About Eric Thompson
Speaker who uses comedy and magic — not the other way around.
Eric Thompson is a seasoned speaker who combines humor, heart, and hard-earned life experience to deliver messages that stick. With a career spanning more than five decades, Eric has performed for thousands of audiences — from corporate events and leadership summits to churches and international venues. But what sets him apart isn't just what he does on stage. It's what he's lived off of it.
From Stage Craft to Speaking
Born and raised in Warren, Ohio, Eric graduated from Howland High School and attended Youngstown State University and Kent State University. He began performing magic at local venues as a student — sleight of hand at restaurants, private parties, community events — and quickly discovered a second gift: making people laugh.
He sharpened his stand-up chops at Tickle's Comedy Club during amateur nights, won competitions, and earned a reputation as a performer to watch. Five decades later, those instincts — reading a room, adapting in real time, finding the line between entertainment and truth — are exactly what he now uses to connect with audiences as a speaker.
Five Decades on Stage
After winning amateur competitions, Eric began touring nationally as an opening act. In the early 1980s he combined comedy and magic into one act and took it across eight states and Canada — comedy clubs, theaters, corporate events, churches, fundraisers, and private parties.
Along the way, Eric has shared stages with Jay Leno, Drew Carey, Sinbad, Andrew Dice Clay, Tom Arnold, Basile, Bill Kirchenbauer, Dan O’Shannon, Dick Gregory, Gallagher, Emo Phillips, Jimmy “JJ” Walker, Kevin Farley, Marc Price, Skippy, Marsha Warfield, Pat Paulsen, Richard Jeni, Tammy Pescatelli, Tim Cavanaugh, Tim O’Rourke, Todd Bridges, and Pauly Shore — and opened for music acts like Kenny Loggins, Engelbert Humperdinck, and Peter, Paul & Mary. That kind of time on stage teaches you how to read a room, recover in real time, and find the laugh in almost anything — the same instincts he brings to every keynote.
Million Miles, Million Smiles
Inspired by witnessing poverty firsthand while traveling abroad, Eric built Million Miles, Million Smiles — a personal mission that has since taken him to more than fifty countries, bringing laughter and encouragement to people in vastly different circumstances. It's the story at the heart of his flagship keynote, and the reason his message lands different than most speakers'.
Known affectionately as “Señor Mago Loco” (“Mr. Crazy Magician”) in Latin American villages, Eric has performed well over 100 shows worldwide — Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, Peru, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Morocco, Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Burkina Faso, Bahamas, Suriname, French Guyana, and beyond. He's seen firsthand how perspective — not circumstance — shapes how people experience life.
The Magic of Laughter
Eric's signature act blends stand-up comedy with sleight-of-hand magic into one seamless show. Jokes land, illusions surprise, and the two keep feeding each other — because an audience laughing is an audience off-guard, and isn't that exactly where a great magic reveal hits hardest?
It's the same show that headlines comedy clubs, anchors private parties and milestone celebrations, entertains at corporate and holiday events, and keeps country clubs and HOA communities asking him back. Clean by default, custom by request, and built for any room with a stage.
Real Life Off Stage
Beyond the stage, Eric has built and run several successful businesses for over 40 years — he owns Satolli Carpet & Floor Covering and The Warren Comedy Club in Warren, Ohio. He's served his community as a firefighter, EMT, and city councilman, and held numerous leadership roles on local boards and nonprofits. That range gives him something most speakers don't have: credibility with real people facing real challenges.
Married to Susan for nearly 40 years, Eric is the proud father of three and grandfather to eight. He's won many awards, but the one he's most proud of came in 2023, when he was inducted into the Howland School's Hall of Fame. His talks aren't built on theory — they're built on life.
