Richard Parsons has an amazing September coming up!

September is here – what will this month bring? We’re talking to small business owners about what is happening in their industry at the moment.

Today we’re talking to Richard Parsons who is a full-time magician based in Gloucester. Richard provides close-up magic, event hosting and stage magic all over the UK and abroad. He has performed at events for over 16 years, working in Spain, Italy and Jersey in and in a number of prestigious hotels and locations.

How was your summer as we go into autumn?
Summer as always was very busy with weddings! At weddings I perform walkaround magic at either the Drinks Reception or early evening after the meal and magic is hugely popular to keep guests entertained especially as weddings in this country can be a long day with gaps. The Southwest in particular has a huge amount of wedding venues including barns, castles, hotels and more so it’s a booming industry to work in.

What’s coming up for your business in September?
This week I’ve been invited to the Cotswold Magic Society to judge its close-up magic competition which is always an honour - watching other magicians perform and I get to sit back and relax and enjoy the show! I also still have plenty of Autumn weddings and some corporate events coming up this month.

World Gratitude Day takes place this month (Sept 21). What are you grateful for in your business/organisation/at home?
During the pandemic I was off work for basically a whole year in 2020 as of course there were no events even for a while after the lockdowns lifted. I spent that time rehearsing new magic effects, providing Zoom show entertainment and postponing many weddings which I then completed in 2021 and 2022. One of the most valuable lessons during this time was learning to be so grateful for my career - I get to do what I love (perform magic) and travel the country and abroad - for a living. It’s not 9 to 5, I work for myself, I’m my own boss and I have some amazing experiences and magic has taken me to some very cool locations. It is very easy to take this for granted. While I have worked hard to build up my magic business as Gloucestershire Magician Ltd, I do also feel fortunate. I did a little work for Sainsbury’s in December 2020, nightshift stacking shelves, and I’ve never worked so hard in my life! All of these life lessons, now that my career is back on track, have made my far more grateful for my job and I’m enjoying performing more than ever! Being grateful for what you have is, I believe, a really key lesson in life and business.

What are your hopes for business for the rest of this year?
This year I am launching a new service which is Event Hosting or Emcee work and I’ve already hosted a podcast launch and other events. As an entertainer, performing in front of a crowd is second nature so moving into the Hosting world is another service and package that I can offer, either with hosting alone or hosting alongside some stage magic - ideal for corporate events, charity events or awards evenings.

We are dealing with a lot of messages around ‘bad’ news such as the rising cost of living and interest rates rising. How are you keeping positive?
I think for me this goes back to gratitude… it is fine to have drive, ambition and want more, and want to be more successful, but you also need to reflect on what you DO HAVE and be thankful. It’s easy to overlook the simple things in life - in this country we have running clean water, most of us have a roof over our heads, a car, a job…. you only have to look around the world to see that some people don’t even have those things. Being grateful, thankful, and trying to help others where you can all help a positive mindset in my opinion.

I believe it’s also very important to be positive and proactive in business and go out there and meet people, network, build relationships and remember you are in business for the long term it’s not always about just making a sale there and then. One of my magician friends gave me a fantastic bit of advice early on in my career that I’ve never forgotten he said ‘You can’t hand out your business card if you are sat on your sofa’. Try to help others along the way with THEIR business and you will absolutely reap the rewards, and people will also regard you as a nice person to do business with. So those would be my best tips, be thankful and be helpful to people.

Have you got any services or special offers you’d like to mention?
Well, my December is always very, very busy with Corporate Xmas parties and office parties so I would say start planning your Christmas Party 2023 NOW and book your venue and entertainment NOW before it’s too late!!

And finally, September 30 is International Podcast Day. Do you listen to podcasts or do you have one of your own?
I love podcasts and listen to many on the way to and from gigs as I spend hours in the car driving around. For anything wedding related listen to ‘The Unfiltered Bride’ podcast where my friends Georgie and Beth talk all things weddings, good and bad and if you are planning to get married their advice (and stories!) will both inform and entertain! The Joe Marler show is good fun, and he has some great guests with really interesting occupations, the last one of his I listened to the guest was a professional competitive eater! Fascinating. Lastly if you want something a bit deeper and more scientific, I like the Andrew Huberman podcast which is all about science, medicine, the brain and body…that’s one for the longer journeys!

For more information visit www.gloucestershiremagician.co.uk