Mindset Stories - Crafting Your Own Narrative

Back in the UK, I was building a name for myself as a magician among the socialites of Yorkshire. One day, a journalist reached out to arrange an interview. I hadn’t met him before, but I knew I didn’t want to be just another handshake in a crowded café.

So, I prepared something he wouldn’t forget.

When we met in York, I greeted him not with small talk, but by handing him a sealed envelope. Inside, he found a letter describing, in detail, exactly what he was wearing.

He was fully taken aback! That moment sparked something.

He went on to write about it in his magazine, dramatically, enthusiastically, and with more flair than I could’ve hoped for. His retelling even included a line about his spectacles, which I had only hinted… but in his memory, I had fully predicted. His version was better than mine.

And that’s the point.

That one article became a catalyst. Word spread. Prospective clients mentioned the piece again and again. What I had done was create a moment that he remembered, reimagined, and retold.

In over 30 years performing magic, I’ve found that every effect is performed three times:

First, when the magician performs it.

Second, when the spectator remembers it.

And finally, when they retell it to someone else.

Great magicians shape all three performances. They plant the right seeds for imagination to flourish later. And the final retelling often sounds more impressive than the original.

Business works the same way.

Whether you’re connecting with a client, an employee, or a stakeholder, every interaction has the potential to live on in memory and in storytelling. But that only happens if you touch not just the mind, but the heart.

You don’t need an envelope.

But you do need to show up with authenticity. Bring your quirks. Use surprise, warmth, or insight to leave a mark. Help others not just remember the moment, but want to share it. Because what they say to others becomes the most powerful version of your brand.

So I leave you with this question:

What could you do differently, today, to make someone’s story about you a little more worth telling?