Meet Scotty Wiese | Professional Magician & Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Scotty Wiese and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Scotty, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
A work life balance is a very difficult thing to manage and maintain, especially in the entertainment world. If you ask most artists, when your hobby becomes your job, the difference between enjoyment and “your next paycheck” can be a very slippery slope. When I was performing 200+ shows a year, it felt like a grueling tour schedule, not a journey of what I loved to do. Even though the shows were amazing, it still felt like “work,” and not my hobby. This is why you see so many young artists like Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes, Selena Gomez, and many more cancel their tours early due to burnout, mental health problems, and as Mendes put it, “a breaking point.”

Thankfully, the past couple years I have learned a balance that works for me in order to sustain my love for magic, while still using it to make a living. Most days, I schedule my creative time (writing scripts, rehearsing, creating magic, etc.) in the mornings, where my brain is fresh with no distractions. This habit helps every morning feel fresh and not like a traditional work environment, aiding creativity, inspiration, and feeling a love for my work.

I learned this technique from Ed Sheeran who has been very public about struggling to maintain a work/life balance and enjoy the “work” side of music. Describing his days in an interview, he said, “I get in 9:00 a.m. and leave at 5:00, so I can go out to dinner and hang out with my kids.” This way, he maintains a consistent schedule, so he can hang out with friends and family, while not feeling burnt out.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Even though I have been doing magic since a young age, I started my career when I was a freshman in college at Santa Clara University. After my freshman year, I had so many shows and unthinkable opportunities in the business world, that I decide to leave school and pursue magic full-time. While it was a difficult decision and one that many thought was a stupid decision, I knew in my heart and my head that it was the correct one.

If you love someone or something, you’ll do anything for it, and I knew I was going to make magic work. While there were many speed bumps along the way, I wouldn’t change that decision for anything and am so excited to see what the future holds.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to shoutout my family who has been there every step of the way since my first magic show. They saw all the bad rehearsals, great shows, poorly written jokes, and everything in between. Additionally, my friends who have supported every show I have put on. Their inspiration and love is contagious and I can’t thank them enough. Lastly, my performing partner and friend, Max Davidson, who has helped me as a magician, writer, and person the past 4 years. I surely wouldn’t be the magician who I am without him.

Website: https://www.scottywiese.com

Instagram: @scottywiese