Yan Markson

Excited to finally share a glimpse into my journey over the last few years... 🤔 Here’s a thought I had watching this back... When I look at these clips, I’m reminded of the amazing people I got to work with, places I got to explore and lessons that I’ve learned from each show. When you are working in a ‘gig’ world like me, you don’t have much time to celebrate a “win”, because as soon as it’s done, you’re working on the next one. This is too bad, because even if you get to ‘live the dream’, you aren’t really recognizing it. I think that this is where burn out happens. Sometimes you need to stop, look back, and celebrate it all. The achievements, the mistakes, the lessons, and the experience itself. One day, I will move on to something else. But today this is my life and I’m very grateful for it. #mentalist #magician #speaker #eventprofs #eventplanners

Short clip from "The Power of Perception" presentation for University of Toronto Mississauga. 🎤 I had the pleasure to speak and perform mentalism in front of 1,200+ first year students about how the mind manipulates our perception of ourselves and the world around us. Special thank you to @artem.most , @danirosenoer and @thelumacy for capturing this on video. For more information about my speaking presentations check out /speaker. . . . #speaker #mentalist #magician #inspiration #motivation

🥳 Excited to share this video of my ‘Keynote on Influence & Persuasion’ recorded in Toronto in front of over 1,500 people! Being able to communicate and persuade is critical no matter who you are. This isn’t just about sales or marketing, it’s about leadership, negotiation, conflict resolution, team collaboration, and even teaching or parenting. This applies to you. Yes, YOU. In this keynote, I reveal why people fall for magic tricks, and how you can leverage these same psychological patterns to influence and persuade. 🧠 As the neuroscientist & psychologist Antonio Damasio put it: "We are not thinking machines that feel; rather, we are feeling machines that think." Instead of forcing your perspective on others, start by shifting yours. Discover what THEY perceive to be valuable and frame your message around those 'Magic Sparks.' Interested in my keynote for your event? ⚡ I help teams and leaders unlock their potential through the power of perception, influence, and communication. My interactive keynotes blend psychology, storytelling, and mentalism to deliver unforgettable, actionable insights that drive real results.... more details at YanMarkson.com/Speaker On a personal note – I’ve been working on my craft offline and am excited to finally share my work here on LinkedIn. A heartfelt thanks to everyone who has encouraged, advised and supported me along the way. 🙏 Video by @artem.most with help from @danirosenoer

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

A world-class mentalist and speaker, Yan Markson explores the intersection of mindset, storytelling, and human behaviour. His engaging keynotes challenge perspectives and leave audiences energized with unforgettable experiences.

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

✨ Speaker Spotlight: Yan Markson ✨ Get ready to experience a keynote that goes beyond the expected. Yan Markson — world-class mentalist, speaker, and perception strategist — brings a powerful blend of storytelling, mindset, and human behaviour to the stage. This isn’t just a session… it’s an experience. 🎤 Mastering Your Event Superpower: Storytelling, Perception & Human Connection You’ll walk away with practical techniques to elevate your storytelling, sharpen perception, and build stronger human connections — turning your unique strengths into a true competitive advantage. Expect to be entertained, challenged, and completely energized. 📍 See you in Regina! Register today at the link in bio! #CanSPEP30 #EventProfs #MeetingPlanners #EventIndustry #ProfessionalDevelopment #EventPlanners # CanSPEPConference2026

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. ----------- 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. #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 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

This is what happens when incredible talent comes together for a great cause. 🎥⚡️ The global @weareichi telethon brought people together from around the world, and this is the behind the scenes of the Canadian segment, beautifully produced by @eventmindsmatter & @bbblancevents ! A very special thank you to @janice_cardinale for bringing me into this project and for always championing #mentalhealth and spotlighting talent in our profession. You’re a true force! 🙏 Huge shoutout to the @themunichlayover , @scottjacksonbb , @firesaxophonist , and the entire production team for creating a world-class experience. Canada truly has talent, and we proved it! 🍁 I was honoured to share a segment on the #PowerofPerception with interactive moments both in-studio and virtually with viewers around the world. Together, we helped raise funds and amplify awareness for mental health within the event professionals community… and had a blast doing it. Video of my part coming soon ... :) #speaker #eventprofs #meetingprofs

ICAI Toronto brings a world-class mentalist and magician to this year’s Annual Gala 2025 — Yan Markson TEDx performer • “Fool Us” artist • Psychological magic & storytelling 🤩 ☑️ Dec 13, 2025 | 5 PM onwards ☑️ Queen’s Manor Event Centre, Brampton ☑️ Open to all ICAI Toronto members & families An evening of entertainment, celebration, community, and magic awaits. The Gala is one of our chapter’s most cherished traditions— a chance to connect, celebrate our milestones, and strengthen our community bonds. #Annualgala2025 #icaitoronto #icaiofficial #ICAIEvents #icaiupdates #icai #charteredaccountants #cpa #TorontoEvents #celebration #indiansincanada #indiansintoronto #yanmarkson #magicshow #mentalist