5MM #86: How Walt Disney Built His Greatest Creation

Happy Monday-

For those new to the newsletter, the "5-Minute Monday" is 3 quick-hitters (hence the name 5-minute...) designed to get you thinking early in the week around Marketing, Personal Development, and the Creator Economy.

?? Marketing

The Mind of a Master Copywriter

I totally nerded out on this interview.

Harry Dry's "3-2-1" newsletter (and website) has been a must-open and read for me for some time. His site, "Marketing Examples," is set up just as the name implies—teaching through marketing examples in the real world.

In this interview, David Perell sits down with Harry and goes deep into his copywriting process with tips and tricks that had me scrambling to take notes while listening on a walk (and wrangling a beagle with a very curious nose).

There are tons of golden nuggets, but I will leave you with Harry's 3 rules that he applies to every sentence that I have written on a sticky-note on my monitor:

1. Can I visualize it?
2. Can I falsify it?
3. Can nobody else say it?

A Great Example:

Bad: A billboard for a recruitment agency that said, "Don't just get a job. Change an industry." If you close your eyes and I say to you, "Change an industry," could you visualize that? No.

Could you falsify that (true or false)? Eh, not really.

Could anyone else say, "Don't just get a job. Change an entire industry?" Yes, anyone could just say that.

Good: New Balance ad that said, "Worn by supermodels in London and dads in Ohio." If you close your eyes, you can visualize the supermodel in London, and the dad in Ohio out BBQ'ing wearing the shoes.

Could you falsify it? It's true - supermodels and dads have worn New Balance.

Can anyone else say it? No, this is bespoke to New Balance.

Write these down and use them as a filter when you are writing ads and headlines.

?? Personal Development

The Promises You Make to Yourself

Sometimes, you come across something that is just "right place, right time," and that is exactly what happened with Sahil's article/newsletter from last week. I am doing a lot of work with a coach to keep my word to the people around me and, most importantly, to myself. In this article, he outlines "9 Promises for a Life Well-Lived". He goes into detail about each, but the 9 are:

1. I promise to talk health, happiness, and prosperity as often as possible.
2. I promise to make all my friends know there is something in them that is special and that I value.
3. I promise to think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best in myself and others.
4. I promise to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.
5. I promise to be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind.
6. I promise to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements in the future (probably the hardest for me).
7. I promise to wear a cheerful appearance at all times and give every person I meet a smile.
8. I promise to give so much time to improving myself that I have no time to criticize others.
9. I promise to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit trouble to press on me.

I bolded my 3 favorites. Which ones resonate with you?

?? Creator Economy

How to Find and Share Ideas No One Else Is Talking About

My girl Ev is back at it with another "banger" of an article, as the kids like to say. This quick, actionable, 2-minute read gives you "Three beliefs held me back from getting started sharing my ideas online. (And the simple shift I made to overcome them)."

#1: Believing The Market Is Too Crowded

Here's the truth about the online space: People aren't looking for gurus. They are looking for guides. I find this more and more true in the age of AI and automation.

#2: Believing That Others Know More Than You Do

Just because someone has more followers, more email subscribers or has been in the game longer than you doesn't make their ideas more valid than yours.

They've just found an audience that resonates with their ideas.

#3: Believing Our Ideas Are Not Unique Enough

How many unique ideas could there possibly be in the world? Surely everything that could have been said has been said, right?

I believe that the number of unique ideas is equal to the number of unique people on the planet. I've mentioned #1 a few times in this newsletter and constantly remind myself of it. I encourage you to read to the end because she provides a quick checklist for finding your unique approach.

Stay Curious,

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?? Got one more minute?

Founders Podcast

How Walt Disney Built His Greatest Creation: Disneyland

I am addicted to this podcast. It is the perfect mix of history + inspiration, and the more you listen, the more you start seeing similarities with some of the most successful people of all time.

Walt Disney was fascinating, far from perfect, and always stimulates a bit of nostalgia for me when I hear about some of his original stories. There are TONS of lessons in this single episode of Walt launching the original Disneyland.

One idea that I am starting to use immediately is that companies should develop unique language that fosters a deeper connection to their purpose.

"We don't have customers. We have guests. We're not employees. We're hosts and hostesses. We don't have crowds. We have an audience"

Link to the actual book.

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