Oz Pearlman is an Emmy award-winning mentalist & magician who recently emerged as the runner up & finalist in America’s Got Talent Season 10 in 2015. In this STIMY, Oz shares what he was like as a child, discovering magic on a cruise ship to Bermuda and how that transformed his life as he obsessed over mastering magic. Oz got so good, he paid his own way through college and even continued it as a side hustle while working at Merrill Lynch before deciding to take the leap & become a full-time mentalist. He hasn’t looked back since. Oz Pearlman has performed for an impressive list of A-list celebrities, Fortune 500 companies, politicians and professional athletes, and also appeared on numerous networks including NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The TODAY Show & ABC World News. He is also an avid marathon & ultra-marathon runner, having competed in events like the Badwater 135 Miler, Hawaii Ironman World Championships, Western States 100 and Spartathlon.Highlights:3:47: Being a child math prodigy (scored a perfect 800 for his SATs at age 12)4:36: Discovering a love of magic6:19: Meeting Ryan Hertz & Bruce Kessler9:41: Getting his first magic gig at age 1412:13: Knowing how to break the ice with strangers16:34: Deciding to stay behind in USA & pay for himself through college19:00: Finding his own magic community20:49: The balance between sharing magic tricks & keeping your secrets to yourself26:54: Simple magic tricks for anyone to learn31:30: The Off Broadway Show, Watch Magic, that attracted Ethan Hawke & the New York Times35:44: “Making it” as a full-time, freelance magician37:46: Why Oz thinks he didn’t make it the first time he applied for America’s Got Talent in 201238:46: Coming up with new magic tricks on AGT within days39:56: Competing on America’s Got Talent while training for 3 marathons!43:17: Impact of COVID-19 on Oz’s business?Show notes: www.sothisismywhy.com/48