March 13, 2024 • 20 mins
As a child, I was captivated by a simple magic trick, forever altering my trajectory; little did I know it would lead me to sit down with Nate Jester, a maestro of mentalism whose own journey began with a scene from "Shakes the Clown." In our conversation, Nate unfurls the narrative of his evolution from a curious youngster in a magic shop to an accomplished performer, leaving audiences spellbound at high-profile events. His recollections of mentorship under the tutelage of Steve Dobson and the leap from marketing maven to full-time magician serve as a testament to the power of following one's passion and the relentless pursuit of mastery in the captivating realm of magic and mentalism.
Take a peek behind the magician's curtain as Nate and Matt trade stories of juggling the joys and challenges of fatherhood with the demands of a blossoming career in entertainment. We touch on how parental advice can shape a child's path and discuss the delicate dance of making personal dreams dovetail with professional aspirations. Get ready to be enthralled by the psychological intricacies of mentalism as Nate shares insights into the art that takes his performances beyond the realm of the conventional, promising an experience filled not just with tricks but with moments that truly transcend reality.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello and welcome to Foundation Nation.
I'm your host, matthew Cote.
Today on the podcast, we'regoing to talk about some
interesting recent goings on'sin our beautiful state and maybe
even a few things going on inthis amazing round thing we call
home.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Hello, welcome to Foundation Nation.
I'm Matthew Cote.
We're tucked underneath theSeaTac airport.
Wait, I think I hear one.
There goes another one, I think, in Mountain Dew.
We're all jacked up.
I'm here with my guest.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
My name is Nate Jester.
I'm a mentalist in Seattle andI entertain private parties and
corporate events.
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yeah, all right, and I'm learning on this mini series
a lot, and one thing that I'velearned is there's magicians and
there's mentalists that operatein the world of mentalism.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
I think I even have some.
Yeah, you got it.
You got it.
Does that sound right?
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:53):
it's semantics.
Thank you.
So gosh, these guys are reallyenthusiastic.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
That was really funny .
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yeah, it won't go away, oh it's quiet.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
It's a standing ovation.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Quiet there, they went away.
So I wanted to talk a littlebit about you know as a.
You know it's alwaysinteresting to me to see how
people kind of grow into theircareers, and so I wanted to kind
of hear a little bit about,like as a kid, like when was,
when was the first?
Because, look, you got to do,you got to, you got to, you got
(01:31):
to really bring the game.
When you do stuff like this,because it's a hundred percent
you, every time Either it'seither a hundred percent, nate,
or it's a shit show.
So you really got to be likepassionate about wanting to do
this.
So something, something musthave sparked your interest when
you're, when you're a kid.
So tell me how this all kind ofcame about.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Yeah, it's like any entrepreneur all the people
listening here you have to justhave this undying need to make
it work and be so passionate alittle bit of crazy too.
Um, you have my biggest magictrick is I actually do this for
a living?
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Yeah right, it's pretty unbelievable.
That's funny and serious.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Yeah, yeah, so I started.
This is actually a fun story, Ilike to tell.
I started mad.
So I'm about 43 years old, Okay, and I was like I'm gonna be.
Uh, if, for those of youlistening, if you remember
Bobcat Gouffway Gouff, GouffwayGouffa, he's a.
He's a comedian back in the day.
He was on the Caddy Shackmovies and stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Oh, yeah, okay.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
He was in a movie called shakes the clown.
Uh, it was back in maybe 90 andhe was an alcoholic clown and
he'd pass out go check the movieout.
Shakes the clown He'd pass outat birthday parties and he'd uh,
you know it was funny, there'sthe answer.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
That's cool.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
That's cool.
His boss or somebody on it justflicks their fingers and a
business card appears and I waslike, oh my gosh, I have to.
That's amazing and I wouldwatch it over and over.
I couldn't figure it out.
I knew there was a magic shopon my house, went there and my
eyes just opened and so therewas this magic shop in Lakewood,
near where I grew up inStilicum.
It's not around anymore and Ilearned how to do it, and then I
(03:11):
also got into juggling and Ihad an interest in clowning.
So I I did all those and Iworked through the years and
eventually just became moreconnected to magic and the
presentation that I could give.
I felt more real.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
So did you learn how to flick a magic?
Uh, you know a business card?
I learned it.
Yeah, yeah, cool, yeah I workedreally hard at it.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I actually did a lot of that in talent show in high
school.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Yeah, yeah, that's cool, that's cool, good job.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
And then uh, I guess.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
So it started at a movie.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
It started with the movie yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
So how old were you when you saw this movie?
Speaker 3 (03:41):
That was about 10, 12 .
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Yeah, when I was 12.
So was it the summertime yousaw the movie?
Or during school year?
Oh, potentially, I don't know,you don't, you don't remember
that detail, yeah, okay, so you,you, you saw the movie and
you're like I'm in magic storedown the road.
Let's do this.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Yeah, yeah, and I wanted to do juggling and you
and I practiced that.
I was the jester juggler.
I did some events and stuff,rode a unicycle, did all that
and then, like I said, the magicstuck and the store owner the
place was called liquid costumeand the store owner, uh, dory, I
would um go in there and say,hey, I want a job here, can I
(04:19):
work here?
She's like when you're 16.
And I would always spend myallowance and eventually I rode
the city bus there and I wentthere through the years and
she's like when you're 16, I'mjust reminder, I still want the
job and that was probably aboutfour years.
And then I walked in there withmy birthday money on my 16th
birthday and I said, hey, it'smy birthday today, I'm 16.
She says, all right, you starttoday.
It was cool, so I worked like agood the rest of the day three
(04:41):
hours and I got the employeediscount on all my birthday
tracks and I worked there for anumber of years and met some
magicians.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
What is the favorite um experience there?
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Uh, meet and magicians.
No-transcript.
One of my mentors, steve Dobson, who Just taught me a ton of
finger flicking that's what youwould call it when you're
working on sleight of hand.
Oh, okay which is what I didmore magic back in the day, and
now I do mentalism, but yeah,you slide a hand.
Technical, like I say, fingerflicking.
(05:16):
You're working on slights.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Yeah, so just look over here, but it's happening
over there, whatever kind of.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
But what we really try to do is make it so
invisible that when you'relooking right at it, you know
okay.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Yeah, yeah I.
I remember going to see DavidCopperfield about 15 years ago
and this shit blew my mind.
So, this is what he did.
I don't even know, it'sprobably on YouTube.
But so we're sitting in theDavid Copperfield show, you know
, in the, wherever it was, andand you know we're kind of like
(05:53):
front, front, middle area andeverything and and the show is
like a half hour delayed and Is.
So what happened was DavidCopperfield comes out and he
goes.
He was like literally, maybeeven 40 minutes, I mean by
accident.
Okay, and he comes out and heannounces like hey, I'm super
sorry, this is not part of theshow.
I was literally stuck in anelevator Getting here for a half
(06:16):
an hour, okay, for an hour,whatever some amount of time and
he was like really apologetic.
But I'm gonna make it up to you, I've been working on a trick
and I just wanted to inviteeveryone outside to do the trick
and I'm like, and I didn't.
I've never been to any type ofMagician show at this point
before, uh-huh.
(06:37):
So we go outside on the sidewalk, he goes out in the middle of
the road and he tells everybodyKind of like circle around him.
Everybody circles around him.
There's cop cars on this end ofthe road, cop cars on that end
of the road.
He flags one cop car down, youknow, like an actual cop car.
Cop car kind of like slowlygoes through the crowd, parks in
the middle, everybody kind ofcircles around him in the cop
(06:58):
car and and he I couldn't reallyhear him because he wasn't
mic'd up because I was a littlebit too far away, but I saw him
doing stuff and talking and thenhe, somebody came out and gave
him a bag, or it looked like abag, and he put this silver
sheet over the cop car and hewaved it.
(07:18):
The cop car was gone, cool, inthe middle of the goddamn road
and I saw the cop car from adistance.
It was a cop car, yeah.
Yeah and there was a dudedriving it and he got out and he
shut the door and I to this dayI don't even know how he was
surrounded by people.
Yeah and I was like I don'teven know what happened.
(07:40):
Wow okay, it was like a balloonor something, just deflated
under there.
That's legit it was.
It was some serious stuff, yeah.
And and on top of coming lateand on top of doing this awesome
Trick because I guess you weresupposed to see a series of
things, you know, it's like ashow, right?
You see, like one trick, onetrick kind of builds up to like
you know, him catching on fireor something at the end or
(08:02):
whatever, but we didn't get tosee it, we just saw literally
one trick.
But also they refundedeverybody in that whole thing
their tickets.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Wow, that's what he said at the end.
So he and then he's likeeverybody back in.
Then we all go back in, he goesin.
My last magic trick for thenight is you're all Getting
refunds.
Thank you, have a good night.
And he's just left.
Okay, and that's that was thatin Seattle like the Paramount or
something.
Oh yeah, I was, I don'tremember but it's like here in
Seattle.
No, no, it was in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas yeah all right about15 years ago, yeah, and I was
(08:32):
like whoa and I remember thetickets were expensive they're
like 150 bucks or something andI was like whoa, this is a, this
is a showman right here.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
He's been around for a while.
Yeah, he, he's a, he's a worker.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Yeah, he's a worker, yeah, he, yeah, he was pretty.
He was pretty Wiry too, if Iremember right.
I mean he was really movingaround and talking and he had a
plan.
Yeah, you could definitely fillhis vibe, but that was the
biggest Magic trick I've ever,or whatever the hell you want to
call that.
But so, okay, so, so being able, so that I mean that's pretty
(09:06):
cool that you you got a job whenyou're 16, on the day you turn
16, and then you hung out therefor quite a few years and you
just kind of met people andthat's what got you into it.
You know the things I alwaystell my boys.
You know the, the little thingsthat they're doing.
They're young.
You know ones in the military,ones, ones in college, and and
you know, the experiences thatthey have in life right now are
(09:28):
gonna be the foundations ofwhere they go in life.
Yeah so you know, be kind andloving and thoughtful to
everyone you meet, because younever know right what's gonna
happen, and you're a perfectexample, you know yeah, I had so
many people when I was youngerto say you know, it's all about
relationships.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
I heard it.
I didn't really get it.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Yeah, I'm still.
It's like having kids.
Yeah, yeah, you hear it.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Yeah, yeah, you don't get good at it till they're,
till they're in college.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Yeah, and until they're, until you're in there,
until you're in their housestaying with them, or yeah?
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Or you're under your fourth or fifth one.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Yeah, yeah, kids.
Kids are awesome.
They're super cool man, they'retough and everything, but
definitely a piece of life youdon't want to miss out on for
sure.
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
Foundation nation is proudly sponsored by Jays
technology solutions.
Call Jays technology solutionsat 253 376 7579 for all your
computer repair, it and networksolutions.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
So what are you guys doing for vacations this year?
You guys he's got any vacationsplanned.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Oh, my vacations depend on my work schedule.
Okay, so you know, my wife'sfrom San Diego.
I did have, ironically, a showin San Diego went out there.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Oh, did you get a taker?
Yeah, yeah that's fun.
Yeah, and you got to see allour peeps and stuff.
Yeah, we did that, that's cool.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Yeah, we went actually, I think we went early
and then she left.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Oh, okay, had to go back home.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's great.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Yeah, we do that a little bit Sometimes.
I don't prefer to vacation withwith work.
I just like to make it avacation.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Yeah, I get it done, yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
It's so.
Do you guys have any dreamvacations?
How many?
So how many kids?
You got three kids with youright, three kids, yeah, and
what are their ages?
Speaker 3 (11:12):
So this is funny, I've got a four, five and
fifteen year old four, five andfifteen, yeah, so yeah I didn't
say, hey, I'm gonna take tenyears off.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Actually, between that I didn't think I wanted any
more kids.
Oh really.
Yeah, then when you have to,you know, split the time with
your child between anotherperson and another home.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
I'm just like wait you get a little sad, yeah, I do
like being a father.
Yeah, be dead.
It's cool man, it's cool, supercool.
Yeah, you get to smack themaround.
No, you'd ever do that, but youget it, you know it's.
It's nice to see when theyrecognize the advice you give
them and they have a positiveInteraction in life.
You know, yeah, tell them.
Hey, you know, this is whathappened to me.
(11:55):
You should probably think aboutnot doing that.
And then they do it and theyhave a good outcome and they're
like oh, Watching them developyeah, school, yeah, sports in
social behaviors, yeah so do youhave any little midget, mini,
teeny, weeny Mentalists growingup.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
So my 15 year old?
Definitely not he's.
He's asked me for a couple ofcard tricks, so he can you show
the girls?
Yeah, so his name is Breckenjet is the five year old?
No, I, he's very analog.
He might be an engineer orsomething.
So the youngest my wife decidedname him ace and I think he's
(12:34):
got it.
You think he's got it.
I mean, I don't, I mean it.
I don't want to say I don'tcare, but I won't push anything
and yeah, yeah, but if he doesit, if there's anyone that would
do, it would be him, that'scool yeah he's just yeah it's
almost, it's almost got.
I don't know.
Yeah, it's almost, I'll watchit.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
So Okay, so that is so.
Where are we at in your storyhere?
So we got to the point whereyou, you met your mentor, and so
, from your mentor, how did youtake a step?
How did you decide that this issomething you want to be have a
career how do you make thatchoice?
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Yeah, well, I used to work for a restaurant marketing
company and it always wanted tobe front and center.
Then, like I said earlier, Itook that hiatus and then I
ended up working for arestaurant marketing company and
I was.
I think it was the down theeconomy changing in 2010, mm-hmm
, the housing crisis, mm-hmm setthe housing in the stock.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
That wasn't the 2008 was kind of the housing housing.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
So that's what it was , yeah, okay.
So 2010, I got laid off and itwas the most amazing not the
most amazing thing, but you, Ilaunched my web.
I got laid off in like January,I put my website up or I might
have just had it up and I didmagic full time and I had an all
right career as a GM and I madelike within a couple of hundred
(13:54):
dollars in my annual salary atthe job I just got laid off.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
How'd that make?
Speaker 3 (13:57):
you feel, yeah, it was like this is happening.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
This is gonna happen, yeah, okay.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
And then I just, you know, you keep working and all I
do is just drive it and justdevelop.
And yeah, and my biggestlearning lately is realizing
that, yeah, maybe I don't havethe knowledge or the skill set
to take my company in thedirection I wanna go and in
certain aspects so I've beenworking with some consultants
(14:26):
who have really helped me outand I've really enjoyed the
outside influences.
Speaker 4 (14:31):
I reached out to.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
It's like it's huge learning for me.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Yeah, you know it's every day.
You have a certain amount ofopportunity to interact with a
certain amount of people everyday and you always, if you're a
business owner, if you're anentrepreneur, if you're a
captain of industry, you alwayswanna take that opportunity to
its peak potential if you own abusiness.
So you walk out the door, youknow, you have your cup of
(14:56):
coffee, you kiss your wifegoodbye, you smack all your kids
in the butt, you walk out thedoor and every person you run
into you know is an opportunityand those face to faces are the
strongest opportunities.
You can go on social media andall those websites, do whatever
and all this stuff, but creating, you know, that interaction
with face to face and cherishingthose you know, knowing the
(15:21):
importance of those super, superimportant.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
I can agree with you.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
So what is the dream?
So what is your?
What is your creme de la creme?
What is the pinnacle of NateJester's magic emporium?
What does it look like?
Speaker 3 (15:42):
I'm there, you're there.
Yeah, a lot of people.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
You're living it.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Yeah, well, you know I'll take more.
You know, sure, I'll elaborate.
A lot of people ask me do youwanna be in Vegas?
Do you wanna be?
Do you wanna win America's gottalent?
You know stuff like that.
No, I'll take it.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Are you gonna apply for the America thing?
I was on it actually.
Oh, you're on it In 2011.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Not gonna go again.
I'll go if they ask me it's.
I don't.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
Do they send out invites on the second round?
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Here's the thing with TV and magic Same with Penn and
Teller and stuff, and it's beengoing on Penn and Teller, I
think they're on their eightseason, agt, I don't know 10
years they have magicians onthere.
So even though they're reallyamazing, if they're at all
similar to something they've hadin the past, it's not what
they're looking for.
So you have to be verydifferent.
(16:34):
And yeah, I am very differentand unique, but I don't think
different enough for TV and Idon't wanna.
I do what I do and I'mpassionate about it.
So my goal, what I?
So I mentioned earlier I doprivate parties and corporate
events, primarily corporateevents.
So that is.
I just wanna do more of thesame.
I wanna keep meeting amazingpeople.
(16:55):
I wanna go to work with amazingcompanies local, abroad, and
I'd like to do.
There's a certain type of gigand event that I'd like to do
more of, so I'd say that thatwould be my pinnacle, but I'm in
it, I love it.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
That's good.
Yeah, that's good.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
I could, I love it.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
You know, I wonder if there's any category or space
for something along the lines oflike kind of executive team
training or team building eventthat a mentalism could do you
know.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Yeah, I'm talking with a client right now.
They've hired me twice and theleader I guess he's really
interested in the psychologybehind it and how it works and
how it influences people, and sothere's kind of like a TED talk
I've created where I wouldcommunicate with the team and
(17:55):
teach them a magic trick whydoes it work, how does it work
and what are people thinkingduring interactions and then, as
a showman, how do I change thesituation?
That's cool, because a lot ofwhat I'm doing is I'm just
observing.
I walk up to a group, maybeduring a cocktail hour, not on a
stage Four people, five peoplehaving a drink.
(18:15):
I know my set, I know my jokes,I know my tricks.
I got it all going.
It's very personal and I'mtrying to remember their names
and stuff.
But I'm watching, payingattention, and well, this
person's got their phone out,this person is on their phone.
How do I engage them?
This person?
We're losing their attention.
Is it what I'm doing?
Is it what I'm doing?
How can we change thissituation so everybody's having
(18:39):
fun and involved?
Speaker 2 (18:41):
So you're at a corporate party and really
someone walks up to you and youget to say one thing to them
what are you going?
Speaker 3 (18:53):
to say Well, funny thing is is in a cocktail hour.
I always walk up to them.
Okay, yeah, I mean people comefind me afterwards, but usually
at the beginning I say hi, I'mNate, I'm like, and I'll fling a
card or something Say I'm amentalist, and I just sit there
and smile and you get a smileback.
And then, yeah, have you heardof a mentalist?
(19:14):
Yeah, yeah, it's prettyincredible.
A magician would find your card.
A mentalist knows your cardhere.
Let's do something.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Let's do something.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Let me hold your phone for a second.
Think of this.
Do you have somebody in yourmind?
Think about the time your childwas born.
Stuff, just crazy stuff.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Just blow their mind.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Yeah, and it, yeah, I think we're going to talk about
in the next episode.
Yeah, yeah, the, which I'mreally excited about.
Yeah, all right, cool how Iblow minds and why.
Yeah let's do it.
Why I do what I do?
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Hey, it was nice having you on here, man.
I'm Matthew Cote.
This is Foundation Nation,along with yeah, thanks for
having me.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
I'm Nate Jester.
If you want to take yourcompany's event to the next
level, you can find me atSeattle magiciancom.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
Foundation Nation is proudly sponsored by Jays
Technology Solutions, calledJays Technology Solutions at
253-376-7579, for all yourcomputer repair, it and network
solutions.
Hello and welcome to Foundation Nation.
I'm your host, matthew Cote.
Today on the podcast, we'regoing to talk about some
interesting recent goings on'sin our beautiful state and maybe
even a few things going on inthis amazing round thing we call
home.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Hello, welcome to Foundation Nation.
I'm Matthew Cote.
We're tucked underneath theSeaTac airport.
Wait, I think I hear one.
There goes another one, I think, in Mountain Dew.
We're all jacked up.
I'm here with my guest.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
My name is Nate Jester.
I'm a mentalist in Seattle andI entertain private parties and
corporate events.
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yeah, all right, and I'm learning on this mini series
a lot, and one thing that I'velearned is there's magicians and
there's mentalists that operatein the world of mentalism.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
I think I even have some.
Yeah, you got it.
You got it.
Does that sound right?
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:53):
it's semantics.
Thank you.
So gosh, these guys are reallyenthusiastic.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
That was really funny .
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yeah, it won't go away, oh it's quiet.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
It's a standing ovation.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Quiet there, they went away.
So I wanted to talk a littlebit about you know as a.
You know it's alwaysinteresting to me to see how
people kind of grow into theircareers, and so I wanted to kind
of hear a little bit about,like as a kid, like when was,
when was the first?
Because, look, you got to do,you got to, you got to, you got
(01:31):
to really bring the game.
When you do stuff like this,because it's a hundred percent
you, every time Either it'seither a hundred percent, nate,
or it's a shit show.
So you really got to be likepassionate about wanting to do
this.
So something, something musthave sparked your interest when
you're, when you're a kid.
So tell me how this all kind ofcame about.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Yeah, it's like any entrepreneur all the people
listening here you have to justhave this undying need to make
it work and be so passionate alittle bit of crazy too.
Um, you have my biggest magictrick is I actually do this for
a living?
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Yeah right, it's pretty unbelievable.
That's funny and serious.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Yeah, yeah, so I started.
This is actually a fun story, Ilike to tell.
I started mad.
So I'm about 43 years old, Okay, and I was like I'm gonna be.
Uh, if, for those of youlistening, if you remember
Bobcat Gouffway Gouff, GouffwayGouffa, he's a.
He's a comedian back in the day.
He was on the Caddy Shackmovies and stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Oh, yeah, okay.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
He was in a movie called shakes the clown.
Uh, it was back in maybe 90 andhe was an alcoholic clown and
he'd pass out go check the movieout.
Shakes the clown He'd pass outat birthday parties and he'd uh,
you know it was funny, there'sthe answer.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
That's cool.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
That's cool.
His boss or somebody on it justflicks their fingers and a
business card appears and I waslike, oh my gosh, I have to.
That's amazing and I wouldwatch it over and over.
I couldn't figure it out.
I knew there was a magic shopon my house, went there and my
eyes just opened and so therewas this magic shop in Lakewood,
near where I grew up inStilicum.
It's not around anymore and Ilearned how to do it, and then I
(03:11):
also got into juggling and Ihad an interest in clowning.
So I I did all those and Iworked through the years and
eventually just became moreconnected to magic and the
presentation that I could give.
I felt more real.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
So did you learn how to flick a magic?
Uh, you know a business card?
I learned it.
Yeah, yeah, cool, yeah I workedreally hard at it.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I actually did a lot of that in talent show in high
school.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Yeah, yeah, that's cool, that's cool, good job.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
And then uh, I guess.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
So it started at a movie.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
It started with the movie yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
So how old were you when you saw this movie?
Speaker 3 (03:41):
That was about 10, 12 .
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Yeah, when I was 12.
So was it the summertime yousaw the movie?
Or during school year?
Oh, potentially, I don't know,you don't, you don't remember
that detail, yeah, okay, so you,you, you saw the movie and
you're like I'm in magic storedown the road.
Let's do this.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Yeah, yeah, and I wanted to do juggling and you
and I practiced that.
I was the jester juggler.
I did some events and stuff,rode a unicycle, did all that
and then, like I said, the magicstuck and the store owner the
place was called liquid costumeand the store owner, uh, dory, I
would um go in there and say,hey, I want a job here, can I
(04:19):
work here?
She's like when you're 16.
And I would always spend myallowance and eventually I rode
the city bus there and I wentthere through the years and
she's like when you're 16, I'mjust reminder, I still want the
job and that was probably aboutfour years.
And then I walked in there withmy birthday money on my 16th
birthday and I said, hey, it'smy birthday today, I'm 16.
She says, all right, you starttoday.
It was cool, so I worked like agood the rest of the day three
(04:41):
hours and I got the employeediscount on all my birthday
tracks and I worked there for anumber of years and met some
magicians.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
What is the favorite um experience there?
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Uh, meet and magicians.
No-transcript.
One of my mentors, steve Dobson, who Just taught me a ton of
finger flicking that's what youwould call it when you're
working on sleight of hand.
Oh, okay which is what I didmore magic back in the day, and
now I do mentalism, but yeah,you slide a hand.
Technical, like I say, fingerflicking.
(05:16):
You're working on slights.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Yeah, so just look over here, but it's happening
over there, whatever kind of.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
But what we really try to do is make it so
invisible that when you'relooking right at it, you know
okay.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Yeah, yeah I.
I remember going to see DavidCopperfield about 15 years ago
and this shit blew my mind.
So, this is what he did.
I don't even know, it'sprobably on YouTube.
But so we're sitting in theDavid Copperfield show, you know
, in the, wherever it was, andand you know we're kind of like
(05:53):
front, front, middle area andeverything and and the show is
like a half hour delayed and Is.
So what happened was DavidCopperfield comes out and he
goes.
He was like literally, maybeeven 40 minutes, I mean by
accident.
Okay, and he comes out and heannounces like hey, I'm super
sorry, this is not part of theshow.
I was literally stuck in anelevator Getting here for a half
(06:16):
an hour, okay, for an hour,whatever some amount of time and
he was like really apologetic.
But I'm gonna make it up to you, I've been working on a trick
and I just wanted to inviteeveryone outside to do the trick
and I'm like, and I didn't.
I've never been to any type ofMagician show at this point
before, uh-huh.
(06:37):
So we go outside on the sidewalk, he goes out in the middle of
the road and he tells everybodyKind of like circle around him.
Everybody circles around him.
There's cop cars on this end ofthe road, cop cars on that end
of the road.
He flags one cop car down, youknow, like an actual cop car.
Cop car kind of like slowlygoes through the crowd, parks in
the middle, everybody kind ofcircles around him in the cop
(06:58):
car and and he I couldn't reallyhear him because he wasn't
mic'd up because I was a littlebit too far away, but I saw him
doing stuff and talking and thenhe, somebody came out and gave
him a bag, or it looked like abag, and he put this silver
sheet over the cop car and hewaved it.
(07:18):
The cop car was gone, cool, inthe middle of the goddamn road
and I saw the cop car from adistance.
It was a cop car, yeah.
Yeah and there was a dudedriving it and he got out and he
shut the door and I to this dayI don't even know how he was
surrounded by people.
Yeah and I was like I don'teven know what happened.
(07:40):
Wow okay, it was like a balloonor something, just deflated
under there.
That's legit it was.
It was some serious stuff, yeah.
And and on top of coming lateand on top of doing this awesome
Trick because I guess you weresupposed to see a series of
things, you know, it's like ashow, right?
You see, like one trick, onetrick kind of builds up to like
you know, him catching on fireor something at the end or
(08:02):
whatever, but we didn't get tosee it, we just saw literally
one trick.
But also they refundedeverybody in that whole thing
their tickets.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Wow, that's what he said at the end.
So he and then he's likeeverybody back in.
Then we all go back in, he goesin.
My last magic trick for thenight is you're all Getting
refunds.
Thank you, have a good night.
And he's just left.
Okay, and that's that was thatin Seattle like the Paramount or
something.
Oh yeah, I was, I don'tremember but it's like here in
Seattle.
No, no, it was in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas yeah all right about15 years ago, yeah, and I was
(08:32):
like whoa and I remember thetickets were expensive they're
like 150 bucks or something andI was like whoa, this is a, this
is a showman right here.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
He's been around for a while.
Yeah, he, he's a, he's a worker.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Yeah, he's a worker, yeah, he, yeah, he was pretty.
He was pretty Wiry too, if Iremember right.
I mean he was really movingaround and talking and he had a
plan.
Yeah, you could definitely fillhis vibe, but that was the
biggest Magic trick I've ever,or whatever the hell you want to
call that.
But so, okay, so, so being able, so that I mean that's pretty
(09:06):
cool that you you got a job whenyou're 16, on the day you turn
16, and then you hung out therefor quite a few years and you
just kind of met people andthat's what got you into it.
You know the things I alwaystell my boys.
You know the, the little thingsthat they're doing.
They're young.
You know ones in the military,ones, ones in college, and and
you know, the experiences thatthey have in life right now are
(09:28):
gonna be the foundations ofwhere they go in life.
Yeah so you know, be kind andloving and thoughtful to
everyone you meet, because younever know right what's gonna
happen, and you're a perfectexample, you know yeah, I had so
many people when I was youngerto say you know, it's all about
relationships.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
I heard it.
I didn't really get it.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Yeah, I'm still.
It's like having kids.
Yeah, yeah, you hear it.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Yeah, yeah, you don't get good at it till they're,
till they're in college.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Yeah, and until they're, until you're in there,
until you're in their housestaying with them, or yeah?
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Or you're under your fourth or fifth one.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Yeah, yeah, kids.
Kids are awesome.
They're super cool man, they'retough and everything, but
definitely a piece of life youdon't want to miss out on for
sure.
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
Foundation nation is proudly sponsored by Jays
technology solutions.
Call Jays technology solutionsat 253 376 7579 for all your
computer repair, it and networksolutions.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
So what are you guys doing for vacations this year?
You guys he's got any vacationsplanned.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Oh, my vacations depend on my work schedule.
Okay, so you know, my wife'sfrom San Diego.
I did have, ironically, a showin San Diego went out there.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Oh, did you get a taker?
Yeah, yeah that's fun.
Yeah, and you got to see allour peeps and stuff.
Yeah, we did that, that's cool.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Yeah, we went actually, I think we went early
and then she left.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Oh, okay, had to go back home.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's great.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Yeah, we do that a little bit Sometimes.
I don't prefer to vacation withwith work.
I just like to make it avacation.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Yeah, I get it done, yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
It's so.
Do you guys have any dreamvacations?
How many?
So how many kids?
You got three kids with youright, three kids, yeah, and
what are their ages?
Speaker 3 (11:12):
So this is funny, I've got a four, five and
fifteen year old four, five andfifteen, yeah, so yeah I didn't
say, hey, I'm gonna take tenyears off.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Actually, between that I didn't think I wanted any
more kids.
Oh really.
Yeah, then when you have to,you know, split the time with
your child between anotherperson and another home.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
I'm just like wait you get a little sad, yeah, I do
like being a father.
Yeah, be dead.
It's cool man, it's cool, supercool.
Yeah, you get to smack themaround.
No, you'd ever do that, but youget it, you know it's.
It's nice to see when theyrecognize the advice you give
them and they have a positiveInteraction in life.
You know, yeah, tell them.
Hey, you know, this is whathappened to me.
(11:55):
You should probably think aboutnot doing that.
And then they do it and theyhave a good outcome and they're
like oh, Watching them developyeah, school, yeah, sports in
social behaviors, yeah so do youhave any little midget, mini,
teeny, weeny Mentalists growingup.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
So my 15 year old?
Definitely not he's.
He's asked me for a couple ofcard tricks, so he can you show
the girls?
Yeah, so his name is Breckenjet is the five year old?
No, I, he's very analog.
He might be an engineer orsomething.
So the youngest my wife decidedname him ace and I think he's
(12:34):
got it.
You think he's got it.
I mean, I don't, I mean it.
I don't want to say I don'tcare, but I won't push anything
and yeah, yeah, but if he doesit, if there's anyone that would
do, it would be him, that'scool yeah he's just yeah it's
almost, it's almost got.
I don't know.
Yeah, it's almost, I'll watchit.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
So Okay, so that is so.
Where are we at in your storyhere?
So we got to the point whereyou, you met your mentor, and so
, from your mentor, how did youtake a step?
How did you decide that this issomething you want to be have a
career how do you make thatchoice?
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Yeah, well, I used to work for a restaurant marketing
company and it always wanted tobe front and center.
Then, like I said earlier, Itook that hiatus and then I
ended up working for arestaurant marketing company and
I was.
I think it was the down theeconomy changing in 2010, mm-hmm
, the housing crisis, mm-hmm setthe housing in the stock.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
That wasn't the 2008 was kind of the housing housing.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
So that's what it was , yeah, okay.
So 2010, I got laid off and itwas the most amazing not the
most amazing thing, but you, Ilaunched my web.
I got laid off in like January,I put my website up or I might
have just had it up and I didmagic full time and I had an all
right career as a GM and I madelike within a couple of hundred
(13:54):
dollars in my annual salary atthe job I just got laid off.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
How'd that make?
Speaker 3 (13:57):
you feel, yeah, it was like this is happening.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
This is gonna happen, yeah, okay.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
And then I just, you know, you keep working and all I
do is just drive it and justdevelop.
And yeah, and my biggestlearning lately is realizing
that, yeah, maybe I don't havethe knowledge or the skill set
to take my company in thedirection I wanna go and in
certain aspects so I've beenworking with some consultants
(14:26):
who have really helped me outand I've really enjoyed the
outside influences.
Speaker 4 (14:31):
I reached out to.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
It's like it's huge learning for me.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Yeah, you know it's every day.
You have a certain amount ofopportunity to interact with a
certain amount of people everyday and you always, if you're a
business owner, if you're anentrepreneur, if you're a
captain of industry, you alwayswanna take that opportunity to
its peak potential if you own abusiness.
So you walk out the door, youknow, you have your cup of
(14:56):
coffee, you kiss your wifegoodbye, you smack all your kids
in the butt, you walk out thedoor and every person you run
into you know is an opportunityand those face to faces are the
strongest opportunities.
You can go on social media andall those websites, do whatever
and all this stuff, but creating, you know, that interaction
with face to face and cherishingthose you know, knowing the
(15:21):
importance of those super, superimportant.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
I can agree with you.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
So what is the dream?
So what is your?
What is your creme de la creme?
What is the pinnacle of NateJester's magic emporium?
What does it look like?
Speaker 3 (15:42):
I'm there, you're there.
Yeah, a lot of people.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
You're living it.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Yeah, well, you know I'll take more.
You know, sure, I'll elaborate.
A lot of people ask me do youwanna be in Vegas?
Do you wanna be?
Do you wanna win America's gottalent?
You know stuff like that.
No, I'll take it.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Are you gonna apply for the America thing?
I was on it actually.
Oh, you're on it In 2011.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Not gonna go again.
I'll go if they ask me it's.
I don't.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
Do they send out invites on the second round?
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Here's the thing with TV and magic Same with Penn and
Teller and stuff, and it's beengoing on Penn and Teller, I
think they're on their eightseason, agt, I don't know 10
years they have magicians onthere.
So even though they're reallyamazing, if they're at all
similar to something they've hadin the past, it's not what
they're looking for.
So you have to be verydifferent.
(16:34):
And yeah, I am very differentand unique, but I don't think
different enough for TV and Idon't wanna.
I do what I do and I'mpassionate about it.
So my goal, what I?
So I mentioned earlier I doprivate parties and corporate
events, primarily corporateevents.
So that is.
I just wanna do more of thesame.
I wanna keep meeting amazingpeople.
(16:55):
I wanna go to work with amazingcompanies local, abroad, and
I'd like to do.
There's a certain type of gigand event that I'd like to do
more of, so I'd say that thatwould be my pinnacle, but I'm in
it, I love it.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
That's good.
Yeah, that's good.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
I could, I love it.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
You know, I wonder if there's any category or space
for something along the lines oflike kind of executive team
training or team building eventthat a mentalism could do you
know.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Yeah, I'm talking with a client right now.
They've hired me twice and theleader I guess he's really
interested in the psychologybehind it and how it works and
how it influences people, and sothere's kind of like a TED talk
I've created where I wouldcommunicate with the team and
(17:55):
teach them a magic trick whydoes it work, how does it work
and what are people thinkingduring interactions and then, as
a showman, how do I change thesituation?
That's cool, because a lot ofwhat I'm doing is I'm just
observing.
I walk up to a group, maybeduring a cocktail hour, not on a
stage Four people, five peoplehaving a drink.
(18:15):
I know my set, I know my jokes,I know my tricks.
I got it all going.
It's very personal and I'mtrying to remember their names
and stuff.
But I'm watching, payingattention, and well, this
person's got their phone out,this person is on their phone.
How do I engage them?
This person?
We're losing their attention.
Is it what I'm doing?
Is it what I'm doing?
How can we change thissituation so everybody's having
(18:39):
fun and involved?
Speaker 2 (18:41):
So you're at a corporate party and really
someone walks up to you and youget to say one thing to them
what are you going?
Speaker 3 (18:53):
to say Well, funny thing is is in a cocktail hour.
I always walk up to them.
Okay, yeah, I mean people comefind me afterwards, but usually
at the beginning I say hi, I'mNate, I'm like, and I'll fling a
card or something Say I'm amentalist, and I just sit there
and smile and you get a smileback.
And then, yeah, have you heardof a mentalist?
(19:14):
Yeah, yeah, it's prettyincredible.
A magician would find your card.
A mentalist knows your cardhere.
Let's do something.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Let's do something.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Let me hold your phone for a second.
Think of this.
Do you have somebody in yourmind?
Think about the time your childwas born.
Stuff, just crazy stuff.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Just blow their mind.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Yeah, and it, yeah, I think we're going to talk about
in the next episode.
Yeah, yeah, the, which I'mreally excited about.
Yeah, all right, cool how Iblow minds and why.
Yeah let's do it.
Why I do what I do?
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Hey, it was nice having you on here, man.
I'm Matthew Cote.
This is Foundation Nation,along with yeah, thanks for
having me.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
I'm Nate Jester.
If you want to take yourcompany's event to the next
level, you can find me atSeattle magiciancom.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
Foundation Nation is proudly sponsored by Jays
Technology Solutions, calledJays Technology Solutions at
253-376-7579, for all yourcomputer repair, it and network
solutions.
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.