I Sat Down With VoyageKC, and I'm So Excited to Share It With You

I Sat Down With VoyageKC, and I'm So Excited to Share It With You

✨ A Little Note Before You Dive In

I recently got to chat with VoyageKC about my journey as a magician, entrepreneur, and full-time maker of weird, wonderful things, and I loved every minute of it. We talked about the rejection, the reinvention, the chaos, and the real magic behind it all. If you've ever wondered what actually goes on behind the scenes of my career, this one's for you. 💌

Hi friends! 👋

I recently had the chance to sit down with the wonderful team at VoyageKC to talk about my journey as a magician, entrepreneur, and performer. We chatted about everything from how I first got started (spoiler: I was a princess), to the lessons I've learned the hard way, to the books and tools that keep my very creative, very un-organized brain from floating off into space.

Honestly, it was such a fun conversation. They asked me the kinds of questions that let me be real about what this life actually looks like, the surreal highs and the years of carrying my own props to gigs where the sound system didn't work. So instead of letting this interview just live on someone else's website, I wanted to bring the whole thing home and share it with you.

So consider this your backstage pass. Here's the full conversation. I hope you enjoy peeking behind the curtain! ✨

How It All Started (Yes, I Was a Princess First)

VoyageKC kicked things off by asking me to introduce myself and share my story. Here's what I told them:

I started performing when I was pretty young. I was actually a princess performer first, doing birthday parties and kids events, and eventually that turned into magic shows as a princess. I kind of fell in love with the way magic lets you connect with people immediately. Like, you can walk into a room full of strangers and within minutes everyone is laughing, reacting, and experiencing something impossible together and PLAYING.

From there I just kept saying yes to everything. Kids parties, corporate events, fairs, festivals, cruise ships, TV shows, random weird gigs in places I had never been before. I've now performed in over 25 countries, toured with Champions of Magic, appeared on shows like Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Masters of Illusion, and Blippi, and I was also in Chappell Roan's Red Wine Supernova music video, which still feels very surreal and fun to say.

But honestly the real story is that I just kept going. I got rejected a lot, I had to learn the business side, I had to figure out how to make a living as an artist, and I kept building the next version of myself and my work. Now I do a mix of corporate magic, mentalism, a few family shows, lectures for magicians, and more theatrical one-woman style shows. I feel really lucky that magic has taken me all over the world, but also I think a big part of it was just being stubborn enough to keep making weird art until it became my actual life.

The Part Nobody Warns You About (a.k.a. It Was Not a Smooth Road)

Then they asked me the question every artist secretly wants to answer honestly: was it a smooth road? Oh, friends. Let me tell you. 😅

Hmmm…No, definitely not a smooth road. I mean, I love what I do so much, but being a full-time artist and entertainer is basically choosing the most chaotic business plan possible and then being like, "cool, let's make rent with wonder." Which is hard!

I started really young and for a long time I was just figuring it out as I went. I did tons of birthday parties, tiny gigs, weird gigs, gigs where no one was listening, gigs where the sound system didn't work, gigs where I was underpaid, overworked, or had to learn the hard way what I should have put in a contract. I also got rejected a lot. Like a lot lot. I think people sometimes see the TV credits or the travel or the fun photos and don't realize there were years of emailing, auditioning, driving everywhere, carrying props by myself, and wondering if I was delusional for thinking I could actually do this as a career.

One of the harder parts was learning the business side. I think as performers we're taught to get better at the art, which matters, of course, but nobody really sits you down and says, "Okay, here's how you price yourself, sell your show, handle clients, market yourself, pay taxes, protect your energy, and not burn out." I had to learn that piece by piece, sometimes painfully.

Also being a woman in magic has been complicated. There are amazing people in the magic community, but it's still a very male dominated world, and I've had moments where I felt underestimated or treated like I was less serious. And a lot of the sexism can come from other women… who say I'm not being the correct type of feminist… but women are also my biggest supporters too!

But that also made me more determined. I didn't want to just be "good for a girl magician." I wanted to be excellent, period, and nobody can tell me how to be a feminist.

So no, it hasn't been smooth. But I also don't think smooth roads make very interesting artists. The struggles made me more creative, more scrappy, and honestly more myself. A lot of my work now comes from that place… taking rejection, weirdness, chaos, heartbreak, ambition, and turning it into something magical onstage.

What I Really Want You to Know About My Magic

Next, they asked what else readers should know about me and my work, and this is the part I get genuinely excited to talk about:

Well, my business is basically built around creating magic that feels playful, smart, and genuinely interactive. I perform as Magical Katrina Kroetch (myself), and I do a mix of corporate magic, mentalism, fun playful entertainment, private events, theater shows, lectures, and workshops. So depending on the event, I might be doing close-up magic at a cocktail party, a full stage show for a company, a family show, a team-building magic workshop, or something more theatrical and weird like pretending to be a spy and doing magic.

I think what I'm known for is making magic feel really warm and accessible, but still surprising. I love beautiful, whimsical, funny magic… but I also love mentalism and impossible moments that make people go, "wait, how did that happen?" I love blowing people's minds. My shows are very interactive, so the audience isn't just sitting there watching tricks. They become part of the show, and a lot of the comedy and heart comes from real people reacting in real time and playing in the space I've created.

What sets me apart is probably the combination of being polished enough for major corporate clients, but still having this slightly strange, playful, artsy side. I've performed for companies and brands like Google, Prada, Porsche, Amazon, Formula 1, and the Olympics, but I'm also the person who will make a spy-themed comedy magic show because I got obsessed with the idea and needed to make it real. I don't want magic to feel generic. I want it to feel like a little world people get invited into.

My Brand Feels Like Me (and That's the Whole Point)

Brand-wise, I'm probably most proud that Magical Katrina feels like me. It's colorful, feminine, funny, a little glam, a little chaotic, and still very professional. I've worked really hard to build a brand that doesn't feel like I'm trying to copy what a magician is "supposed" to be. For a long time, magic has had a very specific image, and I'm proud that I've carved out a space that feels more modern, inclusive, whimsical, and emotionally connected.

Magic Isn't Just for Birthday Parties (Though I Love Those Too!)

I'd want readers to know that magic isn't just for kids or birthday parties, although I love those too. Magic can be really powerful at corporate events, conferences, weddings, team-building events, theaters, and even as a way to bring people together who don't know each other yet. At its best, magic gives people permission to be amazed for a second, and I think adults need that just as much as kids do, maybe even more.

So whether I'm doing close-up magic, a stage show, mentalism, a workshop, or a custom show for a brand, the goal is always the same: make people laugh, make them feel connected, and give them a moment they actually remember after the event is over. That's the part I care about most.

The Books, Tools & People That Keep Me Going

And because I genuinely love sharing this stuff, they asked about my favorite books, apps, and resources. Here are the things keeping my creative-but-chaotic brain on the rails:

Yes, definitely. I'm a huge believer in using tools and resources to make life easier, because my brain is very creative but not always naturally organized, lol.

The Tools That Run My Business

For work, I use my CRM HoneyBook a lot for contracts, invoices, and keeping clients organized. That has been a big part of making my business feel more professional and less like I'm just chasing emails in the dark. I also use my calendar obsessively, because as a performer every day can be a totally different location, client, showtime, tech need, travel plan, etc. If it's not in the calendar, it basically does not exist.

The Books That Changed How I Think

Book-wise, The 4-Hour Workweek was a big one for me because it got me thinking differently about business, automation, outsourcing, and not just trading every single hour of my life for money. Obviously I do live entertainment, so there are parts of my job that I physically have to show up for, but that book helped me think about systems and how to make the business side less chaotic.

Atomic Habits has also been really helpful because so much of being an artist is just tiny consistent actions over time. Practicing, emailing clients, improving the website, following up, working on new material… it's not always glamorous, but those little habits really add up. Getting Things Done is another one I've found useful because I always have a million ideas, and I need places to put them so they don't just float around my brain like haunted confetti.

The People Who Keep Me Inspired

I also love lifestyle and productivity creators on YouTube. I watch people like Keltie O'Connor, and I find that kind of content weirdly motivating. I like seeing how other people structure their lives, set goals, stay healthy, make their homes feel nice, build routines, and still have a real personality. Sometimes it's not even about copying what they do exactly… it just reminds me that I can design my life more intentionally instead of just reacting to whatever emergency email or show deadline is screaming at me that day.

And then ALSO my friends and other artists are one of my biggest resources. Being around people who are making things, trying things, failing, rebuilding, and still being weird little goblins of creativity is really motivating. I think the best resource is often just surrounding yourself with people who make you feel brave enough to keep going.

If you made it all the way here, thank you, truly. 💖 This interview was such a fun chance to look back at how far this strange, sparkly, stubborn little journey has come, and getting to share it with you makes it even better.

The biggest thing I hope you take away is this: you don't need a smooth road to build something magical. Sometimes the rejection and the chaos and the weird detours are exactly what make the art (and the artist) worth watching.

If you'd love to bring a little wonder to your next event, or you just want to keep following along with the magic, I'd love to have you. You can find my shows, workshops, and all my colorful chaos over at my website. And a huge thank you to VoyageKC for the lovely chat!

Until next time, stay curious and keep playing.