Alaska - Las Vegas - Washington, DC - and more.

This has been an amazing summer so far and it is still going. I started writing this in my state room while on an Alaskan cruise and I’m finishing it at home about two months later after travelling to events and shows in Canada, Las Vegas, PA, DE, MD, NJ, and Washington, DC. -

- As I sit here on the Disney Wonder Cruise Ship sailing through Alaska several things go through my mind. First off, I am very thankful for the size of our bathroom back home. As most anyone who has ever been on a cruise ship before can attest to, the bathrooms in your average cruise ship stateroom are very small. Second, I feel very blest to have a job that allows me travel and see amazing places and experience other cultures. The rugged and majestic beauty that can be found in Alaska is nothing short of awe-inspiring. As we have travelled and performed in various places around the world, it amazes me that some people never leave the town where they live, work and play. Heck, some people never even leave their neighbor-hood except to go to work, school or the store. This summer, in a variety of locations, we have seen many homeless people, so I am also thankful for the house we live in. While it is not quite what I had imagined when I was growing up and first got married, it is a very comfortable place that we have called home for the last 23 years.

I have always felt and believed that there is a special “Magic” in each and every one of us. For some it is music, sports, or art and for others it is working with numbers, writing, cooking, photography or any number of things. The key is to find the “Magic” in you, the thing that makes you special, or the thing in life that you are most passionate about. One of my favorite sayings is, “If you can find a way to get paid to do what you love you will be much happier in life."

Since this is a Disney Ship, there is always a special magic all around us including Walt’s own words, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” That quote is one that I believe in and it reaffirms what I always say, “Follow your dreams and NEVER give up on them.” Don’t let others bring you down or tell you that your dreams are unobtainable. They cannot see your vision or share your passion. People told me that having a career as a magician and illusionist was not a viable option and they told me many reasons why I would not be able to make a living as an entertainer. I chose not to listen to them and instead, I followed my heart and my dreams. You have to believe in yourself and work hard to make you dreams a reality. Anyone can believe in himself or herself when things are going their way and working well for them but the time you really need to believe in yourself is when nobody else does and they try to crush your dreams or get you to stop pursuing them. The best things in life are worth fighting for and pursuing your dreams in the face of adversity is rarely an easy thing to do. But if you believe in yourself and you want it bad enough and you are willing to put forth the needed work and effort to achieve your dreams and goals, almost anything is possible.

Even Walt Disney failed several times and even went bankrupt before he hit it big with a Mouse named Mickey and we all know how that turned out and it is still growing and going strong. The Disney Corporation is unique and it seems like everything they do is first rate and top notch. As a matter of fact they do not have employees. Instead, the people that work for them are called cast members. They all work together to give customers a complete package of satisfaction. I have found that overall they have the best customer service I have ever come across and it may be a result of another quote from Walt Disney which is a great philosophy,  “What ever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it they will want to come back and see you do it again and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.” This is something else that I whole-heartedly believe in and strive for in my work.

Milton Hershey, of Hershey Chocolate fame, is another example of a huge success story of a man that had several failed ventures before he found his own magical success story. Even during tough economic times Mr. Hershey looked out for his employees. As an example, during Great the Depression, Hershey went on a building campaign and provided jobs for hundreds of those in need. Like the Disney Corporation, the Hershey Empire continues to adapt and grow.

In the last few years we too have had to adapt and change so we could in turn grow as well. We find ourselves traveling further and more often but luckily it usually for bigger, higher paying shows and nice perks. Having lots of happy repeat clientele that rebook us on a regular occurrence is always a welcome plus as well. We are also featuring a few rare illusions in our show, which has helped make us even more popular with magic groups and their conventions. At one of these conventions in May of this year we were awarded three different Awards by the Sponsoring organization The Society of American Magicians Assembly 110 and The International Brotherhood of Magicians Ring 20. The awards were,

·      Stage Magician of the Year,

·      Pierre Fontaine – Originality Award

·      Ducky Waterman – Best Effect of the Year

This year we have also been giving back to Magic as Mike is serving as President of The Capital Area Professional Magicians, as well as Sargent-at-Arms for The Magicians Alliance of Eastern States, a Grand Council Member of The Professional Magicians Club of Lancaster, PA and most recently was appointed as the PA State Deputy for The Society of American Magicians.

We hope to see you in person at one of our shows but until then you can follow us on Facebook and you tube at www.facebook.com/MikeSnyderAndDonna and www.youtube.com/MikeSnyderAndDonna

Thanks for reading this and remember...  It's all about Believing.

Best Wishes Always, 

Mike & Donna