Dana Daniels is famous for is hilarious psychic parrot routine, but it wouldn’t have happened without a constant string of rejection. In a video interview with GeniiOnline, Daniels recounted how he had auditioned for the Magic Castle multiple times, and was eventually told that, while the jokes were funny and the timing was great, there were too many other magicians with similar comedy routines. Rather than mope about it, Daniels decided to craft a set around his mind-reading parrot. The rest, as they say, is history.

Watch the video above for more on how he developed the routine, how he made a living for himself with magic, and his advice to budding magicians looking to add comedy to their act.