Creating Disney Magic

When you know better, you do better. When you learn more, you know more. In this episode, I am answering Glenn's question. Glenn asked a question based on a quote of mine. You've got to know more to be more. What does that look like? Knowledge is power. When you know things, people listen to you. You have more power, more influence. You get better opportunities, and you make better decisions. You...

No one likes breaking bad news to people. As a leader, sometimes that goes with the job description. It may be logistical issues or maybe even breaking the news to someone about a promotion they will not be getting. In this episode, I will answer a listener question along these lines. This week's question comes from a listener who was actually in this situation. How do you navigate any fallout fro...

Jody and I are in person again, recording from my office in Orlando. We are trying a new setup. One topic is on my mind as we navigate a world opening up after an unprecedented pandemic: what has happened to customer service? During the shutdown, many businesses had to pivot. They had to make changes and figure out how to work in a "touchless" world. As things continue to open up, companies have t...

Jody and I are recording in person again from Orlando. After a recent conversation with Ron Logan, the question of building a solid reputation is at the forefront of our minds. Your reputation gets to other people before you do. How you treat people and how you help them gets spread around. People's opinions of you get broadcast. Like it or not, people are talking behind your back. Good or bad. Yo...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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 deci...

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 a...

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...

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...

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...

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 t...

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 th...

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...

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. I...

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...

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 str...

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...

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 inclus...

Given the disruption COVID-19 brought on the economy and many companies in 2020, there are a lot of people out looking for work right now. This week, we have a listener question on this topic: what recommendations would I give to organizations that are looking to attract and hire top talent in the current economy? If you're looking for talented employees, now is the time to find them. Once the wor...