For our first official Neon Spotlight podcast we sat down and had a great conversation with Brian Miller, world renowned Magician and public speaker. Brian’s been working with Neon Entertainment for almost 10 years, but his magic career goes way back. From watching World’s Greatest Magician as a boy every Thanksgiving, to traveling all over the world to entertain and inspire people of all ages, Brian is a true gem to see live. Here’s just a few things we talked about in our live interview with the magic Miller.
Why Magic?
From a young age, Brian was immediately intrigued by the wonder and lore of magic. Though they never formally performed for huge audiences, both his father and grandfather were proclaimed “magic enthusiasts.” In elementary school, his father would entertain his friends with tricks and illusions, and even came into perform for his class a few times. He told us though some kids might be embarrassed, he loved seeing the joy on his classmates faces, as well as his father’s.
Every Thanksgiving, Brian and his family would make the annual trek from his home in Buffalo, NY to Long Island, where his grandparents lived. And every Thanksgiving NBC would air an annual special called “World’s Greatest Magician,” that the family would sit down and find Brian entranced in awe watching something he loved. This passion for magic became more than just a holiday tradition, it would become his life.
“Hey Are You The Magic Kid?”
Though he didn’t get too deep into specifics, Brian made it clear that middle school wasn’t the best time of his life. He joked, describing being bullied in middle school as the “standard magician backstory.” It wasn’t until he began mastering his still-youthful craft, when people started finding out who he was, and wanting to see what the fuss was about. Growing up and earning respect through the whimsical persona of an illusionist, people started talking. This developed into people starting to ask him “Hey are you the guy who can do magic?” “Are you the Magician?”
“I Owe A lot of My Life To Magic”
Everyone wanted to see what he could do, and he says it helped him develop confidence as a young man. He found himself attracting people, people he wanted to attract, and he found himself becoming the person he always wanted to be. That person, someone who saw the magic of entertainment in the eyes of his audience, and would become more than just an entertainer. He would become an inspiration for millions of people around the world.
Life on The Road
“YEAH! Rockstar life living the dream! What everybody wants. That’s the answer people want, because you’re living your dream.”
That’s what Brian had to say with a smile as we asked him about his life traveling from place to place. He would go on to tell us how though he truly loves meeting new people, the grind of traveling continuously from show to show is grueling. Just in the last year, he’s been in 20-30 states here in the US, 11 countries, across 4 continents. Talk about a busy schedule!
“Being in new places, meeting new people, all over the world, all over the country, that to me is the best part about it.”
How does a kid from Buffalo go from getting bullied to inspiring people all over the world, and becoming one of the most popular TEDx talks on YouTube? (2.6 Million Views) Check out the full interview for more on how he got started, the secret behind his heralded rubix cube trick, in depth personal reflection on the theme of his magical Tedxtalk “How to Magically Connect With Anyone,” why he loves performing at colleges, and much much more! Stay tuned for more Neon Spotlight podcasts with other performers and entertainers here on our site, and on SoundCloud! Like the story? Share it!
