In my opinion this is the big secret to success. In magic, in show business or in any business for that matter. The secret to my dads success, Jay Marshalls success and many of the old school masters I knew when I was growing up is...

Treat every person that you meet and talk to during the day, and every day like they are a valued client.

It is that simple. This plus good technical ability and being able to entertain and some business schooling is the basic things these old school performers seemed to have lived by. And I go by this as well.

I have seen a lot of magicians and other entertainers crash and burn sooner or later just because they did not treat others with respect. They may blame others but if they would cut through their own bull spit and the truth was is that they just bring it onto themselves.

I could complain or state every time I have been a target - I'm not.

However I am posting this because it might just be helpful to some of the younger magicians some day.

I hope this helps.

Cheers!

Words of wisdom, wish more would heed.

Thanks Silver cup...

Please understand I am not complaining. I have been insulted in blogs, on forums, and I had one guy put up a Fake Glenn Bishop page on facebook and proudly talk about it on a forum. And there is more and more and more I could say but the point here I want to make is talking about what makes a success.

Well the old golden rule seems to fall into play here. Treat others in the same way that you yourself would like to be treated.

I remember many years ago we were having a round table at the old Bishops Magic shop. And one guy was talking. This guy had a big ego and thought that he was a great magician. He used to insult people in his audience and people that used to get up on stage to help him with a trick. Well this is a tricky thing to do because audience members will put up with kidding in a good natured way if no single member of the audience is the target. And if the performer doesn't cross a line and go to far.

However this guy went to far. He crashed and burned and blamed others for his own problems.

The funny thing is that after that round table later that evening one of my other magician friends said to me. If he treated his clients the way he treated his audience he won't be working much. And he was right.

Putting this into perspective from my point of view. If these guys that did all these insulting and quite frankly rude and immature things on-line that they have done to me over the past eight to ten years to their clients. I really don't see any of the reaching much of a success - or perhaps reaching their potential.

Not knowing when to quit has hurt a lot of performers I have known.


I think one of the good things of treating everyone that you meet and greet during a day like they are a valued client is that I rarely have to do much damage control.

I hope this helps.

Cheers!

Good advice

So, you are saying that if a person has a personal beef with you , they can't be a successful professional magician?



Maybe they like their clients.

I am curious. Do you own any responsibility for the things that happened? Or are you just an innocent lamb who was attacked by wolves?

From the episodes I have seen - if we're talking about trolling attacks and not disagreements - pretty much the latter.

It was the character of the bile thrown Bish's way that was so often disgusting to see - people caring much less about the argument at hand than they did about going to great lengths to discover where the best locations to stick the needles were. They were truly - as far as this kind of thing goes - among the lowest common denominator. On the other hand, I never saw Bish answer back in anywhere near the same manner. Perhaps he did...but I never saw it.

It is one thing to own your responsibility in a debate/argument. It is quite another to be subjected to what Bish was subjected to from some.

Innocent? Never did anything that may have contributed?

I admit Glenn is the subject of nasty outbursts. I don't think they can be justified. But I think they can be explained.

It's all about understanding the rules of engagement.

some folks go looking for hostility/aggression. please - look at this chip on my shoulder - please - tell me all about it so I can feel offended - please - you know you want to ....

Wall said Bish and good advice.

Thanks for posting chessman and rockwall. This thread isn't about the attacks of harassment. If it was I would list them.

Les Brown who is a public speaker once said about being a success about toxic people. He said that toxic people will drain your energy and get in the way of your success. He suggested to get them out of your life.

My dads life was filled with toxic people.

My life isn't. However my life on-line seems to have quite a few toxic people in it. He did not say to get back at them or get revenge. He said to just get them out of your life. The way that I have dealt with the toxic people in my life-on-line was to take the high road. However that may have been seen by them as a weakness - like a kid not fighting back against a bully.

I found it interesting that I was off line because I have been dealing with my illness. It seemed like the second I came back - it started all over again.

In my past I have met some really great people. Yes they were great magicians and other artists. But besides that they were really great people. And they did things with class and honor.

I said this a long time ago - I would rather be a great dad or a great person than a great magician.

I don't know if this will help or not so...

Best ahead.

Sorry to hear you have been ill Bish.

I treat them all as valued customers but they are still not happy when they lose.

Thanks Tommy. My illness could be the sign that I am getting old. It is partly a combination of things I went through the past ten years. When I do the math the years and everything all add up.

Part of the respect card:
Remember that while BS'ing the public can be chalked off as "showmanship," BS'ing others in your business is simply "insulting their intelligence."

If I may add Tommy,

I have had this illness for a good many years and before I performed at the Magic Castle and produced my first DVD that had the routine on it Glenn Bishop Cuts the Aces. I talked about my circulation problems and the nerve damage that went with my circulation problems.

I posted a post over at the buskers forum and talked about my performance at the magic castle. And how much pain I was in at the time. My point was that I was a pro and I did the shows at the castle and no one had any idea of how ill I was and how much pain I was in when I did the castle shows.

I still had the same illness when I produced my first DVD. I had the same illness and nerve damage and pain when I left those forums, and when I was being insulted when I posted video of my Triumph shuffle, and I had the same pain yesterday as I will have it tomorrow and every day after that.

People have no idea how hard producing those video's and DVDs when I am also dealing with the nerve damage and pain. But that is what performers of the old school do. They work through the pain like Jack Pyle did when he broke his leg - had shows and made a peg leg and still went out performing shows on a peg leg - just because he needed the money.

That's all I was after when I produced DVDs. I did it because I needed the money to pay for things like food, and Dr. visits and medication.

Dealing with toxic people - It has all added up over the years.

Cheers Tommy.

Thanks for the words of wisdom and yes we should all treat others like we like to be treated.

Glenn-

We've never met but you sound like the kind of creator I'd be proud to know. In magic and mentalism, as in any business, when your name gets known you are bound to get vocal detractors- the kind of people who will go after anyone who's achieved any degree of success greater than their own.

Don't let it get you down.

As long as they spelled your name right.

Good thoughts,

Bob

Thanks for the very kind words Bob. I think you and I would get along quite nicely. Perhaps I am old school but back in my day friendship was a privilege and an honor.

Good luck with your show at the Magic Castle.

Cheers Bob.

Glenn-

It was that way in my day too. But, then again, I've decided it's still my day!

Good thoughts,

Bob