A Magician is an Actor playing the role of a Magician. My guest Dennis Friebe, aka Kardenni, is both a Magician and an Actor based in Orlando, Florida.
One thing I know for sure, Dennis is a doer of many things. To understand something fully he can’t just read about it, he must experience it and do it, and then add it to his skill set.
He was encouraged early in life by his mother to do whatever he wanted, and therefore he believed he could be anything he wanted if he put his mind to it, and that’s exactly what he did.
His goal was to be a pilot, and he actually went to an aviation high school, but he was bitten early by the magic bug and got a part-time gig working in a magic shop.
Important advice from the business owner:
“You can’t just do magic, you’ve got to learn how to sell magic, so the customer wants to buy it”.
Be Inspired By Others, But Don’t Copy Others
When you’re learning anything new you must first copy someone else, usually someone that inspires you…until you develop your own process. Developing your own process is the key.
Never just copy your opposition. Look at what makes their business work so well and think how can you apply what you see to your own process.
What’s Your Intent?
In magic, your INTENT may be to make the glass disappear. How you make the glass disappear is the METHOD. The RESULT is what the customer, or audience sees, but no one ever sees the method.
In business your INTENT may be to increase revenue and how you do it is the METHOD. The RESULT is what your opposition sees, but once again they don’t see the method.
Increase Your Level of Skills
Everyone should try many things and add to their array of skills, because when these skills are applied to each other, they start to work together to get you closer to your true self.
These skills don’t need to be razor sharp, they just need to be sharp enough so you can call upon them when needed.
But everyone will have one skill that is his or her best. For example, someone may have a pilot’s license, be a published author, play the guitar, be a good cook and a handy golfer, but their main skill is being a doctor.
Talk To People Not At People
Dennis was a skilled magician, but he noticed he was not connecting with his audience, until someone told him to start talking to the audience, not at the audience. Make the show about them, not about you.
This was the one thing that was missing from his performance and it took him 15 years to understand this. His ego got in the way.
You Must Deliver
What’s the difference between a $100 magician and a $1000 magician? Basically if you ask for $1000 you’ll get it, however in the end you must deliver a $1000 performance, because that’s what’s expected. You must become the $1000 magician.
Why can Apple charge what it does for its phone? It’s all about branding, marketing, packaging and delivery.
A Brilliant Monster
To become a better magician Dennis started taking acting classes, because a magician is just an actor playing a magician. Prior to acting classes he was simply a man being a magician.
His acting career is taking off and he has appeared in a few television shows and short movies, but his latest full-length movie comes out in early 2018, called A Brilliant Monster. It looks awesome.
Monday Morning Advice
Regardless of your industry, always try new things and be willing to fail at it, because failing is where we learn the most. And the more you hear NO, the sooner you will hear YES.
If you have any questions about this podcast episode please email me directly at
Also check out Dennis Friebe's KARDENNI website, you'll love it and watch the preview to A Brilliant Monster.
Finally, my book It's No Secret There's Money in Small Business is available in all Australian bookstores and all online book retailers.
If your not sure if this book is for you, simply download the FREE CHAPTER. Yes I ask for your email address in return, but it's a small price to pay.
