Gear Schtick

Proper Props

As a magician I can only present tricks and routines for which I have the props. They have to do the job reliably and as expected, time after time. 

I need the best props available. It is tempting to settle for cheap imitations of the originals, but this rarely pays off in the long term, the copy is likely to break or not perform reliably. 

As with magic, so with all working life.

You will be be way more effective and successful in life and work if you invest in the best gear.

Laptop Swap

For years I was using slow PC laptops. A Mac seemed an unattainable and unnecessary dream. That was until I heard a Michael Hyatt podcast about technology. 

He encouraged listeners to work out their effective hourly rate, ie, how much you need to earn in a year divided by the number of hours that you work in year, both billed and un-billed. At the time mine worked out at £25/ hour.

If you come across a piece of technology that will save you time but it seems a bit expensive, work out how that saved timed would translate into saved money using your hourly rate. 

My laptop was taking 5 minutes to boot up every morning and about a minute every time I need to fire up a new program. I reckoned all that was taking at least 15 minutes per day. That’s 90 minutes per week for a six day week or 67.5 hours for a 45 week year. At my hourly rate that translated into £1, 6875. A refurbished MacBook Pro was going to cost me around £1,300 and would fire up and switch programs instantly. This also meant that I would be able to use it more than my laptop. Suddenly it would become feasible to do a little bit of work in a 10 minute wait for a train. 

What had seemed impossible became a no-brainer. I didn’t have the cash up front so I bought the MacBook using PayPal credit, but it still made huge financial sense, even with the interest charge.

Since I switched computers, my productivity has soared.

Bag Happy

I bought a new executive backpack recently. I now use the train whenever possible so I need a bag that makes this as productive as possible. I ended up paying quite a lot for a cleverly designed backpack with special sections for a laptop, bulk storage, an organiser section and even a mains adaptor dock. I am so glad I invested in it, working on the move is now a dream. I know exactly where everything is and I can be up and working on the train in seconds, also packed down in seconds if I suddenly need to get off(!)

Pick a Car, Any Car?

As a magician I am hugely reliant on my car, typically driving up to 500 miles a week between bookings. I have to get to gigs on time. Being late or not turning up is not an option. I also need to turn up feeling refreshed and invigorated. Thus I need a car that is reliable, has aircon, cruise control and a way to play podcasts through the sound system. As a result I have found myself driving a BMW estate. Again, not something that I ever expected to happen when I started out, but it makes sense because I know I can trust it to do the job required.

Get the best possible props for your show!