Dreaming Like Disney

Disney.

Just saying the name conjures up pixie-dust images in our imaginations.

Magical.

Fantastical.

The land of make-believe.

Hope. Dreams. Happily-ever-after.

Creative genius.

Trailblazer.

You could also sprinkle into the mix, words like, family, fun, kids, art, Mickey, wonder, optimism, inspiration, laughter, Donald, Bambi, Pinocchio, pioneering, experimentation, vision.

And, while we're at it, let's not forget, cartoons, original, playful, genuine, Snow White, nostalgia, reassurance, emotion, entertainment, Goofy, Tinker Bell, Cinderella, charm, character, morality, values.

And two other words that might be more relevant than ever.

Two words that are still highly applicable to keep you focused on what's truly significant in this age of fake news, alternative facts, shrinking attention spans, financial meltdowns, the erosion of public trust, the Kardashians, political sideshows and terror attacks that neither you or I have any control over. 

Two words that can have a positive, uplifting effect on what you are doing today and this week to you keep focused on the here and now. Two words that can serve as the idea bricks required to build a magic kingdom of your own making:

ENDURING. 

STORY-TELLING. 

These are the two words upon which the entire, multi-billion dollar Disney empire was constructed and continues to expand and build on each day. Two words that can provide any individual, any enterprise, both protection and prosperity while offering copious amounts of freedom and control.

To be clear and according to Dictionary.com:

Enduring (used as an adjective) is defined as lasting; permanent: Story-Telling (used as a noun) is defined as the telling or writing of stories.

Since moving to California in the early 1920's, a twice-bankrupt Walt and older brother Roy knew with full confidence that no matter how much technology and societies would change, the power of great story-telling would always be their best guarantee for long-term creative, personal and financial success. Roy (pictured above with the jacket over his shoulder) was a career bank officer and joined forces in Hollywood with his unemployed, cartoon-crazy younger brother as a co-founder of Disney Bros. Studio. In 1928, the brothers ordered a couple of pre-fab homes, placed side by side on a street called Lyric Avenue as they started paving their own artistic and business streets of gold from an otherwise ordinary Los Angeles neighborhood. While Walt was the creative free spirit, Roy was the "attention-to-detail" guy who made sure the company was on solid financial footing - and together this dynamic team worked and blended so well that millions of people all over the world would one day look with awestruck wonder and pay home with their well-earned dollars at the Magic Kingdoms they created.

But, what if the Disney Brothers were alive today?

Can you picture the jolly good fun Walt would be having with platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook LIVE? How many Twitter followers would be hanging on his every tweet and how many "likes" and "shares" would he be generating with every single post? In other words, is there something that a guy born in Chicago, who grew up in Kansas City and turned a Florida swamp into a feast for the imagination could still teach and inspire us in the Age of YouTube?

At the same time, how many people would be inspired to pay big bucks to attend a business conference and listen to Roy Disney? Can you picture being in the audience with thousands of others to hear Roy explain and outline the delicate balance and mutual respect required to form great partnerships that can literally, change the world. And as you jot down your notes in the conference handout, you would be shaking your head listening to a left-brained, analytical banker explain how story-telling - both on and off stage - was the essential secret that created the enduring Disney legend.

• Whatever you are doing, making, pitching, planning or selling right now ...
•  Whatever career path you are pursuing or corporate ladder you are currently climbing ...
•  Whatever company, cause or community you are painstakingly building ...

What if you could fully unleash the enduring power of story-telling to get you to where you want to go?

But, only faster?

While having a lot more bounce in your step and more pride and self-satisfaction found only though meaningful work. Not to mention the added bonus of having a wider group of admiring friends and a lighter heart to go with your increasingly fatter pocketbook.

As a film producer, Walt still holds the record for most Academy Awards with 22 Oscars from 59 nominations. He was presented with honorary degrees from Harvard, Yale, UCLA, USC and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, And if he were alive today, Disney would be among the first to tell you to slow down for a minute to STOP and think.

About the three things you need to STOP doing.

1. STOP with all the so-called "smart" business and marketing talk; peppering your sentences with pretentious words like "synergy", "paradigm", "leverage", "innovation", "outside-the-box", "demographics", "target markets"and "stakeholders". Kick to the curb all the empty corporate language focused on CRM, CTA, PPC, ROI and KPI's. And while you're at it, punt all the sales jargon and marketing ad-speak choked with endless claims of "better selection, better quality, better service, better pricing". 
2. STOP listening to the gaggle of so-called experts; many of whom possess more opinions and academic credentials than real world experience and success. Do you think for a minute Walt and Roy would give two hoots over what some graphic designer from Rubber Boot, Saskatchewan or Possum Ridge, Arkansas thought about their initial designs and mock-ups of Mickey and Minnie? You don't need the opinion of any third-party to grant permission to create as you see fit, to be your warts-and-all-self and share the inner-child that still resides inside you.
3. STOP waiting for the perfect moment, perfect weather or perfect hair day to use all the modern communication, video and social media tools that now rest at your fingertips. You are only a few clicks away from allowing your good old-fashioned imagination to let you connect and share your story with others.

By the same token, there are three things Walt and brother Roy would tell you to START doing:

1. START telling and sharing stories that real people can relate to. Share the story behind why you do what you do and how you think you can rock the world like nobody else.
2. START allowing the six-year old part of you to appear on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and whatever new, exciting platforms are on the horizon to connect with all the other grown-ups who yearn for the chance to escape their professional prison. Be the one who knocks on the digital screen door to ask if Billy or Suzie can come out to play.
3. START taking more chances. Take off the mask. Trust your gut. Follow your own intuition. Refuse to be placed in any box that you didn't make.

Will Dreaming Like Disney and enduring story-telling ever go out of style?

 STOP waiting for the perfect moment, perfect weather or perfect hair day to use all the modern communication, video and social media tools that now rest at your fingertips. You are only a few clicks away from allowing your good old-fashioned imagination to let you connect and share your story with others.

Will Dreaming Like Disney and enduring story-telling ever go out of style?

Or, do you see where it might be needed now more than ever?

Could it be the key to unlocking what ever kingdoms you fantasize about the most?

Look around long enough and you'll see no shortage of people in the 40+ crowd wearing long, weary faces that hide their broken dreams, broken hearts and broken bodies.

Broken dreams is a tough and busy business these days. However, between Walt's two bankruptcies and Roy's near-death experience with tuberculosis, the brothers Disney didn't always live such a charmed life filled with pixie dust and fairy tales. These guys knew a thing or two about what it took in terms of honest to goodness hard work to rebuild and relaunch any life, any career or any company.

Only you know when you tuck yourself into bed each night, if there is a new dream that needs to be awakened the next morning and followed each day just to see where it might lead. Maybe an old dream has died and needs to be buried ... but, wait a second ...

What if an entirely new dream could take its place where you're not always worried about money, what other people think, the government, the economy, the future and how hard life is kicking your ass? 

There is no question, that in the past you could have used some luck. Maybe, in hindsight you would have made smarter choices. Maybe you would have purchased Apple stock at $5 bucks a share or been the kind of person who could envision something more than swampy Floridian marshland.

Nearly 90 years after the brothers Disney got their start, anyone can look back and use their story as an example of how taking more personal responsibility for your efforts and learning from past mistakes can turn temporary failures into lasting success. 

No matter what moral or business crossroads you are at; no matter the level of pain and heartache you've experienced, there is always a choice to apply a different level of thinking that can align you with the realities of the universe.

ENDURING. 

STORY-TELLING. 

You don't need to hire consultants, experts or healers to help you discover what you already know to be true.

If Walt and Roy had anything to say about it, you already know that they would tell you not to wait to be perfect to get started telling the story that only you can tell. They would encourage you to pick yourself up by your bootstraps, fail faster and try again. They would advise you to keep searching until you find a partner that complements whatever gifts you possess, re-write whatever life or business script you think you're holding and use the enduring power of story-telling to re-create and re-imagine the business, career and the life that you deserve.

Continue the Quest!

Gair

"It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are" ROY O. DISNEY

p.s... From the "coming soon" department, an exclusive on-line and live coaching program for entrepreneurs who aren't afraid of the challenge that goes with punching above their weight class and making their company and brand "larger than life". It's called THE LEGENDMAKERS?,  based on a coaching and learning model heavily influenced by other "larger than life" figures such as King Arthur, Batman, Sir Winston Churchill, Henry Ford, Gene Simmons, Vince Lombardi, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Walt Disney, among others. If you are curious, flip me an e-mail [email protected]

Other Resources to Explore on the Road to Reinvention:

• Enroll @ HUGGABLE UNIVERSITY and discover how you can BOOST YOUR CULTURE and BUILD YOUR BRAND. Get your entire company "on the same page" with first-hand, market-tested insights from one of Canada's greatest small business success stories. No matter what category you compete in, these are time-tested principles that can fuel your business, brand and your people in such a way that distinguishes you from all others. These monthly, on-line sessions are designed to help your entire team to work together towards the common goal to:  BE DIFFERENT. BE UNTOUCHABLE. BE REMEMBERED. Get Your FREE session now.
• Purchase NUTS, BOLTS AND A FEW LOOSE SCREWS; available at Chapters.ca and Amazon.com.
• Join the REINVENTION CIRCLE, get involved, provide feedback, ideas and continue the DISCUSSION on FACEBOOK.
• EVENT PLANNERS: If you are curious about having Gair Maxwell plot, scheme, and collaborate with you to deliver a thought-provoking, high-voltage, soul-stirring presentation to your organization or upcoming conference, here are some video links you might find helpful:
• What other Speakers are saying
• Raving Fans
• Gair Maxwell ON STAGE!