SEPTEMBER 5 • 2024 | 21

and it was on your honeymoon, and it 
was a gift given to you by your father-
in-law who you met, and all the story 
and texture that comes along with 
it, if that’s the things that I reveal in 
some meaningful way, you’re going 
to carry that with you much further 
than me just guessing a certain thing. 
I’ve learned that’s what really makes 
the show jump to an entirely different 
level.

What is the feeling you want to leave 
your audience with? 
I want to be remembered. I want 
people to leave there emotionally 
connected to what I did. If you just do 
a card trick, it’s like a puzzle. People 
go, “I don’t know how you found the 
card or how you got it to jump there,” 
and they’re amazed, but amazement is 
fleeting. 
When you connect with an audi-
ence emotionally, they’re going to 
remember it for a much longer time 
because it’s about them. It’s about 
what’s interesting or exciting or 

motivating about their family, their 
friends, their life story; that’s what I 
drive toward. 

What are some of the challenges of per-
forming as a mentalist full-time?
There’s no playbook for being a full-
time mentalist. Trust me on that. You 
have to carve out your own path — 
decide what you want to do, not just 
for a living when it comes to the show 
section, but also the business side of 
show business. The business element 
is so big. 
If you want to be successful at what 
you do and have more people see 
what you can do, you honestly must 
continue to improve. If your perfor-
mance stagnates, over time somebody 
newer, fresher, younger, better will 
emerge, and that’s the name of the 
game. 
In show biz, to stay fresh and cur-
rent, you’ve got to constantly be rein-
venting, challenging yourself, invent-
ing amazing new tricks and seeing 
what appeals to audiences nowadays.

How have you dealt with skeptics?
I love skeptics. That means you’re 
engaged in the show, you’re watching, 
you’re trying to figure me out, you’re 
trying to debunk me; I love that. I was 
the biggest skeptic in the world before 
I became a mentalist. That’s how I 
became a mentalist.

Do you ever share any of the tricks of the 
trade? 
Never, until now, and that’s what 
my upcoming book, which is being 
released next year, is going to be all 
about. It’s not going to be about how to 
become a mentalist, because you could 
find that out elsewhere, but it’s more 
about sharing the tips, tricks and tac-
tics that make me successful, that also 
overlap with your life; things that you 
can apply from the world of mentalism 
to your work, family, friends and your 
interpersonal relationships. 
I will share tangible advantages you 
can gain on how to read people more 
effectively, sharpen your memory and 
become the most memorable person in 

the room. This book also provides me 
with another opportunity to elevate the 
performing art of mentalism. 

What’s ahead for your career? 
Keep doing what I’m doing, I’m 
blessed to do it. I’
d also like to have my 
own TV show — I had one about six 
years ago, and I’m ready for another 
one. I have a lot more stuff coming 
out with the NFL, with various sports 
leagues, college sports and college foot-
ball, so I’m excited for everyone to see 
those clips. 

Where can we see you next?
I can’t wait to come back home 
to my home state of Michigan and 
the Metro Detroit area to see every-
one on Sept. 18 at the JARC Annual 
Fundraiser. 

For tickets or details on the JARC Annual 

Fundraiser featuring a performance by Oz 

Pearlman, go to JARC.org/2024 or call (248) 

940-2617.