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Past Exhibitions | Online Exhibitions
The Enduring Appeal of "The Doctor"
On view in the Medical Historical Library Reading Room from February 1 – May 1, 2020
"The Doctor," painted by Sir Luke Fildes in 1891, has been an influential image in the history of medicine for more than a century. The painting of a Victorian doctor attending a sick child in a poor workman's cottage held great appeal for the general public, who responded to the sympathetic portrayal. Members of the medical profession embraced the painting as a depiction of the ideal physician firmly rooted in the humanitarian traditions of medicine and not defined by the pristine clinical coldness of laboratory science which was redefining modern medicine at the end of the 19th century. By 1900, over one million prints of "The Doctor" were sold in the United States alone. This exhibition, featuring recent gifts from medical historian Bert Hansen, Ph.D., explores the history of "The Doctor" using a variety of prints and objects dating from 1907 to 2009.
The exhibition was curated by Katherine Isham, Archivist for the Medical Historical Library.
Click on a year to expand the section.
On display in the Cushing Rotunda March 5 - August 17, 2020
October 30 - February 24, 2020
Plastic Surgery at Yale: Surgical Expertise, Innovation, and History, Cushing Rotunda
August 30 - November 2019
The Hall-Benedict Drug Company Logbooks and Ledgers, Historical Library
The Medical Historical Library is pleased to announce the addition of a new collection to our archives: The Hall-Benedict Drug Company Logbooks and Ledgers (Ms Coll 66), a collection of seventy-five volumes and six boxes, that documents the history of one of the oldest independent drug stores in Connecticut. The collection includes bound prescription logbooks and bound and loose financial ledgers from the Hall-Benedict Drug Company, which was in operation from 1909 to 1998 in the East Rock neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut. The collection contains an almost continuous record of the pharmacy's operations from 1909 to 1970 and is a wonderful resource for researchers interested in the history of pharmaceuticals, pharmacies in the twentieth century, and business in New Haven. The collection was a gift from Thomas F. and Helen Formichella.
August 19 - January 2020
Grant Wood's American Gothic Repurposed and Several Anti-Smoking Acquisitions, Hallway
The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine exhibition, Cushing Rotunda
Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine (YJBM) is celebrating 90 years of continuous publication. Founded in 1928 by Milton C. Winternitz, YJBM is the oldest medical student-run publication still in production and has grown to be a peer-reviewed, internationally ranked journal aimed at featuring outstanding research in all areas of biology and medicine.
April 2 - July 5, 2018
The Early Modern Pharmacy: Drugs, Recipes, and Apothecaries, 1500-1800
What did a pharmacy look like in Europe, between 1500 and 1800? What kind of activities took place within its walls? Who were the pharmacists? What kind of drugs did they make, and where did the ingredients come from? This exhibit, organized by the students in Professor Paola Bertucci's undergraduate seminar Collecting Nature and Art with the collaboration of Sarah Pickman, engages with these questions. It shows that, in the early modern period, collecting recipes and making medicines were common household activities carried out by women, while apothecaries often became targets of satire.
The exhibit focuses also on a number of American ingredients, like coffee, cocoa, tobacco and chocolate, initially regarded as potential cure-alls, and on the mythical mandrake.
February 8 -
"A Man of Commanding Presence": Dr. James Henry Etheridge Papers and Exhibition, Historical Library
Dr. Etheridge (1844-1899) was a distinguished Chicago physician in the late 19th-century. He graduated from Rush Medical College in 1869 and, after a brief sojourn in Europe, taught there for the rest of his life. As a professor of Materia Medica, Medical Jurisprudence, and Gynecology, Dr. Etheridge was passionate about medical education and highly regarded by his peers and students. Reflecting his dedication as an alumnus, his papers feature commencement programs, newsletters, and newspaper clippings related to Rush Medical College.
October - December 20, 2017
"War is not healthy for children..." and Other Recent Acquisitions
This small exhibit curated by Susan Wheeler highlights protest posters from the 1980s and 1990s, including those of the organization Physicians for Social Responsibility opposing the neutron bomb.
On view, also, are Keith Haring's "No Nukes" and multiple images of the "mushroom cloud" in calls for action. A popular novelty poster advises-- "When the bomb goes off, make sure you are higher than the bomb."
New York City's Statue of Liberty appears in three posters in which she warns of pollution and climate change.
May 25 - November 3, 2017
New Lives for Old Specimens
Is there any use for old anatomy and pathology specimens, usually consigned to dusty basements for storage or destroyed after a number of years? In our new exhibition "New Lives for Old Specimens," the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library features current medical research using historical specimens from Yale's collections. Multiple curators drawn from inside and outside the School of Medicine, including a Yale medical student, Yale faculty, and Connecticut and international research teams, describe projects involving historical specimens. From tumors in the Cushing brain tumor registry and fetal skulls within the Kier/Conlogue collection to 1970s dissection videos featuring the late Yale Professor of Anatomy Edmund Crelin Jr., old specimens are finding new ways into current research and medical education.
Charles Cecil Duncan, MD, Professor of Neurosurgery and of Pediatrics
Shanta Elizabeth Kapadia, MBBS, Lecturer in Surgery (Gross Anatomy)
William B Stewart, PhD, Associate Professor of Surgery (Gross Anatomy); Section Chief
Cynthia Tsay, Yale School of Medicine student, Class of 2018
Gerald Joseph Conlogue, MHS, RT(R)(CT)(MR), Professor Emeritus, Diagnostic Imaging Department
Co-Director, Bioanthropology Research Institute at Quinnipiac University, Curator, Kier/Conlogue Anatomic Collection
"Moral Judgment in Evaluating Disease: Some Pictures for Discussion"
Curated by David K. Dupee and Melinda Wang, M.D. Candidates, Class of 2020, Yale School of Medicine, this new exhibit in the hallway, is a collaboration of the Program for Humanities in Medicine and the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library.
By virtue of its ubiquity, we all practice moral judgment at some degree long before developing an aptitude for clinical evaluation. Ideas of how a "good" person should look and act, reside within us and subtly impact the way that we perceive those around us. This practice is so deeply ingrained that it can carry over into the clinic, leading well-meaning practitioners to perceive patients both clinically and morally.
We have organized a collection of prints that encourage the viewer to confront the cultural constructs that underlie moral evaluation. In presenting prints from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, we aim to impress upon viewers that the association between health and morality is deeply ingrained within the very fabric of society, and indeed, stretches far beyond the period that our exhibit encompasses. We have prepared a hypothetical patient vignette for each print to further conversation about morality and the practice of clinical medicine. It is our hope that viewers will see the chosen depictions of mental health, illness, and body image not as distant echoes of the past, but rather as preludes to forces that remain substantial in the modern era.
"Yale Medicine Goes to War, 1917"
When America entered the First World War in April 1917, Yale University, including the Medical School, leapt into action. From mobilizing a "first of its kind" Mobile Hospital Unit, No. 39, to research on the effects of chemical warfare, this exhibition explores the many ways that Yale Medical School faculty, researchers, and students contributed to the war effort at home and abroad. The war diaries of Harvey Cushing, a pioneering neurosurgeon and Sterling Professor of Neurology at the Yale School of Medicine (1932–1939), will also be on view, documenting the trials and trauma of war, particularly brain damage arising from shell fragments, shrapnel, and gunshot wounds.
Curated by Yale doctoral student Maria Rios.
"Refugees, Immigrants, and Library Books for Soldiers: A Selection of World War l Posters from the Collections"
Curated by Susan Wheeler, this small exhibit reminds us of the impact of the war on non-combatants and the importance of attending to the emotional needs of soldiers. The selections advertise relief organizations and services soliciting funds and materials. World War l posters are well known for their beauty and effectiveness. These posters helped to raise over a hundred million dollars in relief funds and ten million library books.
"The AIDS Suite," HIV-Positive Women in Prison and other works by artist/activist Sue Coe
This exhibit introduced seven large drawings by Sue Coe based upon the patients and medical practice of pioneering art activist Dr. Eric Avery at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Acquired in 2015, the new drawings were exhibited with works from this and other series by Coe acquired over the past decade by the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library's Collection of Prints and Drawings.
Sue Coe is considered one of the foremost political artists working today. A firm believer in the power of media to affect change, she has seen her graphic work published in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone and in the permanent collections of major museums such as Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, and Whitney Museum of American Art.
The Medical Library at 75
Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Harvey Cushing/ John Hay Whitney Medical Library, this exhibit explores the history of the creation and development of the library. The exhibit includes how founders Drs. Harvey Cushing,John Fulton, and Arnold Klebs envisioned a medical school library, and documents the changing nature of collections,services, researchers, and staff.
The Life of the Medical Library
As part of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Harvey Cushing/ John Hay Whitney Medical Library, this photographic exhibit documents the life of the library today. Librarians working within hospital units, researchers delving into collections online and in the library, classes using Historical Library collections, and tours of the Cushing Center are part of the larger world of the Medical Library.
The Founding Collection of Prints and Drawings: Bequest of Clements C. Fry
Seventy-five prints from Fry's collection hung in the long entrance corridors of the Medical Library when it opened in 1941. The tradition continues today in this small exhibit which includes selections from Fry's collection exhibited at the National Gallery of Art, 1946, and recent acquisitions which complement the original collection.
Contra Cocaine and Other Works by Robbie Conal, Guerrilla Artist
The powerful, gritty political posters of Robbie Conal are seen on city streets and the walls of major museums. This selection includes "Contra Cocaine," 1988, which addresses the introduction of crack cocaine into the U.S. via Los Angeles in the 1980s and "Freedom From Choice," 1992, on a woman's right to abortion information in publicly funded clinics. From Conal's series of political portraits, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner appears in "Wealth Care," 2011.
Deaf: Cultures and Communication, 1600 to the Present
What is deafness? From a medical perspective, deafness is an audiological condition that might be resolved through hearing aids or cochlear implants. But from another perspective, to be Deaf (often spelled with a capital "D") is to belong to a culture, with a shared language and identity. This exhibit explores how people have understood deaf communication and deaf culture since the seventeenth century, with displays on the history of education, medical interventions, sign languages, and popular culture.
This exhibit is curated by Katherrine Healey and Caroline Lieffers, Doctoral Students, History of Science and Medicine, Yale University.
Selections from the Medical Instruments Collection
Highlighting recent gifts and other objects from the Medical Historical Library's instruments and artifacts collection, this exhibit includes a variety of obstetrical forceps, 17th century mortars and pestles, 19th century surgical kits, an early blood transfusion machine, eye charts and other ophthalmology instruments, and pharmaceutical drug bottles and marketing.
"Historical Illustrations of Skin Disease: Selections from the New Sydenham Society Atlas 1860-1884"
Curated by Drs. Jean Bolognia and Irwin Braverman, Professors of Dermatology at the School of Medicine, and Susan Wheeler, Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Library.
The Atlas of Skin Diseases was among the first publications undertaken, in 1859, by the New Sydenham Society. Time-consuming and costly to produce, it was issued in seventeen parts over a period of twenty-four years.
In this exhibit, Yale dermatologists Jean Bolognia and Irwin Braverman present the celebrated nineteenth century illustrations to a current clinical audience, making a relevant teaching point with each plate. Twenty-five of the Atlas' forty-nine plates are selected for display. They depict cutaneous diseases ranging from the common, e.g. psoriasis and eczema, to the rare, e.g. iododerma and systematized epidermal nevi. Examples of skin signs of systemic disease, including Addison's disease, neurofibromatosis, and lupus erythematosus, are also shown. The emotional toll which these chronic diseases inflicted upon patients is a striking feature of the many portraits on view. On view in the Cushing Rotunda and Medical Library Hallway.
"Discover the Beauty of Science"
Scientists may not consider themselves artists; however, there are times when science and research experiments lead to incredibly beautiful visual results. This exhibit showcases images captured by Yale biomedical researchers (undergrads, graduate students, postdocs, faculty, associate researchers, etc.). Enjoy the poster-size prints of the visual results of Yale research, where science crosses over to art. See all the submissions for this exhibit on Facebook! On view in the Foyer outside of the Medical Library entrance, Sterling Hall of Medicine
May 15 - September 9, 2015
Preserving Form, Preserving Content: Caring for Collections at the Medical Library
This exhibit explores preservation efforts in the Medical Library to care for its important and varied collections. The Library holds a rich variety of materials in many forms. On top of these traditional formats, the Library has expanded to include digital collections and archives from Yale Medical faculty and researchers. This exhibit explores how the Library works to preserve the collection, keeping it accessible for future generations of researchers. In the Cushing Rotunda.
"Baldwin's Patent Medicines"
Baldwin's Patent Medicines, the exhibit on view in the hallway, is a series of nine letterpress posters from the late 19th century advertising the Baldwin Patent Medicine Company's specific tonics and pills for an astonishing range of complaints. This was a gift of William H. Helfand in 2012. In the Hallway, Medical Library.
100 Years of Public Health at Yale
The Yale School of Public Health celebrates its centennial throughout 2015. One of the oldest accredited schools of public health in this country, it today advances public health through research, education and practice in its home city of New Haven, across the United States and throughout the world. This exhibit examines the rise of public health at Yale beginning with the appointment of C.E.A. Winslow in 1915 through the work of the School in the present day. This exhibit was curated by Toby Appel, Ph.D., and Melissa Grafe, Ph.D., John R. Bumstead Librarian for Medical History.
Teratology: The Science and History of Human Monstrosity
From early modern marvels to sideshow performers, the abnormal body has provoked wonder and fascination, even as it has inspired the scientific study of monsters. This exhibit explores the history of the science of human monstrosity, from early modern accounts of human-animal hybrids and prodigies through to present-day explorations of birth defects. The exhibit traces the different approaches to human abnormalities/monstrosity since the fifteenth century, demonstrating the various ways in which monsters have been described, explained, classified, and displayed to an interested public. This exhibit was curated by Courtney Thompson, doctoral candidate in the History of Science and Medicine, and Melissa Grafe, Ph.D, John R. Bumstead Librarian for Medical History. In the Cushing Rotunda.
Prodigies and Marvels
Many of the individuals who evoked wonder were well known to contemporary audiences through the dissemination of inexpensive broadsides and prints. A selection from the library's extensive, and seldom seen, collection on this subject introduces a few of these individuals from the 16th through the early 19th centuries. The exhibit was prepared by Medical Library curator Susan Wheeler. In the Hallway, Medical Library.
September 22nd, 2014 - January 16th, 2015
Vesalius at 500
The library celebrates the important collection of Vesaliana bequeathed by its founder Harvey Cushing. Highlighting seldom seen works by Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564), considered the founder of modern anatomy, the exhibit includes Vesalius' first published anatomical illustrations – the Tabulae Anatomicae Sex (Six charts of the human body) and the Epitome, the beautiful digest of De Fabrica... , Vesalius's great text. Three copies of De Humani Corporis Fabrica (The fabric of the human body) one of the great books of the renaissance renowned for its content, form, design, and illustration, will also be on view together with Cushing's letters and notes pertaining to his collection. In the Cushing Rotunda.
The Body as a Machine
Fritz Kahn, physician and popular writer, applied visual metaphor to make the structure and function of the human body understandable to the general public. The posters which accompanied his three volume Das Leben Des Menschen (1922-1926) are displayed with other works which illustrate and complement the metaphor. In the Hallway, Medical Library.
The Dangers of Underage Drinking and Other Historical Posters
A 1971 series of brightly colored anti-alcohol posters aimed at teenagers, a selection of STD warnings in the form of comic strips, and a 1956 movie poster "I've Lived Before" which recalls the popular theme of reincarnation derived from hypnosis, are among the materials on view in this exhibit. In Library Foyer, Sterling Hall
Selling Smoke: Tobacco Advertising and Anti-smoking Campaigns
The tobacco industry has been selling smoke in America and other countries for well over a century. From sultry ladies to Santa, tobacco advertisers slickly packaged smoking in a variety of ways to lure consumers to different brands. Using celebrity spokespeople, touting health benefits, sponsoring racing and other sports, employing product placement, and creating games with prizes are just a small sampling of the ways smoking was sold. "Selling Smoke" exhibits a wide array of tobacco advertising from the William Van Duyn collection of magazine advertisements, ephemera, articles, and photographs. Anti-smoking campaign materials from a variety of public health organizations, multiple U.S. Surgeons General, and others are also be on display, tracing worldwide efforts to stamp out smoking. Discover the entire collection through the finding aid.
"The Perfect Man" and other acquisitions
In 1895, the original bodybuilder Eugen Sandow was proclaimed "the perfect man" by Dudley Sargent (YMS 1878). In 1827, former slave Belfast Burton was paid tribute by his patients and mentor in a rare broadside testimonial circulated in Philadelphia. In 1871, J.J. Woodward shared the first micrographs taken in sunlight with the Surgeon General. In 1891, Victor Emile Prouvé employed the most delicate coloring to render opium's intoxicating sleep state in an art print distributed through subscription portfolio.
In 1902, James Haran, British medical officer in newly founded Nairobi, attended all the victims of plague (the first of many outbreaks) leaving complete case records. In 1922, artist Käthe Kollwitz created pro bono a poster announcing public events during Anti-Alcohol Week in Schöneberg, a locality of Berlin. In 1978, Rachel Romero and the San Francisco Poster Brigade plastered the city with activist art "To Hell with their Profits: Stop Forced Drugging of Psychiatric Inmates" produced for the Mental Patients Liberation Movement. They are a small sampling of the substantial number of acquisitions through endowment made by the Historical Library, Cushing\Whitney Medical Library.
"The Morphine Addict by Eugene Grasset" and other select acquisitions
In the Hallway, Medical Library
A Cure for What Ails You: Songs from the Library's Sheet Music Collection
This exhibit celebrates a new collection of medically themed sheet music recently donated to the Medical Historical Library by William Helfand, retired pharmaceutical company executive, historian of medicine, and collector. There are over a thousand items in the collection on medical providers, purveyors of remedies, ailments both real and imagined, cures for all purposes (especially for lovesickness), health songs for children, and music advertising patent medicines.
Most of the music was written for public entertainment, whether in London music halls, Parisian theaters, or American vaudeville and early musicals. Later songs in the collection were aired on the radio, featured in movies, recorded on record labels, or served as themes for TV shows on doctors and hospitals. Songs range from "The Cork Leg," a traditional Irish song about a self-propelling prosthetic cork leg, to Loretta Lynn singing about the advantages of "The Pill." The engraved and lithographed covers of the music provide striking images of medicine and popular culture. Discover the entire collection through the finding aid. In Library Foyer, Sterling Hall
The exhibit was the midterm assignment of Prof. Paola Bertucci's undergraduate seminar: Spies, Secrets, and Science (HSHM 459a/HIST 159Ja/HUMS 317a). Books of secrets were cheap publications that divulged medicinal, alchemical, artisanal, and other kinds of "secrets" of nature and the arts. Mostly compilations of recipes or how-to manuals, they met with extraordinary success beginning in the sixteenth century, being translated into several languages and reprinted in various editions up until the nineteenth century.
The Iconographie photographique de la Salpêtrière (1876-80), a landmark publication in medical photography, is on view in the Rotunda of the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library. This collection of texts and photographs represents the female patients of Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot at the Salpêtrière hospital and asylum during the years of his tenure as director. The patients, diagnosed primarily with hysteria or epilepsy, were treated at the asylum even as they acted as experimental subjects for Charcot's development of the hysteria diagnosis. This collection represents a transformative moment in the history of the diagnosis, treatment, and representation of mental illness. The exhibit was organized by Courtney Thompson, doctoral student in the Program in the History of Medicine, and Susan Wheeler, Curator for Prints and Drawings at the Medical Library.
"La Femme" (1886) by French artist Paul-Albert Besnard.
Besnard created a series of prints on the possible life events of women in the late 19th century. In the Hallway, Medical Library.
Nursing at 90: A celebration of the Yale School of Nursing Alumni
The exhibit highlights the contributions of the Nursing program and its graduates to Yale, the profession, and the world. Curated by Janene Batten with the help of Melissa Grafe. On view in the Medical Library foyer until January 10, 2014. In addition, as part of the 90th Anniversary of the Yale School of Nursing the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library has digitized the large collection of historical YSN alumni newsletters, memorabilia, and class photos dating from 1926.
"Eight Interesting Objects"
Recent acquisitions in the Cushing Rotunda
Selections from the New Global Health Collection
The Medical Historical Library recently acquired over 2600 global public health and safety posters, representing 56 countries and multiple languages. On display are selections from this collection, promoting a variety of public health messages, including anti-drug and anti-smoking campaigns, maternal and child health, population control, clean water, and prevention of diseases such as malaria and cholera. In Library Foyer, Sterling Hall.
Unveiling Medicine's Past: Medical Historical Collections Online
The Medical Historical Library's digital collection includes Yale School of Medicine photographs, portraits of 16th Century anatomist Andreas Vesalius, Harvey Cushing and others, as well as rare books, medical and surgical instruments, prints, posters, and drawings, and much more! This exhibit demystifies the process of digitization and showcases Yale's rich medical historical collections.
Portraits of Wounded Bodies: Photographs of Civil War Soldiers from Harewood Hospital, Washington, D.C., 1863-1866
The Medical Historical Library explores Civil War medicine through the haunting photographs of wounded soldiers. In the foyer of Sterling Hall, the exhibit expands to include a larger discussion of Civil War medicine and surgery, including hospitals and nurses, using images and materials from the Medical Historical Library. An online version of the Harewood Hospital photographs is available in the Digital Library. In Cushing Rotunda, Medical Library and Foyer, Sterling Hall
War: Selections from the Collection of Prints and Drawings and the Historical Medical Poster Collection
Eyewitness renderings of medicine in the field during World War I and World War II, together with posters from various wartime agencies, show part of the war experience and its effect on individuals. In the Hallway, Medical Library
Medicine at Work: A Selection of Instruments and Materials from the Medical Historical Library
An online version of our collection of Medical Instruments and Artifacts is available in the Digital Library.
Selected from the Historical Medical Poster Collection and the Collection of Prints and Drawings
"Family Doctor" by Grant Wood and Works by Other Mid 20th Century American Artists in Hallway
Food and Nutrition posters in Foyer
Maternity Care in Pictures: A Portfolio of 31 Teaching Charts Showing Safe Maternity Care, 1939 in Rotunda
Published by the Maternity Center Association
This set of small posters, shown in its entirety, was designed for parenting classes, waiting rooms, and formal exhibits. Many of the posters employed "photomontage" which combined a photographic image with a drawn background—a "modern" graphic technique which served to reinforce the "modern" message.
The Maternity Center Association in New York developed the first classes for expectant parents as part of comprehensive maternity services. In 1938, it offered the first classes for fathers. This set has been digitized and is online in the Historical Poster Collection
March 5 - June 18, 2012
Medicine in Shakespeare's London
This exhibit was part of the campus-wide celebration of Shakespeare. Shakespeare included many medical references in his plays, such as the plague, midwifery, herbals, astrological medicine, and surgery. This exhibit explores these themes and features works in early anatomy, surgery, and botanicals from the Medical Historical Collection. Parts of this exhibit are available online.
Historical Illustrations of Skin Disease: Selections from the New Sydenham Society Atlas 1860-1884
Moral Judgement in Evaluating Disease: Some Pictures for Discussion
100 Years of Women at Yale School of Medicine
Arnold Carl Klebs, 1870-1943: Tuberculosis Specialist, Historian and Bibliophile, and a Founder of the Historical Library
Harvey Cushing: A Journey Through His Life
The Yale School of Nursing: Better Health for All People
Founders and Early Benefactors of the Historical Library
Yale and Medicine, 1910-1960 (Being updated)
Epidemiology and Public Health at Yale: A Yale Tercentennial Exhibit
The Medical Library at Yale
New Haven's Hospitals: An Online Exhibit (Being updated)


The World Cup soccer matches on ESPN over the past few weeks have been so stirring that it makes you wonder if soccer will really gain a foothold as a major sport in the U.S. once a champion has been crowned. The athleticism, the conditioning, the patience and strategy to attack at just the right time make futbol irresistible. Anyone who watched Netherlands star Robin Van Persie track a ball that traveled 40 yards on the fly and then somehow head it at full sprint, and watch it land in the net just beyond the goalie's reach, can see how remarkable this game is when played at high level. But can the sport ever catch on here–where the top sport is the kind of football where players get smashed and jump right back into the huddle–with all of the rampant flopping that seems such a distraction in these World Cup matches? In today's tense match between Brazil and Colombia, there were more awards caliber performances delivered than in American Hustle and 12 Years A Slave, combined. After every collision, a player hit the ground in agony and stayed there, like they'd been shot by a rifle. If there was no whistle, they healed in remarkably quick fashion, jumped up and joined in the sprint for the ball. It seems to be getting progressively worse, because the refs are falling for these performances time and again. Even Reggie Miller, the Indiana Pacers sharpshooter who turned flopping into an art form on the basketball court, would think these guys are overdoing it. The refs disallowed a Colombia goal on what looked like a bogus off sides call. They called that one badly, so how about making up for it with a couple of yellow cards to stop the most incessant ham-handed floppage performances? It might go a long way toward making a great sport even better, and you don't get a better showcase than the World Cup.


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EP 69 - Victoria Mavis - Making the Magic Happen in Your Business
Awesomers Origin - We'll talk to an Awesomer about where they came from, the triumphs and tribulations they have faced and how they are doing today. An Awesomer Origin story is the chance to hear the backstory about the journey our guest took on their road to become awesomer. These stories are incredibly varied and the takeaway is that awesomers come in all shapes, sizes, backgrounds, creeds, colors and every other variation possible. On your awesomer road you will face adversity. That's just part of life. The question as always is how YOU choose to deal with it.
Vita Victoria Mavis Victoria Mavis is a professional magician & speaker. She started doing magic at the age of 4 and got through performing mentalism on stage into the field of "mind magic" - how to use mindpower to create the life of our dreams and develop the magician´s mindset. She is now a podcast host of "PURE MIND MAGIC" and wrote the book "How podcasting can change your life"
Making the Magic Happen in Your Business
The magician's mindset is all about making the impossible possible in your own life and being productive with it.
On this episode, Steve's special guest is Victoria Mavis. Victoria is a professional magician and an entrepreneur. She hosts a podcast and has written a book called How Podcasting Can Change Your Life: Unleash Endless Possibilities. Some key points discussed in this episode include:
The Magic Mindset - how to bring surprise and delight into your mind to add more fun and excitement in your daily life.
Using magic as a tool of communication for your business.
How to get out of your routine thinking, a pattern interrupt so you can get more ideas for your business.
So listen to today's episode and get new insights from a professional magician and an accomplished entrepreneur on how to improve your business.
05:14 (Victoria introduces her book, How Podcasting Can Change Your Life.)
07:58 (Victoria tells us her origin story.)
18:47 (Victoria talks about her defining moment - the moment she decided to become an entrepreneur.)
30:42 (Magic is also about communication.)
36:25 (Victoria gives a trick on how to get out of your routine thinking, a pattern interrupt, so that you get more ideas for your business.)
39:52 (Victoria predicts the future of magic and entrepreneurial businesses over the next five years.)
47:16 (Some final words from Victoria for the Awesomers listening.)
Welcome to the Awesomers.com podcast. If you love to learn and if you're motivated to expand your mind and heck if you desire to break through those traditional paradigms and find your own version of success, you are in the right place. Awesomers around the world are on a journey to improve their lives and the lives of those around them. We believe in paying it forward and we fundamentally try to live up to the great Zig Ziglar quote where he said, "You can have everything in your life you want if you help enough other people get what they want." It doesn't matter where you came from. It only matters where you're going. My name is Steve Simonson and I hope you will join me on this Awesomer journey.
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You're listening to the Awesomers podcast.
Steve: This is Awesomers podcast Episode Number 69 and all you have to do is go over to Awesomers.com/69 to find the relevant show notes, details and even a bonus link or two about what we are talking about in today's episode and that episode is very interesting indeed today because we're joined by Victoria Mavis. And Victoria is an extraordinary magician, an accomplished entrepreneur in her own right and she actually – it's very interesting because she started in magic at the very early age of 4 with a trick that her dad taught her and then on her 7th birthday she got her first magic set and started performing her first stage show. Now, she's a well-known worldwide known by the way magician, she hosts a podcast and she's written a book. So, Victoria shares all kinds of really interesting things about you know how to bring surprise and delight and magic into your mind as she likes to call it the Magic Mindset and that helps you do improvisation, it helps you clear your mind and it helps you kind of add a little bit of fun and a little bit of excitement into your daily life instead of being stuck in the daily routine. So, I found Victoria's story very interesting and I know that you're going to really enjoy this origin story with Victoria Mavis right now.
Hey, everybody Steve Simonson here. We're back on the Awesomers.com podcast series and today we have a very special guest, Victoria Mavis. Now, am I getting that right Victoria?
Victoria: Yes, you did perfectly fine.
Steve: Okay, wonderful. Well, you know sometimes my pronunciation is not awesomer and that's why I like to just say you know I leave myself open for correction, so thank you for that and thank you for joining us by the way. Now, the audience has already had me read in your bio and learned a little bit about you from the top level, but maybe in your own words you could share you know where you're living right now and kind of what takes up your time day-to-day.
Victoria: Sure Steve. So, I'm based in Munich in Germany at the moment, but traveling the world with my magic shows and the magic performing is really the core of my business, but it is about to transform more and more into speaking events and sharing all my knowledge I gained through performing magic since I'm 4 years old to share that with people because Steve if you can imagine so magic is the business of secrets and being a member of the magic circle I have to keep all the secrets to myself, but it's not so easy sometimes. So, I found out another way to share things I have learned along the way that deal with our mindset, with our brain, with psychology, with influence to share that with people and teach them how to come up with the magician's mindset because as a magician we are living in the impossible on an everyday basis and it's about making the impossible possible and finding ways to do that and when you structure your brain and your thinking patterns in a specific way you can break free from normal and come up with completely new solutions.
Steve: I love it. Well, it's interesting you phrase it just like that because in a couple of our businesses we have said our mantra is we're in the business of solving impossible problems right and that's certainly the lens of magic to kind of you know show what really is possible I think is a fun way to look at it. So, it's very interesting to me and as I recall your book just came out. You have a book that just came out recently, give us the title of that and we'll put it in the show notes, but share a little bit about that title and journey.
05:14 (Victoria introduces her book How Podcasting Can Change Your Life.)
Victoria: Of course Steve. So, being a magician is a very passionate job of course to be able to do that and so when I got in touch with podcasting that was through a couple of coincidences. I really fell in love with that as well and I am a very passionate podcaster and there are a lot of similarities to being a magician on stage because you're creating a show. It's almost like having your own TV show or radio show or talk show or a combination of all of that and you are about to come up with content that is interesting, but also in a form entertaining so that people stay with you and my life changed on a really big scale since I've started my podcast, so only thanks podcasting I'm about now to get my own TV series worldwide because I talked to an L.A. producer on my podcast. So, there are endless possibilities and this is why the subtitle of my book is Unleash Endless Possibilities and I felt just a calling that I have to write this book with all my enthusiasm to get people into podcasting and show them the world that awaits them behind the magic door of starting your own show.
Steve: I love it. Well, and the book title by the way How Podcasting Can Change Your Life, we'll make sure we get that in the show notes because well first of all I'm going to buy it because podcasting is very important to me. I've listened to podcasts for years. That's about my only qualification for hosting a podcast, but it turns out being in a business so long some people want to hear what I have to say, so who knew. But I love that passion, I love that experience, but let's – we're going to take a quick break and when we come back we're going to dive into your what I call the origin story, some of your deep background to kind of understand how did magic start showing up at 4 years old. I'm very intrigued. So, we're going to do that right after this.
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Steve: Okay. We're back everybody, Steve Simonson joined by Victoria Mavis and we're talking about, a little bit about podcasting, a little bit about magic, but we're going to get right into the origin story because that's where I think a lot of the interesting facts start to lay out. And so tell us a Victoria where were you born?
Victoria: Yes Steve. So, you're very curious and you would like to dive deep I got that already, so that says that you are a great host(er) really providing all your audience with this information. Yes. I came in contact with magic when I was 4 years old and it was a friend of my father who showed me the first trick to make my thumb disappear and that was actually all I could accomplish at 4 years old with my small hands and I started in kindergarten to show everyone like a hundred times, also my parents at home and my mother watched all of that and so I got a magic kit at the age of 7 and that was also the time where I had my first show, my magic show and yes. I learned so much about performing and building all that up because I think when you're an entrepreneur it's also that you have to spend time alone, be very focused very disciplined in what you are doing and creating something and make it perfect until or before you share it with the world. And this is why I think all this approach around magic and being a magician creating illusions, creating entertainment and also leading this business in show business behind the time on stage that there's something – there is a lot of things you can learn as an entrepreneur from that perspective.
Steve: Well, without a doubt. You know, entrepreneurs often overlooked this idea that you know engaging their customer, engaging their audience should involve the concepts like hey, more than just being polite what if they were entertained and the CEO of Rakuten, his name is Mickey – I forget his last name, but a very brilliant Japanese billionaire who built this company you know from the ground up and it's been about 20 years, but he specifically says shopping is entertainment or it should be anyway. And I think that the idea of you know making something more fun, having some surprises ultimately that's what magic is to me. It's a surprise ending right. You don't know what's coming even when you were foreign and that thumb disappeared that was a surprise to your audience in that case and I suppose that those lessons are still highly translatable to entrepreneurs today.
Victoria: Absolutely Steve and I think it is like people love entertainment, so they spent so much money for entertainment and it's easy to spend like $200 to $500 for a ticket for a concert and people do that, but then when it comes to investing in themselves they fell short and say "Oh I can't afford that. I can't do that" whether it's seminars or books or online courses or whatever. But I think the biggest investment you can do is really invest in yourself and from the entrepreneur standpoint you are the winner when you are able to combine your information with entertainment because people love entertainment and then it's just perfect or when you're in the business of your education and coaching ,it's the same. When you bring in this entertainment component it changes everything. It's really a game changer and this is when you look at events of like Tony Robbins, he does sit on a very good scale because he – yes, he educates people, he teaches them but he brings in so much entertainment with lights, with sound, with dancing, with everything that is going on so people have the feeling they also buy entertainment. They don't just sit down and get information and I think that's it and you mentioned it right Steve that people love surprises and when they don't know what's happening next, so that is also what makes life so exciting.
Steve: Well, it is much more exciting when you have that little opportunity for delight, you know even after the so-called customer experience is over if the customer just has a little surprise in the end boy, it can really be very important. Now, I'm curious you said that your dad taught you magic, started out at 4 and then they got you the kit at 7, any – was there magical inclinations with your parents or your siblings?
Victoria: Not really. So, the funny story is that my father got my mother in the end or when they met, when they dated he performed some magic with a chewing gum paper that got hot in her hand, so that was his biggest trick at that time, but he never made it into really performing and I was about to take on and live his dream doing that. And he was a school director so really living a completely different life. And so in the beginning very suspicious when I said I'm going to turn pro and being a professional magician now, and this is also I think a big reason why I got two academic degrees before I jumped into this unknown field, but the thing is Steve and I'm sure you do agree with that that the magic happens at the end of your comfort zone and especially being an entrepreneur because you have to deal with the unknown on almost a daily basis because you never know what's going to happen next and everything can happen so you meet someone new and everything can change. So, so many new opportunities can open up or yes you start a podcast and you never know there has to be just one person in the world listening to your podcast and it can change your business completely.
Steve: Yes, it is a fascinating thing. I do find it very interesting I'm sure that you know every parent's dream is that they're their child comes and says, "Hey, I'm going to be a professional magician" and you know a parent especially in the education field are like oh come on you're killing me here. So, it sounds like you went to university and still got a couple degrees, but really your passion was still to dive right into that magic business as a true professional.
Victoria: Yes, it was. But I'm actually very happy that I did go to university and get my degrees because it also helped me in thinking, in learning and I got my first degree in economics and did my Masters of Arts then in filming and that of course helps now to bring magic into TV and filming because I know how everything works together. And I think that everything in life happens for a reason and the thing is you can only look backwards and connect the dots. It doesn't work forward and this is an interesting thing. So, I'm happy that I have this foundation and especially when I do magic show for big companies it's really good especially in Germany, in Europe to have this degree. So, I mean it's just paper, but I don't know it makes you a different person. And I know it's different in the United States and there is more about passion and more about the America's dream and also yes being an entrepreneur and I love to combine this being a performer but also being an entrepreneur and being an author now, being on stage entertaining people and educating them as well as inspiring them into the unknown, into leaving the comfort zone and coming up with brand new ideas.
Steve: Yes. It is a fascinating – I mean you've got quite a resume going not just the education, which is impressive and I – it's probably kind of fun to see somebody with an economics degree and Bachelor of Arts, you know all this substantial education are hey, and you know she's right up there on stage. She's going to do some illusions for us and you know people like wow, you know that's a pretty amazing thing. Now, you've added author and obviously podcaster so extraordinary background. Once you completed at university, did you have a first job, you know a traditional proper job that you care to share with us?
Victoria: Sure. I went this road down as well of course. So, I worked for a big TV broadcaster or at least several of them in Germany and I've been to the film set there as well, but then it felt so boring in this huge company to be just like a number and I couldn't change anything and it went like that I've flown to magic shows in the evening and back at night to be again in the office in the next morning. So, that was crazy and talking about focus and eliminating distractions that doesn't work. So, you have to channel your energy to one thing and you have to make the decision and we are the sum of all the decisions we make and the thing is every decision we made so far led us to exactly the moment we are right now and that you Steve and I have this interview now, so that is pretty amazing. And I also went to Hollywood and did an internship there. It was my big dream to stay there, but at that time it didn't work and now I'm glad it didn't so because I got on a new track and doing it with magic and making everything bigger and getting a new approach on it. But I yes learned the other way so how it's working in an office from 9:00 to 5:00 and now I'm also sure that that is not my life. So, I'm an entrepreneur. I love the freedom and I love that I can choose where to work, when to work and with whom to work because I think that are really the biggest assets.
Steve: Boy, that's a really good summary of freedom right there and also you know I think a lot of us identify with this idea not just with the freedom outcome, but you know the idea that you know we don't want to be just that number sitting in the office. We want to figure out how to make a difference and what a rigorous schedule you know to fly at night to a show and then obviously fly back and then be ready for work tomorrow. You know, that is really a crazy schedule and I especially want to remind the Awesomers out there listening you know when Victoria talks about you know we are today the result of all our prior decisions, that is such an important point and it's such a often overlooked point right. Too many times and Awesomers don't do this, but you know a lot of Normies out there will say hey this happened to me or that politician is creating this problem for me and it's like you know forget all of that, just get control and remember that our decisions, our actions today will lead to that future, whatever we want it to be. So, I really appreciate that. How about was there any defining moment kind of from your education and that first job, was there any defining moment where you just decided I'm going all in on the entrepreneur stuff, the magic stuff?
Victoria: Yes, of course Steve. There was. So, it's always maybe you know that when we make – we don't make the decision. Life helps us to do it and when we look at film there's the hero's journey, so from Joseph Campbell who found out that every story and every film has that as a basis, so the hero does the journey and comes full circle then, so gets into a new world and in the beginning the hero doesn't want to go, doesn't want to leave the comfort zone, everything he's knowing and then there comes this call to adventure and he still refuses and the call to adventure comes again or another person comes to help and kick him out of the comfort zone. And it went like that so I played with this thought for a long time, but I know there was my father in the background and I knew he would say that I'm crazy when I tell him hey, I'm going to go to be a professional magician now. So, I was really – I had this inner fight and I think a lot of people becoming an entrepreneur can relate to that, how it feels like when you are trapped between security, what is just an illusion, but having the security and then going all in and you could lose all your chips. So, I made a decision then when I unfortunately lost my mother. So, it was just a few days before Christmas and she passed away and then when I was there in the hospital and saw her I thought to myself in this situation you don't think of the things you risked in your life, you more regret the risks you haven't taken and so I made it clear. I left the hospital and I was sure it was the last time I have seen her and I thought to myself I am going to go in – go all in because I can go back, I have my degrees no problem, but everything on red, I just do it and I never looked back since that time.
Steve: Wow, it's a gripping story and a lot of people can identify with this idea that you know you're being pulled more than one direction and something kind of put you over the tipping point. It is – one of the things that you said is particularly insightful is this idea that stability is the illusion right, talking about magic tricks right, working for the big company or whatever that's also kind of an illusion because you're not in control, you don't know what's going to happen and even though you could lose all your chips by going off and doing your own thing at least you have some sense of control. Even if it doesn't go well you just you know pick up whatever chips may be left and try again or you know go to plan B, but man fascinating. I definitely appreciate you sharing that story. Was there ever a time along your journey where you wanted to give up and you said, "You know, this is harder than I wanted it to be. I should just go back to you know back to the Hollywood studios or the studio's in Germany and just work in the office again?"
Victoria: Oh yes, I mean I think you have this struggle in whatever job or company you pick or whatever you create. So, I never thought of going back into the office, but sure there was a thing where I picked the wrong agency and I lost a lot of money and also energy there and I knew by intuition that it wasn't the right decision and this is why from now on I just go with my intuition and this is just a good advice I think for anyone especially in the business field to go with that because it's so important on the people you collaborate with. Napoleon Hill talks about that in his book Think and Grow Rich already, so that just makes a huge difference so who you surround yourself with and especially when it comes to business because then these people also yes have a part of your responsibility and also kind of also control what you do especially in my field so they started to control what I do, what I had to wear and all that and I knew again that felt something like office again and I knew I had to get out of the contract with lawyers so, but really at tough phases of course and I think just as well these things make us stronger and you evolve around that and this is also something even when it's negative, but it can push you to another level because you have to learn new things, you have to find a way out. Maybe you get a coach or mentor because you are so stuck in your situation you can't see the exit and a mentor would be like on a mountain and just watching you from above and say hey just go right and left and you are out. And so that helped me. It also drove me then into podcasting because I needed something for my mind to create and also to give me the feeling that I'm in control. I control the content. I control the guests and everything, so it really helped to bring also the magic back after that these negative experiences.
Steve: Well, I can sure relate and I want to just drive this point home for Awesomers. You know, Victoria just said you know her intuition was telling her that it was the right deal, but often we subordinate our instincts when we think well they're bigger, they're smarter, they've been around, they have this experience, but when it doesn't feel right or when your Spidey sense is tingling or the intuition is telling you this isn't right, you know your guts, you got to trust your guts and even if you can't articulate the reason I would highly recommend sticking with your gut instinct and I've more than one time went against my gut trying to say well these other people are better, smarter, faster, whatever and most often I've regretted that decision. So, that's point number one which I think is really really important. The other point is when it when it goes wrong, it's not just your time, it's not just your money that gets wasted, but the energy vampires really that could be just catastrophic for your mental health. When somebody is taking your energy or they're just sucking the life out of you like a vampire would that's – not everybody talks about it, but boy it sure is a big factor. Did you Victoria find that this was a factor for you when they would tell you to change this or change that? Did it just drain you?
Victoria: Yes, oh yes so much and you know what Steve, I think it's also when it comes to intuition that we get signs and our mind is so busy so we don't listen to it or it's like the channel is blocked because all the information is coming in. There are 11 million bits of information we are processing at every second, but we're only aware of around 40 of them. Everything else goes into our subconscious mind. And so if we would pay attention we would get all the signals and in my case with this agency it was really strong because I was at home and walking the floor and I had a mirror there and I was like 5 feet away and the mirror dropped and splintered into like a thousand pieces there and that was so scary because I wasn't anywhere near and I thought hmm I mean this is not a good sign so everyone knows the saying when a mirror breaks and I don't want to go into this, it was just like strange and then also I was just about to sign the contract and I was so sure it's wrong, but they did so much pressure on me to do it because they were smelling all this money they could get on a very easy basis there. And I wasn't about to sign it and I was on tour and you know what, the engine of my car didn't work so I tried, I tried, I tried it again and no problem so far, but that day just with the contract in hands, the engine didn't start and I mean now looking backwards it was so clear, but I was so ok I have to do that, I have to do that, I'm going to do that. There's no other way, I have to do it and yes ended up like costing me a lot of money and as you mentioned especially energy and this is something I think that we have to protect really because everything is energy and everything we are doing consumes energy and we really need the energy to come up with great things, but when it's sucked out of us it can be really tough.
Steve: Boy and it's tough to replenish as well. I totally agree with you. Gosh, it sounds like all the signals were flying at you, you got the mirrors, your car breaking down. I suppose we could have thrown through a black cat in there for you to try to tell you not to sign, but the message just didn't get through. That's an important lesson and a lesson I think a lot of us identify with. I certainly do. More than one time I've gone against my intuition or my gut instinct and regretted it later. That's one of my axioms that I call "I'm getting tired of being right all the time. I'm tired of it especially when I don't follow my instinct." It's a hard lesson learned. So, we're going to take another quick break. When we come back, we're going to talk a little bit about the future. We're going to talk a little bit about the new book and some more about this magic because it's fascinating to see how you know a magic business works and going around touring the world and your new TV show and everything. So, we're going to do that right after this break.
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Steve: Okay. Here we are back again everybody. Steve Simonson on the Awesomers.com podcast joined today again by Victoria and we're talking about magic. We're talking about black cats and broken mirrors. We got some really good stuff happening and – but I want to dive into a little bit about what you're doing today before we hit the future Victoria. We talked about in the beginning of the episode How Podcasting Can Change Your Life and subtitled Unleash Endless Possibilities. This is a new book that you've just released. Can you tell us what gave you the instinct or what gave you the incentive to write this book?
Victoria: Yes, because I've made so many great experiences having all this great guests on my show like New York Times bestseller authors and I think a lot of people I wouldn't have got in contact otherwise without having the podcast and I thought hmm there is so much magic in it and I really would like to inspire people to do that. And I wrote the book under J SR so my real name not Victoria Mavis in that case not that you're confused by looking it up on Amazon. And yes when I had this idea I found out it was also by accident about Podcast Movement and I'm sure you know Steve it's the biggest podcast event in the world so far and I just had a feeling I have to go there. So, it was kind of crazy. It came to me in the middle of the night and I just saw very small advertisement on one website. I can't remember where it was and I just thought what is that so I never heard of that before. It was like six weeks after I got into podcasting. So, I wrote to Jared who's one of the organizers. Hey, I could come out and perform some magic and also do a session there for you and he agreed.
Steve: Nice.
0:30:42 (Magic is also about communication.)
Victoria: So, I was sure yes I have to be there. So I flew out from Munich to Philadelphia where it was this year 2018 and I performed magic there. It was just great, so fantastic people. We're 2,500 attendees and I also gave a session on where to find guests for your podcast and how – the best tricks to make them say yes because as I said I learned everything here in magic because magic is also about communication, so when you get people on stage to help you in an illusion you only have like split seconds to decide if this person in the audience is going to work on stage or not and this is also where intuition kicks in because when you pick the wrong person everything can go wrong and you know it's life so it's not TV, you can't do it again it's just life and it happens as it happens and yes so that is – that I had good tools that helped me to get great guests for my podcast and also to do these interviews and it's really about that when we change the patterns of our communication we change our reality because you know Steve it's said the magic words, so abracadabra and only a few people know what that means. It actually means I create as I speak. It says that our words are very powerful. Our words hold power and this is also true for podcasting obviously yes and when you podcast the message goes directly into your brain. And from magic I learned hypnosis so I know pretty good how to influence people and get them to do what I want I mean in a good way for entertainment purpose only. I don't make them things they don't want to do, but I think this is also something to keep in mind to decide very wisely what you're going to say and it's also about the inner self-talk. So, everything you're telling yourself on a daily basis will have a huge impact on your mindset and whether you will be successful in your business or not.
Steve: Yes. Boy, that is such an important point and if – since we talked about hypnosis, if the audience hears me start clucking like a chicken you'll know that that I'm under the spell easily. I definitely find this idea of you know the show business and magic and you know all of it to be really just instructive about how you interact, you know from stage you're just telling a story or you're engaging an audience and that's not that different than a marketer right. You're trying to kind of interrupt them. You're trying to entertain them or at least get them to pay attention to you and you're more likely to pay attention longer if it is a combination of education and entertainment. Is that kind of your founding philosophy of how all this stuff merges together?
Victoria: Yes, kind of. So, my focus is really on mindset and when I work with people and coach them or with companies to learn them word mindset and how it works together. There are a lot of strategies that play and it's also around environment because it's very important where you work and also for the creative part because coming up with magic ideas I really have to come up with completely new approaches and when I do that I change my environment completely. So, I go to a place, best case a place I have never been before because that way I can make sure that my mind is triggered with so many new things and can come up with new combinations and also keep in mind that input equals output, so whatever you put in your mind your mind will process like a computer and come up with the results for it. So, it's also that the best results come up when you do something completely different and maybe Steve you have also tried that before like sitting on your desk and putting a lot of pressure on yourself to come up with an idea now so that doesn't work. There is no magic involved in that. You really have to do something with it and it's a combination of the mindset and the environment that works best to really create magical results for your business.
Steve: Boy, I think that's such good advice. You know so often especially when we're in that day-to-day – I don't want to call it a grind, but just day-to-day routine we'll say and even entrepreneurs end up finding some sort of a routine right. They're like you know this day, that day and throughout the day you're going to find some patterns or repetition and without breaking the pattern by going to new locations it's – or you know introducing other people to the equation, it's hard to get that creativity and I definitely find that you know I used to write articles on cruise ships. I would just go on a cruise for a week because it was much easier for me to write on a cruise ship than it was in my office and that's just because of all those inputs you were talking about. Everything is new and the synapses are firing different pathways and for me that's that you know creativity comes from kind of seeing new things and movement and those types of things. Boy, I think that's a very insightful piece. Is this something that you found to be helpful to you as you travel around the world you get more and more ideas?
0:36:25 (Victoria gives a trick on how to get out of your routine thinking, a pattern interrupt, so that you get more ideas for your business.)
Victoria: Oh yes. I get the best ideas when I'm really in a new place and you mentioned something really good Steve with the patterns and when I do a speaking gig for a company or at a conference around this mindset topic and how a magician would approach this business thing or maybe a plateau in business and how to break through so this is really where I can help people with that. And I open this speech with pattern interrupt, so I have a special video to get people out of their routine and their routine thinking and it's also you can use this against yourself in like tricking yourself because maybe you know that Steve, so I'm really a big fan of chocolate. This is one of the few things I miss when I'm in the United States because the chocolate is not that good over there, so you have great burgers, but here in Germany and Switzerland we definitely have better chocolate so–
Steve: I agree.
Victoria: –I really love eating them and then there's a thing, you know when you have chocolate in your environment you will eat it. So, the first trick is to remove it from environment because then you can't eat it. But when you have one there there's also a clever trick to trick yourself. When you feel the desire to eat the chocolate, you could do like 20 sit-ups and this will already interrupt the thought pattern you have, the desire you want to have the chocolate and very likely after that you won't feel this strong need to eat it because you are in a different course and of course it works with everything in business so you can interrupt yourself on purpose and like save yourself from self sabotage mechanism.
Steve: I love that. That's a very good trick because especially in hotel rooms when chocolate just shows up unsolicited it's really hard for me to look away from it and it just sits there on the nightstand staring at me. Yes, if I had to do sit-ups or if I made that my interrupt I would definitely have the abs of steel by now with all the chocolates they deliver.
Victoria: Yes, and I think Steve there comes the magician out in you because you can make the chocolate disappear I guess.
Steve: You know, I can. Yes. It doesn't even matter how much they deliver, I can always make it disappear. So, I'm fascinated by this – I like this idea of pattern interruption. I definitely support and completely agree with you in terms of the mindset. You know, in the computer programming space where I started as a kid, we learned an acronym and it was G-I-G-O gigo and what it means is garbage in garbage out and I think this has to do with mental wellness, physical wellness, whatever, you know whatever your inputs are that's your outputs and you talked about that earlier and I couldn't agree more with you. I think that's absolutely, absolutely right. So, I tell you what I want to get a prediction from you. As we as we fly up kind of the 30,000-foot view, how do you see you know maybe it's your own TV show or the collaboration, but how do you see kind of the magic and the entrepreneurial businesses, how do you see all that kind of going together whether or not they collide or collaborate, how do you see those things changing over the next five years if at all?
0:39:52 (Victoria predicts the future of magic and entrepreneurial businesses over the next five years.)
Victoria: Yes. Well, I think I have a big focus on this TV show because this was always my dream to bring together my film studies and the magic and so being able to spread the magic without being as person on stage because you know that was the biggest issue. By just being a magician, I could only make money by being in person on stage and now I'm looking at the other end of the spectrum where you could automate things and it's really that they say systems run your business so, but there was no way to tell someone else hey you do the show for me tonight, so I had to do it myself and I still do of course. But I was just looking to another field and how I can create a bigger impact worldwide with not that much energy like doing it once, building this asset and this thing can work for me then and this is the thing with the TV show where I put all my energy at the moment to create the episodes of the first season because we agreed that every episode will be completely different, inspiring, also telling magic stories and give you some background information, also inspirations, things to learn. And I'm also more focused as I said on being a speaker on stage like sharing my knowledge in psychology, being an author around podcasting mindset and do that and I think that's two separate worlds that enrich each other, but also can just stand alone and as I said so it's about creating this TV project once and then seeing how it goes to produce maybe the second and third season, but then yes doing this and also being still life on stage because I grew up with that and I just loved it to be there and it's all so different it's when you compare doing stage magic and close-up magic what I both do so both worlds require completely different skill sets. And I think it's also true for entrepreneurs that it keeps your mind awake and yourself likely when you're while different things because when you're just only focused on one thing – I mean it depends on the field. It could be good, but I think it brings in a lot more value when you are doing different things, different projects and like dealing with your energy in a right way, so you have different people and yes, you are still – you are always on the spot. So, you have to act, you have to be aware and conscious, be present and I think this is also a great value for being an entrepreneur.
Steve: No. No doubt it is. You know, there's so much in there that is of value and I know that the Awesomers listening at home are really appreciating here and kind of a little bit about your story and also you know being – get the mindset check up a little bit because we often will find ourselves getting stuck in the rhythm right. We get stuck in our own pattern and without having that opportunity to break out of that pattern you know it does get boring and there can be things that it is like you know what's the next thing that will get me interested and I definitely, I'm very impressed and blown away by all the things you're able to do, but I love the idea of leverage right. You're saying hey with this TV show, I can do the shows and then I've got this asset that will keep you know helping educate and keep spreading the mission I feel important without me physically having to be there, which it's hard to scale you everywhere at all times I would imagine.
Victoria: Yes, and I was really long stuck with that and also in my mindset, I thought how can I do that? I can like do sometimes I did three shows an evening, but then we are again back Steve with the energy thing. It sucks you out because when you are on stage you have to give 100% of yourself and people will feel the energy and after three shows you are kind of bad for that moment and also with your voice. So, I thought this is not the way. This is going to go and I was looking for new opportunities, new options and as I said it's about shifting your mindset and whenever you learn something new you mentioned also the synapses before in our brain, so when we learn something new we will immediately see new things because so far we only see what we know because our brain thinks in this pattern and this is where the magic comes in and also why magic is working because I can show you something Steve directly in front of you with close-up magic and you wouldn't see the secret even if it was just in front of your face, but you don't know this magic tool I'm using so you can't see it anyway.
Steve: Yes, that's totally right. I've been to like the Magic Castle in the Los Angeles area around Hollywood and the close-up magic there even the stage magic there they always get me. I never know what's going on. I think magic is a very intriguing and a very important you know part of the entertainment spectrum and it's no surprise to me, but it may be to others that it just continues to be such a powerful draw to people and that's because people like to be surprised. They like to be delighted and when I have those close-up magic people you know make things disappear or bend things or whatever they're doing it's yes, it's just my brain is happy when I see surprises like that.
Victoria: Yes, that's fantastic and it also expands your mind and as I said when you learn this magician's mindset it will as well expand your mind and you know we just see also what we believe and we've built all these beliefs and from hypnosis you learn that until the age of 7 you are like in a constant trance meaning everything that is going around you will have a really deep impact on your subconscious mind and will influence you maybe for the rest of your life. So, it's about to change those things and this is why there's also this magical aspect when it comes to hypnosis because like trauma that happens in seconds most of the time like being afraid of heights or whatever, so it just takes seconds for your brain and then it will last there for 30 years or something. And the good thing is with hypnosis you are also able to solve that in seconds when you do it right because it just took seconds to get up and you can resolve it the same way and this is why I'm so fascinated with our mind and brain and everything that is going on there and what we can change and as I said then it's really that people become as I like to call the magician's themselves because when they understand how everything plays together in our mind they can consciously create the reality they would like to have.
Steve: I love it. Yes. I like that idea of mind magicians. That's pretty good stuff. Victoria it's been excellent having you on board today and I've certainly learned a lot. I love the story. I love the background. Any final words you care to leave with the Awesomers out there listening?
Victoria: Yes, so you heard about the book I'm happy when you check it out and leave me a review. There's a lot of magic in the book, podcasting magic of course and yes the last words I think a quote I really love is every adventure is just one decision away.
Steve: Oh, I like that, very nice very nice and Awesomers out there or once you grab up that book How Podcasting Can Change Your Life: Unleash Endless Possibilities, we know we're going to leave a review because that's what we do. We pay it forward and we like reviews on our products, on our websites, on our services, etc. and so we also leave reviews because we are not just takers, we're makers. So, we'll definitely get on that for you Victoria, appreciate having you on today and Awesomers out there listening, we'll be right back after this.
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Steve: Oh, what a fun time. Victoria is very kind to call in from Germany late at night and join us for a very revealing episode not just about the parts of her life that were very interesting, which includes kind of that paradox of lots of education, but also a quest for entrepreneurialship or is it entrepreneurship, I don't know how to say it, but the fact that you know she's so well educated at you know her parents insistence and really you know some of her father's background, but she followed her dream nonetheless and even though there's this general idea of you know oh I can always fall back on this or that she really has no intention of falling back, she's completely all-in and she talked about in her book How Podcasting Can Change Your Life you know some of these lessons learned and that's a book that I've already placed an order on Amazon and I'm going to get on there, read it and then leave her a nice review and I certainly hope that you'll do the same. If you're interested in understanding how podcasting works and maybe what it can do for you or your business, it's definitely something that you should consider. I like the general principle of adding magic to your mindset and considering a little bit of a differentiation you know how can you do things different, how can you surprise and delight your customer. You don't have to do close-up magic per se right, that's – let's leave that up to the pros, but is there a way you can delight your customer and surprise them? Is there something you can do? And the answer is yes. It's always yes. The question is how do you decide to do it, how do you proceed with it and that is you know part of the lessons that I hope you were able to try to get you know a sense just a little bit in today's episode. Now again, this is podcast Episode Number 69 from Awesomers.com. Our podcast series is really growing and I hope that you will go to Awesomers.com/69 to grab some of the links and show notes and things like that that we've discussed here today.
Well we've done it again everybody. We have another episode of the Awesomers podcast ready for the world. Thank you for joining us and we hope that you've enjoyed our program today. Now is a good time to take a moment to subscribe, like and share this podcast. Heck you can even leave a review if you wanted. Awesomers around you will appreciate your help. It's only with your participation and sharing that we'll be able to achieve our goals. Our success is literally in your hands. Thank you again for joining us. We are at your service. Find out more about me, Steve Simonson, our guest, team and all the other Awesomers involved at Awesomers.com. Thank you again.
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Paris House is located upper place of the old Sarti village, just near the first entrance of Sarti and only five minute's walk to the wonderful beach. Every studio has been tastefully designed and different colored. Ideal for families and couples that like to be away from the crowds.
The studios of the new house are modern furnished. All studios have kitchenette, bathroom, balcony with chairs and table. In the studio there are beds for 2-3 persons, wardrobe, TV, A/C(with extra charge) and free Wi-fi internet. The kitchenette is equipped with all basic facilities such as a fridge, an electric cooker with two plates, a casserole (frying pan), a cooking pot, and cutlery, plates and glasses according to the number of beds. In the bathroom you can find shower, WC and washbasin.


Last week, we joined 8500+ attendees from over 40 countries at Shoptalk 2018. This was our debut year as sponsors, exhibitors, and TechTalk presenters and our team came away energized for 2018! Over the course of three days, we had the opportunity to meet with hundreds of retailers from around the world, and what we heard loud and clear is that preventing profit leakage and ending the "death by discount" cycle is a mission-critical priority in 2018.
The level of speakers and the content presented at Shoptalk is what sets this event apart from other industry events and is what I suspect the driver for their 3x annual growth rate.
"Data is the backbone of retail," Daniel Alegre, President of Retail and Shopping at Google, stressed in his keynote speech. Google announced a new product – Shopping Actions – in an effort to help retailers grow bigger baskets.
Macy's transformation: Jeff Gennette, Chairman and CEO of Macy's Inc. wowed the room with his presentation on Macy's transformation, "The Path to Growth," revealing new innovation around in-store self-checkout, and the focus on private-label growth and how it is putting their customers at the forefront.
According to Emily Weiss, Founder and CEO of Glossier, retailers must "give your shoppers a voice; you have to truly listen to them and not just make them feel heard." For this beauty brand, allowing customers to socially connect and share their views and skincare routines will build brand image.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine learning took center stage. Not surprisingly, the use of AI and machine-learning science for transformative results in retail was a theme throughout the week. Although at Revionics we have been pioneering and advancing AI and machine learning in retail for more than a decade for some of the most elite retailers, it was refreshing to see retailers finally moving beyond the hype (both negative and positive) and accepting that it is now a must-have strategic driver for retail.
Data science approaches continue to evolve. The Ph.D.s at Wharton shared insight into how combining observable data with neuroscience and consumer psychology to create impactful customer experiences, predict brand success and maximize CLV.
The tried-and-true "do nothing" strategy is no longer an option. Retail disruptors have already incorporated machine-learning science into their pricing, promotion, and markdown strategies. In our TechTalk session, my colleague Mark Schwans, Revionics' Senior Director of Solutions Marketing, shared his thoughts on applying machine-learning algorithms in the real world, and gave examples of how our clients are using machine learning science to achieve measurable, significant impact on both the top and bottom line.
One of the most interesting sessions was Alibaba's track on retail and ecommerce innovation in China where Souheil Badran, President of Alipay North America and Lee McCabe, VP/GM of North America discussed why brands and retailers should look to China to see what the future of retail looks like. The growth of ecommerce shoppers is expected to rise to 891 million in China by 2020 compared to the United States' 270 million and is expected to account by 27% of the 57% of sales that will be online by 2019. Although a powerful ecommerce titan, Alibaba's move to brick and mortar using a new playbook is impressive and seeing AI as part of their current and future growth is sure to make a difference.
Know Your Shoppers. Personalization was also on everyone's minds. The days of treating all customers the same are long gone. It's critical that you know what drives your shoppers' behaviors.
More growth ahead for Shoptalk? It's exciting to see Shoptalk gain – and sustain – momentum. The event has had some minor growing pains and there is room for improvement on the logistics side, but I believe it definitely has the potential to take its place as one of the top retail events annually. I'm eager to watch this event grow and evolve in the coming years!