Creating Disney Magic

"Your child's early development is the most valuable thing you have. Build your life around them and let the other stuff come later." - Lee Cockerell Having a child is indeed a life-changing occurrence. When my son was born 54 years ago we were young, with no substantial means of income. Despite the financial challenge, we knew we had the most precious gift in our arms. That is why time management...

"Your job should be to want to help them find out what the problem is. If they are unhappy, try to figure out why so we can all work on it and you can work on it." - Lee Cockerell During my days at Hilton, I found myself tangled in a web of union operations and non-performing employees. It was deeply frustrating at times. I found myself constantly questioning how to handle these situations. Then I...

  "Teaching is useless unless people are learning. Training needs to be sticky and impactful for it to truly make a difference." - Lee Cockerell There was a time in my life when I was practically living in hotels and restaurants. A lot of my time was spent observing the activity around me. I quickly recognized the significance of training effectiveness. One thing that has stuck with me was the rea...

"Experience changes you, and hopefully for the better." - Lee Cockerell I  remember the uncertainty I felt as a young boy starting my first job. I was 16, behind the wheel of a delivery car for Parks Drugstore. There was an enormous responsibility that also gave me a thrill of independence. I also really wanted to prove myself.  On the first day, my eyes strayed from the road to the address I was...

"Magic is when nobody can figure out how you do it because you're so good." Never underestimate the importance of building relationships with your team. This is especially important if you are building a culture from scratch. One of the best ways to do this as a leader is to make sure you are hiring the right people. Start setting clear expectations during the interview process. After that make su...

In a big organization, you have to have clarity of expectations. You follow the recipe, you get a good product. You leave ingredients out, you don't get consistency. - Lee Cockerell One of the most common questions I get asked is how to implement new polices and programs. During this conversation Jody shares a question from Jennifer, who recently asked something very similar. She said that during...

"People generally don't change when they want to. They change when they have to." Ray Edwards is an experienced and talented copywriter who joins this episode to talk about having the power to make positive change. He has spent his career helping entrepreneurs build their brands through powerful storytelling. The way he came about his passion for personal growth has given him a unique lens. Ray's...

"Anybody that feels loved, appreciated, does better work. They have a better life. They are happier." Recently I received a listener question about how to encourage technical teams, such as engineers, to develop soft skills. Soft skills, like empathy and discipline, are crucial to deal with the challenges presented in any industry. Something to always remember is that success cannot be accomplishe...

  "People want to know they matter" During this episode of Creating Disney Magic, Jody and I answer a listener question about employee development.  Investing in employee development leads to higher retention rate and boosts productivity.  Many managers and business leaders make the mistake of overlooking employee development as an essential factor in their success.  Want to know the secret to hig...

"The more you know, the better decisions you make about people." When I think back to my time at Disney and working in the hospitality industry, I remember that managing multi-generational teams can be challenging. It is also one of the most rewarding aspects of leadership. I learned a lot about how to manage employees of different generations through an individualized communication strategy. A fa...

"Your responsibility is not to sit in the office, but to be out in the operation." There are a few things I learned throughout my career about effectively train a new leader. It starts by hiring the right people and setting clear expectations. Clear expectations includes making sure the new leader's personal appearance is up to standard and they understand the importance of being visible and prese...

"You're not a product of your circumstances. You're a product of your decisions." Through my experience as a leader, I have learned that time management and prioritization are key to success. In this episode, I shared my insights on how to achieve better time management and make better decisions. There are a few things great leaders do in order to make sure they don't stray into unnecessary tasks....

Today, Jody and I evaluate the answer to a recent webinar question. Haden asked, "How do you see technology being integrated with customer service to deliver improvement?" I will be the first to admit that I have not always been a fan of technology in a customer service environment. First and foremost, it should not be used as a copout for delivering subpar service. That being said, there is a tim...

  Today, Jody and I unpack a question that Jody came up with while looking at our soon-to-be-released Performance Excellence Course in the Cockerell Academy. How do you exceed guest expectations? This is a question that any company will benefit by asking themselves. And the answer is simple. Get feedback regularly from your guests. Over time, expectations will become clear. The things that guests...

Today, Jody and I tackle a listener question that hits close to home. "How do you lead after your leader has been replaced and you were passed over for the role?" I experienced this exact scenario personally. Momentary disappointment can be the best thing to happen. It can be an opportunity to learn and grow in your current role. If you can be patient and make incremental improvements, you will wo...

Today, Jody and I recap our most recent Creating Magic Mastermind hosted at the Element Hotel Sky Lounge at Icon Park in Orlando Florida. So far, this was our best mastermind event to date. We were honored to have Karl Holz as our guest speaker. Karl and I go way back. Not only has he held many prestigious roles at Disney, I hired him, and it was the best hire I ever made. One of the big takeaways...

Today, Jody and I answer a listener question. Our anonymous listener asks, "When gauging employee satisfaction, is it better to focus on the positives or negatives? Do you look at what's going right or what's not going right?" The answer goes beyond what is right or wrong. Get to know your team, and build trust so they will answer honestly either way. You want them to communicate without fear and...

Today, Jody and I discuss a topic made famous by Warren Buffett. What does it mean to invest in yourself? People often associate investing in yourself with spending money. Enrolling in college. Taking lessons. Investing financially in a specialist or a coach. All of these are a type of investment. But you can invest in yourself every day without spending a dime. Personally, I consider anything you...

"Build the relationship before you need it." In this episode of Creating Disney Magic, Jody and I discuss the significance of tackling problems promptly. It's the best way to reduce stress and improve relationships. Recognizing mistakes and apologizing immediately helps you manage your emotions and build trust with others. There is a difference between stress and distress. Distress causes issues d...

Today, Jody and I are unpacking how to ensure the training your team gets is effective and creates long-term change. Training is essential to most businesses. But if nobody does anything after you train them, you didn't train them. Whether you are an employee or a manager, it boils down to being disciplined and accountable to applying what you learn. Most people don't have a problem knowing what t...

Today, Jody and I are answering a few questions about working with a disengaged employee that we didn't get to on a recent webinar. If you have an employee who is disengaged, you need to assess the situation. Determine if there has been a change, or is this how they have always been? If someone has changed, than something has changed, and it is your job as the manager to identify it and help them...

Today, Jody and I are at the California Grill with Jamie and JJ Eubanks, the founders of Magical Vacation Planners. We discussed relationships, leadership, and management during our time together, specifically how it has shifted during the past few years. As leaders, there are a lot of things to focus on. You can't control others; you can only give them the tools needed. It is up to them what they...

Today, Jody and I are answering some questions we received at a recent event hosted by the Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education. One question we received was how educators enhance or improve their hospitality curriculum. Embrace that hospitality touches every industry. It is about how we treat people. Encourage students to pursue a base degree in hospitality and utilize their...

Today, Jody and I are recording live in my home office. We just finished recording our newest course for the Cockerell Academy and want to share some thoughts about the topic: Performance Excellence.   Simply put, performance excellence is implementing an environment and system that ensures the guest experience is amazing; which begins long before a guest arrives. It isn't complicated. It is inten...

Today, Donald Miller joins Jody and me and takes us through how you can grow your small business by following a simple framework. 65% of small businesses fail within the first 10 years. Often, this failure is due to a lack of systems, processes, and focus. By working within a proven framework, you are empowered to make the correct decisions and set a solid course. In Donald's new book, he covers t...