Mom was taking my seven-year-old sister, Kelly, to the dentist. I was almost three years old, and I had a cold, so she dropped me off with her mother, telling her, “I’m leaving my boy with you.” Prophetic words. Mom and Kelly never came home. While driving home in a Northern Michigan April snow shower, … Read more
When Ross Perot hired me to be his personal assistant in 1984, he didn’t know I was a magician, but he found out at the office Christmas party when I did a little show for everyone. Afterward, he came up to me and said, “Andy, that’s pretty good how you do those magic tricks. From … Read more
Everywhere I go around the world, the word Abracadabra is recognized as the universal magical incantation (except in Asia, and I don’t know why), but most people have no idea what Abracadabra means, including probably 99% of magicians. Abracadabra’s history is ancient. It is believed to be an Aramaic word – an ancient sacred language … Read more
Take a good look at this poster of legendary British magician David Devant. Compare this to Devant’s colleagues… Most magicians shined the spotlight on themselves. Thurston called himself, “World’s Famous Magician,” Blackstone, “World’s Master Magician,” and Kellar “The Great Magician.” They were focused on invoking power and posturing to elevate their own stature. David Devant’s … Read more
The Creative Giant Show focuses on how to bring your unique skills, talents, experiences and passions together to make the world a better place. I was honored to be a guest recently and in this interview I talk about my life and the work I’m doing to create workplaces where human spirits can thrive. LINK: The … Read more
Our friend Cindy Lewis died recently at age 52 after 16 years battling cancer. Her memorial service had to be held in the local high school gym because over 500 people showed up. Per her wishes, a celebration was held after the service and as I circulated among the guests I was struck by something … Read more
A few months back I began a presentation on transformational leadership to 40 high-potential managers with a simple request: “May I borrow a one dollar bill?” After a little hesitation one guy waved a dollar in the air. I asked him to bring it and join me in front of the group, but he said … Read more
As I studied magic from the basement of our farmhouse in Michigan, I was damn serious for a kid. So serious that I subscribed to a magic newsletter, “Abracadabra,” from England. This was a long time before the Internet, so it was sent by airmail every week. When I was 14 years old, I read … Read more
Years ago when I was learning how to facilitate meetings, a colleague, Bob, gave me some feedback by asking me, “Do you realize how often you use the word, ‘but’?” He told me that almost every time I used “but” I was dismissing the person who made the comment preceding it and little by little … Read more
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a transformational leader with tremendous mastery of the three acts of magic: APPEAR, DISAPPEAR, AND RESTORE. We still have a long way to go to reach the dream he shared with millions, but he did so much to advance that dream through his courageous acts of leadership. What can we … Read more
