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Magic is sleight of hand. Mentalism is sleight of brain!
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Magic is sleight of hand. Mentalism is sleight of brain! In this episode of the None of Your Business podcast, hosts Michael and Ushy sit down with the extraordinary mentalist Michael Samen. The episode delves deep into the world of mentalism, exploring the differences between magic and mentalism, and the techniques and psychology behind reading minds. Michael shares his meaningful journey from starting magic at the age of nine, performing for diverse audiences, and even his remarkable encounters with celebrities like Gary "V" and Adam Sandler. Tune in to uncover the fascinating nuances of human behavior, the art of memory, and the life of a full-time mentalist who knows how to captivate and astonish his audience. This episode is a blend of mind-reading demonstrations, personal anecdotes, and valuable tips on improving memory and business interactions. Episode Sponsor: ►Prime Source This episode is powered by Prime Source, the partner senior care facilities trust for real savings and smarter spending. With years of industry experience, Prime Source guides operators to use best-practice purchasing methods, identify hidden opportunities, and stretch every dollar without compromising care. For a free spend analysis, call 877-8PRIME8 or visit https://www.primesourcex.com copyright 2025 The None of Your Business Podcast The Nations #___ Podcast
Categories:Entertainment/Magic
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Transcript
Auto-generated transcript. Not time-synced to the video.
Do you believe I can read your mind? I
don't know what you think, but I learned
how you think. Did you tell him the name
you're thinking of? I didn't tell
anybody. It's Smalley. Really?
You son of a gun. I perform a lot and
they say there's no crowd in the world
you can't beat after you perform for
Israelis
because Americans come to enjoy the
show, Israelis come to figure it out.
>> None of your business, Oshi. None of
your business, Michael. It's the None of
Your Business Podcast hosted by Michael
and Oshi.
Welcome back everybody to another
magical episode of the None of Your
Business Podcast. I'm your host Michael
Greenfield. With me, of course, is
co-host Oshi Schwartz. And today we have
an amazing human being, a mentalist,
someone who already knows what this
podcast is going to be all about. So I'm
not even sure why we're doing it.
Michael Sayman, everybody. Welcome to
the program.
>> Thank you for having me. Well, I I uh
I know what's going to happen, but they
don't, so uh
>> So we might as well do this.
>> Yes. We just do it. We do it for the
people.
>> We're going to pack it in. Of course, we
thank all our subscribers, our
listeners, the comments. We've been
growing, Oshi.
Every episode is growing more and more
and more and it's directly in theme with
who we are and what our podcast is about
and that's growth-oriented personally
and professionally.
We're we're doing something right.
>> Yeah. Yeah, I'm loving it. It's great.
We're learning a lot on the podcast,
meeting a lot of cool people, and people
are along for the journey, so it's
fantastic.
>> Yeah, we appreciate all of our listeners
and subscribers and this podcast is
sponsored by PrimeSource. And of course,
those of you know, it's a PrimeSource
production, the None of Your Business
Podcast. And if you want to see
your nursing home or assisted living
facilities costs magically disappear,
contact someone in PrimeSource and we'll
be there for you. You like that?
>> You're going to run with this magical
thing all day, aren't you?
>> That's It's magically delicious.
>> That's the second time we did
>> Yes, I'm excited. We actually have some
people in the audience today that are
real big fans and aspiring magicians and
mentalists, so uh it's amazing to see
you and thank you so much for joining us
again. We met in Israel.
And
when we met, you're not you're not aware
of this that you had just done something
you know you fooled someone that we knew
like an hour before. And I was watching
the video and I like oh my god this guy
is great and I'm with my friend Joe and
suddenly we see you and I like you got
to do this all over again.
>> I think I think I'm very aware just
because I'm aware to all of these
details. I've done it on Rabbi Lawrence.
>> Rabbi Lawrence, that's right. That's
right.
>> go. It's
>> And his son Moshe Simcha and then you
did it on Joe Sutton who was with me and
uh
>> You'll be surprised how many how many
people I I actually remember.
I remember faces really really well. I
don't always remember names. But I
remember locations where I met them, how
and things like that. So it's like when
you say I met you, I know exactly who I
met that day.
>> Yeah, I'm curious. I have so many
questions and also one of the things I
did this time is I asked
our audience what questions they would
have for you and we selected the top few
questions that they gave us. I did this
through status. I didn't do it through
any other social media platform, but I
got a lot of responses.
One of the questions that's hitting me
right now is what is the craziest
response you ever got from someone that
you did a trick on?
>> Um
street stuff or stage stuff?
>> Any anything. Tell me anything.
>> I think the most there's like the most
moving ones and the most
enjoyable ones for people to watch on
on social media.
>> Yeah, tell me both. I'm curious.
>> Uh
I think the most special one was when I
had people when I have people cry.
It's so deep, so emotional, so like
special, something that relates to let's
say a
a dead person they thought of or
something happened because they thought
of someone like that.
Um and they they literally start crying
and it's like
me as as the performer I'm like oh my
god, I just moved someone and I think
that's very, very special as a
performer." Um and then there is of
course the ones that I just love when
people go crazy. They just run away.
They they're like, "Oh my god." Some
people like they curse they curse they
cursed.
It's like the end of the video is like
beep beep beep beep beep, you know, it's
like it just doesn't end and I I
absolutely love it.
>> That's great. That's it. You know you
did a good job.
>> Yes, for sure.
>> We have a little segment by the way
called ChatGPT says what about you.
>> All right.
>> Have you ever done a ChatGPT on
yourself?
>> Um no, but I don't know if ChatGPT knows
me enough, but let's go.
>> You know, what do you What do you think
it's going to say about you? If you had
to guess one thing, what would ChatGPT
say about you?
>> Um
I'm not sure. I don't I don't know cuz I
I I have a It's funny cuz I know it but
times what people would say about me,
but
>> You know what I'm thinking, right?
>> Like a machine would know, you know,
right?
>> You know how people work. You don't know
how machines work. Okay, I like that.
So, you started doing magic at 10.
>> Mhm.
>> The age that most kids are discovering
sports, you're discovering psychological
warfare.
>> Mhm.
>> That's the first thing that ChatGPT
says.
>> Okay, that's not
>> accurate?
>> bad. Not bad. I started when I was nine.
>> Nine?
>> Yes.
>> Okay.
>> Uh and I actually I started
naturally as a mentalist, got into magic
as a result.
And only after two, three years in
magic, I was I was directed back into
mentalism mentalism. I was told, "You
could do proper mentalism. Why don't you
do that?" And that's where I shifted
back into proper mentalism.
>> I'm going to love learning the
difference between magic and mentalism
and so on.
>> Definitely.
>> When you were nine, just real quick,
what was your first thing you did? How
did this come to you?
>> So, I basically I got into, you know,
this there's a very simple trick where
you put down four cards, four card like
rows of four. Then you ask people to
choose a card and then you say what row
is it in and then you collect them, you
spread them the opposite way. So, that
way the cards cross, right?
>> It's a process of elimination. You're
able to know this one and then you know
that one then you know what card it is,
right? Every kid learns it that way.
>> And I didn't know that's how it was done
in the beginning and I was able to do
that immediately. Just they looked at a
card, was able to look at the room and
just
at the person thinking of the card and
was able to tell him what card they were
thinking of.
Um and only then I learned it was a
trick. There There was a trick to it but
I was doing it with a with proper mental
of just like looking at people. Of
course I wasn't as good as I am today.
He uh
he developed a lot. I always say it's
like being musical.
Um
It's like a uh uh
the fact that you're musical doesn't
make you Mozart, right? You need to
study notes, you have to study uh
rhythm, you have to study many many
things in order to perfect
the talent or the ability you already
have. It's not just like oh one day I
get up and I'm able to read people. So
it's
>> That's pretty cool. So you think you let
I mean you know that you have a like a
natural inclination of reading people
and you knew that at a young age and you
adapted that and built on your skills.
>> I I didn't know that like 100%. I was
like okay, I assume that's how you do
magic and it naturally pulled me into
the how do people react to the to it,
how cool it is.
Um and slowly slowly I shift like I got
into magic because of it. I didn't know
the difference between mentalism and
magic. I was like oh magic mentalism I
didn't know what's mentalism.
>> How would you define in one sentence the
difference between magic and mentalism?
>> I would say magic is
slight of hand, uh
making you
let's say uh if I do uh let's say uh
I do that, right? So many people would
naturally look where I look, right? So
I'm I'm getting you to look a certain
place or when something else happens in
a totally different place.
>> Distraction.
>> Right?
Um and then mentalism I would say it's
more like uh magic of the brain. So it's
how you think, what you think,
influencing you to think a certain way.
Um
That's in like two words.
>> Okay. Okay, perfect. I love that. Uh he
doesn't read minds, he just stares into
your soul until your childhood secrets
volunteer themselves.
Wow, so before we started, you did ask a
sheer question, right? And like uh we'll
get to that soon. And I'm thinking that
you can uh you can embarrass people
sometimes, I guess, right? Does that
happen?
>> I had situations, yes, that happened on
stage where I asked people to uh
You could cut this out, by the way, if
it doesn't fit the podcast, but I asked
someone to think
>> the podcast.
>> a think of the name of a name they uh
their first crush, their first love. It
actually happened again like 2 3 weeks
ago, and happened to be same gender.
And it was very tricky how to reveal it
or not to reveal it, because when I
asked them what's the name you're
thinking of, they said a different name.
They said a uh uh uh
It was a woman, she said a male's name.
But I for sure saw a female's name. Like
I was for sure I was sure that was the
name. Um so it was very tricky how to
reveal it. I said uh
But you actually thought of a different
name as well.
Um that was maybe your second love or
something like that. I'll just show you.
If it is,
agree or don't agree to uh disagree,
like if to show the audience. Then I
showed it to her. They were like
completely in shock. I put it down, and
we kept going.
>> So no one knows?
>> No one knows, but it was uh
>> That's unreal.
>> That is scary stuff. You were so
confident that you told her
>> Mhm.
>> quietly, right? What it was, because
it's it's fascinating.
>> usually I'll there's two two ways I'll
reveal stuff. Sometimes I'll I'll write
something down, I'll show to the
audience, and I'll reveal it before they
say the answer. So what's the name
you're thinking of, for example. And
then sometimes I'll I won't show it to
the audience, and I'll say what's the
name you're thinking of, and then I'll
reveal it only after they say. So it
depends also how sure I am or what's the
age of the crowd. So for example, when I
do Pesach programs or things like that,
you have many kids in the audience, and
it's very different to the corporate
events I do. So, when I do a corporate
event, I know when I'll show something,
no one is yelling the name, "Oh, it's
uh Right." Right? Um but when you deal
with kids, only you need to be aware of
a kid is going to yell before he says
the name, you ruin the
>> divulge it. Yeah.
>> Another another question we got asked
from one of our audience members is one
of our fans, I should say, is did you
ever really get it wrong and like mess
up and you're like, "Oh my god." Like,
what was that like for you?
>> Yes.
First of all, it happens. It happens uh
not as much nowadays, but
I feel that first of all, the the the
you know, the excitement of being able
to to be wrong
is very exciting. It's like it's like uh
some people go get their adrenaline
jumping off of cliff, I take the risk of
messing up on stage.
Um I think in the beginning I used to be
very nervous about being wrong.
But slowly slowly you realize that
you it's much
First of all, I have no problem saying,
"Oh, I was wrong."
if I was wrong.
Uh and the second thing is if I
I'm trying to think. Me- Base
Like I'll I'll There There is a tricky
thing where sometimes magicians do it a
lot, mentalists do it as well, where you
do as if you have like a mistake and
it's a dip, right? And then you
basically recover and you get it right.
Now it's much stronger than before cuz
you had that dip.
>> Almost makes it look like it was a part
of the act.
>> So, at this point, meaning after years
of of performing, I learned that the
performance is many times about making
it look like there's a dip or things
like that. And that's much stronger, the
effect is much stronger.
With that said, you could actually get
it wrong, you know? And you mess up.
>> if somebody like lies to you? Like
they're just being very stubborn and you
know that you just probably the name
they told.
>> question by the way.
>> And then the person just says no, it was
that's wrong. How do you prove How do
you prove it?
>> I perform a lot I performed a lot in
Israel and I still do and I I travel a
lot back and forth and they say there's
no crowd in the world you can't beat
after you performed for Israelis because
they're they're smart. They're they're
not like smart they're they're very
direct they're very they try they
Americans come to enjoy the show.
>> Yeah.
>> Uh Israelis come to figure it out.
Which is totally fine but they they come
and they try fooling you as well so you
need to learn how to uh uh perform in
that way so it's like let's say uh I'll
ask someone to think of a name they
think of a name I'll tell them okay
usually I won't ask you to write it down
or anything but then I'll ask you to
just write it down on a big board. Now
they can't change their mind. Even if
it's even if they want to change their
mind and say 1 2 3 we both turn it over.
>> Yeah.
>> I uh so that's ways ways you figure out
how to deal with different crowds.
>> Love that. Chat GPT doesn't have that
much to say I guess yet but there are
two more things that are interesting.
Corporate gigs love you.
>> Mhm.
>> That's what it's saying. Nothing bonds
executives like publicly being
outsmarted by a man in a hat.
So uh tell me about your corporate gigs.
Also another great question that we've
gotten which is what was your biggest
performance ever that you've done so far
and what are you dreaming of? What's
that one performance that you're saying
I want to do X Y and Z?
>> Um
So I'll start with the first one. Why
why why corporate why corporate events
and why people love it and I do know
that I'm doing a good job
is I love personalizing my show. I
really really take the time to
personalize my show
even when it's not a corporate event. I
do like let's say it's a birthday party
I'll make it about the person that's
having the birthday party. When it's a
corporate event I'll make it about the
company so let's say they have
their the name of the company they have
a certain values the company goes by.
Let's say they have
um I don't know certain products or
certain things or when I am see an event
they have certain
pieces of information they want to bring
up and make them not boring. Uh so
that's where I would say I shine where
even other performers, other mentalists,
or other magicians
aren't able to
do it the same way that I do it
um because I really make it about the
client and it's not about me, it's about
them. Uh so that's the first thing.
The second thing is you ask what's the
biggest crowd or what's the biggest
stuff?
Um I performed for crowds over 2,000
people.
Um
smallest crowd I ever performed
at was uh I think uh
four people.
>> You got paid? Corporate event, yes?
Really?
>> Corporate event, four people.
Um
all four of them they landed with a
helicopter. They had a dinner with a
chef.
And I performed
and base I didn't even know that I
wasn't able to get any information
beforehand or anything about who am I
performing to. I thought
>> Where was this?
>> It was in in um
how do you call it? In In Tiberia,
Tiberias in uh in
up north.
>> It was a very they had like a whole like
kibbutz type of uh
day like on their helicopter then they
came they had like a chef and me. It was
like a very uh
>> Obviously very high-end people
and uh they probably wanted to have
discussions. They didn't give you any
real information.
>> Yeah, for sure. But I I have many many
clients like that I can't really talk
about or things like that that are more
like VIP. You fly into a secret island,
you perform, you
>> land, you take a boat, you perform
>> You've actually done that? You've you've
you've landed
>> I've done I've done weird stuff like
that.
>> What's the craziest thing? Like you're
saying already things that are shocking
me like so being able to
>> Uh
I'm trying to think like of a a place
that I've done.
I've done a place in Turkey.
I flew in Turkey. That wasn't That
wasn't like a border or anything, but it
was just like a very specific
experience.
I had
I had an experience actually with a chef
from Bahrain
where I met in in
Tel Aviv in Kempinski Hotel, which of
course it's owned by their family. The
their family.
>> that.
>> So, it is.
>> Yeah, wow.
>> And then I met him again here in New
York.
And
whatever, there's like certain certain
set of settings and certain things where
it's like, "Oh, it's me and my wife
would love to have like a dinner and
performance with you." Or stuff like
that. It's like really weird situations
and I love it. It's like it makes you
really think, "Okay, so I have this
really weird situation. I need to
perform in front of like 100 people,
200, 1,000, two whatever it is."
And then it's like suddenly
>> Wow.
>> It's a It's a weird It's a weird
experience, but I love it.
>> Do you have a dream of doing a larger
audience? Is that something you think
about?
>> Um
it's a tricky it's a tricky one
because I love love love the small
events. I love like 30, 40, 50 people
events.
And I also love the huge events, but
they're very very different when you're
very different. When you perform on a
big stage
you basically
uh uh
it's it's a show that you're you can't
expect any any
any interactions, right? You're far away
from the audience. Even though I do run
to the audience, I bring people out, I
do things with the whole audience, but
it's not the same as when you're sitting
in a room and someone just next to you
is like,
"No, no, do this. Why that?" You know,
it's like it's very
it's
uh
it's it's very different.
>> Yeah.
>> Of course.
>> It's a Yeah.
>> I'm curious. Another great question we
got here, and this is actually I believe
from Rabbi Lawrence.
I don't know if I'm supposed to give
away who's asking the question, but I I
I I don't think he'll mind.
Um you know, there are two other I'm
going to say other, you're in that
group, popular mentalists that are out
there right now making some noise along
with you, of course. Uh Lior Suchard and
Oz Pearlman.
What, if anything, is different from you
and them? And how are they different
from each other and you?
Um I think they're both
much older than me. They're both
uh 43 or 44. 40 I think they're both 43.
>> I'm 28.
>> Oh, wow.
>> So, I'm much younger than not much
younger than I look, but I am younger
than
many times what people assume.
>> Yeah, you carry yourself uh little older
than that. It's a compliment. It's a
maturity. Yeah.
>> Israelis, they Yeah.
Like very experienced, you know, with a
lot of stature, like
happens and you start doing it. Start
traveling and doing what what I do.
But
um
what I would say would be the big
difference, probably
um
I wouldn't say they're old-fashioned.
They're amazing and I love their work
and I and I know them personally. I know
Lior more than uh Oz personally.
Um
I think each one has their style as
well.
I don't think I'm either of them. I
think I'm a combination of both. I have
like a little bit of each one and I and
there's definitely even to how and what
we do. So, I see a difference in how we
perform and what we do.
Um
but I would say I'm
I love social media and it's it's
another part. I know that if I wouldn't
be doing what I do, I would still do
social media.
And I found that for me, a connection
with
live people is the the
like most fascinating thing and fun
thing that I could do to myself. Of
course, course publicity and you grow
and whatever, but I I really found that
at some point I start performing and you
find yourself performing on stages every
other night or whatever and you just you
don't have the same interactions you
used to have in the beginning where it's
just it's it's as as pure as it gets.
And at some point I
spoke to my team one of them said, "Why
don't you just do the street stuff again
and whatever?" I said, "Sure, I would
love to. Let's let's do it." And we made
it happen. And since then I've been like
really like I I love doing it because of
the connection you can really connect to
people on the street. You go out, you do
it.
"Do you believe I could read your mind?"
My my favorite line. People will come up
to me on the street. "Do you believe I
could read your mind?" And I'm like,
"Yes." I I I made sure that it stuck.
And uh
And and and the connection you really
connect with so many different people.
If you go on my on my Instagram, you
just scroll. Every single video could be
like Jewish, non-Jewish, white, black,
uh uh um from every culture. It's
absolutely amazing to experience as a
person.
>> I'm really happy for you. This is a
great life to live connecting with
people every day. I mean, if you you
mentioned a minute ago you love social
media. So I'm assuming that would mean
that if you weren't doing this,
you'd be doing something in marketing.
>> Um I used to do real estate.
>> Oh.
>> Before I even done mentalism full-time,
I used to do it. Basically, I do
mentalism since I'm a kid, but I
used to do real estate in Israel.
And I went to study business
specializing in real estate and
construction.
So
basically, that was my path. That was
what I'm I was doing. I dealt with
construction.
Um and then at some point basically
COVID time, that was a a blessing for
me.
And everyone was stuck at home, started
posting things on social media randomly.
Then things started exploding. Had many
many requests for like Zoom shows and
things like that. And I was like, "You
know what? Let's give it a try." And
things
or are different since then.
>> Let's go down that road of your past
because, you know, now that we know how
old you are
I see you have a ring on your finger, so
you're married?
>> I am.
>> Beautiful.
How What's your relationship like? How
do you live with someone who pretty much
knows what you're thinking?
How do you, like, you know, keep
secrets? How do you
How do you navigate that? That's got
>> does she keep secrets?
>> How does she keep secrets? Exactly.
That's what I meant. Sorry. I just like
what's the what's It's got to be
annoying that someone always has all the
answers and, you know, always knows
everything.
>> this before, by the way, people who
marry like therapists. Like, "Oh, don't
don't over-therapy me, you know?" This
must be 10 times crazier, like
>> not your patient, you know? I'm your
wife.
>> what you're thinking.
>> Yeah.
>> So, first of all, it's the best for her.
I just sit on the couch. She's like,
"Wash the dishes." And I'm like, "I run
No, I don't."
It would be great. No, but she's she's
First of all, my wife, she's amazing.
She she
does so much with me and and for me. We
travel a lot together.
And I don't think she expected to do
this
journey with me.
We did have a kid 8 months ago.
>> Oh, that's awesome.
>> Many, many things shifted. Now, I'm
based here in the US. I live in the
city.
>> I was like, I want to do a little
mentalist on you right now.
>> Go for it.
>> I'm going to guess if it was a boy or a
girl cuz you didn't mention it. You
didn't say anything, but I'm going to do
based on what you said and like in your
body language, you had a girl.
>> I did not.
It was a 50/50. It was a 50/50.
>> You're a day job. Oh, my god. Please.
>> You know why I said that? You know why I
said it was a girl? That was my guess
because most time people have a boy,
they say, "Oh, I recently had a boy."
And when they have a girl, they say, "I
recently had a kid." It's just it's
strange. It happens a lot that way.
People say they had a kid and it's
typically a girl.
>> So, one of the things you need to be
aware of that is First of all, I I'm
originally from Israel, so my first
language language is I did speak English
at home as a first language, but I grew
up in in an Israeli culture. And
mentalism in general, you need to
remember it's it
it's a lot I I don't know what you
think, but I learn how you think. So,
how do you how you'll respond to certain
things, how you'll do certain things.
Um and the funny thing about it is that
different cultures have different
uh gestures for different things. For
example,
this means thumbs up, yes,
okay, right? You'll go Iran, this is
bad, it's no go, right? Or uh I don't
know, for example, uh
personal space, right? Personal space in
uh
here people have lots of
space when they talk to each other.
Different cultures are much closer. Then
you'll have other things. Let's say uh
smiling. Smiling is a good thing.
Russia, it's not a good thing. It's it
means much more intimate, right? Or
handshakes. So much to do with
handshakes. How uh uh
what does it mean? Or let's say in in
like people really really judge how
strong you give a firm handshake. Do you
both hands? Do you put your hand on the
elbow? How do people react? So,
Americans, they properly they give a
proper handshake, right? In Arab
cultures,
uh many times it means like I want to be
in more like power or stuff like that.
So, you need to be very careful not to
go for your like very firm handshake.
And to be aware that body language also
changes with different cultures. So, in
one culture uh let's say uh staring at
someone,
it like we feel many times it's like I'm
honest and I speak the truth because I'm
staring at you and whatever. But then
you go to Asian countries and staring at
someone means rude or uh disrespectful
to certain things. So, many things that
change in different cultures. You got to
perform in a different country,
things could be totally different and
you have to be aware of it if you don't
want to
>> So, you have to study all this. You have
to learn all the different things.
>> to say I'd love to learn more. Give me
some more of that. I mean, these are
great examples. I mean,
>> For sure.
>> It's good to know. I'm saying like, you
know,
>> know. You want to apply to become a
mentalist uh soon?
>> No, I just want to know I just want to
know if I can visit Russia.
>> But it definitely definitely helps in
business. I think helping in business
with like learning a lot about mirroring
and things how people react or how to
behave
when to make the sale or what to do. I
had a few companies that when I was
brought in to perform, they said, "We
want you to perform, but would you be
able to
help us with like the marketing team or
or
explain to the marketing more things
about like
how to answer, what to say, how not to
say, how to behave."
>> Can you tell us something? I'd love to
hear what you like.
>> So, I find one thing that I I love and
it's very it's much easier to understand
as an example. So, for example,
we all say, "Oh, so if someone's doing
this, it means they're closed and
whatever." So, it it is true many times.
You need to be aware also of the
weather.
>> arms are folded if their arms are
folded, yeah.
>> They're closed or they like they cover
themselves or whatever. Um but let's say
you sit in a meeting or or like
in an interview and then the person
across is closed. But as the
conversation goes along, they do open
themselves like to the conversation and
then you realize that they're still
closed like they're they're because
they're not going to like suddenly move,
right? They're they're shy or whatever.
Um and the the way you'll react with
your body makes a difference on how
you'll receive things or respond, right?
So, let's say they say before walking up
on stage many times just stay in stand
in a uh what do you call a
Superman position gives it makes you
naturally
it convinces your brain to think that
you're like you you how do you call it?
You uh
you have lots of space in the room,
you're much more confident and then
helps with the the uh
with your presentation.
So,
you want to do that in business as well.
So, for example, let's say you're if you
do that, right? If you close close
yourself for a second and then I have,
let's say, a a conversation with you
about like personal or in order for you
to open and want to share something
personal. Uh
um and there's crazy statistics about
it. Let's say uh
a a waiter that would come to a table
and would present himself with his own
name, right? His his name, or give a a
personal piece of information, he'll uh
he'll get tipped like 80% more like 80%
of the times he'll get tipped more than
the uh than someone that just comes over
and takes your order or does that. When
you volunteer information, right? So,
it's really important. So,
well, I I'll tell someone uh
I don't know. So, "Hey, my name is
Michael." Yes. Oh, I I'm actually from
there or voluntarily, right? And then
I'll uh
I'll crack some jokes or whatever. We'll
have fun in the conversation, but I
still see they're they're like naturally
their bodies closed. I say, "Uh do you
mind do you mind just uh passing me that
pen for a second?"
And then I'll I'll stay in a in a open
position.
And then when they come back, they'll
usually they'll mirror me.
So, that's like mirroring is really
really important.
Um so, there's many tricks like that
that you could use in business and do
I don't really do that so much in in
like in in
going and teach businesses that, but
it's uh definitely something I think
every person should definitely learn
more about uh body language and how to
uh have human interactions. There's very
simple things that you could do that
would change your entire life and
interactions.
>> Michael. I feel very similar talk.
Remember that guy that was here? And
he's, you know, very uh astute and very
aware of people's body language,
um and trying to maneuver a situation to
stabilize it, you know?
Uh he's reading people's temperature and
he's reading, you know, and he's trying
to see what how to approach it next.
Mhm. And I understand that mentalism has
got nothing to do with magic, right?
This is all real, right? None of this is
uh an illusion. None of this is a slight
of hand. It's really an art form where
you're developing the skill over time
and how the human brain typically works
and you're applying a lot of that logic
to come up with the with the answers,
right? And ultimately
the
the the craft of doing of doing
mentalism is something that people can
learn over time, right? It's something
that you can you can teach someone else
to do. They may not be very good at it
and there's going to be different
levels, but this is really just like,
you know, a trade that you can you can
teach. Almost like a detective. Like a
detective. Like no one wakes up one
morning and they become a very good
detective. Over time you have
experiences and you learn different
things to look out for, right? Is that
Am I Am I right?
>> Yeah, so there there is like
a bit of a difference. There's there is
the natural part where you feel
naturally, oh, I feel like a certain
urge that something many times when you
walk into a room or whatever
and you see someone and they're sad or
happy,
um, you'll naturally be able to say, oh,
they're happy or they're sad, right?
And you won't necessarily know to
explain what you're seeing, but you just
know, right?
Um, and I feel that I know to explain
it. Like I know
what are the tells that I'm looking for
and whatever, so
it's it's a lot about
So, first of all, I do combine magic in
what I do
once in a while and I do
and I do that because in the end of the
story I am a I chose the the route of
performing. So, it's not like, um,
I could have gone to, I don't know, sit
in meetings watching people and I had
that many times offered to to just like,
why don't you come and sit with me in
the meeting, watch the other side, have
like any any, uh,
any like insight about the meeting,
would they go lower, higher by
with their price?
And
I would say that
I never wanted to go to that direction
cuz things could go really dark and
weird
and I always try being on the positive
things. So, I would always I I always
say I'm I'm on the positive things
positive side of things.
And
um
So, it's like making people happy and
and laughing and performing. So, as a
performer
I would combine anything and everything
I could in order to make my performance
the best. So, I would combine magic if I
need to or if I need to get out of a
situation by the way. What we spoke
about if I do mess up or something, many
times I'll do a trick where I could
switch something to make it look
natural, but I'll actually use a trick.
Um
And is it something that everyone could
actually learn and become? I think
everyone could improve an ability to
read people more like more of their body
language, more of their expression, more
of stuff like that.
But, I would say that
it it it took me like years and years
and years to like perfect
what I do.
>> Yeah, I I don't mean to diminish you.
>> Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no, no, no, no,
no, no, no, other people could probably
do it also.
>> like it's diminishing. I I just said the
process.
>> go-to move for a mentalist? I know like
they can try to guess the name that
you're thinking, they could try to guess
the number that you're thinking.
Uh they may even, you know,
they'll get you to say something, you
know, and then like what's the
versatility of this? Like is it the same
five six things that you can do over and
over and that's your show? Or can you
keep adding new creative things of
>> So, first of all, my my show has maybe
once or twice that I guess names. I
don't usually
Like I do guess names throughout and I
just do it randomly, but my show is
completely different than what you see
on social media because I realized that
when I start performing more and more
posting more and more on social media,
I realized that other people take your
take your routines, take your content.
And I see even famous people do that.
And I realized that
what do I care? I'll stick to my few
things that I do post. And then when it
comes to my show, my show is completely
different and it's a few levels up, but
it stays mine. And that's the experience
you get that isn't the social media
experience. It's the experience you get
in my show. Um
and to you asked something just before
that.
>> Do you keep adding new things? Like
how do you come up with new material?
>> So
so like I said, I I specifically I I
because I personalize my show for
clients and things like that, I'm always
thinking about how do I do something?
Oh, there's a cup. What could I do with
a cup? What could I do with that? What
could I do with this? There's always
like a constant thing. Let's say for
guessing names and things like that. So
if I tell you go back in time, go to
your childhood, maybe first grade,
second grade, third grade, and think of
a person, right? So when I say that to
an audience, so
some people already have it, right? Some
people are thinking about it that second
or you could think of someone as well.
But now just that it's fair,
did did you tell them the name you're
thinking of?
>> I didn't tell anybody.
>> Okay. Is there is there a way I could
possibly know the name until you tell me
the name?
>> No, just to be clear for everybody
that's watching this, you asked me
before we started the podcast.
>> you I told you cuz you're going to sit
there. I want I want you to think of any
any person. Now you thought of a name.
>> Yes.
>> Um could you think let's say of the
amount of letters in the name, but don't
say it out loud. Just think of the name.
Don't don't do it with your fingers,
otherwise it's not I got it. Behind your
back. You got it?
>> Yeah.
>> Um
Okay, I'm going to go like this. 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10.
Thinking of a longer name, about six
letters I would say.
>> Should I answer?
>> Yes, just to see that I'm even
>> Tell you how many letters?
>> If I'm right
>> It's close.
>> Okay. Uh
Okay, I would go a b c d e f g h i j k l
m n o p q r s t u v w x y z.
Um is there a u in the name?
>> There is.
>> There is, okay. Now you uh before
thinking of that person you said maybe
I'll go I'll think of someone else. I
did. And and then you change your mind
you then you you locked in on that
person, right? That's why many times
I'll tell people think of someone cuz it
takes a really long time to think of
someone. Yeah.
So, you have someone.
I'm going to go look at this A B C D E F
G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z.
Uh you're thinking of a male, is that
right? Yes. Right? Now, uh
>> He's in love with a male.
>> No, no, it's not his first love. I don't
think of someone from his from his
a friend a friend from childhood.
Let's say
uh
I'm I'm
So, you did think of someone beforehand,
right?
>> Yes, I thought of someone for like
a few seconds and then I changed it to
someone else.
>> I don't know.
>> Well, cuz you said you shouldn't think
of something so common.
>> wasn't sure if the other person was
really third grade first so that's why I
I I decided
>> know. It might It might be totally off,
but I'm just I'm just
trying my best. What's the name you're
thinking of?
>> Which one? The first one or the second
one?
>> No, the first you actually decided to go
with.
>> The one I decided to go with?
>> Yes, Molly. Really?
>> Ah, you son of a gun.
>> Now, by the way, you were wrong because
is this how you spell it?
>> Yes.
>> Because it's six letters.
>> Oh, it is six?
>> It is six.
Now, now that's that's the that's
that's why that's why that's why that's
why that's the the risk I'm taking. So,
for example, when you said no, I'm like
no, but but I'm seeing I'm seeing six
letters. Should I go for the six letters
or should I try again and go for a
different name? You see, I'm like live
so I can
Yes, and it's a and it's a risk.
>> know the name of the first person that I
was thinking of?
>> Uh no, that's for the next podcast.
>> That's exactly for the next podcast.
Walk me through this. Like how does this
happen? Like how is this possible?
>> So,
>> Because there's obviously hundreds and
hundreds of names and there's uh many
many names that have six letters. And
what did I do? What did I say? Like how
did you pick up on the cues to come up
with this result? How how is this even
possible?
>> I'm fishing for information similar to
when I tell it to think to count the
count the numbers of letters or things
like that. I see oh, you just had a
pause. You just thought it is is it five
or is it six? But I do know it is in the
range of like five or six.
>> How did you know that?
>> It's in the range of five or six because
the time it takes to someone that thinks
of three letters. For example, if I have
objects on the table, let's say I have
three and two, right? Your brain could
let's say five objects, my brain could
combine three and two. It's like oh,
three and two five.
Or two and two four or I just see three.
But once you go over five, there is
let's say five or six. Now you start
thinking. Let's say I have six, it's
like wait.
Oh, it's three and three or it's just
the whole thing. It depends also
different people would think
differently.
But let's say with something like that,
that's like I see how long it takes to
let's say you said
if you would have said yes, I would say
okay, you're thinking of a four three
letter name. I know it's a short one.
That's where I'm going for next.
>> But that would narrow it
>> Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure and there's
like so many names like Michael. I'm
seven letters, right?
And then there is like certain letters
that I'm able to see I I could sense a
certain letter when I say the alphabet
and things like that.
>> out is there a letter U in there? What
led you to ask me that?
>> certain things you'll you'll gesture
with certain names that I'll be able to
do, right? To like certain letters would
bounce out much more than other letters
and things like that that I'll be able
to work with. And then for example, I I
also I do a lot of
things with memory. You know, let's I I
didn't plan on doing this. Let's let's
do it for fun. I'm just out of
challenge. Do you have your phone on
you?
>> I do.
>> So, do you use ChatGPT a lot?
>> Of course.
>> We all use ChatGPT. We ask it questions,
right? You asked me some questions in
the beginning.
>> Yes.
>> Just for fun I'll I'll I I'll give an
example to things I work
and and try meaning the things I
practice and I and I try learning more
and more in order to be able to perfect
my skill. So, for example,
um I don't know, ask ChatGPT. Now, it's
your chat ChatGPT, it's not mine. We
can't possibly know what's the
what it is it's going to answer, right?
>> Right.
>> Could you ask ChatGPT to give you, let's
say, uh I don't know, 15 random objects?
>> Okay.
Give me 15 random objects.
All right.
>> Does it give you the 15 random objects?
>> A rubber duck with trust issues.
A slightly bent paperclip.
>> Okay, so it gives you a it gives you the
like a um
uh like a
an object and a and a little bit more
about it.
>> Exactly.
>> So, let's narrow it down. Ask him to not
give you like the just the object.
>> It's using my uh you know,
exactly how I how I behave. Exactly. I
always ask it to give me more
uh just the object, please.
Sure. Okay, so 15 objects, just the
object. We have paperclip, notebook,
flashlight, bottle
>> Okay, so before before you even say, so
just just that it's fair, could you see
anything in my ear I have don't have an
ear piece, I don't have anything, no
one's telling me anything, there's no
like
meta glasses or anything. I'm not
>> Let's check under
>> Yeah, definitely. By the way, I'M NOT
BALD. I'M NOT
BALD. I HAVE LIKE HAIR.
>> THAT WEAR HATS YOU typically are hiding
something.
>> I know, but I'm not. I'm just uh
>> Good for you.
>> But by the way, my hat says uh what's on
your mind. You can see there.
>> Huh?
>> Love it.
>> And I didn't ask them to put this in. It
was I bought it like this.
>> Oh.
>> And a few months in, I was like
>> Oh, that's cool.
>> What's on your mind? That's really
really cool. So, I guess on my mind
there is a hat.
>> literally, you know? Yeah.
>> So, now what we're going to do is just a
little practice so people at home could
do it as well. Um let's say uh they're
going to say objects one at a time. I'm
going to say okay, you're going to say
the next one, you're going to say the
next one.
And then, I'm going to try just saying
them back to you
in the same order, for example. All
right, so
>> list?
>> This list, why not? Random list.
>> Have you done this before?
Not of this list.
>> I'll tell I'll tell you more about it in
a second. No, any list again.
>> Sure.
So, what do you want to do?
>> You're going to say them one by one, and
I'm going to say next, you're going to
say the next one, right?
>> Okay, paper clip.
>> Um okay.
>> Notebook.
>> Okay.
>> Flashlight.
>> Yes.
>> Bottle cap.
>> Okay.
>> Key.
>> One second, one second. We had a
Okay, we had a bottle cap, and then we
had a key, right? Okay, we had a key.
>> Tennis ball.
>> Okay.
>> Pen.
>> Yes.
>> Coffee mug.
>> Okay.
>> Sunglasses.
>> Mhm.
>> Envelope.
>> Okay.
>> Charger.
>> Yes.
>> Wallet.
>> Okay.
>> Candle.
>> Okay.
>> Pocket knife.
>> Um
Okay.
>> Stapler.
>> Okay.
Is that 15?
>> Yep.
>> There's no way. Okay. Now,
this is pure as pure as it gets, just
memory. I'm going to try. I might get
stuck, and I only do it sometimes. I'm
not as Okay.
So, we started with a uh
a paper clip. We had a book.
We had a flashlight.
We had a cap, right?
We had a a key.
We had a tennis ball.
We had a a pen.
We had a coffee coffee mug.
Uh we had sunglasses. We had an
envelope, we had a charger, we had a
wallet.
Um
Is there any more? Yes, we had a um
pocketknife
>> Skipped one.
>> What What was the one beforehand?
>> candle
>> A candle. Okay, had a pocketknife.
We had a stapler maybe.
>> That's it.
>> That's it. All right.
>> Wow, 14 for 15, that's pretty damn good.
>> And technically I could do the opposite.
So, we have a stapler, we have a
pocketknife, we have a candle, we have a
wallet,
we have an envelope, we have a
a charger, we have an envelope, um we'll
have a
uh
Second, we had an envelope.
Remind me there.
>> sunglasses
>> Sunglasses, we had a coffee mug coffee
mug, we had a pen, we had a tennis ball,
we had a
um
tennis ball, we had a key, we had a cap,
we had a flashlight, we had a book, we
had a paperclip.
>> Wow.
That's crazy.
>> So, that's a skill that you've worked on
your whole life to learn how to We have
a game at home we like to call Mayor
Schneider, where you go around the room
and everybody picks a character and one
person has to remember all the people
and it's always fun for the one person
to go around and remember all the names
of people said
could you come over and play Mayor
Schneider with us cuz that would be fun.
>> Definitely.
>> I mean that that is very very cool. The
fact that
>> Is that something that you learned how
to do or do you have photographic
memory?
>> So, I grew up By the way, this is
something and and and I really want
every kid in the world to know if I
could help someone with that, I would
love to.
>> Uh, we have a couple in our audience
today, so they're listening.
>> In general, so
So, I'll tell you I I as a kid
I was I wasn't great at studying because
I didn't know how to study. Wasn't I I
every kid and anyone
anyone and every kid uh
could learn how to study. And if you
study how to study, it would really,
really help you. And I think in school
we don't learn how to study.
And
there's also nowadays there is so many
distractions, right? Our brain is not
used to memorizing. You scroll on social
media. Through video three videos down,
you don't remember the the one the the
the first one you watched, right? You're
like, "What did I just watch?" And you
you realize that your your brain
learns how not to remember things. I
could promise you as kids, you tell me
if it's true.
You grow up as kids, you probably knew,
let's say, 10 or 15 phone numbers. Your
parents, your siblings, maybe some
friends you used to go to their moms or
random things.
It's natural training. Nowadays,
you don't remember any of them. You you
It's it's something that we
we don't remember.
And I met a friend that he told me,
"Listen,
you just need to start saying, 'I do
remember.'" And it matters. Meaning, if
you say, "I remember,"
and start thinking about like if once
you say, "I don't remember anything. I
just I can't That's
That used to be me. I Oh, I just don't
remember things."
Um and you naturally give your brain the
okay not to remember things.
Then I started when he told me, he said,
"Start saying uh uh I have a great
memory. You don't have to go public
about it, but you say, 'I have a great
memory. Yes, of course I'll remember
this. Of course.'" And you train your
brain to actually remember things. Um I
could probably do a list like that. I
could probably say 100 objects as well.
It's just learning how to remember
things. There is like many, many books
and many, many things about uh uh
memory, memory games and things like
that. And it's very different, let's
say, numbers to uh to names or or phone
numbers or things like that. Um
so me with this ability of like memory
and things like that, I could naturally
Well, I'm bringing it back to Schmooley,
it's like I have certain things I could
naturally uh
uh
like I remember, oh, that means this,
that means that. Like many many
different gestures that help me with
working a crowd and working different
types of people. Let's say uh when I
work with crowds, there is I would say
70% is about who I pick to what thing,
right? So, I love before walk starting
my show, many times you'll see me come
to the room, many times I'll take my hat
off just that no one knows I'm even
there, just stand in the room and I
watch the crowd. I watch the people come
in, I watch the people sit. How do they
sit? Who How do they interact? Would it
be a person that
goes like uh uh crazy or is a person
that's I'm going to say Schmooley and
he's going to be like, oh, wow, right?
You need You need a crowd you because
it's happening in their brain, you want
to see who's going to work with you and
what type of uh uh uh response you'll
get.
>> Yeah.
>> So, suddenly when you start performing,
you realize that a lot of it is about
who you pick and how you do things
rather than what you do.
>> Yeah, that makes sense.
>> You guys can tell me if I'm going to uh
uh
>> So, your message for kids, I'm just
repeating this again, is when you're
studying, mhm, you're saying to repeat
to yourself, I have good memory, I will
remember everything I'm studying.
>> Yes, just just to believe you really you
really remember like I have great memory
memory and I'll be able to remember. Um
>> It's a great tip if it works. I mean, it
sounds like a good idea. My seventh
grade teacher, Mr. Ostrov, used to tell
us, use the same pen.
And studies show if you use the same
pen, it'll help you mem- memorize what
you're doing.
>> Interesting.
>> uh yeah, but because he said it, I made
sure not to use the same
>> But you still remember his name.
>> him, Michael. It's not so much like the
tip of uh telling yourself and that's
like a a way to remember, it's more
about giving yourself confidence.
>> Yeah, confidence, but I think
>> talking yourself and and and willing
yourself that you're able to overcome
and that'll will you to actually be able
to get it done versus being your own
cynic and being and telling your brain
that ah, you're not going to get it
together anyway, and that's just how it
reacts, and that's what it knows, that's
what you're training it to do.
>> So so and I think it translates to many
many different areas. I used to do uh
martial arts for about 12 years.
I used to do martial arts for like for a
really long time, and one thing that
also one of my teachers taught me, he
said, "When you watch your opponent, you
want to watch their face
more than you watch their hands and
legs, right? Once you see their leg,
it's too late too late.
Um if you'll watch their face, you could
see
much more like what they're about to do
according to how they'll react. And it's
something also just training certain
memory like muscle muscles, and and
knowing how to you not you you they call
it uh how do you call it um
muscle memory, where you just naturally
know what to do. It's like it's it's too
fast to think, you just know naturally
what to do.
>> So what belt did you get up to, by the
way?
>> I was black.
>> You were black?
>> Black. It's it's it translates to black
in the in Israel. No, in the normal
martial arts uh uh things.
>> I was going to say, in Israel it's
yellow, here it's black.
>> It's a new cup wear. It's a Brazilian
martial arts, but it's not an official
martial art that goes into uh into uh
into the Olympics, for example, cuz
there's too many like groups, they never
managed to create one
group of of that martial arts in order
to have like
>> Wow.
>> a proper like uh whatever.
Um
So what I wanted to say is that I I used
to train kids. I used to train kids and
and adults, and one of the things I
really really believe in is that a kid
needs to
like the confidence he just has by
knowing he could do something mhm
um makes them able to do it. I used to
have kids, I used to tell them, "Okay,
do this, do that." They're like, "Oh, I
can't I I can't I can't." And then they
just they they shut it down, and like
they actually can't because they say I
can't. But when you train your brain
into like
Okay, I break it into little many many
steps,
and you and you many times by teaching I
could teach something without even
telling you what's the end goal, right?
So it's like, just do this.
Amazing. Could you do that? Yes, now do
this and then do that.
And then do this and do that and then do
that. Meaning, they slowly slowly build
something and they're like, oh, I just
did that.
>> They surprise themselves. They don't
even realize
>> But it's it's just like learning how to
break the process for for them.
Whatever. But we we went into a totally
different like
area, but any Meaning, those are things
that I also that helped me a lot with
what I do and how I do.
>> Yeah.
>> Let's uh Let me ask you something. Do
you have like an off button? Like for me
and Michael, we come to the office and
we work 9:00 to 5:00, right? 5:00 we go
home and we do whatever we're doing.
That's it, right? You're like working
all the time because your whole persona
is you. Like this is your your core
being.
You're a performer. Like if you go on
the streets, you'll pull somebody over
and you'll perform. Like when are you
like How do you balance that of being
you as a private person, as an
individual person, versus you the
performer?
>> I think also I want to add to that what
you're asking just to clarify cuz we're
not 9:00 to 5:00 people.
>> Yeah, but you get my my my
>> Yeah, no, and I want to clarify that
because a celebrity walks down the
street and gets stopped. Like, can I
take a picture with you? You're not only
a celebrity, which people know you a
lot, but you're also a performer. So
they ask you on the street, okay, take a
selfie exactly. Oh, can you also do
something for me? No one's asking me to
>> Show me a trick. Show me a trick.
>> No one's asking us to analyze
>> Guess my age. I don't know. Something
like that.
>> asking us to analyze their expenses at
12:00 at night, you know, at a wedding.
But by him, it's like, oh, do a trick.
Do a thing.
>> It's great question.
>> I happen to think I explained it fine,
my question.
I'm not too sure what he added there.
>> You diminished yourself. You said 9:00
to 5:00 is when you think of work.
>> No, but I think I made understood what I
meant by that. And I don't want to take
literally 9:00 to 5:00.
>> he cared about the 9:00 to 5:00 thing.
We don't work 9:00 to 5:00.
>> Yeah, yeah, exactly. Exactly.
Nine yourselves. Exactly. Exactly. Thank
you for picking up on the nuances. You
should be our therapist, by the way. You
should come more often.
>> Well, it feels nice.
>> Is that a third thing you do? You're
a mentalist, do karate, martial arts,
real estate. What about therapy?
>> I do I do
>> things. I I As a kid I grew up
with no screens.
And it made And my parents really really
really cared for my hobbies.
Like I learned piano, I play the drums,
I play saxophone.
>> Like I play I There's like many many
areas and I find that with no screen
you're just Okay, so what do I do? Find
yourself playing with kids, you play
with things, you you you do things. It's
it's uh
Think I would never have read uh never
have read
that many books
like I did if I would have a screen or
watch movies or TVs
or TV.
Um and I think that
I don't know. It's just it's like just
like lots of of of time that you learn
how to If If we don't have a I find
myself nowadays I sit on a flight and
I'm like, "Oh, I don't have my phone."
It's like
"Oh, wow. What do I do now?" And you
know you have 12 hours and it's not
Shabbos. It's like just a random day of
the week and it's like
"Oh my god, what do I do?" You try
reading on the flight and it's like I
can't read as much as I used to. I'm
like
I can't focus on reading that much,
right? Or I can't It's like
We're We're used to not being We We
train ourselves not to be able to do
that and I think that
learning how to disconnect, which I'm
most of very bad at. Like it's not that
I come and I'm like, "Oh, yeah, sure.
Just turn your phone off. Do that." I
believe that every Every time I do need
to think about like my next show or the
next thing I do or or practice, I'm like
"Okay, I have to put my phone aside.
Otherwise, I could never get this done."
Just like put it aside and I'm like and
I'll write. I'll use pen and paper
in order to put my ideas out there and
things like that.
Um and that really really helps. To
answer your question
um
basically
there is there I would say I'm much more
private than it seems online. Like many
I don't do lifestyle, so it's very
different. Lifestyle influencers,
they're like they'll talk about
everything. They'll talk about their
kids. They'll talk about their clothing.
They'll talk about everything.
Um I
I use social media in order to to help
me with what I do and because I love I
social media technically for me is like,
"Okay, how would people see a certain
video? How would they
they'll
Meaning has to be short, has to be long.
This one you want them to
Meaning there's psychology behind that
as well." So I'm like fascinated by the
way people watch because that's where
everyone is. Um
So I'm not as public about everything in
my life and sometimes I'm like,
"Technically, people don't really know
me. They know what I do. They know It's
It's a funny line."
And it's always weird when people come
up to you on the street and like, "Hey
Michael, how are you doing?" And I'm
like, "Wait.
Who is this person? I have to play
along." Yes, I met them there, but I
Yes, or if I don't know them, I'm like,
"Okay, wait a second. I I
I don't know where I know them from, but
but then they they came up to me as if
they know me and I know them. I'm like,
"Okay, how do I manage this this
situation without being like stupid cuz
I saw them last night in an event,
right?" It's like, "How do you How do
you deal with it?" So
first of all, just being very nice. Like
you're just always nice and you're just
hopefully polite. But I think that
for me it's not hard when people come up
to me and they're like,
"We know you. Would you do something?"
I'm very I learned to be very
straightforward. If it doesn't If it If
it's not right for me, I'll say no.
Like, "Okay, sure. I'll take a selfie.
Whatever." But I'm not I'm not going to
just
stop and do.
>> I'm not a lap dog.
>> Not even Many times Many times I would.
Meaning I would do it.
But I'll I'll really pay attention to my
surroundings because I learned that the
the like as much as I enjoy
basically it's I put lots of work into
being where I am today and now it's a
reward when people come and say hi. But
then at the same time I'm like
wait, my wife is here, my kid is here.
My just siblings whatever and now I I
made everyone stop and wait.
>> Right. It's uncomfortable.
>> For me and it's not right. So slowly
slowly I learned when to stop and when
to say yes, sure, let's take a picture
and keep going or things like that, but
I'm not
like I I I find it very like I love it.
Like I love when people I I always say
on my Instagram it's like if you see me
come say hi. I love it. I really
appreciate it and I think it's it's a
like I feel like a pat on my shoulder
saying yes, someone recognized me and
they and they they know me.
>> this. You enjoy this. This is This is
fun for you. It's a sport for you. This
is not just a job. It's not just a
persona that you're putting out there.
>> 100%.
>> this is what you are. This is what you
want to be known for.
Um you know, I'm a big huge fan
>> Mhm.
>> of
like these uh variety shows like
America's Got Talent for example.
I've watched I don't know almost every
single episode at some point. I've
watched a highlight of all the different
acts and you have all kinds of acts that
come on there. You have singers, you
have dancers and you have uh people you
know acrobatics and all crazy things and
it's really shocking to see how many
talented people there are out there.
It's really fascinating. There's a so
many cool things that people can do.
Um and I'm like always like a lame duck.
I'm like I can't do any of this stuff.
It's pretty pretty wild. But from time
to time you see mentalists that come on
there and you see illusionists and you
see like magicians. Um and sometimes the
magicians by the way like their
performances it's more than just the
magic. The way they incorporate it into
like dance as well and um they also like
they they synchronize it with like the
music and the lighting and it's just
like
there's a lot of flare to it. It becomes
very dramatic. But the mentalist
specifically always stand out because
it's more talking and they're engaging
the judges, they're engaging the crowd.
And I've seen some of these like wild
things and sometimes I I there's got to
be more to it because got to be a trick.
This can't be real. It doesn't make
sense like they're psychic. It's like
they have a crystal ball. Like, you
know, there there's nobody in the world
that's like that.
Who in your mind is like just amazing,
the best, like you're in awe of them
because you would appreciate them more
than anyone else cuz you know the art
forms that you could recognize the good
from the amazing from the extraordinary.
So, in your mind, like who's a must-see?
Like who's a generational talent in the
mentalist game that's This is it. This
is your idol, so to speak.
Um
I think I take a lot of
uh uh how do you call it? Like
inspiration from many, many other
uh
uh artists and performers. Meaning,
let's say when I see let's say there's a
Bruno Mars. I love Bruno Mars because
Bruno Mars
he has his music. Some people love his
music, some people don't, but I think
that let's say Who doesn't like his
music?
>> Yeah, some people don't, you know.
>> Get him out. How do you not like Bruno
Mars's music?
>> Everybody loves Bruno Mars.
>> What does that mean?
>> But I find I find let's say Bruno Mars,
he's
an amazing, amazing, amazing performer.
Lighting-wise, dancing-wise, like
everything every single thing is thought
out.
>> Full package.
>> And I and I've heard him speak in the
past saying
he he doesn't give anyone the control to
do the things that he really, really
cares about. Now,
in general, that's not my way of
thinking. I think the more if if you're
the smartest person in your business,
your business is not it it it's it's not
the best business that could be out
there cuz there's other people that are
better than you in other areas that
would be much better and helpful to do
what you can't do. Um but I think there
is some some
So, Bruno Mars, for example, he does his
choreography, like his dancing moves,
the lightings, the sound. He really,
really cares for every single piece in
what he does.
And
um
I think he's he's an inspire like he I'm
inspired by him with many of those
elements.
>> Really?
>> And I think also that
it happen it's funny cuz when I go to
watch a show, when I go watch let's say
a Broadway show or just I watch
whatever,
I'm always thinking about everything
else except for the performance. Like I
watch the performance, but I'm like,
"Oh, the lights just turned on now. And
this happened here, and that happened
there." And you suddenly when you
perform, you realize more and more it's
it's like, "Oh, what's the feeling now?"
Boom, the lights are this color. Now it
means more like serious, then it's like
bright and nice, and the music is
exactly the right thing where makes you
feel a certain things certain thing. If
I want to make you let's say feel
something before I even get into the
that part of my act, I have this thing
where I don't do it that often where I
I'll use let's say um
a Russian roulette type of thing, but so
many people do it with like breaking
someone's object or things like that. I
used to love doing it with like
danger.
So, like staple guns, stapling like to
my head or someone's hand or things like
that.
I don't do that anymore, but
if you have the right music before you
start that piece, it's very dramatic.
It's very like the certain lights and
and it just makes the the feeling of the
effect so much bigger than just "Okay,
so let's do this cool thing, and this is
like let's take a step" you know, it's
you could be like that, but
I care for the experience much more than
the the effect. It's like it needs to be
combined.
Um
So, yeah, I think I think
many different artists from many
different areas, and I do love love love
old style
musicians and specific areas like like
jazz and things like that
because I think they had
let's say Elvis Presley, right? Elvis
Presley for example
his music is great but
there's there's also so much more except
for the the the the like singing like
the dancing and the moving and the
doing, right?
And you realize a pattern even if there
there's something you wouldn't do
but tell me how to take from that and
from them in order to do stuff like
that.
>> Yeah, you're taking bits and pieces from
from others and you're formulating it
into your own style and to your own
creative way. That's that's fantastic.
>> Actually, can I get interrupted one
second? Have you Did you ever try or
think about
trying out for America's Got Talent?
>> Um I've tried in the past and I was also
told to do it many many times and I hit
a point that is at some point where I
was like I don't know if it's right to
do it.
I would do it
maybe maybe I would but I I don't know
that it's something like I'm I'm
>> You nervous?
Is that too big of a crowd? Is that too
big of a stage?
>> I could do I could do any any any sort
of crowd. It's just like
>> What's the hesitancy?
>> I think it's more it's more like
I'm at a point where
suddenly when you go to Britain's Got
Talent or America's Got Talent, you're
competing with other people which is
totally fine to compete and I'm not a
competitive type of person like
naturally
but I'm uh
it's like, "Okay,
they're going to perform
then I'm going to perform. Some of us
are going to move forward, some of us
are going to move backward. For the
exposure, maybe I'll do it
but
>> It's all about the exposure.
>> it's like
Would I I don't know. I I just it's like
a feeling. Should I do it? Should I not
do it? Is it fake? Is it not fake?
Because there is a lot of like fake
happening there as well, right? So like
they make the crowd many times clap
their hands. They make the
I don't know. Like it it's tricky where
I might in the future maybe
>> ever been on a smaller talent show? Have
you ever done any of those?
>> Um I've done a talent show in the past,
but not like any anything that anyone
would know.
>> I'm curious. It's a another question we
got from one of our listeners is if you
had nothing with you, right? Like no
objects, no phones, no markers, what
would be that thing that you would do?
What what would you
>> What trick would he do?
>> Yeah, what what trick would you do? What
What would that show be like?
>> So, it depends what do you mean no
objects? Meaning Just words. Could I
tell someone to do
Probably I could do stuff and I could do
stuff.
It's just that the way you train
yourself to do things with, for example,
if I'll ask someone to uh stare at
something or do stuff like that, it
helps me with the way of reading them.
So, if they
do nothing, where we're just
>> Well, I could stare, but no objects. I
could stare at anything in the room, but
it's nothing that
>> Right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, so those
things are things I could do. Meaning no
objects, no nothing.
>> Right.
>> And I do it a lot. I do it a lot
actually where
>> You do it on
>> I just tell people
uh trying to think something that would
be
It Those things specifically would be
much more tricky with like, "Okay, I
need you
>> How would you ask an artist to paint
without his paintbrush? Why can't he
have his tools?
>> if the art
>> No, no, no, no, no, no, I'll I'll tell
you why and I'll and I'll go into depth
why because I think many people they
say, "Okay, if you if he uses things in
general, it means it's not it's not
real." And that's a a thing that I
totally understand, totally agree. Uh um
it's just a different way and process in
order to get to information when you do
it. Meaning, when I ask you, let's say,
to just think of a name, right? Or just
think of a something, for example, when
I tell someone to think of a shape or
something like that, um
then I'm actually I'm tracking a certain
way, a certain like it's a reverse
psychology of like how they think and
what they think
to make them not bounce off of like
I have one thing and now I'm bouncing
off of like different pieces of
information or things like that.
Um
So let's say if I ask them to write
something out immediately I could tell
you okay, boom. I could get something
really really fast. If I don't, I could
do it much of a it's going to be much
longer
process.
>> Process, right. Right.
>> How long is your show typically?
>> If you do a show for someone.
>> My show is an hour. Usually my show is
an hour long.
Uh specific events I'll do like an hour
15, an hour and a
>> That's a long time. You can carry a show
for an hour?
>> Yeah. An hour 20, that's like where I
would find that you do a bit longer
that's it.
>> Yeah, you start losing people.
>> let's say I I when I have shows where
people come specially for the show, like
people would buy tickets or things like
that
then it's actually okay.
They'll come only for an hour or they
come only for like what's the Usually a
proper concert or a proper thing would
be like an hour and a half I think or an
hour 40 or whatever.
Um
I would recommend doing like an hour
show or even less sometimes.
But not because of the material as much
as the audience just loses patience no
matter how interesting the show is
especially when it's not in a setting of
like Broadway show or something like
that because
um when you're in a Broadway show
everything is like like everything's
dark. You only see the stage, right? But
>> Yeah.
>> if you
>> Let me ask you something a little
personal if I may.
>> Go for it.
>> And I'm like a little bit of a shallower
person in general so that's probably
where my mind's going here.
Okay, so you know,
it's very nice to be talented and it's
really cool
and not everybody you know can have the
claim that you do of you know you're in
the streets and you're meeting people
and you're making people happy like this
this is great but let's let's let's talk
real for a moment, you know, we we got
to make some money out of this. We've
got we've got to monetize.
And uh
>> I want to I want to cut that part out.
>> be a business at the end of the day.
Um is that does that motivate you and
like what if I told you um you know,
Michael, what you're doing is amazing.
It's fantastic. You're going to travel
all over the world and you're going to
perform for people.
But you're never really going to make uh
a big living out of this. You're never
going to make a whole lot, you know, and
you're going to have a regular play Are
you still in it? Are you still like is
that what
Is this how far into this are you? That
you're willing to just make it all about
this and and never, you know, want more
or is there a is there a goal here that
if you don't reach, you're going to stop
at a certain point and shift careers, so
to speak?
>> of all, there's there's two things.
There is Okay, I need to make a living,
right? And then there is a totally
different goal of just I love what I do.
So like I I I'm so passionate about what
what I do that first of all, I would
never stop. Even if I wouldn't get paid,
I wouldn't I'm sure I would keep doing
it even if I would have done anything
else.
Which doesn't seem like I would anytime
soon.
But
like I love what I do. And I do so much
of what I do
without getting paid where I just the
street stuff, for example, right? There
is exposure and there is stuff, but the
amount the amount of times I just I just
went out with like some friends on uh
Thursday Thursday night, went to like
this bar
and
I was just doing things. No cameras, no
nothing. And I just see people. I love
it. I do it. There's no like
end result of like
>> It's authentic. It's authentic.
>> I I absolutely love it and I'm and I'm
sure I would
keep doing it probably forever, you
know, if I if I'm able to, God willing.
God willing.
>> What's the biggest uh paycheck you got?
>> I can't tell you.
>> Uh Michael.
>> Right there.
Mind your own business.
>> Exactly. And you only get to use that
once, by the way. What
So the next time we ask you something
like that, you know, you're going to
have to share.
>> Uh we're going to have to wrap up soon.
So, uh first of all, do you have any
questions for us?
>> Yes, I want you to think of a shape.
>> Okay.
>> Oh, my he went right there.
>> you I told you think of a shape, right?
Like any questions any questions for us,
right?
>> Usually it's a little different than
think of a shape.
>> like there's there's many shapes I told
you let's say think of a shape. So, many
people would go like they'll they'll
think let's say I have a
a deck of shapes, right? So, you'll go
through the deck of shapes and you're
like, "Okay, I'm going to go with
something that for sure I won't forget
and I won't and I won't be able to to to
remember, right?" Um
So, naturally when I say think of a
shape you immediately think of a shape,
right? So, you have a shape in mind.
Is there any way I could possibly know
what you're thinking of?
>> No, but you're probably going to have it
narrowed down to three or four shapes
that most people will come up with when
they quick answer like that you say
either a circle, you'll say a square, a
triangle. That's pretty much it, right?
It's one of those three.
>> it away.
>> What?
>> I'm kidding.
>> No, I'm just I'm just uh
>> Is it one of those?
>> It's one of those, yeah.
>> Okay.
>> I'm just uh
>> This has nothing to do with what we did
earlier in terms of picking a card.
>> Michael, isn't that 90% of the time?
>> you can do those for example and then
>> Because before we started you had a deck
of cards with different shapes. You
asked me to pick one and I have one
>> You have you have one on you. I told you
to have one and not to show me not even
to give it to me.
>> Right, that's not that's not what you're
asking me now though, are you?
>> No, no, no, just a random a random
shape.
>> No, right now I'm thinking of what
>> Out of the blue.
>> Yeah.
>> That's going to lead us
learning that, right?
>> Okay, yeah.
>> So, for example, what did you what did
you think of? Did you think of like a
triangle?
>> Square square square.
>> Yeah, okay. Um would you say you're a
naturally uh um like a numbers person or
more like an artist?
>> An artist.
>> An artist, okay. Um
Now, when I told you to actually
pick a a pick a a drawing
did you see other things that made you
think, "Okay, I want to think of of that
drawing" or you immediately okay. Um
Now, when I told you to actually
pick a a pick a a drawing
the
>> Yeah, something else took out but then I
ended up going with something else.
>> Okay, so now I do I do so there is like
uh uh um an option of getting it wrong.
>> Yeah.
>> Um now I told you to stare and make sure
you remember everything about it,
details or everything.
>> Yes.
>> Would you be able to draw that drawing
again?
>> Yes. Unlike Joe Sutton, I can draw.
>> Okay.
>> Remember you drew the guitar and I got
something else.
>> Um
So I'll do this. So I'll
Could you take your hand, your right
hand for example?
>> Mhm.
>> And could you
draw a circle in the air?
Okay, if you had to draw a triangle,
could you go with a triangle?
And last one, could you go with a
square?
Okay.
Let's let's try this. I'm going to give
you
the pad.
Like that. But before I'll uh
I'll do something here.
Let's say I'll
I'll do that.
Um now I really want to stick to I want
you to stick to whatever it is you're
thinking of.
And
um
interesting.
I'm going to
do that.
Now just the to uh
to confuse you a little bit. And I'll
give you the marker like that.
>> Okay.
>> I want to get the table
turn it.
I'll hand you
>> the biggest Sharpie I've
>> Yeah, Sharpie in my life.
>> Where did you get that?
>> Okay.
>> Now uh
Have a drawing in mind. Could you draw
it now?
Interesting. Okay.
You could literally go with anything,
right?
>> Yeah.
>> Could you show us all what's the
drawing?
>> It's a heart.
>> Really?
>> Woah.
>> Pull it down. Pull it down I don't see
your face when you're like, "Wow."
>> Well, I'll show you the best part is
from the deck of cards that you made me
pick in the beginning.
>> There you go. You would go you have a
heart.
>> Wow. What's crazy is I saw the Star of
David in that deck and I almost picked
it. And you're like, "You keep going.
You want to keep going?" I'm like,
"Yeah." And then I picked the heart
without you saying
>> 100%.
>> That's pretty amazing.
>> And you kept it by you. You didn't give
me back or anything that way I could
hold the break or something.
>> been by me the whole time. Yeah.
>> You can you can keep it. You can
>> Wow. Thank you. Can you Can you sign Can
you sign it for me?
>> I also keep this gigantic sharpie. Where
did you buy this? Because I learned that
when I do find if I use like a small
sharpie, there's like a reflection on
it.
>> Oh, smart.
>> one. It does It does a little bit more
of a an impression.
>> Michael, this has been very eye-opening
for us. And it was a pleasure getting to
know you. And I'm you know, I'm looking
forward to the big things that you're
going to be doing. And And to you know,
I think the way we look at it is the big
stage for you is the quality of what the
work that you're doing. That's the big
stage.
>> Appreciate it.
>> And
um you know,
there's one thing we have to ask you
before we let you go. And uh if you
follow our podcast, you'll know
we don't let you leave until we ask you
to pick a guest that you think
would be a good guest to fill your seat
on the None of Your Business podcast. If
you could think of anybody, who would
that be
and why?
>> How many seconds do I have? No.
>> You have as many seconds as you wish.
But um
Fair enough. You could try. You could
try.
>> Stuff I like, "Okay, write down you know
what? Write down who you're
who you're uh
you're going to pick and we'll guess."
>> Trying to think, who would I uh who
would I uh
go with?
>> Someone that you know, someone that you
met, someone uh you know, I I I actually
peeked at your Instagram page uh earlier
and I saw you met a lot of interesting
people throughout your days. Um but I
see Gary V in there.
>> You see Gary V?
>> Oh my gosh.
>> Who's that? want
>> get him for us?
>> Gary Vaynerchuk.
>> Can you get him?
>> I don't know that I could get him. It
was It was very
>> spontaneous.
>> Yeah, spontaneous.
>> It wasn't spontaneous. We were called to
his office, but it was in
the way it worked. We walked up to his
office and it was like, "Okay, you have
this and this time to do this and this
thing and try that."
And I spoke to the people in the in the
waiting room. Like, not the waiting
room, the the people working for him.
Had like a
probably 304 400 people working for him
on that floor.
And his personal assistant, she said,
"By the way, you should know, if Gary
goes to the bathroom for a bit too long,
he's behind his schedule the whole day."
>> Wow.
>> Like, he his time is like like that.
So, we were It was me and my friend
David Carmy. He's the the guy that does
"What Makes You Confident?" on the
street. He does like, "What makes you
confident?" right? He's over 1.3 million
followers or something like that.
So, we were both called as like street
people that do a lot of things on the
street.
And we were asked if we would do
something with him and
we did. And it was amazing, but
according to how his day was, I don't
think I would
I would be able to help with bringing
him here.
>> Oh, I see. And there wasn't much time
for chitchat, I imagined. You basically
came in and did a performance?
>> You can't even believe It was like
>> And it was just him in the room that you
did the performance for?
>> Yeah, it was me and him.
>> I'm laughing. You're lucky he didn't
have oats for breakfast.
>> Who is this person? Who is this person?
>> Gary V.
>> Who's Gary V?
>> He's one of the
>> I see.
Everyone listening here knows who he is.
He's
>> Gary V?
>> Gary V, yes.
>> What does he do?
>> He's an influencer. He's a leader. He's
a sales
You know, mentor. He's amazing. So, who
is the other influence?
>> Someone I would
>> I'm just curious who else you met
besides him that's high up there. Is
Gary V the top?
>> I just did this week. I I met with
Whatever. I don't know if it's relevant.
It's not relevant. She is a big model in
Australia, for example.
>> Very relevant.
>> 20 million followers on Instagram. Wow.
>> Uh, she's in Australia.
>> I met I met Adam Sandler.
>> Oh, really?
>> Can we start the podcast over, please?
Can we go back to the beginning?
>> We need to We need to have another
podcast eventually.
>> What's going on over here?
>> So, did you actually get to know Adam
Sandler, or you just met him again, also
really?
>> So, I met him a few times.
>> A few times?
>> A few times.
And it took a while until he actually
cared about Meaning not cuz he didn't
care, but he he meets so many people a
day where it's just like
>> So, can you get Adam?
>> I wish I could.
>> Okay. Do you happen to have his number?
>> Yeah, sure, anyone.
No, but I'm trying to think. Let me
think.
>> But what about the David guy that you
mentioned? He seems like an interesting
guy.
>> I could definitely try. Could definitely
ask him if it'll be
>> Is that someone relevant that you think
would be good on a
>> I'm trying to think if he'll be
interested.
>> Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah.
>> I'm sure he will.
>> What's hot?
>> But I think I think he's he's a
Like he picks and chooses very, very
carefully what he does and what he
doesn't do.
>> Has he been on a let's say a podcast
similar to ours?
>> I don't know He's done podcasts in the
past. He's done
TV. He's done other things. Maybe. Let's
give it a go.
>> Okay.
>> Let's Let's Let's do it right now. Let's
do like this. Ready?
>> Yes, that's the way to do it. You call
him.
That's
>> No, I'm not going to call him. I'm not
going to call him cuz I'm not going to
put him on the spot, but I'll send him a
message.
>> No, that's literally the whole point.
>> one second. Before you do Before you do
this Before you do this. You know how we
spoke about earlier about how to mirror
things and how to accomplish things and
take it from experience. If you message
him, the chances are 50%. If you call
him, the chances are 51%.
>> Well, I know, but I'm willing to take
the risk.
>> You are willing, or you're not willing?
>> Yes, no, cuz I I actually I literally
chat with him.
>> So, you're willing to call him and take
the risk, or you're willing to message
him?
>> I wouldn't. I wouldn't because First of
all, I don't have his uh
>> You can do a video message then, maybe,
and we can say hello to him.
>> You want to do a Why not? video? All
right.
Yes.
What's up, David? We're here in the
podcast.
And these guys really want to have you
on the podcast. So,
we're going to hopefully we'll talk it
out and you'll actually come here to
this podcast. It was really great. I was
like
I could see into the future and I can
tell that you're going to be here one
day.
Definitely. So,
let's go. Hopefully you'll you'll be
here one day. And Michael, this was
great. We really appreciate you coming
down here on such short notice. It was
amazing meeting you in Israel. I loved
watching you live doing your thing,
being in your energy space, and uh just
being here together was just really like
eye-opening for us learning about this
entire world of magic and mentalism. And
I can tell you enjoyed it. I love it.
And you gained a follower here. I'm
going to join your Instagram. I will
subscribe. So, it'll be 200,001.
Uh thank you to all our listeners, our
subscribers, and uh thank you again to
the PrimeSource production team. We
appreciate all the feedback. That's a
wrap. That's a wrap. Thank you. Michael,
that was awesome. Awesome, Michael.
Thank you so much.