Anthony Grupido

Summary

In this insightful interview, Anthony Grapo, a magician, and speaker, shares his journey of combining magic with mental health advocacy. Grapo discusses his experiences with bullying, a sports injury, and the loss of friends to suicide, which led him to promote healthy coping skills among students. He emphasizes the importance of responding to life's challenges positively and the role of wonder in opening minds to mental health education. Grapo's unique approach to mental health awareness through magic has made a national impact, engaging audiences of all ages.

Takeaways

• 🎩 Anthony Grupo is a magician, speaker, and mental health advocate who combines magic with powerful messages to impact audiences, particularly focusing on mental health and suicide prevention.
• 🔍 Anthony's journey into advocacy began after personal struggles with bullying and a sports injury that derailed his college plans, leading him to unhealthy coping mechanisms and a lack of understanding about mental health.
• 💡 Anthony emphasizes the importance of response to life events rather than the events themselves, suggesting that it's our reactions that define our success and how we move forward.
• 🏫 Grupo's high school experience, including the loss of friends to suicide and a teacher's influence, inspired him to start speaking about mental health, initially at his own school and later expanding to other platforms.
• 🤹‍♂️ Anthony's transition from street performing to professional engagements showcases his dedication and the evolution of his craft, using magic to engage and educate diverse audiences.
• 📈 His presentations are tailored to the audience, with specific wording and content developed in collaboration with medical professionals to ensure accuracy and impact.
• 🤝 Anthony has performed at various events, including the Cherry Festival, and has opened for notable acts, demonstrating his ability to captivate a wide range of audiences.
• 🔗 Grupo's work in schools involves delivering keynote speeches that integrate magic with messages on mental health, resilience, and suicide prevention, making the content engaging and memorable for students.
• 🌟 He uses magic as a tool to create wonder and curiosity, which can help break down biases and open minds to new ideas and perspectives, particularly around mental health.
• 🌐 Anthony's online presence, including his website and social media platforms, allows people to connect with him and his work, offering a gateway for booking events and exploring his message further.
• 🔑 Grupo believes in the inherent goodness of people and the importance of not giving up on youth, reflecting a core principle that drives his work and interactions with young people.

Q & A

What is Anthony Grapo's profession and how does he combine magic with speaking?

Anthony Grapo is a magician, speaker, and mental health advocate who combines these elements to create impactful presentations, often addressing mental health and suicide prevention topics.

How does Anthony Grapo's TED Talk connect with its audience?

Anthony Grapo's TED Talk is impactful because it not only showcases his speaking skills but also his ability to convey a strong message that resonates with everyone, regardless of their background or personal connection to the topic.

What personal experiences led Anthony Grapo to become an advocate for mental health?

Anthony Grapo was bullied in school, suffered a head injury in high school that ended his wrestling career and college scholarship, and struggled with unhealthy coping mechanisms. These experiences led him to understand the importance of mental health and suicide prevention.

How did Anthony Grapo's high school teacher influence his path in mental health advocacy?

His high school entrepreneurship teacher opened up a conversation about mental health after a series of student suicides. Anthony shared his personal experiences with mental health struggles, which the students found helpful, inspiring him to continue speaking on the topic.

What role did street performing play in Anthony Grapo's journey as a mental health advocate?

Street performing allowed Anthony Grapo to refine his message and presentation skills. It gave him the confidence to present his mental health advocacy to a wider audience and eventually led to opportunities to speak at schools and events.

How does Anthony Grapo structure his school presentations on mental health?

Anthony Grapo's school presentations are structured as keynote speeches that incorporate magic tricks to deliver messages about mental health, resilience, and suicide prevention. He provides practical tools and resources for students and shares his personal story to inspire them.

What is the significance of Anthony Grapo's straight jacket and chain escape act in his presentations?

The straight jacket and chain escape act is a powerful visual metaphor for breaking free from the constraints of mental health struggles. It serves as a climax in his presentations, symbolizing hope and resilience.

How does Anthony Grapo maintain his energy and motivation for performing over 400 shows in a year?

Anthony Grapo maintains his energy through a focus on health - proper diet, exercise, sleep, and even sauna use. He also practices mindfulness, such as forcing himself to smile to improve his mood and engage positively with his audience.

What is Anthony Grapo's view on the importance of mental health resources in schools?

Anthony Grapo believes that mental health resources should be integrated into schools where students already feel comfortable. This approach allows for better access to support and reduces the need to earn students' trust in an already challenging environment.

What future plans does Anthony Grapo have for his career in mental health advocacy and magic performances?

Anthony Grapo aims to continue his work in schools and is open to opportunities in corporations, providing mental health education for employees. He sees the integration of mental health support as crucial for the success of companies and individuals in the future.

How can people find Anthony Grapo and book him for events?

People can find Anthony Grapo through his website, themagicofhope.com, and on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. His online presence makes it easy for event organizers to reach out and book him for various engagements.

Outlines

00:00

🎩 The Magic of Mental Health Advocacy

Anthony Grapo, a magician and speaker, discusses his journey combining magic with mental health advocacy. After facing bullying and a sports injury that derailed his college plans, Anthony turned to unhealthy coping mechanisms. He shares his story of recovery and commitment to educating youth about mental health and suicide prevention, speaking at over 200 schools annually. His TED Talk, which emphasizes the importance of response to life's events, has been impactful and widely viewed.

05:02

🚸 From Bullying and Injury to Advocacy

Anthony Grapo's path to becoming a mental health advocate began with personal struggles, including severe bullying and a head injury that ended his wrestling career and college scholarship. These experiences led him to develop unhealthy coping skills, which he later recognized as temporary fixes. His high school loss of friends to suicide and a teacher's openness to discuss mental health in school inspired him to share his experiences and educate others on coping strategies, leading to a career of speaking and performing magic with a purpose.

10:03

🌟 Street Performances and the Power of Connection

Anthony Grapo's initial foray into spreading his message involved street performances, which eventually led to larger platforms such as the Cherry Festival. His performances, which included a dramatic straight jacket escape act, garnered attention and allowed him to share his personal story. These experiences helped him refine his message and build confidence, transitioning from a person recovering from his struggles to an advocate who could connect with diverse audiences.

15:03

🎤 Scaling Up: From Street to Stage

Anthony Grapo's journey saw him evolve from a street performer to a sought-after speaker and magician. He discusses the growth of his career, moving from small street shows to performing at festivals and being invited to open for notable acts. His work in schools increased significantly, leading to a busy schedule where he often had to turn down offers due to his full calendar. Anthony's presentations are a blend of magic and education, focusing on mental health and suicide prevention.

20:04

🧙‍♂️ The Alchemy of Magic and Mental Health Education

Anthony Grapo's school presentations are a unique fusion of magic and mental health education. He uses world-class magic tricks as a catalyst to engage students and deliver important messages about mental health, resilience, and suicide prevention. His 'Magic of Hope' presentation is structured to maintain student interest through a mix of magic, storytelling, and educational content, creating a memorable and impactful experience.

25:06

🔄 Maintaining Energy and Passion in Performances

Anthony Grapo shares his approach to staying energized and passionate throughout his numerous performances. He emphasizes the importance of leading by example, following his own advice on mental health and well-being. His regimen includes a focus on diet, exercise, sleep, and even sauna use to manage stress and maintain peak performance. Anthony also discusses the importance of mindset, suggesting that forcing oneself to smile can help create a positive atmosphere and improve mood.

30:06

🤹‍♂️ The Future of Mental Health Advocacy and Magic

Looking ahead, Anthony Grapo expresses his desire to continue his work in schools, advocating for mental health education. He also sees potential in working with corporations to provide mental health resources and education for their employees. Anthony believes that companies which prioritize mental health will be more successful in the future, and he is keen to be part of this positive change.

35:07

🌐 Social Media Stardom and the Power of Joy

Anthony Grapo's social media presence has led to him becoming a viral sensation, particularly for his pickpocketing videos which have garnered over 200 million views. His content focuses on the human experience, capturing genuine reactions of joy and surprise. Anthony's work has become part of the cultural zeitgeist, with his videos being widely recognized and shared.

40:10

🤝 Collaboration and Community in the Performance World

Anthony Grapo discusses the importance of collaboration and community among performers. He emphasizes that successful artists support and learn from each other, rather than competing. Anthony is part of a group called 'Magic on Purpose,' which connects magicians who use their art for deeper, meaningful causes. He also highlights the value of finding your niche and being true to it, as he has done with combining magic and mental health advocacy.

🌟 The Transformative Power of Magic and Belief

In the final paragraph, Anthony Grapo reflects on the transformative power of magic to inspire belief and open minds to new possibilities. He relates his work to the teachings of Dr. Joe Dispenza, emphasizing that our senses define our reality, which can be an illusion. Magic challenges these perceptions and can lead to a greater understanding of the universe and our potential. Anthony encourages maintaining belief in the inherent goodness of people and the power of positive thinking.

Keywords

💡Magician

A magician is a performer who presents acts that involve deception or illusion, often to entertain or amaze an audience. In the video, Anthony Grupo is described as a magician who combines his skills with speaking to create a unique impact, particularly in the area of mental health advocacy. His performances are not just for entertainment but are used as a medium to convey important messages to his audience.

💡Mental Health

Mental health refers to the state of an individual's psychological and emotional well-being. It is a central theme in the video, as Anthony Grupo discusses his advocacy for mental health awareness, particularly in educational settings. His talks focus on promoting healthy coping skills and suicide prevention, demonstrating the significance of mental health in personal development and societal well-being.

💡Suicide Prevention

Suicide prevention encompasses activities and interventions that aim to reduce the incidence of suicide. In the script, Anthony Grupo emphasizes the importance of discussing suicide prevention, especially among young people like middle and high school students. He frames it not just as preventing the act of suicide, but as promoting healthy coping mechanisms to manage life's challenges.

💡Coping Skills

Coping skills are the methods people use to manage stress, adversity, and challenging emotions. The video highlights the distinction between healthy and unhealthy coping skills, as discussed by Anthony Grupo in his presentations. He stresses the importance of adopting healthy coping skills for long-term emotional well-being, using this concept as a key part of his mental health advocacy.

💡Advocacy

Advocacy is the act of publicly recommending or supporting a particular cause or policy. In the context of the video, Anthony Grupo is portrayed as an advocate for mental health, using his platform as a magician and speaker to raise awareness and educate others on the importance of mental health and suicide prevention.

💡Bullying

Bullying is the use of force, coercion, or threat to abuse, aggress, or intimidate an individual. The script mentions Anthony Grupo's personal experience with bullying, which is a factor that contributed to his commitment to mental health advocacy. His experiences shed light on the real-world consequences of bullying and the need for support and intervention.

💡Resilience

Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties or to withstand hardships. Anthony Grupo's story in the video is one of resilience, as he overcame personal challenges such as bullying and a head injury that derailed his plans for college. His presentations aim to inspire resilience in students, equipping them with the tools to navigate life's obstacles.

💡Public Speaking

Public speaking is the act of addressing an audience in a formal setting. Anthony Grupo is described as a public speaker who uses his oratory skills to deliver powerful messages on mental health and suicide prevention. His ability to connect with audiences is highlighted as a key aspect of his impact as a speaker.

💡Educational Presentation

An educational presentation is a formal discourse intended to inform or instruct an audience on a particular topic. In the script, Anthony Grupo's school presentations are described as educational, combining magic with lessons on mental health and resilience. These presentations are tailored to engage students and provide them with practical tools and insights.

💡Personal Story

A personal story is a narrative derived from an individual's own experiences. Anthony Grupo shares his personal story in the video as a means to connect with his audience and to illustrate the importance of the messages he conveys. His story serves as a testament to overcoming adversity and the power of healthy coping skills.

💡TED Talk

A TED Talk is a presentation delivered at a TED conference or a TEDx event, known for its focus on 'Ideas Worth Spreading'. The script mentions Anthony Grupo's TED Talk, which is a platform where he shares his insights on mental health and suicide prevention. His TED Talk is described as a strong performance that effectively communicates his message and resonates with audiences.

Highlights

Anthony Grapo combines magic and speaking to create an impact on mental health awareness.

Anthony performs at over 200 schools a year discussing mental health and suicide prevention.

His Ted Talk is praised for its strong message and connection with the audience.

Anthony's journey includes overcoming bullying and a head injury that affected his college plans.

Unhealthy coping mechanisms are discussed as temporary fixes that do not address the root cause of issues.

The importance of promoting healthy coping skills in suicide prevention is emphasized.

Anthony's high school experience and loss of friends to suicide motivated him to become an advocate.

He started by sharing his story in high school classes and developed his presentation with professional help.

Anthony's message focuses on how our response to events, not the events themselves, defines our success.

He transitioned from street performing to keynote speaking, using magic to engage audiences.

Anthony's school presentations are a mix of magic and educational content on mental health resources.

His approach to mental health education is interactive, using magic to maintain student engagement.

Anthony discusses the balance between performing as an entertainer and delivering educational content.

He shares his personal strategies for maintaining energy and focus during his extensive performance schedule.

Anthony emphasizes the importance of mental health education in schools and corporations.

His future goals include continuing to spread mental health awareness through his performances.

Anthony's social media presence showcases his unique blend of magic and mental health advocacy.

He discusses the power of magic to create wonder and openness to new possibilities.

Anthony's message is that every person is inherently good, and he aims to inspire hope and resilience.

Transcripts

so today in the Walsh College Creator

studio uh I am joined with Anthony grapo

uh who is not only a magician a speaker

but he has found a way to combine these

two things together in a way that is

making an incredible impact uh really

nationally at this point yeah um so so

Anthony why don't you go Ahad and

introduce yourself and uh tell us a

little bit about what you've been up to

yeah my name's Anthony 20 28 and uh I

helped produ

experiences all over the country at this

point uh either on stage as an

Entertainer or at some corporate events

and trade shows or as a speaker I go to

about 200 plus schools a year talking

about uh mental health and suicide

prevention okay so it's been quite the

journey yeah absolutely well and so I I

did uh a little bit of research ahead of

time so I have watched your Ted talk now

a handful of times because fun you are

you're not only an incredible speaker

your message is so strong but you have a

way of presenting it in a way that it

connects everybody whether they feel

like they can tie themselves to that

message or not everybody in that room

had to have felt like I'll do anything

that this guy wants because you just

have a great way of presenting it so I I

encourage anybody that hasn't seen your

Ted talk to go watch it because it was a

really really strong performance uh and

it was a great message so so let's go

let's go back a little bit and set the

stage for set the stage puns let's let's

set the stage a little bit for uh for

how you got to this point in general so

what led you into being an advocate for

mental health yeah so um I got bullied

so bad that I didn't move school it's

really early on in elementary and um you

know later in high school I suffered a

head injury I hit my head I tore both my

rotator cuffs and that ripped away this

really high press college scholarship

away from me that I had worked pretty

much my childhood to receive right I I

was a wrestler and you know with two

bombed shoulders you're no longer going

to wrestle in college which was like my

plan everything that I had wanted to do

and had worked so hard for uh it was all

taken away from me and I didn't know how

to cope with that in a healthy way so I

chose a lot of unhealthy coping skills

and I didn't have any understanding of

what they were or you know all I knew is

that I was trying to manage my symptoms

and these made me feel better but in the

long run all of those things had stop

temporary fixes so they were temporary

fixes and um I talk a lot about suicide

and suicide prevention in a way that is

attainable for like middle schoolers and

high schoolers that can be heavy topics

at that young age it really can be but

when when you're talking about suicide

prevention you're don't not necessarily

talking just about suicide like suicide

prevention is promoting good coping

skills and uh or healthy coping skills I

try to not use good and bad a good

coping skill keeps you alive a bad

coping skill does not right so really

adopting the healthy and unhealthy terms

for coping skills is important but

trying to tell people like my in my TED

Talk that it's not the events that

happen to us that make or break our

success it's it's the way that we

respond to them I actually had that

written down to bring up because I

thought that was such a powerful message

because it it absolutely is and I think

that that extends even beyond the mental

health game right I mean it it's it's

not always the events because the events

are going to happen whether you know

anybody's life events are going to

happen our response to them though is

what is going to Define not only our

memory of them but how we move forward

and I think that's an incredible message

for you to bring up so I actually that

was like the one quote that I actually

had on my list to talk to you about

because I do think that that's that's

incredibly powerful so okay so so that

puts you into that space but there's one

thing to go through that space and say

okay I'm all about I'm all about mental

health it's a whole another thing to go

no no no I'm going to be an outspoken

advocate for mental health so how do you

get to that

space huh how do I like how I guess what

was my calling to yeah what what made

you want to speak to others about it

because there's like I said there so

there's one thing to sit there and say

okay I know that mental health is very

important that's great I'm going to

focus on how I can how I can achieve

mental health for myself right right but

not everybody makes that leap to go okay

now I know how this is going to help me

but now I want to go help everybody else

and and these aren't even people that

necessarily came to you and said I have

a problem but you seem to manage this

help me you went okay look I'm going to

put this out to the masses so that we

can hit people that maybe aren't even

comfortable talking about it yet but I

can present it in a way that I don't you

don't have to come to me yeah so that

started in high school okay so um I went

to Lake Oran and we lost I lost a lot of

my friends and classmates to Suicide

okay and it was it was really bad okay

um and the schools you know they they

did what they could about it but I

remember that one of the exercises was

in our home room my entrepreneurship

teacher had to like start teaching us

mental health education and I and she I

kid youat was like I am not going to do

this I'm not qualified or comfortable

enough to do this right and um and she

was like but if we want to have a

conversation about this kind of stuff

like I'm open to having this right and I

was just a couple weeks out of Common

Ground okay and uh that's an impatient

facility in Pontiac so I kind of

explained what happened to me when I

went there kind of the Outpatient

Therapy that I was going through and

students found that very helpful and I

was actually going to different

classes kind of sharing magic and this

story but it was very different from

what I'm doing today very underdeveloped

I probably shouldn't have been doing it

at the time but it it wasn't harmful so

that that that's what was good but um I

was

so uh inspired by the way that people

react to it that in um I got in a car

with my best friend at the time and we

started driving to Los Vegas and I

started street performing this message

okay and then uh it kind of turned into

me starting to speak for common ground

they were bringing me to schools and

then the CEO at the time Tony rosch

child said this is what you need to do

for the rest of your life I promise like

this is helping people like keep

developing keep going and um and I never

look back and I you know and there was

plenty of times where um I wasn't

educated enough or I didn't have the

training or there were things that I

needed to change up and I'm really good

at taking constructive criticism so keep

in mind my presentation you know yeah

the magic came from me and maybe some

magic mentors but I've worked with like

doctors psychologists like mental health

like professionals to develop this

presentation to make it as like

purposeful as possible even the even the

exact wording that I use for each grade

level is so specific and exact I that

it's incredible that you that you even

thought to go to those lengths because

to have to have medical professionals to

step in and help you with the actual

appropriate wording on that I mean

that's a step that you know and I I know

you and I were kind of joking before we

started like so many people now go yeah

but I saw it on Tik Tok so it must be

true and you know we get you get so

right or my my favorite my favorite is

when they go I read this article no you

read the headline of the article you

didn't even click into it right like so

you made some some assumptions but for

you to actually take the step to go no

I'm going to go find medical

professionals because this is something

I want to do and I take it very

seriously the thing I don't want to miss

though and I and I we kind of went over

it quickly but there's a huge leap in

here is you went

from going from from coming out of

common ground to and and getting getting

bullied into being confident enough to

present that information and and do

magic those two things separately would

be incredibly difficult to do but for

you to go from from one thing to a very

extreme

other it sounds like maybe that teacher

had a pretty big impact in there because

yeah oh yeah and she was wonderful don't

get I my my my high school experience in

general like was was really great okay

like I I love to describe it as like I

have I have and had during that time

like the best friends in the whole world

and no matter what we were going through

we always made each other just feel

included and accepted and heard and you

know we um we would just oh someone's

going through something we're going to

get through it together and you know

sometimes it was for better sometimes it

was for Worse definitely sometimes we

miss the mark on that but you know just

like any other teenager for sure um but

uh yeah you know and and uh the amount

of education and like it has completely

evolved I mean that was 12 years ago and

even prior to covid I don't think a lot

of schools were open to mental health

education from my experience and from

the organizations that I work with today

there's been a huge shift into trying to

help teenagers and middle schoolers and

even Elementary schoolers um that we we

saw during Co that there was this huge

need and even the state and the federal

government have just been funding and

funding and funding trying to find more

ways to help our youth

because um I haven't looked at the

numbers this year but to my

understanding uh suicide rates did go

down a couple percent but the number of

Crisis calls has gone up which I think

tells us that we have more tools and

resources than we've ever had before

that they are effective but it's still a

broken system so for example let's say

some like a female suffers from a sexual

assault instance and they are now on a a

suicide watch or something like that and

I know this is a really probably this

this could be very triggering for people

I probably should have said that before

but um you know for for a male to watch

her you know 247 is probably not a very

healing

it doesn't mean that doing a bad but

that's not the situation so there's a

lot of little specifics that into mental

health that I think as we just continue

to do better and better and upgrade are

just going to make make this world just

a a better place in the process fact

yeah and the fact that people are try

and that the higher the higher level

people in in the in the state really are

trying to put money into let's fund this

let's figure this out and and let's try

and let's try and solve this problem

before it becomes a problem yes and

there's a a a great line by Peter AA uh

who talks a lot about about health in

general and and one of his things is

look you can stand underneath a building

and try and catch all the eggs that are

coming off the building or you can go

find the guides throwing them and stop

him from throwing them yes it's like

that right so let's let's try and stop

the let's try and stop the mental health

problems become they before they become

extreme and let's try and fund those and

it sounds like people like you are doing

that and you're trying to let's let's

give you all the tools to to help

yourself before before you really need

help yeah you know there's there's

prevention and there's

postvention and I guess you know I have

done a lot of postvention presentations

for schools but my hopes are always to

just you know the prevention aspect is

so important to me and you know suicide

prevention is just mental health

education it's coping skills it's having

social workers or mental health

professionals in your school or district

and those are things that we should all

be fighting for absolutely absolutely so

all right so now we've gone through High

School you've got you started to

actually give some stuff Street

performance that's a whole different

level of of guts to go and do that and

start to present that way I loved it it

was like I could step out and uh and I

was I was like a you know a street

performer like I had like khaki shorts

on to hold all the things I needed I

think I had a wagon that was moving at

some of my I had a I had a friend or two

that would come with with me a lot of

the time but I would just Street perform

and all around at these different

festivals and things like that and um

Cherry Festival actually was probably

one of the ones that I talk about the

most because they gave me my huge big

starts as a magician nice so I I came

and crashed their Festival okay and they

were like you can't be here I was like

but I'm going to be here but I'm going

to do it anyway and they're like all

right for sure you can say I was like no

way well then um they kept only only

hired musicians and like I kept joking

like Wonder you going to get like a

comedy act or something like that and

you know you're going to let me open for

him and they're like okay Anthony and

then one year I got the call they said

hey and I didn't know who they were at

the time but they said Anthony uh we

just booked the Impractical Jokers we

want you to open for them and this is a

huge I mean cherry Festival this huge

audience yeah so Trevor City is their

cherry Festival is insane oh yeah it's

nuts so I was like let's do it and I I

put together a show and they ended up

having me for them introduced me to

Darcy Lynn the winner of America's

Talent open for her most recently Jim

gaffan on that stage yeah so they gave

me this huge start and uh you know it

was it was really affirming because you

see even like Robin Williams started as

a street performer until he became this

huge act so my thoughts were if you

couldn't make it on the street if you

couldn't develop your own crowd your

show is probably not that good so it's

not going to work you know when people

hire you anyway so well and you know I

touch said this the beginning but for

for you the your version of performance

is is very captivating you're very you

have a lot of motion you have and so I

would imagine that your street

performance version of that is very

attractive to a lot of people because

you because you're so animated in what

you're doing and you we see you perform

and you go he believes so strongly in

what he's talking about and what he's

doing that of course people are

attracted into it so it is not

surprising to me that you had an

incredible run at had Street performance

yeah yeah don't get me wrong not every

show was motivational there were some

crowds where I was like I don't think

they're going to Vibe with this message

um but uh a lot of them you know I would

stop and my straight jacket story is

kind of what blew me up the I get

wrapped in a straight jacket and 40 feet

of chain and and I tell my personal

story and um you know I probably do that

400 or so times a year because I when I

go to a schools I normally do these two

backtack presentations because like some

of the schools I've been to have three

or 4 thousand students in there and I

provide most most of the time I provide

my own equipment and I got 4,000 watts

once we hit about 2k people like I'm I'm

kind of maxing out you know what I mean

but um it yeah just uh it it was really

it's it's really how about this it's

really nice to not be on the side of the

street anymore that's 100% for sure I

haven't Street performed in many years

but I definitely felt like I put the

time and I put the work in as opposed to

there sometimes I I never wanted to be

in the right place at the wrong time and

I I don't ever never feel like I'm in

the right place at the wrong time

anymore that's great well in in a lot of

ways you have to do the street

performance to become who you are today

yes is that's what that's what helps you

refine what that message is and what

that looks like so so walk me through um

as you got as you got a little bit

further you started getting things like

the Cherry Festival and you started

getting things like that what how do you

take your message and move it into the

capacity that it is today because today

you're performing a ton and it's great

you're getting hired all the time from

all kinds of different worlds so so walk

me through how do you get from I'm going

to be at the Cherry Festival you're you

want me you just don't know it yet to

today where you are probably at a point

where you almost have to turn things

down because you're getting so many

offers I do sometimes my funnel is

overloaded I'm actually um I'm afraid to

go back home and open my emails because

it's just like here we go again you know

what I mean but the the cool thing is is

that these opportunities are not like

especially with schools it's like hey we

will find a way to bring this

presentation to you if it's not on the

date that you want chances are you're

still going to be at that same school in

the next you know couple years so we're

going to find a date but um it it's

tough I have two funnels I have a I have

a magic and entertainment funnel and I

really do enjoy that um I you know

entertaining people without the

educational aspect is a blast to me I do

a lot of trade shows people fly me all

around the country to represent their

brands on stages

um or for example like I'll do like aany

event for like a Fortune 100 or 500

company with like this big arena of

people and just mentalism and

pickpocketing um and that like kind of

reoo me with like this energy and then I

kind of take that fire and then you know

during the school year the

organizational year Monday through

Friday just like schools schools schools

schools and I'm you know flying out on

weekends and for sure all right so

you're in so you are in these schools

all the time you're giving these

performances all the time what is it

what does that school presentation look

like yeah yeah so very different from

like if I'm producing like an

entertainment experience so when I'm at

of school I appear as a keynote speaker

who uses magic okay and most of the

times I deliver two backtack

presentations so that way they can like

split the school in half it is a 45

minute to hour and 15 depending on most

most time it's 45 minutes but up to an

hour and 15 uh this educational session

on healthy tools and resources that

students have available like the real

ones that they have in their community

and in the school oh very cool the

unhealthy ones which is uh my exact Ted

Talk Like goes into next I disc I kind

of go through I hack into a student's

phone and then we do this calculator

magic trick and their mom's phone number

appears and obviously that's like the

funniest thing in the world to to the

school uh but then we talk about the

relationships that we have with

technology and social media

and at the end ofation I share my story

and uh it's very inspiring it it kind of

brings everything full circle so it's an

educational session that is super

engaging with students bring them on

stage and off to just talk about mental

health resilience and suicide revention

so what what percentage within those

presentations what percentage is Magic

what percentage is keynote speaker type

yeah so my the magic of Hope

presentation uses four worldclass Magic

tricks to deliver all of these messages

so I have an opening I have I have an

opening I do the Ted Talk which is that

magic trick and story and then I hack

into the student's phone and do another

magic trick and then at the very end to

share my story I get tied up in a

straight jacket and 40 ft of chain and

when I'm talking you can see the chain

just undoing itself it's it's really

powerful I just ask everyone to taking

this deep breath and let it go and it

just yeah so it's and I think what I

think when a lot of people think about

magic shows they think about like okay

trick trick trick trick but that's it's

not that when you are no it's not really

a trick it's it's helping it's a it is

the Catalyst or the visual for the

stories that I'm telling yeah yeah so so

when you say you know it's it's for

World CR class tricks over 45 minutes it

takes probably the duration of that 45

minutes to do all four because it's not

those tricks aren't 5 Seconds long

they're 15 minutes long and they're kind

of so okay so I use the old version of I

say what I'm going to say or sorry I

tell you what I'm going to tell you I

tell you and then I tell you what I just

told you right so I do a magic trick

that sets the scene for the story I tell

I tell the story and then we just kind

of sum it up in these like one two three

little little bullet points basically

that I speak out so that you hear it

three different times then I do another

magic trick we're all up here everyone's

excited and roaring and then I have

their attention for 12 minutes so I tell

another Ted Talk style story I do a

magic trick I have you up here ah

everything's so exciting and then I pull

you back in and have your attention

again so it's able to go through here

their attention span Fades and then we

Skyrock it back up I bring you back down

and uh it's a it's a great dance back

and forth with me in the audience of

trying to deliver an educational message

incredible how do you because I I

because now I've known you for a minute

but just you know between that and and

then just watching through a lot of your

social media channels and and hearing

stories of you know you you performed

here at well last fall like and you've

done some things with with a lot of

people that we work with and everybody

has these incredible things to say about

you and your performance and how do you

do 400 shows in the last three months

and still feel invigorated every time

you do it in a way that you're not just

going through the

motions I huh that's a tough one so part

of part of me especially with this

speaking like um after Co especially

like I really made this huge leap is to

really lead by example to follow my own

advice um I don't know if you if you

know the uh there a hip-hop group out of

Australia called Hilltop Hoods okay but

one of their old songs uh he says I give

good advice but never follow it what's

left for me um I'm a hypocrite and if I

wasn't I'd be a success story

so I always wanted to really lead by

example and I and I took that to heart

especially when when Co shut down and I

didn't have the identity a magician or a

speaker or or anything really I was like

well who am I what do I want to do what

do I want to be um I really went on a a

long journey to figure that out so um I

went a little extreme I moved to Hawaii

alone all right I spent spent like a

month there hiking and hanging out

there's worse ways to do it I know right

but uh I went on a lot of solo hiking

trips um through like Colorado and the

Carolinas and I just spent a lot of time

thinking and then practicing so in the

month of May

uh I did 54 keynote presentations in

like eight different states or something

ridiculous like that so like for example

Friday I did four shows four school

presentations in Ohio drove immediately

to UDA um and started performing as a

close-up magician so um and a lot of it

has been uh my diet and exercise and

getting enough sleep which which I know

people hear that all the time and people

are like oh but I'm like no that's

that's like vital that's not it's not a

a luxury it is something you have to do

and um I've I found that by eating a

higher protein diet and staying away

from carbs I have a lot more energy um

well and if you're already operating at

a th% all the time you're going to have

to do something for energy so it makes

sense that you you would prioritize that

part of your health yeah so that's

that's a big that's a big part to me is

is sleep diet and exercise and um I kid

you not even sauna use has really

changed um a lot for me so I I don't

feel like as like loaded and and burnt

out from like life but a lot of it is

just kind of

um it kind of sounds weird but I I force

myself to smile a lot so if I wake up

and I'm like man I'm tired or I don't

want to do this I will put the biggest

smile on my face the entire way to my

gig I will like force it to happen and

I'm just I'm really hoping that the the

people when I get there are just in a

good mood and just ready to work and and

that's what I see all the time um I give

myself a lot of credit for the work I do

but I also give like when I go to these

schools I I can't imagine what principes

and superintendents and even teachers

especially teachers they deal with so

much of teachers are not just teachers

anymore they're not just Educators they

are they are metal they're they're not

not all of them are trained but you know

they're kind of looked at as like the

counselor and or the person that

everyone wants to talk to abely and

sometimes sometimes they're a policeman

sometimes they're this and I I give them

so much credit you know I do a school

assembly and leave I just couldn't

imagine I I hosted a birthday party for

my seven-year-old and immediately called

her teacher and I was like I am so sorry

that you're

underpaid just you are you need yeah you

deserve so much more it is and you know

and to your point and to bring it back

into the mental health space like this

is where the resources need to be is

let's put it into a space where where we

can we can attach to attach the mental

health aspect to a spot where the kids

already feel comfortable we're not

trying to earn the trust of them in in

any other way they have enough going on

they don't need more right but if we can

attach the Mental Health Resources into

a place like school where they already

have a comfort level by bringing people

like you in where you can not only

deliver a message but deliver it in a

way that is going to resonate with them

yes it's incredibly powerful yeah you

know there are a lot of speakers and I

hear this all the time they're like

anthon we have we have never seen a

presentation like this and I say this in

my talk I said the reason I created this

is because when I was in school we would

get a presenter who' show up with a

PowerPoint present on data and

statistics right so let's say we spent

an hour talking to high schoolers or

middle schoolers and they learn things

like one out of four people struggle

with mental health right or the second

leading cause of death for their age

group is suicide there's nothing they

can use with that information it's not

practical it's not it there's no

relevance just gave him anxiety probably

probably to be honest it would have I

you know I'd be like oh these are my

statistics like that means I'm part of

this exactly the second most likely way

I'm to die is so that kind of stuff it

isn't helpful but giving real a real

talk on the healthy tools and resources

and affirming that you can trust and use

them right but having an honest

conversation with which my TED Talk uses

about the unhealthy tools and resources

you know that scare tactic that we try

to do with kids it's never worked it's

never going to work um so giving them a

real reason behind it and uh actually

explaining how you know humans do use

unhealthy coping skills for sure to try

to deal with thoughts and symptoms for

sure um that's why I I don't call them

good or bad because well you know if for

example uh you see this we all have

friends that okay it's Friday I'm going

to crack open a cold one right um I'm

not going to call that a bad coping

skill if that's what gets you through

the week then I'm happy for you right

and to have an honest conversation

though about how that could destroy

future relationships and how relying on

that could be is unhealthy because we

know it is um is super important

especially in high school or middle

school where you know I know plenty of

people who are like man I I wish it

didn't have to be this way I wish I

could go back and train my mind body and

spirit in a different way and they still

could yeah um but uh just giving them

like an actual chance and an actual

conversation for sure yeah and and it's

it's wonderful again that that somebody

like you can go in and I would imagine

that the that the teachers and

counselors are like yeah I I've never

seen a presentation like this before but

that's the point right because you can't

go in with the same the same approach to

everything well that's what how magic

helps because we have all these biases

and these agreements that we have formed

since childhood right and Magic takes

down the bias and agreement by creating

Wonder evoking wonder and awe right so

they experiened this trick that destroys

any agreement they have about physics or

this this and they're like wait a minute

if that can work maybe I should be a

little more Curious and that's what I

find that the magic creates more

curiosity I love that and that was the

original intent of a magician so there

are a lot of magicians who have

wonderful shows and at the end of the

show you didn't take anything away other

than he was good at Magic right the

original purpose for a magician was

actually to try to connect us with some

kind of higher power right and so we saw

this in medicine men and Shaman when we

were like tribal people so and actually

I could uh after working with the sagna

chipa tribe and most recently they had

to fly me to Oklahoma cuz the wi do

tribe that started I think in Canada and

kind of came their way through Michigan

is now all the way in Oklahoma okay um

but they were explaining to me that that

Michigan itself had like SE seven Native

American languages so Michigan like our

state yeah had seven languages that that

were it's just stuff like that blew my

mind like as as I get that's the cool

thing I get to learn learn while I'm do

so I don't just go to a school and I

really enjoy talking to people and

learning about the culture CU When I was

in North Dakota their culture is

extremely different than what I'm

finding in Michigan But Central

Michigan's culture and Metro Detroit's

culture are completely different very

different things Pennsylvania Chicago

Oklahoma every we're just so unique yeah

absolutely and that's what that is the

part that makes it fun about your

message is that you can present in a way

that does make sense to all of those

groups yes and and again bringing it

back into the mental health space it is

important for everybody to be part of

mental health awareness and mental

health in general so if you can create a

message that speaks to all of them then

it's an incredibly powerful thing for

you to use going forward oh yeah

awareness of this of tools and resources

but also an actual action plan which is

so important yeah so let okay so so

that's what you're up to today what does

the future look like what's what is

Anthony doing in a few years oh man I

don't know you know okay so um like I

didn't think I'd make it this far so

everything else is like the icing on the

cake you know what I mean I would love

to just continue through schools okay um

I am open to corporations like I've done

a like um like the All State Insurance

company had me do a presentation for

them this was virtual actually but they

have a healthc care plan for like their

employees that they could get get three

free or I forget it's been a year so I

had this memorized but they can get a

certain number of of free therapy

sessions for them and their household

people in the household okay and um I

would love to just see more larger

companies providing mental health

education and uh for for their for their

staff employees I think that actually

will make or break a lot of these

companies success moving forward in the

future for sure so if you can be an

advocate on the on the distribution of

Health servic is and be an advocate for

these companies that's a great way to go

if a company doesn't realize that where

everyone is spending a majority of their

amount of time has an impact on their

mental health like how could they

already missed this may offend some

people how could you call yourself a

leader I mean golly for sure you are you

are directly you are creating this

community right and your community in my

opinion should be full of safety

acceptance and support that doesn't mean

you shouldn't be driving people to work

hard it doesn't mean that you shouldn't

be you know pushing people to be the

best self or or that you're going to go

through challenges but instead of

reacting to situations you could just be

creating so many beautiful things so

right well and understanding that 100%

every single day is going to wear you

thin you got to operate on a way that

that allows for people to operate at

their at their pace and get things get

things done for you and if you can

create a space where people are happy to

be they are very happy to do things for

you oh yeah and and I think I think

anyone who's says I'm 100% cuz I'm I'm

don't get me wrong I give my all every

day that doesn't mean I'm going 100%

every day like that's just an illusion I

and I think so many times we mistake

confidence so okay so going back towards

I guess the the suicide discussion if

that's okay um a lot of times I hear you

know this person was a star athlete a

straight A student had all the friends

like and now they're gone we just don't

get it well sometimes that confidence

can be an illusion right of suicidal

ideation and what I mean by that is some

people have just been remained strong or

resilient for so long that they're like

is this how like every day is have to do

challenge like I'm done um and other

times it's well if this doesn't work I

can take this route out right and that

can create a false sense of confidence

and that actually is a warning sign that

I think a lot uh a lot more

professionals are aware of now because

that's where I was at a early Point

After High School I was like well

all my plans are destroyed so I'm going

to try this and if it doesn't work right

and that's why I I don't I don't use the

deid like suicide is is never the answer

well if it wasn't I wouldn't have to do

what I have to do every single day so

right it's a it's a wonderful thing that

you were able to to take those early

experiences that you've had that guided

you into a into a spot that I'm sure was

difficult but coming out on the other

side and using the tools that you

learned through that time to to not only

get yourself into a strong mental state

but then be able to help others get into

a strong mental position yeah and I

think that it's it speaks it speaks

worlds to your perseverance personally

and then also what you believe in in our

students for the future I mean you you

have to have such a strong desire for

middle school high school students to

succeed in life in order for you to make

that the profession level that you have

so on the on in I'm going to speak on

behalf of of so many other people and

just say thank you because it is

something that is that is a very

difficult thing and it's also something

that many many many many people are not

qualified to do or comfortable doing and

they can't do those those conversations

they know that they need to happen but

they don't know how to do it so I on

behalf of so many other people I tell

you that

I appreciate so much that that you've

taken that approach to to life and I

think that what you're doing is

incredible I look forward to everything

that you have coming forward I love when

you have new things that come out your

social media channels crack me up thank

you yeah that I never thought I'd become

the most viral pickpocket in the world

right but well here really quick before

we get away from that I what is your

Instagram that people can find you

because that because it's so it's just

Anthony Gedo my name so Anthony Gru p o

my Tik Tok my Instagram and I have an

official like Facebook page that and you

became the the number one viewed

pickpocket on on a lot of channels but

Instagram probably Tik Tok because it

kind of blew up everywhere and yeah I

don't I I stopped I hit over 200 million

views and I was like I don't need to

count anymore like I'm done I'm done

keeping score but it was it was so

impressive and my favorite was you put

out these compilations of of Quick

videos of did you just see a maget trick

would you like your watch back and it

cracks me up every time but it became it

became such a thing that that it became

part of the Zeitgeist like everybody was

like I know I know this one I've seen

that video whether they attached it to

you or not that as soon as you mention

that they'd go yeah I know I didn't want

to be in any of my videos I wanted to

your hands which I corrects me up I

wanted to Showcase just The Human

Experience of just wonder awe and like

laughter yeah I didn't I didn't want to

be anything and I I actually had some of

my friends were like have you seen this

guy I'm like bro

look at the name oh man I didn't know

that was you I'm like what the like you

didn't recognize my voice like come on

bro but the genuine joy and I love that

you turn the camera on them this isn't

about you this is about them and the

genuine Joy magic is not about the

magician no it is not it is you okay I

have a I have a wonderful show and it is

a great show and every once in a blue

moon I run into an audience that didn't

want to see magic all of a sudden it's

not a good show yeah so like you know

what I mean but I think that goes for

anything um if I were to go to I so H

like certain people like they're EDM

bangers right like in these music

festivals you have like excision with 2

million watts of bass but like a guy

who's going to like Faster Horses and is

like hates EDM that's he's going to be

like that was the worst show I've ever

seen so it's about like I said being in

the right place at the right time which

is why you have to I don't really get

leads that don't apply to me anymore but

I think that's where a lot of artists uh

entrepreneurs they they miss is they

take they're they're so worried about

like their lack of leads that they take

whatever they can get instead of being

like actually no but here's another

person I think would fit this that

person ends up respecting you more and

finding you the right room to be in in

the future when they recommend you well

and and that is something that we can we

can touch on really quick because I do

find that really fascinating in the

performance World it does seem like

entertainers are against each other for

whatever reason like but in the meantime

you could go into a room and be like

look there's four of us in this room

that do this and we're we're probably

the only four in the country that know

what it's like to go through this

process okay so here's the thing all of

the artists that are not succeeding are

Waring with each other yes all of the

people who are like doing awesome like

we text We call we hang out I have an uh

like I will sit down and have dinner

like I genuinely love hanging out with

other magicians I have so many magician

friends actually uh my mentor Andrew

Bennett okay so this is a really this is

really important um he was Ross perau

like one of his ex like top men I'll

call it so he um I think he was 25 or

something yeah sorry if I get this wrong

if you're watching this inter he was

about this age and moved to Australia

and grew an account like over 60 million

but he had used magic in all of his

business demonstrations he ended up

forming this group called Magic on

purpose which was only for magicians who

are using magic for a deeper purpose so

I was like the mental health one we have

a leadership one we have uh this one guy

from uh France talks about like

organizational uh leadership and things

but like he like is consciousness like

like I don't know how to explain it

other than like he like just speaks like

the universe's truth like he says

something and you're just like that

resonates so deeply with me but I have

met so many amazing amazing people you

know not only just magic but even music

artists and things like that um you you

I would have called you a liar like one

someone ever would have told me that one

day I would go hang out with Dan and

Shay after concert and like just

genuinely just go hang out with them

like just right have a blast but but

again they said the same thing where um

it was Shay I think who said I was like

so you know what was life like before

this he was like I lived at Diddy's

house producing rap I'm like what yeah

what do you mean you lived in you're a

country artist he was like ah well I am

now yeah well that's the thing you know

you find your you find your thing you

find your people you find your your your

whole Niche and you go go for it yes and

you know and I think that's that's one

thing as we as we wrap up here one of

the things I do want to call out is I I

do think it's incredibly fascinating for

you and I think one of the levels one of

the reasons that you've become

incredibly successful beyond the fact

that you're an incredible incredible

performer you speak to something that is

so powerful but you have found a very

very specific Niche to go in and speak

mental health and combine that with

magic in a way that resonates with age

groups from children on up is such lots

of adults yeah like and that's the thing

that's so it's so powerful and Magic has

a way of for whatever reason people

that are people that are trying to sound

cool they're like oh yeah magic whatever

but if you show them a magic trick they

lose their mind and people love magic

they genuinely feel because they feel

like a kid again yes and in so many ways

exactly what you said they have a belief

in something in physics that this has to

be true and when you show them that it

doesn't have to be true suddenly their

mind has opened up to something so much

greater so the fact that you have filled

that space now by saying go go ahead I I

think this applies directly to what

you're saying um I really enjoy the

works of Dr Joe dispenza and I think one

of his quotes uh that he says is we

Define reality with our senses and that

is one of our greatest Illusions magic

is a prime way to show someone that they

can feel something they can they can

hold something in their hands and it it

is so true they're holding a deck of

cards and it is gone yeah and that just

opens you up to a world full of

possibility and I guess continuing on

stuff that he would that I've read or

have heard him say or that I truly

believe in too is that the Universe only

gives us what we believe we deserve and

if you can believe that anything can

happen and that and that we are I I

think all inherently good so I I believe

that that every single person is

inherently good and I've spoken at

juvenile detention centers I I've met

kids that have you know they have murder

charges or International drug smuggling

you know charges and you know you walk

in with this bias of like they they have

to be evil but they're kids kids they're

just kids and and when you hear their

story you're going to find out a lot

more and about the human experience than

than you ever could have imagined so

just to give up you can't give up on on

our youth they're just they're the

future yeah well and and we appreciate

so much that you've taken that into your

profession and you've taken on such a

serious role in in making sure that they

become those those mentally healthy

successful people yes so so thank you so

uh as we wrap up what are some ways that

people can find you so that they can

book you for events they can check out

your stuff on social course so what are

some ways people can find you so I spent

a lot of time uh developing my website

so please go to it at ww.the magof

hope.com you can check me out on pretty

much any platform uh Instagram uh Tik

Tok uh Facebook I should do a better job

with YouTube but I got a lot of better I

got a lot of videos there but um yeah I

mean you type in Anthony G you know

you're you're going to find me perfect

Perfect well Anthony I appreciate so

much you spending time I appreciate you

guys having me absolutely well I don't

know if uh if anyone's still listening

out there but Walsh has this really epic

uh what is it called the Creator lab

yeah this really epic Creator lab so uh

definitely definitely a really unique

asset for for a college to to have

that's incredible it's very fun we love

getting students in here and letting

them really release their creativity yes

thank you so thank you Anthony this was

great yeah thanks