Merry Christmas

Wishing all my friends, family and clients the warmest and most magical of greetings on this Christmas Day 2013. May the Magic of the Day be yours!

Tyroni's and Show Tickets

If you're looking for a fun time this evening, it's my monthly appearance at Tyroni's in Bartonville, from 5:00 to 7:30 PM.

And I'm happy to announce that tickets are now available for my third annual ART of Magic show at Cherry Street in Galesburg on January 18.  You can learn more and purchase tickets HERE.

My Thanks...

I want to wish a wonderfully peaceful and joyous Thanksgiving to all my friends, family, clients, and anyone else who's following me online or elsewhere.  I'm deeply grateful for the blessings I receive through the support of so many people in so many different ways.  True magic.  Thanks for sharing your magic with me.

New Book Review

My book, A Call to Magic, just got a very positive review in Midwest Book Review.  Here's a quote from the review:

"Simply stated, if you only have time to read one self-help, self-improvement instructional guide, then make it A Call to Magic - the Artful Science of Transforming Self and World. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in both tone and content, Mitch Williams is a truly gifted communicator, and his A Call To Magic will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to Self Help reference collections."

Come to Bartonville Tonight!

Yep, tonight's my monthly appearance at Tyroni's Italian Cafe in Bartonville. Note my new winter schedule: 5:00--7:30 PM.  First Wednesday of every month.  Hope to see you there!

National Magic Day and Me on TV!

Do you know what this Thursday is?  Yes, it's October 31 and you're probably thinking "Halloween", right?  While that's true, it's also National Magic Day and this week is National Magic Week.

To celebrate the magic, I'll be appearing as a guest on the morning news show on WEEK TV-25.  If you're up really early (I'll probably be on a little before 6 AM) be sure to catch me.  I might even do some spooky "Halloween magic"!

Hiring a Keynote Speaker

An article in Forbes with some good advice for hiring keynote speakers for corporate meetings or conferences: "Hiring A Professional Keynote Speaker? Not Until You Read This"

Meeting and Event Trends

Here's an interesting article I just found on the IMEX American meeting and event planners' conference in Las Vegas, and notably, a report on current and future trends in the meeting and event industry. You can read it HERE.

Interview Link

I had a blast talking with Rick Mizuno yesterday. His show was broadcast live from Hollywood, but if you missed it, here's the direct link to the interview:  LISTEN NOW.

Indies in Motion Promo

Here's the promo that show host Rick Mizuno sent about the show today:

Don't miss this next happening session of engaging conversations and HOT music by some of the best artists involved in all things creative. In the IiM house with your always upbeat host, Rick Mizuno, we have Magician and Author of "A Call to Magic", Mitch Williams, plus jamming grooves by Country Singer, Brandon Maddox, HipHop Artist, Risk On Da Disk and Rock/Pop Band, Mental Monky Ballet.

Monday, Oct 14 at 1pm PST on Ch1 of www.gvbradio.com

Listen/Download/Watch shows 24/7 at: www.gvbradio.com/indiesinmotion

FREE iTunes downloads (keyword: Indies in Motion w/ Rick Mizuno) or click link on: www.indiesinmotion.com

Link Update

Someone recently let me know that the link I had posted on September 20 to my
interview on Design Your Dream Life with Bertrand Dory did not take you directly to my interview. I've now corrected the original post, and HERE is the correct link.

Indies in Motion Interview

I'm really excited to announce a live interview I'll be doing tomorrow, Monday, October 14 on Indies in Motion radio program with host, Rick Mizuno, broadcast live from Hollywood. Indies in Motion is a show that features independent artists of all kinds:  musicians, entertainers, authors, fine artists, and now, for the first time a magician! The show is at 1 PM west coast time, or 3 PM here.

You can listen live on Channel 1 of www.GVBRadio.com. Or to if you miss the live broadcast and would like to hear it later, they also archive the past shows (I'm told the shows are usually available about two hours after the live broadcast). You can find those links HERE. Archived shows are also available on iTunes. Once I have a direct link to my interview, I'll try to post that as well.

Let's Meet in Bartonville...

It's that time of the month again (no, not that time of month).  It's first Wednesday, and time to stop by Tyroni's in Bartonville to see my amazing magic this evening from 5:30 to 8:00 PM.  (I just love the smell of their garlic bread!)

Holiday Event Planning Tips

Are you planning a party or other event for the holidays?  Do you intend to make entertainment a part of the event?  Be sure to check out my article on How To Use Entertainment to MakeYour Holiday Party a Smashing Success.

I'd love to offer my services for your event, but regardless of your choice for entertainment, I'm happy to assist.  The article has some valuable tips on how to choose the best entertainment for your event, and if you have questions or need advice, please feel free to call me. I'd be glad to offer my expertise from years of providing entertainment for a wide variety of parties and special events. Even if you decide to go another route, I can give you a free consultation to help you make the best decision on entertainment.

And of course, if you would like to make magic a part of the festivities, I can provide a program that your guests will absolutely love and will be talking about for months to come, guaranteed!

Create Your Reality Interview

My interview with Lynn Crocker on the Create Your Reality radio program on the Amazing Women of Power radio network will be airing this coming Monday, September 23 at 1:30 and 7:30 PM (CST)  (That's 11:30 AM and 5:30 PM PST.)  You can listen HERE.

And if you miss the live program, you can listen to the replay HERE.

Design Your Dream Life Interview

My interview on Design Your Dream Life with Bertrand Dory has now posted and is available for listening HERE.

And be sure to stop by Cherry Street in Galesburg tomorrow night.  Great food, fun atmosphere, amazing magic.  Then stick around for the DJ's too!

Event Planning Resource

I think I've mentioned Cvent before.  They're an online event planning company with a variety of helpful resources.  But I just discovered that their event planning blog was just named the 2013 Content Marketing award winner for best overall corporate blog by the Content Marketing Institute.  It features some cutting edge articles on planning events that are sure to be useful to anyone from meeting planners to conference organizers to someone coordinating an employee Christmas party.

Book Review and Interviews

I just found out that my book, A Call to Magic, received a rather nice review on Readers' Favorites Book Reviews.

Also, if you've been looking for the Design Your Dream Life interview that I recorded and mentioned previously, it's still not up, as the lead time is a bit longer than I initially realized.  But it should be up soon, and I'll try to make an announcement once it is.

I also just recorded another interview that will be available sometime in the next couple of weeks, and I'll post updates about that as well.

Keep in touch!

Interview and Newsletter

I'm recording an interview tomorrow on the Design Your Dream Life radio show with Bertrand Dory.  It will be available online for listening on Sunday.

And if you haven't seen it, here's a link to my latest The Magic Word newsletter.

If you'd like to receive my newsletter by email (I send it out about 4--5 times a year), you can subscribe below:

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Interview Replay

Here's the replay from my interview on the Transformed Traveler radio show with Rick Tocquigny:

Discover Life Internet Radio with Lessons Learned on BlogTalkRadio

You can also access the interview directly HERE.

Interview Rescheduled

In case you tried to tune it, my interview for today on the Transformed Traveler show got rescheduled to 11:00 AM.

Radio Interview Tomorrow

I just found out I'll be doing another radio interview tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM CST.  It's on the "Transformed Traveler" show on Life's Lessons Network on BlogTalk radio.  You can listen HERE.

Looking for Something To Do Tonight?

Cherry Street in Galesburg is a blast.  And that's not just because I'm there with my incredibly entertaining close up magic.  Tonight from 7:00 to 9:30 PM.  It's just a great, fun place to spend a Saturday night.

On My Way to Tyroni's

And I'll be there soon.  5:30 to 8:00 PM tonight.  Be sure to stop by for (air conditioning), great Italian food, and my superlative close up magic (even if I do say so myself!)

See you soon!

A Call to Magic Interview Replays

Here's the replay of the interview I did last night on Real Talk With Lee.  I'm the last guest on the program, and my interview comes on during the last 20 minutes or so of the show.  And here's the interview/podcast I did for the Total Mind Success podcast with Danek Kaus on July 21.  In both cases I talked about my book and about how to bring more "real magic" into our lives.

Radio Interview Tomorrow

Tomorrow, Thursday, August 1, I'll be doing an interview on the popular entertainment blogtalk radio program, Real Talk With Lee.  It's airing live tomorrow evening around 7:30 CST.

Corporate Event Planning Tips

Here's something useful for my corporate clients.  It's an article I just found with 10 Tips for Successful Corporate Event.  Some helpful, straight forward ideas on event planning.

Last Chance to See Me at Culver's

Culver's in Morton will be ending their kid's night promotion after next week.  Next Monday, July 22 will be your last chance to see me there.  There's face painting, meal deals for the kids, and magic by yours truly -- just one more Monday evening!

Mystical Cruise Interview

I had a great talk this afternoon with host Robert Sharpe, on his Mystical Cruise radio program. Here's the interview for replay, in case you missed it:

Listen to internet radio with BITEradio me on BlogTalkRadio

Interviews

I'm doing a couple interviews this week to promote my book, A Call to Magic, that you can check out if you like.  The first one is tomorrow at 3 PM central time, and the show is Mystical Cruise with host, Robert Sharpe.  You can use the link to listen live, or for the archived show afterwards.

On Thursday I'm recording an interview on a podcast, Total Mind Success--Interviews with Success Experts with Danek Kaus.  I'm not sure when the show will be posted, but I'll update that when I get the information.

I'm also in the process of booking some other interviews as well, and I'll post updates as I have them.

Updates

I'm back!  OK, I wasn't really "gone", but since I was off last weekend, so after working Tyroni's on Wednesday the 3rd, the next day we left for an awesome camping and hiking trip up to Apple River Canyon State Park in norther Illinois.  Really relaxing, really awesome time.  We even caught a great fireworks show in the small town of Stockton.  Anyway, I'm returning to Cherry Street in Galesburg tonight, and Monday evenings at Culver's in Morton are continuing as well.

Farewell, Old Friend

I just learned that a close friend and fellow magician, Amos Levkovitch, passed away after a long battle with cancer.  Amos was one of the most warm hearted and genuinely gracious people I've ever met--in addition to being a really talented performer.  He will be missed.

WEEK-TV Interview

I just came across an interview I did last January on the morning news program on TV-25 with Garry Moore from last January.  I was promoting a book signing event and my annual ART of Magic show at Cherry Street.  I didn't realize this one was posted online. Anyway, here it is:

Being the Hero

This past weekend Kathi's sister and her daughter came to visit, and we took a trip down to Springfield to see the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum.  That evening when we got home, we rented and watched the movie, Lincoln.  (I recommend both the museum and the movie highly, if you haven't experienced either of them—or even if you have!)  So for pretty much the entire day, we were immersed in the experience of Lincoln's life.  It all lead to some rather spirited and inspiring conversation and contemplation for all of us.

One of the major challenges of Lincoln's presidency, perhaps even more important than the Emancipation Proclamation or winning the war, was getting the 13th Amendment to the Constitution passed in Congress, officially ending slavery.  Lincoln had to pull out all the stops, in the face of seemingly insurmountable opposition, from both those in favor of slavery, as well as the abolitionists, in order to influence enough Congressmen to vote for the bill to get it passed.  We now think of Lincoln as one of the greatest Presidents, but he wasn't seen that way until after his death!  During his Presidency, his was criticized and ridiculed, and opposed more harshly than perhaps any other person of his day.

In our conversations we were expressing our amazement at his achievement and acknowledging Lincoln as a true hero.  And we began to explore what it is that makes a hero.  Heroism isn't just about bravery or conquering an opponent.  It's about acting consistently on the highest sense of integrity and honesty.  This is what Lincoln was able to do with unwavering focus, even in the face of circumstances that were heart-wrenchingly overwhelming and even devastating.

Any time that we act with integrity and honesty for what we sense as in the best interests of all involved, rather than taking the easy way out, it is an act of heroism.  When we are willing to take this narrow path of what Joseph Campbell called "the hero's journey", all manner of circumstances often come to our aid.  Even though Lincoln faced powerful opposition, through his unwavering dedication to the pursuit of justice, the perfect set of circumstances eventually came together to help him achieve his goal.

Even though we're normally not faced with such overwhelming odds, it can nonetheless be difficult to consistently act on what we know is right rather than opting for the easy choice.  When we do, when we choose the heroism of service to others, there is real magic in play.  In that sense heroism is simple but not necessarily easy.  But we do always have this choice, and upon it we build our lives, for good or ill.

Planning Corporate Events

For my corporate clients, I just came across this helpful article on "How to Plan a Successful Corporate Event".  Interestingly, one of the points the article makes is that trends in corporate events have shifted to being more fun:  that companies have learned that "the most effective way to deliver a message or share information is experientially".  Which of course is something I've advocated for many years.

Culvers Mondays

I'm currently continuing my Monday evening appearances at Culver's Restaurant in Morton. Mondays are "Superhero and Princess Night" at Culvers.  Kids 12 and under that dress up as their favorite superhero or princess receive a $1.99 Kid’s Meal!  There's also a facepainter, and magic by yours truly.  I'm there from 5 to 7:00 pm, but the meal deal goes until 8:00.  Hope to see you there!

Sorry, No Cherry Street...

I have a private show this Saturday evening, and so won't be at Cherry Street this week.  See you all there next week!

Economic Cooperation

Here's another article on cooperation, this one on some rather interesting alternatives to our current financial system, that are based on local cooperation and "cooperatives" in contradistinction to our current debt based system.  Very interesting.  It's called: "Opting Out of Wall Street and Building Sustainable, Resilient Communities".

Cooperation

One of the key principles that I discuss in my book, A Call to Magic, is that cooperation is the fundamental foundation of human success, and not competition, contrary to frequent popular belief.  Here's an article that presents new evidence that cooperation is actually the driving force of evolution (not competition!) and expands on this to explore some rather interesting implications for our modern economic and social environment.

Come See Me!

Tonight is my monthly appearance at Tyroni's in Bartonville, from 5:30 to 8:00 PM.  Saturday is my regular spot at Cherry Street in Galesburg, 7:00 to 9:30 PM.  And I've just learned that my Monday evening appearances at Culver's in Morton have been extended, at least through May, and possibly longer.  So, plenty of opportunities to get your magic fix.  Here's a shot of me recently having fun with the customers at Cherry Street.

Mitch at Cherry Street

Review Me!

Have you worked with me before?  Have a moment to review my services?  Feel free to do so HERE.  Thanks!

Fun for the Kids -- Young AND Old!

Join me this Monday night at Culver's Restaurant in Morton for their Manic Monday, Superheros and Princesses night.  Young kids that come dressed as a superhero or a princess get a specially priced kids meal.  There's also a face painter, and magic by Yours Truly.

Tyroni's and Book Promo Extended

Tomorrow evening is my monthly appearance at Tyroni's in Bartonville. Note my new "summer" hours from 5:30 to 8:00 PM.

And if you missed my free Kindle promo for my A Call to Magic book over the weekend, I've extended it for one more day, for today only.  Feel free to share this with anyone you think might be interested.

Happy Easter!

Wishing everyone a true experience of rebirth and renewal this Easter. May your life be magically transformed in whatever way best meets your highest life's purpose.

And here's the latest update on my book promotion for A Call to Magic:  it's now hit number 4 in the "Personal Growth & Inspiration" category on Amazon.  Keep spreading the word: it's working!

Kindle Launch in Full Swing

As of this morning, A Call to Magic hit Number 6 in the "Personal Growth & Inspiration" category in the Free Kindle store on Amazon. Please keep spreading the word and let your friends know that it will be on free download at least through the weekend.  Let's see how high we can get it in the rankings.  The higher it goes, the higher it will start out in the paid best seller rankings when the free promo ends.  Thanks so much for your continued support!

A Call to Magic Now Free in Kindle Store on Amazon

That's right, the Kindle edition of my book, A Call to Magic - the Artful Science of Transforming Self and World, is now on a special free download promotion through the weekend (and possibly a bit longer). We're trying to get as many downloads as possible in the next three days.  Please help spread the word!  And get yours HERE!

Interview on ehealth radio network

Check out the newly released interview that I did on ehealth radio network, talking about some of the information in my book.  And the free promo for the Kindle version of my book will be starting on Friday.  It's my Easter gift to all.

TV Tomorrow!

For you early-birds, I'm going to be appearing once again on the morning news program on WEEK-TV 25 with Garry Moore tomorrow morning, probably around 5:45 AM.  I'm doing a guest spot to promote my Matinee show at Cherry Street on Saturday, as well as my regular spots at Cherry Street, Tyroni's, and Culver's in Morton.

Also coming up at the end of the month, a special promotion for a free download of the Kindle edition of my book, A Call to Magic.  Stay tuned for more details on that.

Magic Matinee with Mitch

(That's me!)  Just a quick reminder that my Kid-friendly, family oriented stage magic show at Cherry Street in Galesburg is coming up this Saturday at 1:30 PM.  For tickets and information, GO HERE.  I'll also be doing my regular evening spot at Cherry Street that night with tableside close up magic, though I might do a slightly earlier shift that day, depending upon the dinner rush.

Win a Copy of My Book!

Hey, would you like to win a free paperback copy of my book, A Call to Magic?  You can enter and get points by taking various actions such as "liking" my A Call to Magic Facebook page, following me on Twitter, and "tweeting" about the contest.  Here's the contest page.

Upcoming

I've got a busy month planned.  Beginning this coming Monday, March 4, I'll be performing tableside close up magic at Culver's Restaurant in Morton on Monday evenings from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.

My monthly appearance at Tyroni's in Bartonville is the coming Wednesday, March 6.

And, as previously announced, my Magic Matinee with Mitch show will be held at Cherry Street Restaurant in Galesburg at 1:30 PM on Saturday, March 23.  And of course, I'm also appearing at Cherry Street most Saturday evenings (including the 23rd) performing tableside close up magic.

Hope to see you at one of these locations sometime soon!

Kid President

Here's some encouragement from Kid President.  (Don't you wish our real elected officials made as much sense?!?)

One for the Kids

Several of you have been asking about this:

Because a lot of the customers at my regular Saturday night spot, Cherry Street Restaurant in Galesburg, have requested that I do a special show that they could bring their children to, we've decided to put on a special matinee program on Saturday, March 23 at 1:30 PM.  It's a "family friendly" (but then, all my programs are!) show geared specifically for children, parents, and "kids of all ages"!

To learn more, and purchase tickets, visit my show page:  Magic Matinee with Mitch.

Thanks to IAA

Just wanted to send a big "Thank You!" to the Illinois Auctioneers Association.  I presented a program last night at their annual conference.  They were terrific to work with, and they gave me a standing ovation at the end of my program.

Get Your Tyroni's Fix

Tonight's the night for February!  Come out to Tyroni's in Bartonville for great Italian food, inviting atmosphere, and mind blowing magic by yours truly.  Believe it or not, this month marks eight years that I've been performing at Tyroni's!  Time sure flies when you're having fun.  (And we sure do!)  Hope to see you there!

MLB Interview (2)

Here's a slightly longer version of my interview on the Major League Baseball Network, which also includes a plug for my book:

Book Signing Tomorrow

Just a quick reminder for everyone to stop by I Know You Like a Book in Peoria Heights tomorrow (Saturday, January 26) between 1:30 and 4 PM for my book signing event.  You'll love this wonderful little book store, and you can pick up my book, A Call to Magic - the Artful Science of Transforming Self and World.  Hope to see you there!

Here it is!

Here's my interview with that other Mitch Williams on the MLB Network, or at least most of it.  They edited out the end on the video, in which they plugged my book.  But still a fun spot.  Just click on the video to play it.

MLB Interview

The interview this morning on the Major League Network went well, though they were running a little late, so it didn't happen until about 8:30 or so.  I believe they are doing a replay of the show starting at 10:00 AM our time, so you can still catch it if you read this in time.  I'll see if I can get a link to the video of it once it's online.

News Flash -- Interview on MLB Network

For anyone who gets the MLB Network (that's Major League Baseball), I'm doing a phone interview tomorrow morning on the "Hot Stove" program for a segment called "Country Fried Fridays with Mitch Williams".  That's that other Mitch Williams, the "Wild Thing" former pitcher for the Cubs and other teams.  Apparently Mitch has been claiming he can do magic, so we're going to have a little chat about it.  Anyway I should be on the program around 9:15 AM EST, which is 8:15 AM our time.

Me on TV!

For you early birds, next Wednesday, January 16, I'll be appearing once again as a guest on the morning news program on WEEK-TV 25.  I'll be promoting my upcoming events, and as always, performing some magic.  Catch me if you can.

Stop By and Come in From the Cold Tonight at Tyroni's

It's cold outside, but it's warm inside at Tyroni's in Bartonville, where I'll be tonight, from 5:00 to 7:30 PM.  Stop by for some hot Italian food and some amazingly fun magic with yours truly!

And Happy 2013, and all my best wishes for a safe, happy, and prosperous New Year!