Contact Yan Markson - Canada's Top Mentalist & Magician

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Corporate Events
Keynote Speaking
Private Events
Reviews
About Yan

Corporate Events
Keynote Speaking
Private Events
Reviews
About Yan

Corporate Events
Keynote Speaking
Private Events
Reviews
About Yan

Corporate Events
Keynote Speaking
Private Events
Reviews
About Yan

Corporate Events
Keynote Speaking
Private Events
Reviews
About Yan

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Yan Markson is Toronto’s Best Mentalist and Magician. His world class show is engaging, inspiring and unforgettable.

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One of the highest-ROI skills in business is knowi

One of the highest-ROI skills in business is knowing how to communicate your value.

I’m not talking about inflating it or overselling... I’m talking about translating your work in terms of what your audience values most.

Last week I had the opportunity to open CanSPEP’s 30th annual conference! An incredible chance to share my keynote with event planners from across Canada thanks to @mballane from @speakersdotca.

The keynote focused on closing The Perception Gap: the difference between the value you believe you bring to your client and the value your clients actually perceive and experience.

We covered three ideas:

1. Start with the story you tell yourself

2. Shift perspectives to find their “Magic Sparks”

3. Only add words when they add value

(This clip touches on the first point)

As Dr. Maxwell Maltz once put it:

💡 “Self-image sets the boundaries of individual accomplishment.”

→ Your state of mind shapes your inner narrative of what’s possible.

→ That narrative drives your behaviour.

→ Your behaviour changes the result.

Sounds like magic, but it’s science.

If you want people to see your value, start with the story you tell yourself.

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Thanks again to Marnie. It was an pleasure to work with the CanSPEP team, including, Niesa Silzer, Rita Plaskett, the encore team, and the MC Shaun Bernstein in Regina. This was a very warm, friendly, and fun audience. 🙏

#MeetingProfs #EventProfs #EventPlanners #Leadership #PerceptionGap

Last week I moderated 3 panels at the @canadianspe

Last week I moderated 3 panels at the @canadianspecialevents show. My first time ever, and the 2 hours felt like 10 minutes!

Grateful to @jasonkoop2019 & Stacy Wyatt for trusting me with the job on short notice.

Was I nervous? Yes! But I've never been one to shy away from challenges and new experiences.

I've seen many panels before, but as Confucius said: "I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand." ... So I jumped in and here are just three of the things I learned:

1. Do your homework: on the panelists, the topic, and the audience. When you're prepared you're free to improvise and be present.

2. A good moderator sets the tone, sparks a lively, insightful discussion, makes the panelists shine, and stays on top of the time.

3. Be ready for curve balls! Last-minute changes, unexpected questions, speaker changes and ideas you didn't see coming.

Two hours felt like ten minutes. I tried to stay fully present, listen for takeaways, and dig a little deeper whenever I sensed there was more to give the audience.

Were there things I could have done better? Absolutely. But you only learn what to work on by doing the thing.

Special thanks to my friend and talented event producer @p.diazxm, for snapping this photo. :)

#eventprofs #meetingprofs #eventplanning

Here’s what gives me the #confidence to speak in

Here’s what gives me the #confidence to speak in front of 650+ people... I have something exciting to give them! 🎁

I used to get extremely nervous getting on stage no matter how many times I’d done it. Whether there were 30 people or 3,000.

And then one day everything changed.

The more time I took to learn about the audience, shift perspective to them, speak to them, ask them questions, and genuinely try to understand why they are coming together and what kind of challenges they face every day, I started to really tailor my message so that it has more value, meaning, and engagement.

Once this happened, I started to get excited, like a little kid who’s worked all weekend to make the perfect card for their grandparents, with all their favourite things. Excited to deliver this gift and see their faces.

💡 When you take the time to shift perspectives, remove yourself as the "hero" of the story, and do your best to only leave in what is truly relevant and valuable for your audience, not only will your audience understand, trust, and remember your message, but you will enjoy it a lot more too.

Thank you to OASIS - Ontario Agencies Supporting Individuals with Special Needs and Speakers Spotlight for the opportunity to do the opening keynote today.

#KeynoteSpeaker #EventPlanners #PeopleandCulture #Storytelling #ThePowerofPerception

What you EXPECT changes what you see, how you feel

What you EXPECT changes what you see, how you feel and behave.
So how can you use this to your advantage?

This is a clip where I touch on a fascinating psychological experiment by Dr. Alia Crum in hospitals:

📌 Patients who were told they were receiving pain medication reported stronger and faster pain relief than those given the exact same medication... but without being told about it! In fact, brain scans confirmed it. The pain-processing regions actually behaved differently based on EXPECTATION.

Out of Sight = Out of Mind

💡 What part of your work are your customers, partners, and team not seeing or feeling simply because you never made it visible?

When you set expectations for how something will be experienced, you prime people to notice it, and you amplify the impact of the work you’re already doing.

Expectations can be a self-fulfilling prophecy!

- Students randomly labeled “high potential” performed better because teachers unknowingly treated them that way.

- Wine labeled as expensive activated more pleasure in the brain, even though it was identical to the cheap version.

- Basketball players who believed they trained with a “performance-enhancing” method improved more, despite identical training.

Same situation. Different expectations. Different outcome.

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This is a clip from a keynote I did in Niagara Falls for @schlegelvillage. Thank you to @speakersdotca for the opportunity! ❤️

#keynotespeaker #leadershipdevelopment #executiveleadership #influence #PeopleAndCulture #corporateevents

"Common Sense" does not exist by default. #Leaders

"Common Sense" does not exist by default. #Leadership is the art of aligning perception, values, and intent.

Last week I was in Florida speaking to C-suite leaders in the life sciences industry.

QHP Capital has built something genuinely impressive! A management system that prioritizes #culture, develops real ownership, and creates clear communication between leaders across their portfolio companies.

💡 My keynote unpacked the illusions even experienced leaders fall for. Because strategy fails when intelligent people interpret the same plan with different mental models. We dug into how to influence perception, and how to align teams around shared intent and purpose.

This was a very well thought-through event. Incredible speakers, great facilitators, and an amazing venue in St. Petersburg. I learned a lot myself and feel genuinely lucky to have been part of it.

Huge thanks to the QHP Capital team for all the insights that helped me prep for this keynote, Ricky, Vern, Jared, Silvia, and to @dwight.ireland of @speakersdotca for helping make this happen.

Next stop: Calgary. ✈️

#KeynoteSpeaker #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveLeadership #LifeSciences

Imagine MC’ing a corporate event while MASSIVE w

Imagine MC’ing a corporate event while MASSIVE worlds 'swirl' around you and under your feet! 😍🌎🚀

Last week, I had the opportunity to #MC the evening, perform my #mentalism show, and do roaming entertainment at a very unique event, keeping the energy flowing from start to finish.

The night was brought to life by @chab_agency_canada, led by @guillaume_chabrieres and his exceptional & professional team!

The event was held at the @illuminariumtor in the Distillery District, where immersive projections transformed the walls and the floor into a living canvas of light and motion.

From live illustrators, photobooths with creative activations, @djkyrei, a live brass band, dancers from @cirque_revolution, and delicious catering... every detail was designed to surprise and engage.✨

All of it came together to celebrate a corporate team launching new offices across North America in a bold, visual, and truly immersive way.

👉 This 1-minute reel gives a glimpse into the energy, visuals, and atmosphere of the night.

#eventprofs #meetingprofs #corporateevents #eventmarketing #liveevents #MC #mentalist

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