Come Rain or Shine

Michelle Burdo, owner and CEO of The Burdo Media Group in Orlando, Florida, discusses her corporate story and her current work.   As Michelle explains, it's difficult for most people to feel confident in front of a camera. Not only do you need poise, but presence and precision. Even driven television personalities can be vulnerable to miscues and slipups. However, that's where The Burdo Media Grou...

Garrett Bake joins us to share his story and lessons learned along the way. Having worked as a police officer for 15 years, Garrett has experienced much in terms of professional success; however, early in his career, his personal life was a mess. Despite playing the hero by day, by night he was just another workaholic struggling with drug abuse, pornography, and depression. With much of his life i...

Lou Mongello, Walt Disney World author, podcaster, speaker, and entrepreneur, talks about the silver linings in this current season.   In times like this, it's easy to focus on limitations and the uncertainties surrounding them. In trying times, we often wonder why they happen as opposed to what can happen.   However, as Lue explains, fear should never motivate us, but rather the 'what if' of what...

Disney engineer Elaine Schomburg LaFleur joins in to tackle the issue of Imposter Syndrome; and especially how it can impact women and their careers. Despite having success and experience, 70% of people suffer from Imposter Syndrome. Understanding our limiting beliefs and how to process and qualify our thoughts can make a huge difference in confidence. Identifying and working within your strength...

Jamie and J.J. Eubanks, founders and owners of Magical Vacation Planners, join me today to share their journey from a pro basketball player and stay at home mom to successful entrepreneurs.   For Jamie, the journey from full-time housewife to business owner was marked by closed doors. When three degrees failed to open traditional paths to success, she embraced having something to prove and dove de...

Kortni Canada and Beth Smith from Magical Vacation Planners discuss the company's history and legacy.   Inspired by Walt Disney's famous words, "All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them", Magical Vacation Planners is a business built on memory preservation and quality service. As CEO Jamie Eubanks believes, the ideal travel agency isn't just a transportation mediator, but...

Mike Goldsby, co-author of Entrepreneurship the Disney Way, discusses the book and why he wrote it.   As Goldsby explains, Disney's rise into one of the most innovative 20th century entrepreneurs continues to carry lasting impressions. From humble beginnings to award-winning pioneer, the success of Disney is not only a tale of creativity, character, but of chance. Despite a steady stream of advers...

Leading others may be front of mind when most think of leadership, but leading yourself first is the foundation a true leader builds on.   In today's episode of Come Rain or Shine, I share a recent personal situation that had the potential to be life-altering. The crisis was averted because I chose to listen to my spouse and lead myself, but there are some key takeaways that any leader can learn f...

On this special episode of Come Rain or Shine, Lee Cockerell, my father and retired EVP of Walt Disney World, joins me to talk about how to handle a crisis.  Here are four steps to keep in mind while dealing with a crisis: Safety First.  Before anything else, the safety of employees, customers, and yourself comes before anything else.  Deal with the Facts.  During a crisis people get emotional. Pe...

On this special episode of Come Rain or Shine, Jason Treu, a business and executive coach, joins the show to discuss concepts of leadership. As mentioned in prior episodes, a great company goes beyond great culture. While building a quality working environment is important, it can't happen without teamwork, trust, and transparency. The question is: How are these factors effectively integrated? As...

When it comes to building a healthy work culture, the answer starts and ends with value. While leading with virtue is critical and dependent on the leader, to arrive at that point, one must know what they stand for. As I discuss in this episode, values are central but manifest in different ways. For some people, value is demonstrated through common courtesy; for others, values are modeled through...

For most of us, we value recognition and achievement in our work. While tangible perks are nice, the audible reward of encouragement is a powerful motivator we aspire to hear.   Unfortunately, for many leaders, recognition is easier said than done. In the hustle and bustle of commerce, recognizing employees for commendable production can fade into obscurity without intentionality. The question is:...

On this special episode of 'Come Rain or Shine', mystery guest Matt joins in to discuss leadership lessons in complex working situations. Regardless of your occupation and title, there are many ways turmoil can manifest in business operations. As long as you take instant action and communicate your strategy, you can achieve instant correction – or so we think. However, as Matt explains, if you wan...

In this book review episode, Jody and I discuss "The Ride of a Lifetime" by Robert Iger.   After becoming the CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2005, Iger didn't waste any time making a series of bold moves. Driven by a "status quo is not a strategy" mentality, Iger made a splash embracing technology, purchasing mainstream media properties, and growing Disney into a stronger international brand.  ...

Whether you're a supervisor, middle manager, or entry-level employee, clear expectations are crucial to establishing a healthy work culture. From the timing of communication to the medians used, creating clarity is often easier said than done. Perhaps you've been in situations where expectations seemed clear at first but became more nuanced over time.   As Jody and I discuss in this episode, the t...

We're talking about consulting engagement in this episode.   For Valerie and I, these represent a large part of what we do these days. Having recently returned from a trip to Peru, I'd like to share some lessons we learned from our time there - specifically, how we were able to consult and advise a South American tourist train company.   As I discuss in this episode, an efficient consultation star...

Mike Simmons, Founder of Catalyst Sale, joins me to discuss takeaways from our recent mastermind conference.   When it comes to serving as an entrepreneur, it's easy to get bogged down with grunt work. While administration, accounting, and customer service all have their place, it's important to make room for creativity - " to get out of your echo chamber " as Mike describes.     As for other mast...

During my time at Disney, one of the big advantages we had was mobility – being able to move talented people from one team to the next. However, in a typical corporate setting, transitioning from one leader to the next can be challenging. For starters, each organization has a unique culture with each leader contributing a distinct presence. From communication and demeanor to procedures and process...

When we talk about occupational learning, we often think of workshops, conferences, and training seminars. However, as I learned at Disney, having an after-hour book club can be a refreshing communal learning experience. As I discuss in this episode, employer book clubs are more than social gatherings. Rather they are opportunities to exchange ideas and facilitate discussions relevant to the organ...

When it comes to leadership content, there's nothing new under the sun. If a topic can be derived, chances are it has been discussed. However, as I've learned in recent years, there are many unique materials on familiar concepts. One of these resources I've found helpful is called "Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win" by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. In this book, two U.S. Navy Sea...

Creating an immersive customer experience does more than just show consumers a good time. Today, Jody and I discuss the value of an onstage vs backstage mentality.   Often our customers judge our attention to detail and our ability to provide quality service based on seemingly unrelated standards. A burnt-out light bulb may very well represent how much care you put into your flagship offering.   I...

Have you ever wondered why we separate behaviors and results when we talk about leadership?   I know in my experience, I see many talking about leadership and results and leadership and behavior, but not behaviors and results. Perhaps this has to do with the time we live in where behavior is implied more than anything else.   Whatever the case, as business leaders, it's important we define the beh...

In this Q&A episode, Jody and I tackle write-in questions concerning leadership development, employee recognition, and brand definition.   With leadership development, it's important companies routinely evaluate their programs as they all have a shelf life. While monitoring how employees are acknowledged can seem like a moving target, in all cases, a formalized structure can brew unhealthy expecta...

Oscar Trimboli, author of "Deep Listening: Discover the Five Myths of Listening", joins in to discuss his background and perspective on listening.   From an early age, Oscar has been fascinated about the intersection of technology and listening. As a former Microsoft and PeopleSoft employee, the question, " How do I code how I listen ", would often surface in business dealings.   Now as a leadersh...

For many companies, control is exercised through power. From systems of hierarchy to reciprocity, if there is a cultural pathway, chances are it hinges on results over relationships.   But what if I told you we can build a better culture through empowerment, not power? That we can motivate behavior formally to the point it becomes second nature?   As I discuss in this episode, culture is not only...