Many magicians’ origin stories begin with the gift of a magic set, and Chicago performer Nick Roy is no exception. He tells GeniiOnline the full story of how he became a magician, which started as a kid in a wizard hat and continued through some not-quite-legally-obtained instructional DVDs.

For the rest of our interview with Nick Roy, check out the links below:

Part one: Nick Roy welcomes you to Chicago, the city of big shoulders and bar magic

Part two: Nick Roy and the Magic Penthouse are bringing sexy back