What about on the dating front? Like, what's it like to date? I

think dating a magician is, for a start, already strange.

You know, I think a magician is very... we keep all of our walls up and our world is all consumed by magic.

So I think that makes it complicated.

And I think that the reason people become a magician is because they already have that brain chemistry, like they've already built that wiring of I'm gonna stay alone, I'm gonna practice magic, It's weird, I don't care if the other kids don't accept me because I have my cards, I have my magic.

So I think that magicians have in common.

I think it's similar to comedians in some level.

Fatherhood impacted you how?

So

during one of the sifting through all the books, One of the things I found in the public speaking book was really interesting.

And it says the reason that we're so uncomfortable public speaking is because when all eyes are on you, if you go back a million years and you think about every eye on you, it's somebody that's a predator or wants to hunt you.

So having all the eyes on you while you're on an open plateau and you're elevated, you're in a place of extreme danger if you go back.

So the evolution of the brain hadn't changed that much.

So we still, even though we're now not in a dangerous place to be on a stage, we're wired to have that fear of being hunted or being chased by a predator.

So the idea of public speaking being something that you're afraid of because of something you think is present in your brain now, it's not.

Take me through your process for developing an idea.

And I'm curious if you have a story or a theory on why you needed to demonstrate that was possible.

I have to say, I think it all began just from holding my breath.

I was on the swim team at the YMCA in Brooklyn around six, seven, and I was born with my feet turned in, so I couldn't swim fast, I couldn't run fast.

But what I could do is eventually I learned to not turn my head while swimming so I could hold my breath longer and longer.

The coaches would say, "Don't do that, you need to breathe." But I was making up on time, so I kept doing it.

And then the kids started to watch 'cause I was able to do multiple laps, and then I would challenge the older kids 'cause they would be like, "You got to see if you can beat him." And I would just hold the ladder and stay underwater holding my breath.

And I didn't realize back then that the mechanism of just remaining still and calm and overriding that feeling is the success to breath holding.

Okay, so you also in your head, you just thought, "I'm gonna try this."

... like when she sees this, all that you're up to, like?

Well, she's grown up with it, so she's-- I think she's like, uh...

E- Even though it seems super crazy, I'm s- I'm, I'm pretty-- I have to really trust the person that's showing me, the teacher and, you know.

The, the learning curve for that series was short, but these are masters that have done the countless thousands of hours of work, and some secrets were passed down to them.

Some they've developed on their own.

It is a matter of trust.

And then this series, uh, I was very careful, even though it looks like there's so many crazy, you know, things that I'm trying or, or certain things like sitting with the black mambas.

What was it like losing your mother? So sorry for your loss, man.

... like when she sees this, all that you're up to, like?

Well, she's grown up with it, so she's-- I think she's like, uh...

E- even though it seems super crazy, I'm s- I'm, I'm pretty-- I have to really trust the person that's showing me, the teacher, and, you know, the, the learning curve for that series was short, but these are masters that have done the countless thousands of hours of work, and some secrets were passed down to them.

Some they've developed on their own.

It is a matter of trust.

And then this series, uh, I was very careful, even though it looks like there's so many crazy, you know, things that I'm trying or, or certain things like sitting with the black mambas.

It was a, an enclosure this, this size of just, like this space we're sit- and there were six black mambas in there.

What was it like losing your mother? So sorry for your loss, man.

(laughing) I'll pay for that.

Well, how much?

$100.

I'll give you, I'll give you a hundred bucks if you drink it.

Yeah.

I hammered it.

It's terrible, by the way, because it was my first thing.

My second thing was with Conan, by the way.

My second public appearance.

Yeah, and that was where it worked.

But I tried to force a card.

thank you sandy meisner yeah