We’re looking forward to introducing you to Ben Young. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Ben, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I always make my bed and then, coffee! I take a few minutes to solidify my plan and goals for the day. I usually knock out a couple quick tasks to get some momentum, and then start working on a larger task. I work better in the morning, so I usually try to tackle something that takes more creative energy.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a professional magician! I’m based in Nashville, TN. I work as a resident magician at the prestigious House of Cards in downtown Nashville, but perform all over the world.
My brand is all about entertaining fun-loving groups! This has led me to work with major organizations, perform in Las Vegas casinos, appear on the TV show Penn & Teller: Fool Us, and entertain the U.S. troops on over 80 military bases around the world. Not to mention tons of smaller, private gatherings!
In fact, magic has recently become even more popular for private events like adult birthdays and bachelorette parties. These events are so much fun that I recently launched BachelorettePartyMagician.com, to bring even more magic to these gatherings!
At bachelorette parties, I perform a sleight of hand magic show super up close to the group, literally a couple feet away. It’s super interactive and creates awesome memories for the bride tribe. I’m so excited to perform at more of these parties!
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
My parents taught me so much. As I was growing up, they were both elementary school teachers. They always went above and beyond with their students. They both created really interesting, engaging lessons, and won awards for “Teacher of the Year” multiple times.
Outside of teaching, they also planted the seed for entrepreneurship. We lived on a horse farm, and as a way to make extra money, my mom taught horse riding lessons and ran horse camps several times a year. When I was young, my dad also did landscaping and lawn care on the side.
I didn’t understand until years later, but those side hustles are what allowed our family to go on some amazing vacations every summer all around the U.S.
This side hustle mentality affected me early on! We also had about one hundred blueberry bushes. When I was probably ten years old, I’d pick blueberries and bag them up. Then I’d go to the barn and sell them to parents waiting on their children to finish their riding lessons!
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
One fear that pops up on a semi-regular basis in this industry is simply not being good enough, also known as imposter syndrome.
Your mind plays tricks on you. Self-doubt creeps in and tells you you’re not a good choice for this gig, the client will be disappointed, you’re not worth the fee you’re asking for, etc.
Even with my resume and years of experience, this fear still raises it’s ugly head. I haven’t let the fear keep me from taking big swings, but it’s more of a speed bump during regular business operations.
It used to hold me back more, but I’ve found that when imposter syndrome nags at me, I simply have to believe my own hype (something I don’t normally recommend!) Sometimes, all it takes is reminding myself of the amazing experiences I’ve been fortunate enough to have, and the successful events I’ve worked. That’s enough to give me the confidence to move forward!
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What do you believe is true but cannot prove?
I believe that live entertainment (magic and otherwise) will become extremely valuable to people. It will be considered a premium experience that audiences are willing to pay more for than they currently are.
We continue to be saturated by content and AI. We consume entertainment on our phones a minute at a time. We have to be cautious with what we believe because of what AI is capable of. And the algorithms keep us coming back for more again and again, locked in.
But we are humans. We need connection. We need community. So I think any live experience, from magic shows to escape rooms, will not only stay relevant, but will increase in popularity.
AI cannot replicate the feeling of a bunch of people sitting together in a room, watching a live show take place in the moment. It’s real. It’s one-of-a-kind. It creates memories for everyone in attendance. And to me, that’s real magic.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I am 100% doing what I was born to do. No one told me to pursue a life in entertainment!
My parents were always supportive of following my dreams, but they also encouraged me to have a “normal” job and perform on the side. I considered it! I got a degree in psychology, with the plan to be a therapist.
But here’s the thing: when you love something as much as I love performing, you look for ways to do it as much as possible. That led me to learning about marketing magic shows, which led to me booking more gigs.
And booking more gigs meant I then was able to see the potential of performing for a living. I “saw the light” so to speak. And once I saw it, it was impossible to ignore!
Performing makes me happy. I feel creatively fulfilled. I feel in the moment. It’s given me incredible experiences, and incredible friends. It’s definitely what I was meant to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.benyoungmagic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benyounglive
