A Birthday Reflection on 30 Years as a Full-Time Magician

                                                                                 1996
 

                                                                                   2026

Tomorrow is my birthday, and I’ve been thinking about the life I’ve gotten to make doing magic. I went full time in 1996. Thirty years later, I’ve done more than I ever dreamed I’d get to do, and some of the things I’m most grateful for happened after the show was over.

From Restaurant Tables to County Fairs

I spent 25 years performing magic in restaurants, and I’ve been performing at resorts since 2003. There have been more parties, company events, and family reunions than I can count, along with shows at churches, schools, nursing homes, summer camps, and county fairs.

Restaurant magic teaches you to pay attention to people. Knowing when to walk up to a table matters just as much as knowing what trick you’re going to do once you get there. I’ve carried that lesson into a lot of other places.

And then there was the Madison County Fair in 2009, when my job was to get out of a straitjacket while hanging upside down. There’s been a fair amount of variety in this line of work!

Using Magic to Give Back

I started the Magic of Giving project because I wanted to use what I do for a living to help people. One of the things I got to do was make a car appear for a family that needed one. The surprise was over in a moment, and the family had a car they could use long after the show.

For 10 years, I also put on a 24-hour magic show to benefit Children’s Miracle Network. I’m grateful that something I started out doing for fun gave me a way to do things like that for other people.

Bringing MagicLife to TV and the Podcast

I got to work behind the scenes on The Carbonaro Effect as a magic consultant and animal trainer. Then there’s the show that grew out of filming our own life. I started a vlog in 2015, Golden Media Syndication picked it up, and today Wes Iseli’s MagicLife is on five streaming services and two cable channels.

Natalie and I started the MagicLife Podcast in 2020, and we now have listeners in 103 countries. I still get a kick out of thinking that somebody on the other side of the world might be listening to a conversation Natalie and I recorded together.

Fooling Penn & Teller and Becoming Friends

I went on Penn & Teller: Fool Us with a trick I invented, and I fooled them. They bought the rights from me and have performed it at the Rio and on the road. They even say my name as part of the routine.

The part of that story I could never have seen coming was that we’d become friends. When Natalie and I renewed our vows after 16 years of marriage, Penn and Teller walked her down the aisle. Getting to share that day with them meant a lot to us.

There’s Still More Magic to Do

I get to share magic in another way now through Magicians Magic Shop. We sell to people all over the world, from working magicians looking for something to put in their shows to people who are curious about trying a trick for the first time.

I’m grateful to Natalie and the kids for sharing so much of this life with me, and to everyone who’s ever booked us, come to a show, watched an episode, listened to the podcast, or shopped with us. If you’ve seen us perform over the years, I’d love to hear where our paths crossed.

I still have goals I’m working toward, shows I want to do, and ideas I want to try. The adventure isn’t over yet.

Finding Magic at 19 and Learning From Slydini

 Rocco was 19 when he first encountered magic. He takes me back to those early days and talks about the people who influenced him, including Tony Slydini. That influence carried into Rocco’s stand-up work as he developed his own approach to performing.

If you’d like to see Rocco in action, Magicana has footage of him performing Miser’s Dream on Spanish television. It’s the classic routine where coins seem to appear out of thin air. As you watch, pay attention to where your eyes go just before each coin appears. A pause or a look can guide your attention even when you’re watching someone’s hands closely. Watch Rocco perform Miser’s Dream.

Michael Jackson, Muhammad Ali, and the Crazy Horse

Rocco shares stories about performing for Michael Jackson and Muhammad Ali. We also talk about his time at the Crazy Horse cabaret in Paris and the different kinds of magic he’s performed over the years.

His career has taken him from close-up magic to international stages. In 2006, his act earned an award for originality at the FISM World Championships of Magic in Stockholm. Rocco Silano’s official biography.

The Milk Carton Rocco Patented

If you’ve ever tried to flatten an empty milk carton, you’ll recognize the problem Rocco was working on. His design kept the carton upright while it was in use. Once it was empty, you could open the top all the way and pull a strip near the bottom so the carton could fold flat.

The U.S. issued Rocco Patent No. 4,789,067 in 1988. You can see how the tear strip fits into the carton in the original drawings. Read the patent and see the drawings.

Rocco also talks about his faith in the episode. Join us to hear him tell these stories in his own words. Watch MagicLife Podcast S6E37 with Rocco Silano.

For show information and podcast extras, visit WesIseli.com and our Patreon.

Natalie’s Stent Removal and a Week of Magic Shows | MagicLife Vlog #314

 After four years of medical appointments and procedures, Natalie had her stent removed without complications. It was the last scheduled procedure in that stretch of her care and the reason we called MagicLife Vlog #314 The End of a 4-Year Medical Nightmare?

Lana joined Natalie and me to share that update and catch up on the rest of our week. We had a magic show that moved to a theater, an RV battery that needed replacing in a tight parking spot, and two boys who figured out how to make a whole poolful of water disappear.

The Time We Spent Waiting

Some of the time we spent together that week was while waiting for medical appointments. We read books and played games to pass the time as a family.

When I think about those four years, it’s easy to remember the big appointments and procedures. The books and games are a little piece of what those days looked like for us, too. Sometimes we had time to fill, and we got to fill it together.

Our Lynchburg Library Show Moves to the Miller Theater

Our Lynchburg Library magic show had to move to the Miller Theater because of construction following a water leak.

A venue change makes you look at your show through the eyes of the audience. How far back will the kids be sitting? Can they see what I’m holding? A small prop can be easy to see in one room and hard to follow from the back of another. That’s one of the practical things a magician has to think about when the room changes.

A Show for Children and a Tight Spot for the RV

Another stop that week was a show for children who use cochlear implants. That outing came with an unexpected job when our RV battery gave us trouble and needed replacing.

The parking situation left us with little room to work, which made the battery swap awkward. If you’ve ever wondered what we get up to when the magic props are packed away, sometimes it’s working on the RV wherever it happens to be parked!

The Boys Make a Poolful of Water Disappear

Back at home, the boys spent six hours shooting water out of their kiddie pool. By the time they were done, the pool was empty.

I’ll have to work on the timing if I ever put that vanish in the show.

Natalie, Lana, and I share the full story in MagicLife Vlog #314 — The End of a 4-Year Medical Nightmare?

You can find more about our magic shows at WesIseli.com and more from behind the scenes on Patreon.

MagicLife Podcast S6E36: Magic Shows, Teaching, and Family Life with Wes & Natalie

 Putting together a weekly podcast means finding guests, coordinating schedules, and making time to record around everything else happening in our lives. And between performances, teaching magic, homeschooling, and family appointments, Natalie and I usually have plenty to catch up on ourselves!

In Wes Iseli’s MagicLife Podcast, Season 6, Episode 36, we sit down for a conversation about the work and family life surrounding our magic business. Recorded in March 2026, this episode includes recent performances, a magic class at Arlington Drafthouse, and updates from home.

The Work Behind Booking Podcast Guests

One subject we discuss is the challenge of booking guests for the podcast.

Listeners hear the finished conversation, while arranging that conversation involves another part of the job: reaching out, finding an opening on the calendar, and coordinating everyone’s availability.

Our own performance schedule adds another calendar to that process. A weekly podcast requires attention alongside the shows we’re booking and performing.

For anyone thinking about starting a podcast, scheduling deserves a place in your plans right alongside microphones and recording equipment. Having ideas for episodes you can record independently also gives you flexibility while arranging interviews.

From Performing a Show to Teaching Magic

We also look back at a successful country club performance and a magic class at Arlington Drafthouse.

Performing and teaching involve different approaches to the same art. During a show, the goal is to create an entertaining experience for the audience. In a class, the job includes breaking something down clearly enough for another person to understand and practice.

I’ve been performing professionally since 1996 and teaching magic since 2003. Both are parts of my career, and they offer different ways to share magic with people.

For someone learning their first tricks, understanding the method is a starting point. A complete performance also needs a clear introduction, understandable instructions, and an ending the audience can follow. Those are useful things to practice along with the handling.

Homeschooling, Nutrition Coaching, and Family Updates

Away from the performances, we discuss the boys’ homeschooling progress and Natalie’s work as a nutrition coach.

Running a family business means our work calendar and home calendar are closely connected. A podcast conversation can move from a recent show to schoolwork because both are part of the same week for us.

This episode also includes a health update. At the time of this March 2026 recording, Natalie was preparing for an MRI to investigate possible bile duct issues. That discussion reflects where things stood for our family then.

These catch-up episodes give us room to share the everyday responsibilities surrounding the performances and interviews.

Watch MagicLife Podcast S6E36

If you’re curious about life as a working magician, teaching magic, or the family behind MagicLife, join Natalie and me for this conversation.

Watch Wes Iseli’s MagicLife Podcast S6E36: Wes & Natalie on YouTube.

You can also explore our Patreon for podcast extras and more behind-the-scenes content.

MagicLife Vlog #313: Dinosaurs, Sleeping Beauty, and Life Between Magic Shows

 A busy library show, an early-morning summer camp performance, dinosaurs, and a trip to the ballet—our family covered quite a bit of ground in MagicLife Vlog #313!

In “Dinosaurs and The Ballet,” Natalie and I share a week of performances and family activities, including a visit to the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville and an outing to see Sleeping Beauty.

Traveling for magic shows is part of our everyday life. These outings give you a look at what happens around those performances, when we’re also finding ways to keep the kids entertained and spend time together.

Skateboarding Without Leaving the House

We couldn’t make it to the skate park, so we found another option: a Wii skateboarding game at home.

Sometimes parenting involves changing the plan and working with what you have available. In this case, the kids could still enjoy a skateboarding activity without us going anywhere.

For other busy families, a familiar game or simple activity can be a useful backup when an outing doesn’t work out. Every family activity doesn’t have to involve getting everyone into the car!

Library Magic and an Early Start in Martinsville

Our performance schedule included a show at Madison County Library that brought out a large crowd, along with an early-morning summer camp show in Martinsville, Virginia.

That combination gives you a glimpse into the variety of a professional magician’s schedule. One booking might be a community library program, while another means getting ready to entertain campers early in the day.

The time onstage is only one part of that work. Traveling, preparing the equipment, setting up, and being ready when the audience arrives all belong on the schedule, too.

For anyone interested in performing professionally, that’s a practical part of the business to understand: your preparation has to fit the venue’s timetable.

Visiting the Virginia Museum of Natural History

Our family also visited the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville, where the dinosaur exhibits and live animals were especially interesting to the kids.

A museum visit adds something different to a week of performances. It gives us a chance to explore together, and it gives the children something to investigate beyond the places we visit for work.

For families looking to turn an outing into a learning opportunity, a few simple questions can help:

• What caught your attention first?

• Which exhibit would you like to learn more about?

• What would you tell someone who hasn’t visited?

Those questions give children room to notice different things. They also offer an easy starting point for a follow-up book, drawing, or conversation at home.

If you’re considering your own visit, check the Virginia Museum of Natural History website for current exhibits and visitor information.

Taking the Family to See Sleeping Beauty

Another outing took us to a ballet performance of Sleeping Beauty.

The children enjoyed parts of the show, while other moments didn’t hold their attention as well. That’s an honest part of taking kids to live theater: everyone can experience the same performance differently.

As a family involved in entertainment, we spend plenty of time around performances. Ballet offers a different way to think about storytelling, with movement, music, expression, and timing carrying the action.

For parents introducing children to a longer production, explaining the basic story beforehand can give them something to follow. Afterward, asking about one memorable moment can be more useful than expecting them to have enjoyed every minute.

Close-Up Magic at Massanutten Resort

The episode also includes an update on my close-up magic work at Massanutten Resort.

Close-up performances bring the magic right to the people watching. They offer a different experience from a stage show, where the audience sees everything from their seats.

Between library programs, camp performances, resort magic, and family outings, this episode captures several sides of our MagicLife.

Watch MagicLife Vlog #313: “Dinosaurs and The Ballet” here.

For more about our performances and booking a show, visit WesIseli.com.

Wes Iseli's MagicLife Vlog #312 – Skateboarding Adventures, Magic Shows & Life on the Road

Life as a full-time professional magician is never boring! Between performing magic shows, homeschooling our kids, running our businesses, and keeping up with everyday family life, there's always something happening around here.

In this week's episode of Wes Iseli's MagicLife Vlog, I'm taking you behind the scenes of another busy week filled with family adventures, magic performances, and even a skateboarding accident!

A Typical Week in the MagicLife

People often ask what life is like when you're a full-time magician. While performing shows is a big part of what I do, there's a lot more happening behind the scenes than most people realize.

Natalie spends much of her time handling office work, helping manage our businesses, and homeschooling the kids. Our daughter Lana is now in high school and handles much of her schoolwork independently, although she sometimes takes a little longer because she enjoys taking breaks throughout the day!

My weekly schedule is pretty full, too.

Mondays include Zoom meetings with clients, Tuesdays are typically spent recording episodes of our MagicLife Podcast, Thursdays are dedicated to private magic lessons, and Fridays involve filming new content for my Patreon members.

Of course, that's all in addition to booking shows, answering emails, maintaining our equipment, and traveling to performances.

It's a busy lifestyle, but I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Another Weekend Filled With Magic Shows

This weekend took us to several different locations for performances.

One of our stops was a church in Northern Virginia. Anyone who has traveled through that area knows how unpredictable the traffic can be, so we made sure to leave plenty of extra time to reach the show.

We also performed at a company party for a trucking business. Originally, the performance was going to take place outside, but the windy weather made that a little challenging.

Fortunately, we were able to move the show indoors!

That's one of the things I've learned from performing professionally for more than 30 years: You always have to be prepared to adjust your plans.

Whether it's the weather, the venue, or something unexpected happening during a performance, being flexible is part of the job.

My Skateboarding Adventure Didn't Go Quite as Planned!

One of the funniest and most painful moments of the week happened when I decided to get on a skateboard.

Everything was going fine until I hit a rock!

The skateboard stopped, but unfortunately, I didn't.

I took a pretty good fall and ended up hitting my head.

The timing couldn't have been worse because I still had a close-up magic performance scheduled at Massanutten Resort.

I managed to cover the injury with some tissue paper and a hat before heading out to entertain guests.

It certainly wasn't how I planned to prepare for a magic show!

Thankfully, I was able to get through the performance, but the experience was another reminder that even when you're not performing dangerous illusions, life can still throw a few surprises your way.

Balancing Family, Faith, and Show Business

Another challenge of being a full-time entertainer is finding time for everything that's important to our family.

With performances scheduled over the coming weeks at Massanutten Resort, we're working on balancing our Sunday commitments with attending church.

We love what we do, but making time for family and faith is important to us, too.

That's one of the reasons I enjoy sharing these weekly vlogs. They give people a look at what life is really like behind the curtain.

It's not always glamorous, and things don't always go according to plan, but there's never a dull moment!

Come Along for the Adventure!

If you've ever wondered what life is like for a professional magician and his family, I hope you'll follow along with our weekly MagicLife adventures.

From traveling to magic shows and meeting interesting people to homeschooling, running businesses, and occasionally falling off skateboards, there's always another story to tell!

Be sure to watch Wes Iseli's MagicLife Vlog #312 to see everything that happened this week.

And don't forget to check back for more behind-the-scenes stories from our life in show business!

Visit my official website:
https://www.wesiseli.com

Get exclusive behind-the-scenes videos, magic lessons, business tips, podcast extras, and more on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/wes_iseli

Thanks for following along with our MagicLife adventures!

— Wes Iseli

Wes Iseli's Magiclife Podcast S6E35 (Joey Gase)

 NASCAR driver Joey Gase joined us for an in-depth discussion about his racing career, team operations, and personal life. Gase shared his early racing experiences, including winning his first go-kart race at age 8, and detailed his current role as a driver and team owner in the O'Reilly Series. They discussed the technical aspects of NASCAR racing, including tire management, pit crew operations, and the financial challenges of running a racing team. Gase also explained his partnership with Scott, his team's sponsorship with Donate Life, and his family's involvement in racing. The conversation covered Gase's personal life, including his family background, his children's interest in racing, and his experience with a controversial incident where he threw a bumper at another driver's car. The interview concluded with Gase inviting team Iseli to attend a future race in Richmond, where they could experience NASCAR firsthand.

Wesiseli.com Patreon.com/wes_iseli