized something...
I can actually give you a real-life, in-the-trenches example of what I'm talking
about. I'm performing at a festival in Austria later this year. Great gig, good fun
every time I've been. And the entire city goes, for want of a better phrase
entertainment ballistic.
It'd be nice to hook up some extra shows while I'm there. High-end dinner
parties in those clockwork villages are a strangely beautiful thing. I'll let you
inside my head while I set these up, write down the processes I'm going
through, as I do them. It'll also be easier to teach you the persuasive
subtleties I'll be playing with. Ready for the trip?
Andiamo...

Let's start at the beginning, as the White Rabbit would say...

My message and vehicle on this one are clear: give people an amazing
evening of magic they'll remember for a while. Blow their minds as
substantially as the law will allow. And I've got to keep everything as enjoyable
as possible... as my son Alexander says, if it's not fun, you're doing it wrong.
"Happiness is not
something you postpone
for the future; it is
something you design for
the present."
- Jim Rohn

Let's flesh out some ideas. Again, it's a game of quantity over quality. The
more ideas, the better. If I was invited to a party to see an amazing magic
show, what would I like to see? What would have me sitting up all night,
raving to my friends at work the next day? What's possible?
After pages of scribbling, it looks like a dinner show will be a good idea. The
host of the evening invites guests for a night of mystery and fine dining. They
bring in a top-flight chef, she leads them on a journey of culinary delights and
then after the meal I step up to the side of the dinner table to do my
performance.
Informal magic, table-side, is always extraordinary the performer gets to
react and interact on a direct level with the guests, playing off the energy of
the room. Even so, a tight show script needs to be in place: paradoxically, the
tighter the script, the more freedom the artist has to veer off from the structure
and explore the moment.

And a good script has a high-impact opening, that grabs everyone's attention
and then builds, steadily, to the climax. When the magician walks out,
everyone should sit up and think: okay... this is going to be interesting. The
audience should, by the end, get to know the entertainer on a personal,
human level... connect with him.

"Don't judge each day by

the harvest you reap but by
the seeds that you plant."
- Robert Louis Stevenson

There shouldn't be any dead spots, a consistent, paced flow from start to
finish. Saying that, the routine should have space to breathe, without rushing
through the magic. A pause a silent moment will spotlight the sections that
should stand out, like the white space on a page. And then, the finale.
Whatever I wrap up with, it better be as tight as a submarine airlock. It should
knock the guests' socks off so hard, their feet hurt. If I crack that, a standing
ovation is a done deal.
And if I land an ovation, guests will go home and seriously consider throwing
their own magic dinner parties before I fly home to South Africa. I just need to
make sure everyone leaves remembering my name, and knows how to get in
touch with me while I'm in town. Ka-ching-a-ling.
I believe I have some solid material to put into the show, so I get down to the
scripting. I also know a couple of the Germanic magicians around that neck of
the woods, who are star acts. So I'm aware the audiences are connoisseurs
of conjuring, as it were. I have the fact I'm come from distant lands to my
advantage, but it's still a case of refine, refine, refine.

(Striking opening, then a tight build, right into a dynamite climax. A polished
glimpse into the soul the spirit of the man on stage. This is a centuries-old
formula that can be applied to any experience you create. Can you adapt it to
yours?)

"Belief creates
the actual fact."
- William James

Okey-dokey. Locked and loaded. Austria's on the diametrically opposite side

of the planet from where I am right now... how in the name of all things Harry
Potter do I go about booking the shows?
One word. It starts with an I, and ends with nternet.
Wait, wait, we are, once again, getting ahead of ourselves. We haven't
considered the actual logistics of getting to and doing the show.
Time for a flowchart, on a clean sheet of paper. I take a stroll down an
imaginary time-line, the sequence of events as these parties might typically
unfold:
The client raises their hand, saying they're interested in the show.
I send them a confirmation, detailing exactly how everything will work.
I email them a week before I leave for Austria, reconfirming everything.
I phone them once I land, touching base.

 Show day rolls around, and I head off to their house.

I get there early, meet up with everybody and setting things up.
I deliver as rip-roaring a show as I can!
The next day I send a heartfelt thank you to the host.
"Repeat anything
often enough and it will
start to become you."
- Tom Hopkins

I jump on a train to Vienna to celebrate...

Not overly complicated, but it is crucial to stay on top of the details. Magician
Eric Paul used to suggest it's easier, when you map out these sequences, to
start from the end point and work backwards. Good advice. Okay, let's
dissect another layer down:
The client gives the go ahead. This is where amateurs might drop the ball
but it's here that the real work begins. When they give the thumbs up, you
need to take clients by the hand and lead them right up to, and then through,
the experience. Explain everything as it unfolds. Clarity builds a cushion of
trust. Trust builds repeat work. Leave nothing to chance.
The confirmation. You give the details, as you understand them. Times,
places, how much and how you'll be paid. Exactly what you're committing to
providing. Precisely what they need to secure on their side. You're framing

yourself in their mind as a competent international professional. Make it clear,

as well, that you're excited to work with them... it's going to be fun!
Last minute emails and calls. Building trust, building trust, building trust...

"There is a wisdom
of the head,
and a wisdom
of the heart."
- Charles Dickens

Ssshhhoowwwtttiimmmeee. This is the easy part. You've set the

groundwork, built the aura of mystery and excitement. Now it's time to step
out and shine.
Post-show gratitude. Send a handwritten thank you, and mean it. Snail mail.
So few people take the time to do this, you'll be surprised the impact it has. I
also ask them to write down what it was like to work with me, on their
letterhead. Do a great job, and you'll get some great testimonials as the years
unfold, like this one I got after entertaining the then-President of South Africa
(Oh, I pickpocket audience members, and return everything at the end of the
show. All in good fun):

... the President would like to express sincere gratitude

to you for returning his watch...
- Secretary to State President Nelson Mandela.

That right there has been worth its weight in gold to me. And the only reason I
got it was I tucked my insecurities in my socks, contacted the Presidential
office, and asked for it.

"Ignorant men
raise questions that wise men
answered a 1000 years ago."
- Johan Wolfgang von Goethe

One more mind-sweep of the sequence checking for holes: any problems
which might crop up? Anything we can prepare in advance for? Maybe our
taxi runs late? The audience can't speak English? Our luggage gets lost on
the way to Europe? What can we prepare for and inoculate against?
Right. Things are taking shape. But, I hear you ask, how do we persuade
people to share our experiences in the first place? Clearly, being amazing at
what you do doesn't necessarily mean you'll get rich. You need to tell the
world about your offer. Is there a template we can use to sell them with,
without seeming like we're trying to unload a fleet of pre-owned cars? Let's go
on another mental tangent for a second, this time into the colorful history of
conjuring. We'll get back to our Austrian adventure in a second...
The history of Magic is full of adventure, packed with flamboyant characters
who'd give Jack Sparrow a run for his money. There are hieroglyphics in the
Pyramids of Egypt of magicians doing their thing: legerdemain probably dates
back to the dawn of time. (My buddy Andrew Eland always says he imagines
the first magician producing fire for his tribe, and some idiot in the back of the
group shouting out: That's easy... it was up your sleeve...)

If it intrigues you, Google Dedi, Maskelyne, David Devant, Robert Houdin.

They lived full, amazing lives, and their biographies are are truly breathtaking.
We'll be focusing on one man in particular, Max Malini.

"To be satisfied with a little

is the greatest wisdom;
and he that increaseth his
riches, increaseth his
cares; but a contented
mind is a hidden treasure,
and trouble findeth it not."
- Akhenaton

Max had a decidedly rough personality, bordering on rude, but despite this
performed for more royalty, presidents and world leaders than any other
magician in history. What made him so successful, even in the early 1900's?
Let's take a brief look at how he used to promote himself...
His slogan was You'll Wonder When I'm Coming You'll Wonder More When
I'm Gone. And his modus operandi was not the vaudeville or theater stage
that his contemporaries were chasing. His vision was braver. And a lot bigger.
He used to travel to every corner of the planet, Honolulu to Hong Kong, and
get in with the management at the top hotels in town. Always dressed
impeccably, he'd spend the evenings performing what seemed to be
impromptu magic in the bars and would then, riding the wave of amazement
he was creating in guests, talk the hotel into giving him their ballroom for a fulllength evening show. These would sell out every time, thanks to the buzz he'd
created in the taverns, earning him a small fortune, even by today's standards.
The essence of his success, the genius-hook which got audiences sitting up
in their seats, was his eye for opportunity, and the outrageous lengths to

which he'd go to prepare for a once-off performance, particularly the

impromptu ones.
One of his classics used a little-known fact that you can hypnotize a bird by
drawing a chalk line on a pavement, run its beak down the line, and the fowl
will sit cross-eyed, but absolutely still (I'd say try it, but hey...)

"Go big or go home."

- Eliza Dushku

Max had a show at an exclusive dinner party where he was able to pay off the
kitchen staff to find a live turkey, pluck all its feathers (this was before animal
rights were even considered) and then give it to him to hypnotize. Garnished
in a platter with potatoes and gravy, it must have looked thoroughly roasted.
Later, he steered the conversation to reincarnation, and then declared at the
top of his voice: I'll show you magic! I can bring the dead back to life! A
sharp fork in the pope's nose and the bird launched itself off the table!
(As a side-note, I was touring in England with a crazy Moroccan magician,
and we arrived at a farmhouse in Glastonbury looking for a place to crash for
the night. The farmer was truly obnoxious, and chased us away. We were still
kids, so hopped over a fence and slept in a field. But the next morning we
broke into his chicken-coop, systematically tranced every bird and laid them
out strategically around the farmhouse's front door. Covered in straw, they
were practically invisible. There was diabolical chaos at sunrise when the kids
came out to the school-bus and the fowl woke up...)

"If you want to be found

stand where
the seeker seeks."
- Sidney Lanier

More examples: Max would see a politician's suit hanging at a tailor and talk
the owner into sewing a playing card into the lining of the jacket. Just in case
he got to meet that Senator one day and the guy was wearing that jacket.
Talking about Senators, he saw a statesman in Washington one day and,
marching straight up to him, leaned down and bit the button off the man's
waistcoat. Before anyone could react, he'd spat the button back and it was
once again sewn in place. The shows streamed in as a result.
Let's break his system down:
Max would arrive in town and target the best hotels. Location, location,
location.
He would introduce himself to the management, but not ask for anything
in particular. He'd bide his time.
He would head out onto the streets, creating buzz with amazing spur-ofthe-moment magic. He'd hook them, leaving them wanting more.
He'd let things simmer, let the stories spread. The key to all sales is
storytelling. Stories, spoken or visual, are the most persuasive tool
available to us. They slip our message deep into someone's mind like a
psychic hypodermic syringe.

 Now was when he approached the hotel and asked for the ballroom. If
you don't ask, you don't get. He'd established his credentials, shown he
was an investment, worth his salt.

"Sit loosely
in the saddle of life."
- Robert Louis Stevenson

He unfolded a spectacular full evening show, delivering on everything

promised. Tight scripting, no dead spots, and building a crescendo of
amazement. Pure showmanship.
And adapted for Austria?
I build a list of people I resonate with. Ask at the consulate, check the
omnicient Google. And I aim high: Five-star hotels. Sports car dealerships.
A horse-racing stable. A-List all the way. Malini would be proud.
Clearly, selling in person to people with influence is the key. But logistics
can be difficult, which is where a well-written letter is valuable. It never
gets tired or forgets key points. And it keeps selling, every time someone
reads it. Magic. So I email, saying I'll be at the festival. If they're around,
pop in.
A couple of days later, I email them a short video clip of me doing some
pretty cool, flashy magic. Short, and optimized for the web, I ask them to
forward it to their friends. Adrenalin and fun are the glue that stick
memories in a brain. Hook them by getting their juices pumping.

 I wait a week, letting the stories breed...

First you must learn to

love what you will do.
What you sell
is that love.
- Wayne Dyer

Now I email them, tell them I would like to perform at dinner parties while
I'm in town. I lay out my credentials, all the countries and celebrities I've
performed for, the hundred plus testimonials I've collected over the years.
And I tell them in specific detail how it will unfold and what to do to book
the show.
I confirm and do the gig. (See pages previous). Those that say no, I send
off with a blessing and move on. From here on in, it's a numbers game: I
don't stop until I've hit my target and filled the dates I have free.
This sequence was not originated by the legend that was Max Malini, but he
certainly perfected it. Remember: cool things attract people. Whichever route
you choose, a mischievous glint in your spirit will go a long way.
And it rolls through into all of life's arenas: don't start any communication,
whether it's an email, phone-call, or a meeting, until you have everyone's
complete attention. Be exciting. Be mysterious. Be interesting.
It bears repeating, the key to selling anything, is enthusiasm. No-one can sell
your message better than you can. The spark in your eyes is what will light
the fire in people's imaginations, and spread the word.
Nothing else.

All the sales tools in the world only back up that core emotion that passion
you have for what you're selling. Show your credentials, prove your skills, tell
your story. Share your message. Get them emotionally involved, committed.

"You never change things

by fighting the existing
reality. To change

Show them you understand things from their perspective. Ooze empathy. Get
them imagining the bright future you're about to create together. Explain why
it's better to use you than your competition, or worse, not use you at all.
Burn this into your brain:

something, build a new

model that makes the old
one obsolete."
- R. Buckminster Fuller

Your offer is YOU, amplified. You get paid for being yourself.
Here's an idea: visualize your communications as slick emissaries from a
king's court, dressed in finely tailored suits, walking into your client's office
and speaking clearly and eloquently about the exquisite gift you're about to
present them. As time progresses, you'll get better at creating and delivering
them. Create bulletproof templates and systems. Polish. Streamline. Cut the
fat away.
Don't forget to polish your surfaces too: the pictures you use, the fonts, the
colours, the sounds. All design is a language, every surface an alphabet your
content speaks through. Keep things crisp and exciting. No fuzziness. Create

a message you'll be proud of down the line, it will work for you for years. Don't
underestimate its impact, how much money it'll make you over time.
Emissaries.
Listen to your gut feelings. Feed their minds. Again, create communications
that'd you'd enjoy receiving, your mantras:
"Learning sleeps and
snores in libraries, but
wisdom is everywhere,
wide awake, on tiptoe."
- Josh Billings

What would make me buy this experience if I was on the

receiving end?
...and...

What would make me spread this experience for all I know to

share?
Wow, we've come a long way together in these few short pages. All that's left
is to wrap things up...

Time to go out and spread your wings, share your power, your prestige, your
light with the world. Don't hope, do. Some people spend their entire lives
preparing. It's the new you, right now. Flip the switch - take your life into your
own hands. Find your message, launch it, and move on to the next vehicle.
Rinse, and repeat.
"The greatest good we
can do for others is not
just to share our riches
with them,
but to reveal theirs."
- Zig Ziglar

The possibilities are huge. Limitless. Monumentally epic.

Promise me this: don't ever, ever be in awe of anyone, treat everyone as an
equal, no matter who they are. My Magic has blessed me in that I've met
people from all walks of life, princesses to Presidents. Believe, the higher up
the ladder you go, the more human they actually are despite the press,
they're just good souls trying to make a difference in the world. Trying to leave
their messages in the pages of history.
The more people you connect with, the closer you'll be to finding the perfect
match for your gift. You'll know them when you find them. Confidence is not
arrogance. Demolish whatever shyness you may have: find the hubs who
can create the leverage your message deserves!
Communicate, make the sale, and deliver.
Leave them so happy with you that they can't help spreading the word. Use
emails and social media like Facebook to keep in touch, stay in orbit so that

"This is not for every

brain... only the healthy,
happy, wholesome,
handsome, hopeful,
humorous, high-velocity
should seek these
experiences. This elitism is
totally self-determined.
Unless you are selfconfident, self-directed,
self-selected,
please abstain."
- Timothy Leary

when other opportunities crop up you're the first name on their lips. Provide
mementos talismans to jog their memories. Give them all the tools and
rituals they need to easily spread the word for you. Websites. Games. Bits of
interesting that position you as an authority with your enthusiasm. Create
Online villages, virtual campfires where they can share their successes. Make
people smile, make them happy, and the word will spread.
Call every once in a while to find out how they're doing. Be generous, and
genuinely interested in others.
Send relevant, valuable messages, stuff you find practical, interesting or
funny. Connect them with other like-minded champs where you see a good fit.
You've already chosen people you vibrate with, so become that trusted friend!
Fall in love easily and continuously, with everyone and everything around you.
Make women feel beautiful where you can, and men feel like heroes. Try and
make everyone who comes into your orbit, client or not, a better person for
having met you. Build a web that will support you as you grow.
As a side note, there will always be people who don't connect with you. As
comedian Chris Rock says, if you don't have any haters, you're not doing it
properly! Your success isn't other peoples' first priority. Flow. Roll with the
punches.

"Turn your wounds

into wisdom."
- Oprah Winfrey

Grow a skin as thick as a Kenyan elephant... let their comments and problems
wash right over you, smile, and continue to be awesome, the shining star that
you are. Ask any martial artist, you don't have to win every round to win the
fight. You have a message, which will support and protect you. Learn from
everyone, share with everyone, but do what's necessary to get the job done.
Trust the message. Gather momentum. Live it, to your core.
Time to shine!
Peace, Love, Magic,

P.S. Please, don't hesitate to say hi: theconjurebook@gmail.com. And thank

you for your donation, if you're able to make one. Looking forward to hearing
your adventures!

Jacques le Sueur has never had a "real" job...

He's a fulltime magician, and has performed live for well over two and a half
million people worldwide. A leader in his chosen field, most of his current
shows are for global corporations and high-end celebrity parties, but he has
performed in ludicrously extreme places, everywhere from nightclubs in
Hollywood to Theme Parks in Korea. He's even done magic inside the
Pyramids of Cairo...
He's been robbed, stabbed, shot at, learnt to shoot an AK47 with Warlords
and child soldiers in the Congolese jungle, stolen Nelson Mandela, the King of
Dubai and Margaret Thatcher's watches from their arms without their knowing,
eaten dog, monkey and snake in Asia, swum with dolphins in Mozambique,
eaten fire in Edinburgh, lived with Bedouins in the deserts around Dubai,
drunk vodka with Siberian soldiers, been chased down a riverbank by an
angry crocodile in Central Africa, arm-wrestled a Russian Mafia boss, learnt
pickpocketing techniques from Algerian pickpockets, had lunch with a NASA
astronaut, lived with a Mexican high-diving team in Korea, been set on fire by
drug addicts in San Francisco, crowd-surfed over 500 000 people at
Glastonbury Festival and been knocked unconscious by a 90 year old woman
in Scotland.
He lives in Cape Town, South Africa with his wife and two children - the
biggest, most magical, adventure of his life.

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world
around you because the greatest secrets are always
hidden in the most unlikely places.
Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.
- Roald Dahl