Tag: WordPress

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 🙂

Walt Disney was “crazy”

Inspiration can come from the most unlikely source.

Do you ever find this to be true?

It’s like a gift, right under our nose, waiting to be unwrapped.

Except for one thing.

We rarely take notice.

Walt Disney spent a lifetime teaching his associates to pay attention to the smallest of details.  Details so “insignificant” that some would say, “Walt, that’s too much perfection.  The audience won’t see that kind of perfection“. Many people thought Walt Disney was crazy because of his obsession with small details.

Walt would shoot back, “They may not see perfection, but they can feel it“.

Little details.  Little gifts, so to speak.

Insignificant details that become redundant, and most would avoid the effort, because it would cost too much or take too long.

And the payoff?  Nothing. The Guests will never notice.

That was the genius of Disney’s founder, Walt Disney.

It’s every Leader’s duty to keep that genius alive at The Walt Disney Company.

This past Sunday, my wife, son, and I enjoyed a few late afternoon hours at Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water park.  It was 85 degrees and sunny.  Palm trees and tropical flowers everywhere.

We had a wonderful afternoon.

Later that night, as I was cleaning off the countertop, putting away my wallet, keys, and receipts, I noticed something.

A small detail.

On our admission pass was Minnie Mouse, smiling like she always does.  That wasn’t actually the small detail.

What really caught my attention were the two words on either side of Minnie.

“CELEBRATE EVERYDAY!”

So, that’s exactly what I did today.

And you know what else?

Can’t wait to do it all over again tomorrow.

Disney Parks ARE the Happiest places on Earth.  How cool is that?

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