NFIB’s 2015 Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist: Charlie and Checkers

Date: July 23, 2015 Last Edit: September 07, 2016

Joseph Hamilton of Lancaster, New York, is a part of a magic duo that nailed down a recipe for the perfect act: comedy and magic.

Joey Hamilton has always been surrounded by magic. His
father was a novice magician when he and his brother Daniel were young, and the
two would accompany their father during any shows they could.

So, naturally, when Hamilton and his brother wanted to gain
business experience in high school, they turned to the one thing they knew
best.

“We had been doing it our whole lives, so when it came time
to start a business—why not magic?” Hamilton says.

Since 2010, Hamilton, now 18, and his brother, 21, have been
preforming live magic as part of their growing business, Charlie and Checkers,
in Lancaster, New York. They’ve performed everywhere from schools to country
clubs in front of a wide variety of audiences.

“We get booked for all kinds of shows, [including] larger
ones, like school fun nights and end-of-the-year parities at schools,” Hamilton
says. “Our age group fluctuates a little bit. It really works for everyone, but
[ages] 3 to 8 is who enjoys it the most.”

Over the years, Hamilton’s acts have matured. At first, their
emphasis was on wowing their audiences. But after learning from their local
comedy scene and a few magicians who have acted as mentors, their performances
now center on a different goal: merging magic and comedy.

“We kind of made our own style,” Hamilton says. “There is a
magician in Washington D.C. called The Great Zucchini and we went out and visited
him a couple years ago. He really helped teach us what makes kids laugh and
what entertains kids. That’s when we learned it’s not about impressing them
with magic—it’s about showing them a good time.”

That forced out all the grandiose routines and made room for
gags with 6-feet balloons, unicycles, juggling and much more variety. All of it
has allowed the business to grow. The two now perform in four major cities
across a 200-mile radius.

“It just kind of happened gradually. After a few shows we
really thought this could be something big,” Hamilton says. “After that we
started really working to grow our business, make our show better and just increase
client satisfaction.”

The business has come with its own set of challenges.
Traveling is not kind to the schedules of high school students. And the brothers
don’t always see eye to eye, though they always work through disagreements,
Hamilton says.

But these challenges are outweighed by one big reward.

“When you do a show, you see the kids having a great time. You
just got to make someone’s day a little bit better, and that’s just a really
great feeling.”

Hamilton plans on attending Canisius College in Buffalo, New
York, next year to study entrepreneurship.

NFIB’s Young Entrepreneur Foundation established its scholarship program to raise awareness among the nation’s youth about the critical role of private enterprise and entrepreneurship. Since 2003, YEF has awarded over 2,500 scholarships worth more than $2.5 million to graduating high school seniors who own and/or operate their own small business. Meet the other 2015 winners and learn how to get involved.

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