Before i started at Disney Institute (DI) in 1999, Richard Parks, a stellar DI facilitator, helped me prepare for a 10-minute DI audition.
Richard and i met once a week for 6-8 weeks. During this time i was enjoying my 15th year in Disney Resort Hotel Operations. i was the master of my domain in our Flagship Resort. Yet, i’d drive to DI from Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort to spend 30 minutes with Richard while he tried to prepare me for delivering a 10-minute section of the 90-minute “Service, Disney Style” keynote speech. Just a 10-minute piece. That’s all.
Each time, i was a wreck. A total cluster.
Important to remember that i never, ever had even the smallest notion to become a professional speaker. None. Ever.
And i was so out of my comfort zone during the entire process. Nothing about it felt good. Nothing felt fun. Nothing felt hopeful.
But i kept trying to learn what Richard was offering.
i couldn’t grasp it.
i didn’t want to grasp it.
Even today in 2025 i cannot recall why i even said yes to DI’s invitation.
So anyway, i decided at 1:00am the day of my 10:00am audition that i was stupid for even thinking about trying this. My plan was to call DI around 8am when the office opened and tell them, “i don’t know what i was thinking. i’m not qualified to audition, let alone potentially become part of your team.”
The point of this post is that Richard recognized my insecurities, my lack of passion to become a speaker, and my inability to quickly grasp the basics he was trying to teach.
So he asked me if i knew who Roy Hobbs was. i didn’t. He asked if i ever saw the movie, “The Natural” starring Robert Redford. Another “no”. So after a little bit of baseball history and context, Richard blurted out, “Jeff, you are a natural!”
While it sounded magical and wonderful, it didn’t change anything because i didn’t believe it.
A few years after getting the DI Speaker role, i slowly began to feel that this was what i was born to do, never knowing.
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