Katy Grabel lives in Taos, New Mexico, where she fits right in as the daughter of the Human Cannonball. A former newspaper reporter, her stories about professional magic have been published in ZYZYYVA and New Millennium Writings. Her memoir, The Magician’s Daughter, debuts on May 13th by Wild Rising Press.

My father used to go to magic conventions to fish for autographs. Early in his life, he had manned a big traveling magic show, which had earned him a little acclaim.

In Las Vegas, he led us to the center of the dealer’s room with his chin high and name tag absently missing. It was a cavernous room filled with vendors hawking their wares to hundreds of browsing magicians who passed us without a glance. We looked intently up at the ceiling and down at the carpet, waiting. And still no friendly face approached us from the passing crowds.

That’s when my mother and I started to worry. What if no one recognized him? Our concern came from a place of love for my father, as we knew this was important to him, and yet our care was not as strong as our sudden realization that this obvious ploy for attention was going to fail. My mother tried to entice him to the casino. “Let’s play the nickel slots,” she brightly suggested while he looked on with one hand casually in his pocket and a stubborn glint in his eye. We kept looking into the indifferent crowds. No one. And just when we didn’t think we could stand it, someone approached my father and shook his hand. And then another and another.

Each time, at conventions in Hollywood, Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco and Los Angeles – my mother and I were always proven wrong. Magicians from all over the country welcomed him. Some had seen his show as kids, and told him he was their inspiration. The three of us always left the dealer’s room with big smiles, feeling like winners.

That was my father’s magic. He could make anything happen, just because he believed in himself, his talents and life giving him what he wanted.

It was his best trick ever.

My father, Lee Grabel, traveled middle American in his own big illusion show. He was awarded the Academy of Magical Arts Masters Fellowship and he held a coveted place in the Royal Dynasty of Magic. He also had a successful career selling and building houses as a real estate broker. He could do anything from earning money, to booking a tour to floating a piano. He designed and constructed his own big illusions and props and developed an original card move. He played a good game of golf. Success followed him in almost all he did. He was manifesting the life he wanted way before folks paid thousands of dollars to learn how.

As a young woman he was the epitome of success to me. I would ask myself: How did he do it? I realized he had been showing me how to reach my dreams my whole life. Here is a magician’s guide to success:

1) Know your props – My father’s most important prop was a tablet of yellow legal-size paper and a blue pen. On these yellow pages he wrote his daily to-do list. Every day he wrote a list. Big achievements were broken down into small daily tasks. It could be sewing a new pocket in his tuxedo, showing a house to a client or approaching a venue. Whatever it was I’d see the results: new routine, a commission from a sold house or a booked show. He truly saw his list as a launch pad for his desires. And you must, too. Keeping and following a list each day is only as effective as your ability to respect that list. Don’t list any task unless you are prepared to do it. Honor your list. By serving it, it will reward you greatly.

2) Feel the magic – My father loved people, life and his magic show. He walked into parties twirling his Panama hat. So love what you love. Your dreams, friendships, sunrises, music, moments of play and quiet — whatever that is. Your joy is the fuel that will help you reach your goals. And don’t take yourself too seriously. This doesn’t mean you are less committed to your goals, it just means you accept yourself as you are. My father used to say with a smile, referring to himself, “To excel in anything, you have to be a little neurotic.”

3) Practice, practice, practice – As anyone in stage magic will tell you, practice is the cornerstone of the craft. When my father had a show coming up, he spent hours in front of his mirror vanishing and appearing coins or cards so that his act would go smoothly. Practice is essential and holy for anyone who wants to master a skill. Every dream – whether it be social media influencer, dentist or entrepreneur, requires some kind of skill. People skills, performance skills, technical skills… Know what that is, and become great at it.

4) Sleight of hand – My father’s sleight of hand was getting all those magicians to pay homage to him at magic conventions. Maybe you have a secret trick that can turn a challenging situation around. Good intuitive skills or a sense of humor? A way to boost your confidence when you need it? Or an ability to put in that extra work to get thing done. And presto! It works.

5) Hecklers in the back row – When I was on the road in the magic show, there were plenty of mishaps. I thought my father would pack up the tour and go home. Instead, he armed himself with new strategies and kept on. Remember: When things go wrong stay fluid, look at all options. You are never stuck.

6) The magic words – “Nothing happens unless you make it happen.” This was my father’s declaration of self-responsibility. No one will hand us our dreams. It gave him the impetus to do what he had to do. And if he met failure, he would say, “Some days you win, some days you lose.” These sayings were repeated and repeated. Devise your own motto to motivate you through the day, and to keep you going on hard ones.

7) Be prepared to change your show’s line up —Translated: Be flexible, adjust, pivot… The dream might not change but how you pursue it could. For a while my father wanted to be a Las Vegas headliner. He even returned to the road in hopes of landing a casino booking. When that didn’t work out, he wrote a book claiming his place in the Royal Dynasty of Magic. This regenerated his career and turned him into a semi-celebrity in some circles of professional magic. Although it wasn’t a gig at a big casino, it did give him the attention and notoriety he wanted.

The Magician’s Daughter: A Memoir by Katy Grabel

Katy had a very unusual upbringing. As the daughter of a professional magician, her life was often full of crazy antics and unexpected magic. So when her father was given the opportunity to headline in Las Vegas, her family packed up their lives and hit the road for success. She became his assistant, and loved to live in the spotlight, but saw the strain her father’s work had on the rest of the family, especially her mother. Under the fickle spotlight, will their show and family make it to the finale?

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