How Ivan Went From Kids Magic to Corporate Parties
Discourse in Magic
In the third episode of Magicians and Margaritas, Jonah Babins sits down with Ivan, a Long Island-based magician who successfully transitioned from performing at kids' parties to booking high-ticket corporate events. Together, they break down the systems, mindset shifts, and team-building strategies that helped Ivan rapidly increase his revenue from roughly $100,000 to approaching $170,000 a year. Key Takeaways: Automated Lead Generation: To maintain a consistent flow of incoming inquiries, Ivan relies heavily on and maintains an active presence on multiple gig platforms, including , , , ,...
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Six-Figure Magic Business Blueprint
Discourse in Magic
In this episode, magic business coach Jonah Babins outlines the foundational model for growing a magic business from a part-time hobby into a six or multi-six-figure enterprise. He breaks the growth process down into three core pillars—Leads, Sales, and Systems—and provides actionable self-evaluation questions alongside real-world examples of magicians who have successfully scaled their incomes. Key Takeaways: Generating Leads: A magic business cannot survive without a consistent flow of inquiries. Leads are categorized into inbound traffic (such as Google Ads, which helped Cameron Leo...
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How Caleb Wiles Became a Professional Magician
Discourse in Magic
In this episode of Magicians and Margaritas, Jonah sits down with to discuss his journey from doing casual side gigs to becoming a full-time, highly successful corporate magician. They break down the mindset shifts required to elevate a magic business, the realities of raising your prices, and why you must stop performing for other magicians and start focusing on what real-world audiences actually care about. Key Takeaways: The Power of Raising Prices: Increasing your rates creates a healthy internal pressure to over-deliver; when you charge top dollar, it forces you to ensure...
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Stop Getting Ghosted on Gigs
Discourse in Magic
This episode tackles the frustrating nightmare of "ghosting" in your magic business—when a lead inquires, has a fantastic phone call, and then completely vanishes before booking. The typical sales process involves a website form fill, a sales call, and finally the decision to book, but many magicians lose their prospects in the ambiguous gap immediately following the call. By implementing a specific structure at the end of your calls, sending a targeted proposal email, and utilizing funny, low-pressure follow-up tactics, you can actively prevent ghosting and close more gigs. Key Takeaways: ...
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Unleashing the Power of Past Clients to Book More Gigs
Discourse in Magic
This episode transitions some of our best recent YouTube content into podcast form, giving you actionable business lessons you can listen to on the go. Many magicians constantly spend money trying to acquire new leads through ads, agents, or gig sites. However, the most underutilized resource in your magic business is the people who have already hired you. This episode breaks down how to properly re-engage your past clients, turn them into your biggest fans, and secure repeat bookings without spending additional money on marketing. Key Takeaways: The 9-Word Email: A highly effective, simple...
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Unleashing the Power of Past Clients to Book More Gigs
Discourse in Magic
This episode transitions some of our best recent YouTube content into podcast form, giving you actionable business lessons you can listen to on the go. Many magicians constantly spend money trying to acquire new leads through ads, agents, or gig sites. However, the most underutilized resource in your magic business is the people who have already hired you. This episode breaks down how to properly re-engage your past clients, turn them into your biggest fans, and secure repeat bookings without spending additional money on marketing. Key Takeaways: The 9-Word Email: A highly effective, simple...
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Magicians & Margaritas
Discourse in Magic
Welcome to the brand new series on Discourse in Magic: Magicians and Margaritas! In this inaugural episode, host Jonah Babins sits down over a margarita with Mastermind member and stellar Australian magician, Together, they pull back the curtain on Cameron's massive business transformation. We unpack the exact trajectory that took Cameron from zero to $20K a year, and then explosive growth from $20K to over $150,000 a year doing magic full-time. If you want deep business insights, actionable scaling models, and real strategies you can steal for your own career, this episode is packed...
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AI For Magicians
Discourse in Magic
The AI Revolution in Magic: Get Ahead or Get Left Behind In this solo episode, Jonah Babins reports back from the annual Mastermind Summit. Every year, Jonah takes the mastermind group to an epic, tropical destination to map out business growth, and this year they returned to a beautiful resort in Mexico. While the room tackled classic pillars like contracts, public shows, SEO, and cold email, one massive topic dominated the entire trip: Artificial Intelligence. Jonah issues a direct warning to performers: it is 2026, and running a business without looking at AI is simply irresponsible. This...
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Inside the Chicago Magic Round Table
Discourse in Magic
In this special episode, Jonah Babins shares a "meaty" excerpt from his recent business lecture delivered to the Chicago Magic Round Table. Recorded while Jonah was in the midst of a residency at the Chicago Magic Lounge (654 Club), this session skips the tricks and goes straight to the systems that allow a performer to scale from a hobbyist to a high-earning professional. Jonah breaks down the exact philosophy they use at the Toronto Magic Company. While the full lecture covers everything from t-shirts to thumb tips, this episode focuses on the "engine" of your business: how you handle...
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Trading Places: Jonah Babins with The Magic Guys
Discourse in Magic
This week, Discourse in Magic looks a little different. Instead of Jonah interviewing a guest, we’re sharing an episode where the tables were turned. Jonah recently sat down with Josh Norbido and Nick Kay—better known as The Magic Guys—on their popular Australian-based livestream and podcast. The Magic Guys actually "robbed" Jonah of the FSM Award for top Magic Podcast this year, but there are no hard feelings here. Their show is famous for its high energy, active YouTube community, and hilarious banter, making this one of the most engaging "crossover" episodes yet. In this session, Josh...
info_outlineIn this week’s episode of Discourse in Magic, Jonah Babbins kicks off the new year with an insightful discussion about the January slump—a reality for many magicians—and how to turn it into an opportunity for growth. With the rush of holiday gigs behind us, Jonah explains how January offers a unique chance to focus on improving your magic business.
The January Slump: A Common Challenge
As Jonah points out, January can feel like a shock after the busiest month of the year. December brings a whirlwind of gigs, inquiries, and emails, but when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, everything seems to come to a halt. Jonah reassures listeners that this is entirely normal—not just for you, but for magicians everywhere. In fact, it’s the slowest month of the year for most performers, as evidenced by the revenue data he tracks for his mastermind group of magicians.
Rather than feeling discouraged, Jonah invites you to see this slow season as a gift. Instead of scrambling to keep up with gigs and inquiries, you now have the time to work on your business rather than in your business.
Three Big Projects to Tackle in January
Jonah highlights three key areas to focus on during this quieter season to set yourself up for long-term success:
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Revamp Your Website
January is the perfect time to improve your website. Whether it’s upgrading the design, adding a booking form, or updating images, this is the time to make changes. With less traffic coming in, you don’t have to worry about downtime, giving you the freedom to experiment and improve.
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Create a New Promo Video
If you captured video footage from your holiday gigs, now is the time to turn it into a standout promo video. Jonah emphasizes the importance of crafting a video that showcases your best moments—whether it’s a trick with fire, a big audience reaction, or a beautifully staged performance. With January’s slower pace, you can give this project the time and attention it deserves.
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Set Up or Upgrade Your CRM
If you’ve started booking gigs regularly, it might be time to implement a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system to organize your client data. Jonah shares his thoughts on different CRM options and explains why this is a task best tackled during a slower season, rather than in the chaos of the holiday rush.
The One Thing You Must Do in January
Planning your entire year is Jonah’s top recommendation for January. He explains how having a roadmap for your goals, projects, and marketing efforts can keep you on track throughout the year. Without a plan, it’s easy for big projects—like setting up Google ads or improving your SEO—to fall by the wayside.
Jonah also encourages listeners to reflect on the previous year. What types of gigs did you enjoy most? What areas of your business could be improved? This self-assessment will help you prioritize your efforts and make 2025 your best year yet.
Join the “Preloaded Year” Workshop
To help magicians plan their year, Jonah is hosting a free workshop called The Preloaded Year on January 15th. In just 75 minutes, he’ll guide participants through creating a comprehensive plan for their magic business. Whether it’s marketing, business development, or personal goals, you’ll walk away with a clear strategy for the year ahead.
Can’t make the live session? No problem! Jonah is offering a recording of the workshop for a limited time to those who sign up. Click the link in the episode description to secure your spot.
Final Thoughts
This episode is packed with actionable advice for magicians looking to make the most of January. By embracing the slower season and focusing on big-picture projects, you can set yourself up for success in 2025.
Links and Resources
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Sign up for the Preloaded Year workshop here.
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Follow Jonah on Instagram: @JonahBabbins.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode. What projects are you tackling this January? Share your plans in the comments or on social media, and let’s make 2025 a year to remember!
Be sure to subscribe to Discourse in Magic for more insights, tips, and strategies to elevate your magic business.