Copyright forbes
Mentalist Oz Pearlman shows how you can use some of the same techniques he uses to read people's minds to advance your career. Photo compliments of Luciana Golcman As Halloween arrives and darker nights draw near, the spooky season is in full gear. Most things don’t raise the hair on the back of my neck, but I recently something did. Maybe you’ve seen the Emmy-Award winning mentalist Oz Pearlman on television shows like America’s Got Talent or 60 Minutes, wowing audiences with his ability to read people’s minds. He claims you can advance your career with some of the same techniques he uses to read people’s minds. How To Advance Your Career Through Mind Reading Pearlman sat down with me and shared how you can use the same skills he uses to read people and perform under pressure, lead, communicate and advance your career. I discovered he’s more than a showman, and his techniques are more than hocus pocus entertainment. “People think reading minds is impossible,” the mentalist says. “But every great leader, negotiator and communicator does it—not by magic, but by awareness. When you understand people deeply, you stop reacting and start leading.” I was surprised to learn that he applies some of the science-backed techniques I use in my work as a psychotherapist and a contributor to Forbes.com. My stories on mindfulness and Pearlman’s mentalism, for example, have present moment awareness as common ground. They both sharpen your focus and engagement at work. Pearlman says mentalism is about awareness—of yourself, of others and of the energy in a room. He breaks down how the same habits that make him effective on stage can help you sharpen focus, strengthen confidence and communicate with clarity. MORE FOR YOU When you master that, he explains, you can walk into any situation—a negotiation, a presentation a performance—and know exactly how to connect, influence and lead,” adding that’s the premise of his new book, Read Your Mind: Proven Habits for Success from the World’s Greatest Mentalist. “A mentalist’s job is to understand how people think, feel and decide,” Pearlman continues. “And that’s the same job you have every day in business—whether you’re pitching a client, leading a team or interviewing for your next role.” He shared 12 tips with me. 1. Sharpen your observation skills. Pearlman calls observation your hidden advantage. Just as the athletes who notice their doubt are the ones who win the Superbowl, noticing, instead of thinking, is the foundation of mindfulness, and it’s a tool trainers like Jon Gordon, consultant to the NFL and NBA championship teams, use to prepare players for heading into the arduous football season. “The minute doubt comes in, take notice of it and then take notes on it,” advises Gordon. “Whether on a piece of paper or on your phone. Then, next to those doubts, add words of encouragement that you would say to those doubts. That’s self-talk. I teach people to talk to themselves instead of listening to themselves. Those doubts are NOT you talking. DON’T LISTEN. Talk words of encouragement to yourself instead.” Pearlman also points out that, “In business, the people who notice the most are the ones who win." He suggests that you pay attention to what others overlook—the tone of voice, the hesitation before a ‘yes,’ the energy in a room. When you can read the room, he says you can shape the outcome. 2. Believe it to achieve it. Pearlman is convinced that confidence is a self-fulfilling prophecy. “The first mind you have to read is your own,” he explains. “If you don’t believe you deserve success, your actions will always hold you back. Once you truly expect things to work out, you’ll start behaving like they already have—and that’s what people respond to.” 3. Make your fear of rejection magically disappear. The mentalist believes that resilience is your greatest career currency. “Rejection is never personal—it’s preparation,” he insists. “Every ‘no’ gives you data for your next ‘yes.’ The people who win most are the ones willing to hear ‘no’ the most along the way.” When he told me that I immediately thought of arguably the greatest baseball player of all time, Babe Ruth, who said, “Every strike brings me closer to my next home run.” 4. Focus on others. Empathy builds influence faster than expertise, according to Pearlman. “Everyone’s trying to be interesting. The real power comes from being interested,” he acknowledges. “When you focus on what matters to someone else—their goals, fears, pressures—you build connection and influence without forcing it.” 5. Forget tomorrow, start today. Pearlman declares that momentum begins the moment you act. “Action beats intention every time,” he says. “Don’t wait to be ready. Send the email, pitch the idea make the call. Once you start moving, momentum takes over—and momentum creates confidence.” 6. Stack the deck in your favor. Preparation is the ultimate confidence booster, says Pearlman. “Before every show, I rehearse every possible outcome—what happens if the trick fails, if the crowd doesn’t respond, if the lights go out,” he says. “You can do the same before a presentation or negotiation. When you’ve already visualized the hard parts, you’re unshakable.” 7. Don’t be your own worst enemy. Your internal dialogue determines your external results, he advises. “Your inner voice can be brutal,” he acknowledges. “You can’t outperform the story you tell yourself. Before you walk into a meeting, listen to how you’re talking to yourself—then rewrite that script. Confidence starts with that inner conversation.” I laughingly told Pearlman he must be a therapist because he was referring to “story editing,” one of the tools that mental health clinicians prescribe to help clients bypass the inner critic’s negative story about their job performance. 8. Ask for help “Every great performance has a team behind it,” he says. “I have mentors, collaborators, sounding boards—and I’m not shy about asking for help. The smartest people in the room are the ones who know when to ask questions.” 9. Turn your weaknesses into strengths. Curiosity is a form of strength, not weakness, he argues, and self-awareness turns flaws into fuel. “I used to think my need for control was a weakness,” Pearlman admits. “But that obsession made me disciplined. Whatever your ‘flaw’ is, find the strength inside it. Awareness turns liability into leverage.” 10. Make memory your superpower. Pearlman suggests that remembering details creates instant loyalty. “Remember people’s names, what they care about, the stories they tell you,” he suggests. “That’s not just charm—that’s leadership. When people feel remembered, they feel valued, and that builds trust.” 11. Disarm with charm. Pearlman emphasizes that authenticity is the most persuasive form of charisma. “Be warm. Be curious. Be human,” he encourages. “You don’t win people over by performing at them; you connect by making them feel comfortable. When you disarm people with genuine charm, influence follows naturally.” 12. Tie it all together with a story. Stories are how people remember you—and follow you, he points out. “Facts inform, but stories persuade,” Pearlman states. “If you can connect emotion to logic, you don’t have to convince people—they’ll convince themselves. Whether you’re leading a team or pitching an idea, tell a story that makes them feel it.” A Final Word On How Mentalism Advances Your Career Mastering your mind, Pearlman teaches, is the foundation for mastering your career. The more you understand your own thoughts and emotions, the better you can navigate others’. “Whether you’re on stage, in a boardroom or building your career, the secret is the same,” he asserts. “Read yourself first. Read others next. Then respond with empathy and intention. That’s not magic—that’s just mastering the human mind.” For Pearlman, success isn’t about control—it’s about connection. And the ultimate career advantage, he told me, is learning to see the world not through your own eyes, but through everyone else’s. That’s when everything changes.” He concludes that’s when you really start to win and to advance your career. Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions
