David Copperfield: Magician, Entertainer, Storyteller

<p>David Copperfield is a magician and entertainer, best known for his combination of storytelling and illusion, and described by <em>Forbes</em> as the most commercially successful magician in history.  His illusions have included the disappearance of a Learjet, the vanishing and reappearance of the Statue of Liberty, levitating over the Grand Canyon, walking through the Great Wall of China, escaping from <a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcatraz_Federal_Penitentiary">Alcatraz</a> prison, and flying on stage.  He has received 21 Emmy Awards, 11 Guinness World Records, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a knighthood by the French government, and the Living Legend award by the US Library of Congress.  You can watch him live performing 7 days a week at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. </p> <p> </p> <p>Some interesting insights from this episode:</p> <ul> <li>While he’s passionate about magic and one of the greatest magicians ever, at heart he is a storyteller. He is a multidimensional entertainer.</li> <li>His role models growing up weren’t other magicians but actors and dancers like Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. And storytellers like Walt Disney.</li> <li>He likes to make audiences feel something in the heart, not just a challenge in the brain.</li> <li>To this day he is inspired by a quote he read as a kid: “You’re only as good as you dare to be bad.” You can’t do something unique and special without taking some risks along the way.</li> <li>The formula for his success is summarized with his mantra: “Passion, preparation, and persistence.”</li> <li>He still has imposture syndrome at times which pushes him to continue to keep trying to perfect his craft.   </li> <li>“Excellence is about nothing ever being finished. It’s a process that never ends.”</li> </ul>