Tag: Google analytics

What does EPCOT stand for?

What does EPCOT stand for?

Every Person Comes Out Tired!

What?

Just kidding.  You can take the boy out of the Jungle Cruise, but you can’t take the Jungle Cruise out of the boy.

EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow.

That’s what Walt Disney called Walt Disney World, before it was officially named Walt Disney World.  The entire 43-square mile piece of alligator, snake and mosquito infested swampland he called EPCOT.

He said it would never be completed.  He added, “The sketches and plans you see here are simply a starting point. Our first overall thinking.”  As he continued, “Our plans may change time and time again.”  He gave us permission to take his crazy, “impossible” vision and find the best way to get to our destination – “that EPCOT will always be a showcase for American ingenuity.”

And so it is with me.  And with you too.  Who wouldn’t want to always be in a state of becoming.  Always changing and growing -serving more people in more ways.  Then those people go out and do the same.  We know this as “the ripple effect”.

Who’s helping you?   Who’s holding you accountable?

At last week’s National Speakers Association Winter Conference, prior to the opening Keynote speech from Roxanne Emmerich ( https://www.emmerichgroup.com/ ), author of  “Thank God It’s Monday:  Kicking Butt and Taking Names to Grow Your Business”, we were asked to find one or two accountability partners.  It was great to establish this upfront.

Carpe diem, jungle jeff  🙂

What’s the downside to creativity?

What’s the downside to creativity?

Being creative does not mean being productive.

Huh?

Creativity can be defined as generating useful ideas, in any domain.  Most people assume that a bunch of creative ideas is something great.  It really isn’t.  Seriously, it’s not  Because, if none of your creative ideas ever get implemented, then what do you have?  N-u-t-h-i-n’.  Nuthin!  Period!

Want to know the key?

Curious about world-class spin on this “creativity issue”?

Here’s the deal:

Innovation is the implementation of a creative idea!

That’s the secret at world-class organizations, like Disney.  They focus on creativity and implementation, in order to create innovations that make things better for their Employees, Customers, or Business practices.

Personally, I think of Walt Disney as the “Father of Creativity”.

What Walt really deserves credit for was his ability to innovate – to implement new, creative ideas.  He was the ultimate “envelope pusher”.

“So what?”  A simple question.  One I began using a decade ago for the sole purpose of challenging people to adapt, not adopt “book theory” best practices.

On a scale of 1-10 (10 is excellent), how would others (not you) rate you on your drive, your vision, your energy, to push creative ideas through to implementation?

I hope you like your number.  I didn’t like mine when I did this exercise.  So I did something about it.  I started to practice what I preach.

That has made all the difference.

Make it a GREAT day, because if you don’t, who will?

Carpe diem, jungle jeff  🙂

Why 17.84 ?

What’s significant about 17.84?

That’s what Disney stock closed at today.  As in $17.84 a share.  That’s a 52-week New York Stock Exchange low.  (The official low today was $17.72, but the close was $17.84)

Because of the strength of the Disney Company brand (Magic), Disney tends to be one of the last to feel recessions and one of the first to recover.

Today’s closing Disney stock price reinforces the mantra: “It’s not the Magic that makes it work, it’s the work that makes it Magic.”

Disney’s Magic is revealed in what they conceal.  The work.  The work is what they never let you see.

What are you willing to let your customers see?  What do you painstakingly make invisible?  Bet no one’s ever asked you that before!

What would you, or your organization, look like if everyone started to think this way?

If you have any professional sense, to me, you would let that statement resonate.   I hope you like your answers.  If you don’t.  You have options.

Some of them are right under your nose.

Carpe diem, jungle jeff  🙂

National Speakers Association

One word to describe the National Speaker’s Association’s Winter Conference at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida?

WOW!

Why WOW?

World-class presenters.  Cutting edge information.  Inspiration.  Great sense of community.   Commited Leadership.  Entrepreneurial spirit.  Discovering possibilities.  Hope.  Laughter.  Palm trees, sunshine and Mickey Mouse.    Does it get any better than this?

What began on Thursday afternoon, will end after Sunday’s Keynote.

To those of you I’ve had the privilege to meet and get to know, thank you for your time, passion, sharing, advice, inspiration.   Looking forward to continuing these friendships in spite of our insanely busy schedules.  We can.  We will.  If we all work together.   Know who said that?  Tell you later.

A dream is a wish your heart makes.  Sweet dreams.

jungle jeff  🙂

PS.  Here’s NSA’s official website:  https://www.nsaspeaker.org/

What’s the paradox of risk?

Why take a risk? Aren’t risks dangerous?  “Yes, and”.

Risks can lead to breakthroughs.  Risks can catapault a product or service into market domination – into brand recognition so great, it makes the product or service a household name.  Risks can enhance your career.  We can even argue that rewards are directly proportional to the risk involved.  Not always, but mostly it’s so.

Why not take a risk? And the obvious, biggest reason?  What if we fail? This makes it hard to be risky.  What a paradox.

Risks can catapult us or destroy us.

Will this paradox frighten us or challenge us?

Will we act, or retreat?

Will we “walk the talk” or feel the guilt of hypocrisy?

Will we lead or follow?

These questions can only be answered by you and me, individually, in our own realities.

My personal reality is I’m insanely busy.   Additionly, I don’t like to fail.  Do you?  It really makes me look bad in front of my boss, my boss’s boss, my peers, my Customers, my finance manager, etc.

Today, I promise to take risks.  Whether they be small, medium or large, I vow to take them today.  And tomorrow.  And all week.  All year even.  How about, “until I die.”

Walt Disney was the consumate risk taker.  My 35 years as a business professional have inspired me to ask, “What would Walt Disney do?”

As the Mastercard commercial catch phrase states, “What’s in your wallet?’

Make it a GREAT day!  Because if you don’t who will?

Hey everyone, I’ve enjoyed having you read this.  I hope you’ve enjoyed being had.  Now that’s classic Jungle Cruise “humor”.   Or not.  🙂  Respectfully, jungle jeff