Daniel Schaffer

For kids shows scroll to the bottom:

Every event is different, so every experience is going to be made for that audience. I focus on the little things. If you have an awards banquet, I’ll not only do an amazing mind reading and mentalism show, but my final message will set up the awards. I’ll get everyone excited about the awards, and even handle the bumper music. We will have coordinated beforehand, so each person getting an award will have their favorite song cued up, when their name is called, they walk to the stage with their anthem playing. *Remember, little things don’t mean a lot, they mean everything. That simple addition shows you take an interest in your employee’s lives.

My show will have everyone on the edge of their seat in anticipation and falling back in amazement, they will be laughing and having the time of their lives. During my show, my magic word is your organization, so they’ll associate your brand or organization with the good feelings they are having.

I work with a director. My full show is three acts, early childhood, teenage, and adult. It tells the story of how I discovered my abilities, beginning in elementary school. Throughout the show my powers develop as my character gets older with bigger and better tricks, until the grand finale when one person gets to experience reading someone else’s mind and disappearing from the stage.

I always close with a motivational message, trained by the top motivational speaker alive, Les Brown, I’ll share a message with magic that ties the event together, so everyone not only has a fun, positive, and memorable time, but a meaningful time as well.

Expect unbelievable predictions, metal bending, lots of engagement, and people being treated like VIPs when on stage so that everyone wants to participate.

For mingling events, I make sure everyone is talking. I find those who are disengaged, and help them connect by making introductions and giving them something to talk about with expert close up magic.

What is the booking process like?
For corporate events I prefer to book off GigSalad through my business.

For Company Events:
Booking is simple, it takes two steps:
1. We will discuss your event over the phone so I can give you an accurate quote. I’ll ask about date, time, number of people, purpose of the event, problems you’ve had in the past, how you want your people to feel, what you wish went better at your last event, budget, and your email address (For the quote)

2. Review the proposal, e-sign the agreement, and pay the 50% retainer.

After our phone call I’ll take all the info back to my team, if we can work with your budget we can, if not we will let you know. After my team reviews your request…. I’ll call you back to go over the proposal and answer any questions. You’ll get an email with a link to a shareable, dedicated, password protected webpage for your event, this will have the proposal, agreement, invoice, insurance and tax info, a link to pay the invoice, promo videos, and a personalized video discussing everything we talked about on the phone. This will be a shareable link so you can send it to any other decision makers and refer back to it as needed. You will also get an email through Adobe Sign.. This will have the agreement ready to e-sign. Look it over carefully to make sure dates, times, and addresses are correct. If everything looks good, sign it. Once it is signed you and I will receive the signed copy and I will be booked. The last thing you will need to do is pay the retainer fee.

A few notes you may notice about me:
—I charge a lot more than everyone else on here but don’t let that scare you. My price changes based on the value you receive so after we talk on the phone I’ll adjust my initial quote accordingly. My first quote my be much higher or lower than the final quote. Remember you can always go with the low-cost option, but buyer beware, its usually low for a reason. I remember seeing a magician impale a news anchor on live television… that will never happen in my shows. Safety always comes first. I never use shock magic or dangerous magic either real or simulated.

—I only do business with friends, and you are just a friend I haven’t met yet. I’m not selling a magic show, because nobody needs a magician. You need someone who can engage your people and connect them to your organization in fun, positive, memorable, and meaningful ways. When we talk on the phone, you will tell me what problems you’ve had in the past, what your goal is for the event, and how you want your people to feel. I’ll tell you exactly how I will help you solve all those problems so you can have the perfect event. No two events are alike and no two companies are the same. If you like my solution I’ll give you a price. If I can work within your budget, I will. If I can’t, we will part ways as friends. Many of my clients remain life long friends. I’ve got your back, not only for this event, but if you ever need to talk or find yourself in a jam, you can always give me a call.

When you work with me you don’t just get a show, you get everything:
-Unlimited Consultations
-$2,000,000 Liability Insurance policy
-Workers Comp (For Your Protection)
-Whatever entertainment your event needs (mingling, stage show, wake-up act, hospitality event, or just insurance in case things go wrong)

My fee covers the event not a certain time span. I’ll never be rushing out to get somewhere else. I’m usually the first one there and the last one gone. I’ll make sure everyone who wants to meet me gets the opportunity and chance.

Kids Shows:
In 2016 Daniel was voted best children’s magician in Utah. That winter he retired from children’s magic to focus on company events. For a limited time as the event industry returns to normal, Daniel is offering his award winning children show.

These shows are whacky. Having studied human development and psychology, Daniel is able to perform for any age group and connect with them. Your kids will be having the time of their lives screaming at the top of their lungs one moment, and dead silent the next. One thing is certain is the laughter will never end. With silly magic and music like brewing sneaker juice, whacky wands, a coloring book that you color with the colors on your clothes, and so much more, your kids will have the time of their lives. The only disappointment will be when the event comes to an end. Always ending with a motivational message to boost self esteem, Daniel can cover topics like surviving bullying, getting back up, setting goals, and more. Every child deserves to feel heard and know that they have worth, so Daniel will often stay an extra 30-45 minutes after the show to do special one on one magic and make sure everyone who wants to meet him gets the opportunity.

The little things don’t mean a lot. The little things mean everything. This is the core of Daniel Schaffer Connects. Any magician can put on a magic show, but that’s not what you need for your event. You need someone who can connect with the audience and help them feel how much they mean to your organization.

How did I get here?

I started when I was 7 years old playing with a magic kit and watching Lance Burton on television. The magic section of the library got me through middle school and High School, then I got my EMT license and took the premed route with full intentions of being an epidemiologist.

I took a break to serve a Mormon mission, but it ended disastrously after 18 months with a trauma that derailed my college career. Those experiences helped shape the philanthropic work that I now do in my community. I struggled to keep up with Chemistry, so I switched majors to Physics, then Communications, then Psychology. I got my AS in General Studies and took a summer off to work as an EMT, during that experience I decided to become a meteorologist. I enrolled in the University of Utah and studied Atmospheric Sciences. 3/4 of the way through the degree, as a broke college student, I decided to earn some extra money by doing magic on the streets.

I started busking in June 2014 on the streets of Salt Lake City. It was then I realized there was a potential career in magic. What had been my hobby for years, now paid for my rent and food. I used the money I made to purchase a business license, then put together my first kids show. With my wacky personality, the kids loved me! I started getting referrals all through Salt Lake City. It was Fall of 2014 I decided that I wanted to make a career in magic.

I immediately shifted my classes. I began taking business classes, psychology, communications, video editing, broadcast journalism, acting, theater, dictation, and any class I could that would help me be the best magician possible for my audiences. By 2016 I was voted the top children’s magician in Utah. I felt like I was doing well, but knew there was so much more I could be doing.

In 2016 I began putting together an adult show, focusing on mentalism. In December of 2016 I booked my first company party. In 2017 I was invited to be a part of the book The One Thing That Changed Everything, which went on to be an Amazon Best Seller.

By the end of 2017 I felt stuck again. I was getting good reviews, but I knew I could do better, I just didn’t know how. That’s when I asked for help. I found a magician and former executive of Sharp Electronics who had been wildly successful in connecting with his audiences, and solving real world business problems while he did it.

In 2018 I travelled to Costa Rica, where I got a crash course on business, showmanship, scripting, and most importantly, actually understanding what companies need. Before 2018 I didn’t understand why companies had events. I didn’t realize how much money went into them, and how much was actually riding on their success.

Before Costa Rica, I performed at many company events, each time I would notice all the things that went wrong with the event execution. There long lines at the buffet that dely the meeting, too much alcohol so someone makes a scene, nobody talking to each other, people sitting alone at a table, 2-hour raffles that seem like they never end, endless speeches, drunk drivers, no stage, awards left at tables after the event, and people just checking their watch to see if they had stayed long enough to leave.

In 2018 I learned how to solve ALL of those problems. Now when I get hired, I find out what problems they’ve had in the past, and help them solve them. I’ll coach them on how to talk about the event around the office, how to invite people, how to structure the flow of the event, what to say on stage, and what not to say on stage. I work behind the scenes with the wait staff, and venue managers to make sure everything goes perfectly, and if it doesn’t I’m prepared to step up and save the day. For my show, I hired a director to help me create a show that every audience would love. I added a motivational message to the end, one that is customized for every event to be the bow that ties the event together. It was in 2018 I stopped being just a magician, and became an Audience Engagement Specialist.

During the pandemic, all events shut down. I went through many life changes, leaving the Mormon church, coming out of the closet, and using my EMT license to help people on the front lines. The reason I do what I do is to make a difference. When I’m on stage, I help people know they matter and that the organization cares about them. When I couldn’t do that on stage, I knew I had to roll up my sleeves and do it one on one in the back of the ambulance.

During 2020, I was on the front lines, but I didn’t let my skills atrophy. I worked with Les Brown, learning directly from him how to improve my motivational speaking and becoming a Les Brown certified speaker. In November 2020 I had the opportunity to share the stage with Les in a socially distanced event. August of 2020, I decided to go back to school to make my business knowledge official. I’m currently enrolled in Business Administration with the ultimately goal of getting my MBA so I can better help my clients fix culture, turnover, productivity, sales, and organizational citizenship through their events.

January 2021 I started a podcast called When People Gather to help companies better connect with their people at events. For all new clients you will get my free ebook called Corporate Event Engagement Guide which will help you have a successful event.

Currently I live in Independence, KY with my service dog Angie (She usually stays home from events for now but will be a part of the shows in the future). I have an amazing boyfriend who works with special needs teenagers. To satiate my philanthropic side while events have been slow I took on the role of Director of Communication for the non profit Love Must Win.

Every event is different, as we discuss your event I will send over a technical rider with everything you will need so that every one of your guests is able to fully experience the program.

Typically for stage shows with audiences of 50 and more you will need:

Raised platform or stage
Stand alone sound system with a wireless handheld and wireless lavaliere or headset mic
professional theatrical lighting to light the front of the performer.

Exceptions can be made, I can perform in a closet if needed, however the technical details are for your guests so they can fully enjoy the experience.