Why do magicians make great CEOs? Kind Bars founder / CEO Daniel Lubetzky paid for his travels performing magic from the streets of Paris to Bulgaria in college. Asked how it helped him build one of the fastest growing snack companies in the US (2015):
“First of all, magicians practice a lot. It requires a lot of discipline. Second, you can’t be afraid to be a leader, to go on stage, and you learn to have presence. You need to be able to visualize and connect and create. Most important, you learn to think outside the box.”
If you can capture a stranger’s attention in a foreign country and wow them, that’s a skill set. No matter how seemingly unrelated, I believe hobbies pursued can contribute meaningfully to professional development.