I tried for years to learn magic from books, starting in elementary school when my folks bought me a great kid's magic kit for Christmas. I could never quite figure out how to make a sleight last more than 30 seconds, even though I kept reading and trying through high school, even as late as in law school. The Royal Road, Bobo's Modern Coins, you name it. I never got anywhere and eventually gave up.

For my 49th birthday, my wife bought magic lessons for me. It had been so long since I even tried, I showed up for Aaron with zero percent "Technique" and zero percent "Misdirection." My training as a lawyer may have left me with some ideas for structure and presentation, but basically I was at ground zero.

The first sleight I tackled for class was the Houdin Break. I knew the Biddle Grip, and that was about it. So starting from there, Aaron helped break down the Micro-Moves for me, what each one would feel like, and how my hands were functioning. With Aaron's guidance and coaching, I am beyond comfortable with the Houdin Break - and learning how that one move makes any advanced ‘sleight-cluster’ makes everything easier to tackle and master.

I frankly never understood HOW to use misdirection at all, despite reading a number of books on it. I tackled the Ambitious Card in our class, and I worked specifically with Aaron on the choreography of Attention Jacking for each moment in the trick. When it was my turn to perform for the class, I was amazed at how well the misdirection did what it was meant to do... in large part because we had integrated it into the routine using ICE with the other elements.

I worked on Structure and Presentation by writing out detailed "scripts" for my Ambitious Card routine. I had no idea where to go at first, but as I began to grasp how the Effect Compass works as a north star for what each moment is leading toward, I figured out what words would take the audience where I wanted (and which ones would distract from the effect!) and how the steps made a difference.

I have been using ICE to find a logical progression in the steps of a trick while guiding the audience through those steps with entertaining discussion. Even more, I have been working on a number of Attention Jacking techniques and where to place them logically in the structure. The result has helped me finally understand how a magic performance comes together to make a wonderful effect for an audience.

I have come from years as a wanna-be to a happy practitioner of the 3M System. Last month, with Aaron's guidance I devised and performed a special routine for the bride and groom at a family wedding that honestly blew the wedding party away. My confidence level was amazing, knowing that I had covered myself from every angle and had my Effect Compass to back me up. I had gone from a complete loss at magic to an excited, entertaining magician.

The Miracle Man Method helped me get my bearings and get where I wanted to go. You can't be any more green or lost than I was - and I am certain the 3M System can do as much for you as it did for me.