Creating Disney Magic: Lessons In Leadership, Management, And Customer Service

Jody and I are doing something a little different today. We are an in-person recording from Rosen College of Hospitality. Today is a milestone for us, as we record episode 350. After almost seven years, if there is something I have learned about digital communication, it is that it is a great tool and it is here to stay. Take podcasts for example. Podcasts are not just for talking about one topic anymore. They can be used by an organization for internal communication. It is a powerful medium that you can use to share wins, updates and help reinforce company culture in short, but powerful episodes. You can use it to connect weekly with your team. Another tool that we have learned to use, especially over the last 18 months, is video messaging tools like Zoom or Skype. They may take a while to get used to, but their potential is impressive. Whether it is a meeting with your team or a presentation for a conference, these video conferencing tools allow you to connect with many people in a way that can feel very pe

Sometimes it can be frightening to take a risk or to start something new. Sometimes, it can pay off. Today, Sarah and Preston Lowder join us to share their own experience in starting their own business and leaving careers behind. Sarah and Preston started Lowder Baking Company officially in 2019. Before their official start, they were selling King Cakes during Mardi Gras as a side business. Sarah was a realtor, and Preston was an ICU nurse when they decided to get serious. They started with simple but necessary steps: making a business plan, approaching investors, securing a location, and streamlining their focus. On their journey, some people thought they were crazy. People wondered what business a realtor and nurse had jumping lanes into baking fresh goods in Shreveport, LA? Rather than listen to those who doubted their endeavor, they focused on what they uniquely possessed from their previous careers to set them apart. Preston used his understanding of micro measurements to influence how they bake, by weig

I am live from Coffee for the Soul in Orlando again. Today, we are answering a listener question that hits close to home. Will asks, “How do you allow for individuals in the organization to not neglect family and close relationships, but also not become unreliable or inconsistent? It falls into the responsibility of both the employee or team member and company leadership. As a prospective employee, you need to have that discussion before you join. Make sure you join the "right" organization, one that you are in alignment with. Taking care of your family is of the utmost importance. If you do not take care of them, you won't be able to do the job you need to. When you apply, apply for culture, not just a paycheck. As an executive, work with your employees. The place will not collapse without them. Find a win/win. Can they work remotely, while they are taking care of family business? Let them take care of their family. Take care of your employees. If you take care of people, they will take care of you. Help set

This week, I am taking you to my favorite coffee shop, Coffee for the Soul, in Orlando. After a three-night stay in the hospital, I’m glad to be getting out and about and to offer some tips for those who may be looking to land their dream job. Now is the time. As everywhere is opening back up and capacity limits are starting to lift, everywhere is hiring. I often get asked how to get a foot in the door at Disney. If you have dreamed of working for Disney, there is no better time than now. These tips can be applied to most prospective employers. If you are looking for work, pick the company (or 2 or 3) that you want to work for and apply. It may not be your dream job or your end goal, but now is the time to get your foot in the door. Once you are in, you can set yourself apart and show what you can bring to the table. Don’t be afraid of short-term suffering to set yourself up for long-term satisfaction. For example, if your dream is to work for Disney, you will have more success with your feet on the ground in

Everyone likes to know what they are signing up for. I know I do. It can be easy, as an employer, to leave new hires with unclear expectations on what the day-to-day of their job will entail.   As a leader, it is crucial to be 100% truthful, especially when discussing what they should expect. Let them know your expectations of them. Misunderstandings happen because we aren’t clear with each other. A lack of clarity can leave people feeling duped. Especially when the job gets hard or turns out different than they expected.    When you spell out the good and the bad, people can have realistic expectations. Let them know when they need to arrive to be on time. Include any tasks that need to be completed before they are in their place. Help equip them for success. Will they be on their feet? What are the specific difficulties and challenges of their role? Preparing people for the worst will build trust and set them up to be surprised when things are easier than expected.    If you are on the other side and are th

Donald Miller is back with us this week to dive a little deeper into what makes a successful leader. Last week, we looked at how what you bring is more important than the school you attend. Now we are unpacking the importance of character and communication in leadership. Your character is the foundation you build your leadership and your reputation on. The first sentence in Donald’s book, Business Made Simple states, “No core competency can overcome poor character.” Your personal brand will open and close doors. This includes honesty and integrity, but also how you handle your value share. Or your ability to rise above being a victim and knowing how to deescalate drama. As leaders, who we are opens the door. How we communicate and deliver keeps the door open to us. Many great ideas never made it off the ground because the person who presented them lacked the needed skills of communication. You have to go through people's hearts to get to their brains. Don’t try and tell people. Show them the value you or your

This week, we are excited to have Donald Miller back on the show. He is sharing all about his newest book: Business Made Simple. For any of you who may not know who Donald Miller is, he is an author and business owner. He is the CEO of Story Brand, a marketing company dedicated to helping you clarify your message so customers engage. In this episode, Donald shares the vision behind his newest book, Business Made Simple, and why it (and the Cockerell Academy) are better than an MBA. We are looking into what are the common denominators of successful people. In most cases, it is not a degree. Something Donald and I have in common is growing up without financial security. This aspect of our journey lit a fire in us; to make sure we don’t pass that down to our children. Success costs something, and that is what we are unpacking today. College isn’t as necessary as it used to be. What you can do for a company – someone else's or your own – is more relevant than where you went to school. And that is what Business Ma

I used to think Time Management was the most important thing, but I have changed my mind. While preparing the course Better Decisions for the Cockerell Academy, I realized that making better decisions is the most important thing we can improve on. Time management means nothing if you are making bad decisions. Making decisions isn't always about what you decide to do. Sometimes, it is what you decide not to do. Most of the time, we make these decisions because of emotions or poor judgment. There can also be a lot of anger involved. It only takes one bad decision to ruin your life. Even your day planner won’t be able to help you get out of it. In the Cockerell Academy, I talk about two kinds of decisions that you make every day. Reversible and Irreversible. I like to use the example of the difference between the choice to wash your car (reversible) and the choice to buy a new car (irreversible). You can delegate reversible decisions, but they can still cost you in the long run. Especially if not thought out. Ut

Leadership sets the culture. That is true if we are talking about a country or a company. Sometimes, people put too much stock in non-essentials when determining if someone is ready for leadership. Additionally, people can rely on the wrong things to enforce the culture they are cultivating. In this episode, I'll answer a listener question along these lines. This week’s question comes from India and an anonymous listener; it comes in two parts. What do you do when your responsibility outweighs your experience? And how can you develop tact, influence, and authority while being welcoming, caring, and nice? I want to address the first portion of the question.  We, as leaders, need to recognize that time served is not the data or litmus test to determine if someone is ready for a position. Performance, attitude, and quality of work are far more relevant and better indicators of potential for success. It can be challenging to lead those who feel your age or experience is a hindrance, but there will always be a lot

Over the last few years, especially 2020, we have seen the workforce environment change drastically. Whether it is birthed from a dream or by necessity, many young people today aspire to have their own business someday. But how does that impact us as leaders and the decisions we make surrounding hiring and developing our staff?   In this episode, we’re answering a listener question about this very subject.   Bradley from Nashville, TN posed this week's question: How would you develop employees that say they want to start their own company?   It can be tempting, as a leader, to hear an employee aspires to own their own business and interpret that as a lack of loyalty. But that really couldn’t be further from the truth.   A confident leader can recognize that an entrepreneurial spirit brings assets with it that a content employee may never develop. Often, those who plan to start their own company are hungry to learn and are looking to gain experience and exposure, all the while being committed to growth. If you

A while back, my son was at Disney and noticed a gorilla who was making eye contact with the man who was in charge. Based solely on the way people were acting and the way the man presented himself, the gorilla picked up on who the boss was. Executive presence is what made that man stand out. People with executive presence have immediate influence and credibility. However, they don’t let that go to their heads. They treat all people with respect, no matter who they are. They let their position go and make every interaction all about the person they’re dealing with at the time. When you’re around people with executive presence, you feel comfortable and trust them right away. The way they treat you, their focus on you, and their mannerisms make you feel good about yourself. You don’t even have to be an executive to carry an executive presence. When I was put in charge of a group of restaurants in Philadelphia Marriot, I met one man who immediately impressed me. It wasn’t until days later that I found out he was

This week, we have Jamie and JJ Eubanks from Magical Vacation Planner on the show. Through this pandemic, this couple has had to put their flexibility to good use. Travel was so up in the air over the past 12 months, causing the Eubanks and their team to have to improvise greatly. However, they have gone above and beyond during this time. As things were taken away from their clients, they saw that as an opportunity. They didn’t want their clients to miss out on anything and filled in the gaps where services were missing. On this episode, Jamie and JJ talk about how their past helped them navigate this pandemic. JJ was a professional basketball player, meaning they were constantly picking up and moving. That prepared them to deal with obstacles that came their way, not being in control, and being home together 24/7. When COVID hit, they were more prepared than most other people were. We’re also talking about the other hidden blessings that have occurred in the last year. To name a few, creativity has flourishe

We recently added a great new course to The Cockerell Academy: Real Leadership. It gets into the details of the things that really matter. It teaches what most colleges don’t: how to treat people right, how to train people well, and how to get ahead of the pack. It’s the little things in life that make all the difference. Every little thing you do adds up to who people believe you are. Those are the things that get you recognized by the people you work with and for and get you promoted. A huge aspect of this course is the emotional aspect of dealing with people. We know that knowledge only gets us so far. Getting people to believe that knowledge is what really matters. When you are there for the people you lead, have empathy for them, and build trust with them, they will get more done. We also talk about how we should really be judging performance. Today, everything is so technical. Many people who are great at the technical side of their job get promoted but then have no leadership training. They’re left wit

For the first half of my marriage, I tried to get my wife to be like me. I always thought I was right. I liked to be in charge and make all of the decisions. I made her think she had to get approval from me to do anything. It was the same way at work. I pushed people around and told them what to do. However, whenever someone told me what to do, I was emotionally affected. Eventually, I realized that my attitude was creating the same problem at work as it was at home. People didn’t like or trust me. I had to learn to let people be themselves. If you’re someone who’s afraid of being judged, always criticizing others, and living in a tumultuous environment, reflect. Honestly consider if you are the problem—because you probably are. As soon as you understand and get honest about what’s happening, you can start to figure out how to fix it. For me, that meant going to leadership seminars. It meant telling people the outcome I needed and then stepping back. It meant ensuring that the people around me knew I trusted

If you’re an entrepreneur or in any other busy career, you may worry from time to time about building and maintaining a good relationship with your kids. On this episode, we’re discussing a listener question on this topic. This listener admitted he was afraid his kids wouldn’t push themselves after seeing how hard he and his wife work as high-energy business leaders. This was something my wife and I discussed a lot over the years. Because of my career, I missed some things I wish I hadn’t. My son was moving all the time and often exposed to new environments and people. Rather than just hoping it would work out that I would get time with my son, I had to schedule it. It had to become a priority in my life. Family time won’t just appear—we have to make time for it. However, no matter how much time we get with our families, the quantity doesn’t matter as much as the quality. Show your kids how much you love them. Spend time with them when you are home. Be there for their important events and always keep in touch

This week, we’re answering a listener question about navigating corporate culture. This listener, Melissa, used to work for a small company but has now taken a corporate job. She’s worried about the adjustment. She’s used to working in a place where things happened very quickly and doesn’t want to get frustrated with all of the red tape and the speed at which things move in a large organization. It’s very easy to get frustrated in a transition like this. When you’re used to things going quickly and are now always waiting for 10 people to sign off on one thing, you might struggle. The best thing you can do is what I always advise: get up every morning, go to work, and be the best employee you can be. Be yourself, help people, and set an example of the kind of culture you desire. This will make it clear from the very beginning that you’re there to make things better. If you go in and be great, others around you will become great just by watching you. Melissa also asked how to be a great ambassador between the t

A common theme of all the listener questions we receive is bad leadership. Many of you are working under a boss who isn’t interested in your ideas, opinions, and feedback. They don’t want any input from their employees and don’t want to know what’s really going on in the organization. If that’s true, you don’t have a leader at all. You have a manager. There is a big gap between the two. Leadership means being there for your people and trying to understand their points of view. It is always keeping your eyes and ears open for how you can improve. To be a leader, you have to be consistently trying to get better every day. When people ask me what I did at Disney, I say, “Not much.” I just made sure that things got done. All leaders should do the same. To be effective, they need to go to the lowest level possible, stop talking, and start listening. The value of having the people who work for you trust you, tell you the truth, and give you new ideas which are priceless. However, if you don’t have a boss who leads

It’s extremely helpful to have an advocate who is willing to be candid with you. Whether you’re like Jimmy who had people in his life willing to tell him he came across as condescending or like our other listener who wonders why he got passed over for a leadership position, an advocate can help. An advocate can give you honest feedback right from the get-go. For example, if you come across too strong, they’ll tell you. Direct communication can be intimidating. So, you just need to let people know that’s how you’ve been told you come across. Having open communication about this issue and being willing to admit your mistakes will help dilute the situation. Knowing your flaws also helps prevent disappointment when you get passed over for a promotion. You won’t be left wondering why they went with someone else. Nothing is worse than a boss that gives you false hope and, later, a bunch of excuses. The job of the leader is to develop his or her employees by telling them about their issues long before they’re offere

In the current climate of the world, we could all use a good story about overcoming tough times. Killiam Hemmy is on the show today to share his own story of resilience. Killian joined the military right before 9/11 and quickly found himself in Afghanistan. He went back time and again, both in the military and working for the FBI. One morning, he went out for a run and suddenly collapsed. He went into cardiac arrest, which he later found out was caused by a rare genetic condition. This diagnosis plunged Killian into a deep depression. He had no motivation even to get out of the house.  He went from being an extremely athletic, fit, and capable man to feeling like everything had crumbled down around him. So, he started to look at how to build his resilience back up. He went back to the basics of his days in the military. He broke everything down to their basest level. Seeing things from a step-by-step perspective helped him build back his internal resiliency.  Killian now helps other people to keep looking at

Jody and I have been recording a new course for the Cockerell Academy called “Everybody Matters: Diversity and Inclusion.” It’s such a relevant topic. Working on the course has brought to mind even more thoughts on how to practice inclusiveness in our personal and work lives. It starts with getting out of your silo. If you only ever interact with people just like you, you will never develop inclusiveness. Exposure and experience are the main problems here. However, when we get out of our bubbles and get to know people who are different from us, we get to experience so much more from life. It’s exciting to know more about the world, other cultures, and what people believe. Being educated about other cultures helps you in all kinds of ways. Inclusiveness goes beyond the color of our skin, though. You can and should surround yourself with a diversity of opinions, backgrounds, and upbringings. Especially in the workplace, you don’t want the whole table to be filled with people who think just like you. There is di