Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Adam Stone. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Adam, thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I have been doing this for the past 4 years and each year gets better. The first year I barely broke even and now I am able to live off of my earnings. Some big milestones were getting my second gig, performing for an audience of 500, and this November performing in New York City in a theater off broadway. Half of my years doing this have been during a global pandemic. I wish I had gotten out in front of the virtual shows earlier.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

THE ORIGIN STORY OF ADAM STONE (the magic story, not the birth one) Upon arriving home from work one crisp autumn day, Adam was surprised to discover his two daughters and wife had signed him up to be in the Mid Atlantic Youth Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. He would be dancing with all of his family and received the role of Drosselmeyer, the magician uncle. Strangely, Adam had little personal experience dancing in a ballet and even less with magic. Determined to be a good father, he quickly agreed to the task and went about trying to get started learning the craft of magic. This mission took Adam down the Yellow Brick Road, quite literally, to Rosedale Md, and the magic shop of Denny Haney called Denny and Lee Magic Studio. Denny took Adam under his wing, and the two began working on the logistics of the upcoming Nutcracker performance.

What began as something he wanted to do just for his kids and beautiful wife, would soon take on a personal element as well. He started carrying cards with him and even practiced different techniques while driving to and from work (yes, he sits in that much traffic on the way to and from work). “I wanted my daughters to see me do something I had to work at, not just something I already knew how to do; I wanted them to see me struggle and get better because I worked hard.” And struggle he did, many of the techniques were very difficult to learn and required hours and hours of practice just to be dexterous enough to get through them slowly, it would take months and months until he was at a level where he could perform for others. Finally, his first day of rehearsal came, thanks to the support and training of Denny, Adam was ready with three brand new illusions never before performed on the Towson stage for MYB’s version of the Nutcracker. Mrs. Nadia Porter-Letnaunchyn, the Mid Atlantic Ballet’s director, was very supportive and gave Adam the confidence he needed to keep moving forward.

What sets me apart is that I work at this non stop and I never turn down a challenging show. There are a lot of people out there that will only do what they are comfortable with and don’t try to stretch themselves.

I want people to know I do this because I love to make people laugh, and this is the best way I know how to do it. Wither it is a room full of kids or a hotel ballroom filled with corporate staff I will provide a moment they will never forget for the rest of their lives.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I think the biggest pivot was during the pandemic. Everything shut down and everyone was separated from each other. All of the magic I had worked so hard to learn was all interactive. None of the material had built up was going to work anymore. I had a school reach out to me and asked if I could just do something for the kids and I agreed (even though I had no idea what I would do). I put together a show that was silly and allowed the kids to still interact with me. I then started mailing things to peoples houses so they would have materials to use during the show. I started reaching out to companies through Linked in and just started Googling schools and emailing anyone I could find all across the country. I ended up doing shows in most of the 50 states and in countries all across the world.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

The Best Damn Sales Book Ever by Warren Greshes taught me to look at my business from the perspective of the client. Every post, email, call, I am constantly thinking if I was this person what would I be looking for to have a truly remarkable event.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.adamstonemagic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamstonemagic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/astonemagic/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-stone-magic/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdamStoneMagic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC64o4f2IL8OcblSe2XZG2nw
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/adam-stone-magic-baltimore?osq=Adam+Stone+magic
• Other: NA

Image Credits
My wife took with an iPhone