Brad Ross had a magician perform at his birthday party when he was 5, and that sparked his interest.
"At that moment, I knew I wanted to become a magician, though had no idea how [to become a magician]," said Ross, now 30.
He eventually took magic classes at a Jewish Community Center (JCC) after school while growing up in New Jersey and, by the time he was 13, Ross was performing magic tricks at other kids' birthday parties around the state.
"I fell in love with performing; it gave me that outlet to be in the spotlight," Ross said. "I've been really lucky and blessed to start with a hobby as a kid, have that hobby turn into a passion, and now I can call it my profession. It's special to be able to wake up every day and have a profession that you truly love—and that certainly is the way I feel about magic and being able to entertain audiences."
However, magic also led to roadblocks as a youngster—the internationally known magician admits he was bullied because of his passion.
"I was the youngest of three [siblings] in a supportive, loving family," Ross said. "But not being the typical kid who wanted to go out and play sports, or being in the 'in crowd,' because of my interest in magic, I often could not connect with other kids and often was picked on because I wasn't doing what they were doing.
"The toughest time in my life was in middle school, [ages] 12-14."
That also was the time Spanky the dog became part of the Ross family. Spanky was Ross' outlet since Spanky always offered unconditional love, a wagging tail and wet kisses.
"He was kind of my secret ear, the one who I would talk to," about being bullied, Ross said. "The bullying eventually stopped when I kind of proved myself, [showing] that I was good at what I did. Years later, I realized how important my dog was."
Ross reflected, with tears, on Spanky's role in his growth and development when Spanky died earlier this year.
Ross even has woven bullying into part of his magic show for youngsters.
"Magic is something that appeals to everyone, and this issue of bullying has become such an incredible problem across the country, in so many different age groups," Ross said. "[During shows,] I stress that, yes, it's OK if you are different, if you're not like everyone else. The show teaches tolerance, tells that, yes, it is OK to have different interests [from the majority], and to accept others for their interests because they are not wrong [for having those interests.] Magic is the vehicle we use to weave that story throughout the performance."
To illustrate his point, Ross has the youngsters bring a piece of paper to the school assembly, where he's performing. He then asks the students to crumble the paper, stomp it into the ground. Then, he asks all to pick it up, unfold the paper and try to make it back to normal, to try to flatten it out, to remove all of the wrinkles, mend all of the imperfections.
"Although the piece of paper is still there, the damage has been done, and can never be taken away," he tells the students. "I then tell [the students:] when you bully someone, when you pick on someone, when you call someone names or pick on someone, you are basically doing the same kind of damage to the person [that you did to the sheet of paper].
"You can almost hear a pin drop in the audience when I say those things because it's so real, happening in their own hands."
Then the magic in Ross truly shines.
He takes a wrinkled sheet of paper, places it inside a "magic printer," and by saying the magical words—"The magic is in me"—the wrinkles are removed. He even goes one step further, magically. The sheet is then transposed into the poster of the show, which he gives away to one of the volunteers.
"We use magic to weave the anti-bullying message to kids," Ross said.
Ross attended the University of Miami and, after graduating, returned to his native New Jersey to begin working in the theme park industry. He produced his own show, titled, The World of Magic, at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, which lasted for three seasons.
Ross then had a six-year run working on Disney Live! Presents Mickey's Magic Show.
He now performs for Disney Cruise Lines.
Plus, Ross also runs a second business, traveling around the U.S., lecturing for magicians. He teaches magicians and small-business entrepreneurs how to run and grow their own businesses. That business grew out of performing, he said, and just learning how to run his own business without really knowing anything about business.
His college degree was in TV and film.
"Everything I learned about self-promotion, about branding, about public relations, about marketing, etc., all of that had to be self-taught," Ross said. "Other magicians started coming to me for assistance." In 2004, he started Make Magic Money, a company that helps other magicians and entertainers on how to grow and build their businesses.
Ross has performed worldwide—from Chicago to China, from Egypt to Japan, and countless stops in between.
"It's always amazing to see how people live in different parts of the world, what their cultures are, and how they respond to magic," said Ross, the 2010 Merlin Award winner, honoring him as the Best International Family Entertainer.
Ross just released a how-to book for aspiring young magicians: Hocus Pocus Al I Mi Choo, which hit major bookstores nationwide on April 1.
Ross had more than 1,200 performances as the headliner at Six Flags Theme Parks and more than 5,000 performances as the star of Disney Live! Presents Mickey's Magic Show.
"I hope the book will inspire a new generation of magicians," Ross said, "I wrote the book because I wanted to open the world of magic to kids—not just as audience members, but as performers themselves.
Ross partnered with First Book, a nonprofit organization, connecting authors and community organizations to provide access to new books for children in need.
The book breaks down 11tricks into simple, step-by-step instructions that a child can easily work through.
Proceeds from the sale of each book will be donated to First Book.
