Tag: LinkedIn

Walt Disney on Twitter?

jungle jeff readers, please feel free to follow me on Twitter @jeffnoelmidlife

Disney, as in the man Walt Disney, has taught me to experiment with every new and innovative way to strive for perfection.  And it was Vince Lombardi, legendary head coach for the Green Bay Packers, that said, “In chasing perfection, we will catch excellence”.

My son, as much as I try to teach and inspire him, actually teaches and inspires me.  Who would have thought?

How?  Well, for starters, he looks at technology like you and I breathe the air – casually, effortlessly, and fearlessly.

Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Blogs, Websites, GoDaddy, WordPress, Skype, Mobile Me, iPhone,iPhone apps, IM, You Tube, Google analytics, etc.

Our nine year old son is familiar with them all.  I know.  I’m his teacher.

He thinks I make technology look effortless.  if he only knew how hard I worked.

Bet Walt Disney felt the same way.  Carpe diem, jungle jeff 🙂

What would Walt Disney do?

Walt Disney always challenged his organization to look into every new and innovative way to entertain his Guests.  And if the way was too slow or too common, he’d invent a new way.  His life blazed a trail of innovative entertainment milestones.

I recently watched a senior executive start a meeting with ten minutes of critical data and an urgent challenge for his executive team.

His entire PowerPoint presentation, in fact his entire speech, was so incredibly timely, I couldn’t believe my ears.   Just minutes before the group started arriving, I was leading a discussion with others nearby, and painting a picture of how businesses could capitalize on new and evolving social networking applications.

“Can you imagine if everyone in Sales had their own blogs, writing and sharing imporant highlights, trends, offers, etc”?

“Can you imagine operations, blogging about their travels and the difference they are making for customers around the globe”?

“Can you imagine having YouTube videos flying across the globe, some having a million+ views”?

“Can you imagine being able to deliver a keynote speech for hundreds and offering every single one of them your virtual business card?

Well guess what?

He made it perfectly clear that he’d like his team assembled there to immediately begin looking into Social Media and Social Networking.   Wow!

Why?

Because he said he believes their competitors are planning their strategy around it, and they should be too.   Plus, he said their customers are using it more and more, and it has unlimited potential to create better relationships with them.  Who doesn’t want that?

Of course, there was a healthy dose of “use your professional judgement because you’re representing their Company”.   Isn’t that what we already do?  Use our good judgement?  Of course.

This was a no-brainer, as some people say.   Totally!

In the 1930’s, Walt Disney launched the production of Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs movie.  This time period was called the “Great Depression”, in America.

We are now, once again, in another unprecedented “Great Depression”.

I’m having Deja Vu.

This blog you’re reading?   It’s my “Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs”.  Ya with me?  Are you getting the point?

If not now, when?   If not you, who?   Carpe diem, jeff noel  🙂

Disney and number 42?

Who said, “A life is not important, except for the impact it has on other lives“?

Number 42 said it. Number 42? Yep.

With relatives from Pennsylvania staying with us for a few weeks, our routine is adjusted. The TV is on more often, playing programs we do not normally watch. Wednesday’s ABC Evening News is a great example.

Charlie Gibson started talking about baseball having 15 games played that day.  So?  Well, he then starts telling the story about how every player on this one team was wearing the same number. Number 42.

Then, he says that everyone on the opposing team was wearing number 42. What the?

Not only that, but every player on all 30 teams that played those 15 games Wednesday, had the number 42 on every jersey.

Why?

Because it was that day in history when a HUGE barrier was broken.

It was the day when you no longer had to be white to play baseball.

It was the day Jackie Robinson, a black man, first played major league baseball, 62 years ago.

I don’t know about you, but I’m eternally grateful to any person who pushes the boundaries and finds a better way.

Jackie Robinson, number 42, did that. We should all stand up and cheer.

The Walt Disney Company, was founded in 1923 by two brothers, boundary pushers, just like Jackie Robinson.

In honor of Jackie, Roy and Walt Disney, I challenge myself to do something today that will make the world a better place. Carpe diem, jungle jeff  🙂

Did I do it?

Indeed! Did you?

Yesterday, I promised to do what I do every day. I also gently asked you to “plant a seed“. Remember? A small seed to take daily, calculated risks to move your great, and maybe impossible, goal forward.

Technology is the way. Period. End of story!

To me, it isn’t one of the issues facing businesses today, it is THE issue!

Last night, reflecting back on the day, it hit me!

LinkedIn is: A 24-hour virtual meeting. A virtual business card. A remarkable tool with unlimited power to market your business.

You can pop in and out of the virtual 24-meeting at any time to see who’s there and what they’re talking about.  There are a ton of smart people using it.  In fact, there are currently 38,000,000.  That number is projected to mushroom to 300-400 million soon.

Studying the Disney organization since I was a kid, it has taught me to instinctively understand that the next great idea can come from anyone in our organization.  Or even anyone, anywhere in the world.

All we have to do is pay attention, which is hard at today’s busy pace.

Make this a great day to pay attention.  Carpe diem, jungle jeff  🙂

Am I boring?

Am I boring?

Scary thought.  Sometimes I’m convinced I am. Know how I can tell?

Soon after I became a professional speaker a decade ago, a wise person told me, “Jeff, if you look out at your audience, and they looked bored, you’re boring them”. I’ve never forgotten that wisdom.

At risk every single day – failing them and boring them.  The two mortal sins public speakers commit most often.

Want the good news?

I don’t do it nearly as frequently as I used to.  Plus, I’ve also learned to recognize and react more effectively.

So, may I please ask you a question?  Are you boring?

Want to test yourself?

Read your LinkedIn profile and ask yourself, “Is this something that captures attention and motivates the reader to read.  Or, is it like so many others that people don’t even bother”?

At the core of this is your intent for using LinkedIn, in my opinion.

It’s tough out there.  If you don’t figure it out, who will?  Carpe diem, jungle jeff