We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mark Gibson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mark below.
Hi Mark , thanks for joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
I believe success is a self defined concept. Everyone’s definition of “success” is different, and thus we all are attempting to hit a target which no one else can see. All too often I see performers chasing an undefined desire of being successful, without ever defining what success means. It’s like chasing a rainbow, the closer you move towards it, the further it seems to move away, and depending on who you ask, the end of the rainbow is in different places and distances. In order to be successful, one has to define what success means to them. Maybe for some that is booking 15 shows over the next month. Once that metric has been achieved, we can allow ourselves to feel the joy of a job well done and bask in the successful glow. In short, undefined goals and metrics for success creates an endless chase for a satisfaction that we will never allow ourselves. To be successful, outline what success means to you, then set your intention and drive towards achieving it. Once you do, let the sunshine in and be proud of yourself. Then take all you’ve achieved and learned along the way, and redefine what success looks like for you now. Once you cross one finish line, be proud of yourself, regroup, and draw another finish line. If you carry on in this way, I promise you, you will achieve more and climb higher in your industry than you ever imagined.
Secondly, I think being honest with yourself is a massively important factor in being successful. We have all heard the Einstein platitude about insanity: Doing the same action over and over again and expecting a different outcome. A big barrier to being successful in any industry is being unwilling to look at your own actions and be honest with yourself about their results. Is what I’m doing yielding the results I want? To HONESTLY answer that is a big step.
We often avoid asking ourselves these hard questions because the answer may hurt. I’ve spent years of time, research and practice to bring a new show to life, and audiences may not enjoy every part of my creation. As much as it hurt, I had to be honest about what works in my show, and what doesn’t. Even if I LOVE every moment of the performance, at the end of the day, I am here to provide an unforgettable experience for my audiences, and if they are telling me some routines they don’t enjoy as much as the others, I need to listen. Want to be successful? Be honest with yourself about what you’re doing, and make the brave choice to change or eliminate what no longer serves you.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
For nearly 20 years, I have had the honor of being a professional Mentalist. In other words, a Theatrical Mind Reader. My shows are highly engaging and interactive, in which I use a blend of intuition, magic, suggestion, and a mastery of the art of Mentalism to ignite my audiences imaginations and create lasting memories. For all my clients, my goal is always the same: To use my skills and decades of professional entertainment experience to provide an evening of transformative entertainment for your guests and clients.
I have been a regular headliner at The Magic Castle, in Hollywood CA, since the age of 13. Now 30, I perform across the globe for corporations, cruise ships, private events, and theater productions. I have been featured on “The Tonight Show” starring Jimmy Fallon, and worked for corporations such as Bacardi, Lamborghini, Ritz Carlton, and Disney. Most recently, I have taken to the high seas, entertaining thousands onboard luxury cruise liners such as Seabourn, Viking, and Princess Cruise lines. This year I had the distinct honor of being the first American to perform onboard the new Sun Princess in their “Spellbound by Magic Castle” magic theatre. In 2024, I was inducted into the Psychic Entertainers Association, a prestigious global organization dedicated to the preservation and advancement of the art of Mentalism.
Unlike a traditional Magic show, Mentalism has the power to reach an audience on a deeper level. If Magic entertains the eyes, Mentalism entertains the Mind and Spirit. One of the greatest perks of my work is how connected and understood my audiences feel after my show. They enter the theater strangers, and leave connected with a deeper understanding of themselves and each other. I recall a show I did last year for a corporation in Los Angeles, in which they wanted to do something different for their after dinner entertainment and kick off the first day of their conference. Many in attendance had never met each other before, having worked in different parts of the world, and their CEO wanted to find a way to help them connect with one another. I took to the stage and the show went very well. A few days after the conference, I received a message from the CEO praising my performance, but which is more, telling me how my show opened the door for everyone in the room to connect with each other. By the end of the show, everyone felt like they knew and understood the people around them. The show began with a room full of strangers, and ended with lifelong friends.
It is my greatest passion to understand and connect with people, so to have a profession in which I can provide a totally unique experience of mystery and connection to others is the greatest honor I have known.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Life is unpredictable, and at times we all will have to pivot. A moment which forced all of us to pivot was the COVID-19 lockdowns. Suddenly all live entertainment completely stopped, and every show I had booked cancelled. I immediately began strategizing how I can still support my clients safely. All of them transitioned to Zoom meetings and work from home, so I decided to bring my show to them virtually. I began rewriting and adapting my performances to be done virtually, all over Zoom. The beautiful thing about Mentalism is, as long as you can communicate with the audience, you can still read their minds! I began performing virtual shows for people from all corners of the world, and was able to provide entertainment during a time where we all needed a bit of comfort and hope.
I expanded this virtual show concept to a weekly fundraising livestream performance via social media, supporting a different charity each week. I also partnered with Win Win Charities, an incredible organization which provides virtual entertainment for children’s hospitals across the US.
Being adaptable and willing to change is, to me, the most important skill of any entrepreneur. My clients had to switch to a virtual platform to keep operating, so I adapted my show to meet them where they were, and it opened a world of possibility I never could have imagined.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Whether in business or in life, I believe integrity, adaptability, and preparedness are of paramount importance in building your reputation.
My job is not only to provide a wonderful show, but also to make those who hired me look good! The entertainment hired for an event is a direct reflection of those that hired them, so it is my job to make my clients look and feel like absolute heroes. So many entertainers are caught in their own egos, and only care about making themselves look good onstage. But our job is so much more than the show. The Event Coordinator or HR administrator organizing a corporate meeting has so many things to worry about in order to put on a successful event. Therefore, I am always easy to reach, prompt in my responses, arrive early, adaptable to any situations which may arise, and ensure that the event coordinators are supported and praised.
I recall an instance where I was hired for a 30 minute performance at a corporate event. I arrived early and the coordinator was panicked because the speaker scheduled after me cancelled last minute. I always travel with extra material, just in case, so I offered to extend my performance to fill in their time as well. The coordinator was stunned! A performer asking to do more? Of course. My job isn’t to just collect a paycheck, my job is to help my clients have a successful event, and if it is within my power to help, I shall. I took the stage and ended up doing a full hour show, and everyone in attendance had an absolute blast. By being prepared and adaptable, I was able to help the evening flow on schedule, ease the worry of an over worked coordinator, and provide an evening of entertainment and joy for all.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.MarkGibsonMagic.com
- Instagram: @MarkGibsonMagic
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-gibson-51270b83/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MarkGibsonMagic
Image Credits
Photos by Vanessa Todd