The Tim Ferriss Show

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#679: Simon Coronel, World Champion of Magic — Quitting the Day Job, The Delights of the Magic Castle, Finding Glitches in Reality, Learning How to Use Your Own Brain, and Worshiping at the Altar of Wonder

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Jun 28, 2023

Guest

Simon Coronel

Simon Coronel, a World Champion magician and performer at the Magic Castle, shares his journey from corporate life to embracing his magical passion. He discusses mastering time through 'radical earliness,' the profound emotional connection in magic, and his experiences with mentalism's ethical dilemmas. Coronel reflects on overcoming personal challenges, including neurodivergence and imposter syndrome, all while balancing creativity and business. His insights illuminate the transformative power of wonder and the joy of conjuring extraordinary experiences.

02:29:48

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Episode notes

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ADVICE

Radical Earliness

To avoid being late, Simon Coronel recommends radical earliness.
Arrive an hour or two early and relax before appointments.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Magic Castle Meeting

The Magic Castle, a unique venue, blends a magician's club with public performances.
Tim Ferriss and Simon Coronel first met there, discussing its history and eclectic mix of performers.

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ANECDOTE

Discovering Magic

Simon Coronel discovered magic at 18 after joining a university magic club.
Witnessing a card trick sparked his fascination with the art form and its power.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Mastering Time: The Strategy of Radical Earliness

03:36 • 4min

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Enchanting Journeys: Magic, Mystique, and Memories

07:30 • 12min

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The Journey of Magic and Understanding

19:17 • 14min

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Journey from Mundanity to Magic: Embracing the Extraordinary

33:21 • 5min

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Balancing Magic and Career

37:51 • 25min

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The Thrill of Competition: Magic Unveiled

01:03:02 • 24min

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Embracing Vulnerability at the Moment of Triumph

01:26:36 • 5min

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Magic, Milestones, and Mentalism

01:31:26 • 25min

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The Ethics and Artistry of Mentalism

01:56:41 • 20min

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From Magic to Puzzles: Crafting Joy through Innovation

02:17:02 • 4min

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Embracing Change and Creativity

02:20:47 • 5min

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Ultimate Travel Comfort and Coffee Brewing Excellence

02:26:02 • 4min

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The 4-Hour Chef

The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life

Tim Ferriss

In 'The 4-Hour Chef', Tim Ferriss uses cooking as a vehicle to teach 'meta-learning', a step-by-step process for mastering any skill quickly. The book is divided into five sections: Meta-Learning, The Domestic, The Wild, The Scientist, and The Professional. It includes tips and stories from world-class chefs, athletes, and other experts, and focuses on overcoming common obstacles in learning and cooking. The book aims to make readers self-sufficient in the kitchen and in life, applying principles of failure points and margin of safety to ensure success.

Brought to you by AeroPress 3-in-1 coffee press for delicious brews, Allbirds incredibly comfortable shoes, and LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 900M+ users.

Simon Coronel (simoncoronel.com) is legally classified as an “Alien of Extraordinary Ability” by the United States Government for his skills as a magician and illusionist. Simon discovered magic in 1999 as a first-year student at Melbourne University. He then spent five years working full time in management consulting while juggling his “secret” performance career.

He’s currently a jigsaw puzzle designer for The Magic Puzzle Company, which has the #1-backed puzzle on Kickstarter of all time, and is a regular performer at the Magic Castle in Hollywood.

Simon has appeared twice on the hit TV show Penn & Teller: Fool Us. He has won over a dozen international awards for magic, including being crowned the World Champion of Magic in 2022 at FISM, the Olympics of magic.

Please enjoy!

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[06:12] Radical earliness.

[08:23] The Magic Castle.

[17:27] Catching the magic bug at age 18.

[19:56] Acknowledging neurodivergence.

[28:16] Glitches in Reality.

[30:53] The road to winning the 2022 FISM World Championship of Magic.

[53:04] Workshopping out the kinks before the competition.

[57:59] The muse and the Shoot seal of approval.

[1:01:31] Gauging audience perception and finding balance pre-game.

[1:05:49] The big day.

[1:18:45] Categories of stage magic.

[1:20:15] Ugly crying through victory.