How To Be A Global Influencer for At Least 100 Years

“If you can dream it, you can do it."-Walter Elias Disney

100 years ago, the world went through one of the biggest, most beloved and magical changes on Earth through one visionary influencer. Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase, “Make lemonade out of lemons.”

But what does that even mean? I took it to mean, making positive things out of the pain and trauma someone has experienced. I don’t know if that definition is 100% correct, but it works for a childhood that was anything but idyllic.

His father was a strict disciplinarian who thought nothing of taking a switch to Walt and his brother Roy to dispense "corrective" beatings, which became a part of their daily routine.

Young Walt found an escape from his father's brutality through drawing. With pen and ink, he created his own little fantasy world where life was always beautiful, people were always happy, and, most importantly, he was always in control. This is how he turned lemons into lemonade and transformed an industry and the world.

This horrible start in life made him strong and enabled him to go through tough times admirably. In fact, at one point he was so strapped for cash that in order to make his dreams come true, he gave up his apartment and started living out of his office, surviving on cold beans.

His first commercially successful creation was stolen from him and it wasn’t until he teamed up with his older brother that he started to prosper. His many innovations include the first cartoons with synchronized sound, the first full-length animated feature film and, of course, the theme park.

His most famous creation, Mickey Mouse, is a universally recognized cultural icon. Few individuals have had a greater impact on both the entertainment industry and the popular culture of the 20th century than Walter Disney.

Disney's creativity, determination, and unwavering belief in his principles played a pivotal role in his unparalleled success.

One of the reasons Disney’s legacies have endured for so long is their roadmap to success and their extraordinary management skills. Let’s break it down…

Step #1: Have perseverance and be willing to give up today’s comfort for tomorrow’s success: So often we want success without pain or discomfort, but the truth is, you must be willing to be and stay uncomfortable until you realize your goal. You must be willing to change, shift, infuse, learn, and bend in order to lead your dream to fruition. Disney ate beans, gave up his apartment, slept in his office in order to make his dream a reality. He lived humbly for many years and embraced many hard lessons in order to create the Disney legacy.

Walt Disney had many failures, 300+ in his life. He was fired from his newspaper job. His first animated film company went bankrupt and his first feature-length film flopped. He was turned down for funding by banks. His first theme park, Disneyland, was rejected by many cities before finally being accepted in Anaheim, CA. It is inspiring to see Walt Disney’s perseverance despite all his failures and if you want to win at anything, you will benefit most by having this kind of perseverance.

?Step #2 Your brand is everything, create it wisely: Disney pioneered branding, brand stretching and merchandising. In addition to being the first full-length animated feature, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" Disney also was the first film to have a complete merchandising campaign in place when it released the movie.

Walt Disney Co. is now a merchandising machine, with nearly 25 percent of its revenue coming from consumer products. This kept Disney constantly in front of their target market and growing in the minds and hearts of consumers creating loyalty to the Disney brand.

?Step #3: Be a visionary, create and grow an expansion plan in your industry: The power of having an expansion plan is what helps you reengage with your audience and gives them something else to enjoy. Disney was in the media industry. To capitalize on the growth of cable television, Disney launched The Disney Channel in 1983, which has become one of the most watched networks by children around the world. ?

In 1995, the company acquired Cap Cities, the holding company for ABC and ESPN, making Disney one of the most powerful and influential players in professional sports. Disney acquired animation studio Pixar in 2006, greatly increasing its reach in the kid's market. The company also purchased Marvel Entertainment in 2009, foreseeing the value of the company's superhero IP to create summer blockbuster films.

?Step #4: Don’t just adopt innovation, make something magical: Disney released two Mickey Mouse cartoons, which were met with moderate success. But the real breakthrough came in 1928 with the release of "Steamboat Willie." The first cartoon to include a synchronized soundtrack, "Steamboat Willie" was an instant hit.

In 1937 Disney released the first movie-length animated film, in full color with music followed by Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, and Bambi. They shaped and innovated until they created the animated film industry. Disney stretched the imagination and created much more sophisticated animations, which have influenced many companies like Pixar.

Taking risks and being the first to try something new will help your audience stay with you. People often enjoy seeing the new iteration or next creation of a brand. We love to see the next movie or series with our favorite actors in it. The next Harry Potter, Justice League, Twilight, Mission Impossible, Star Wars, or Trek, etc… This is how to keep a brand deepening its connection with you for 100 years and more. His innovation is not only in the film industry, it has also changed how we think about media and entertainment.

?Step #5: Know what YOU are good at, Hire top notch people to do the other things: Walt was an atrocious businessman, constantly running his company into the ground. At the same time, though, he was a corporate visionary whose aversion to typical business practices led to the colossus that the Walt Disney Company became. Before he was even old enough to legally sign the incorporation papers, Disney wrangled a few friends together, raised some cash and started Laugh-o-Gram, a studio in Kansas City, Mo., that made comic cartoon shorts based on fairy tales. But he seemed less interested in making money than in having fun, and the company promptly went bankrupt. It wasn’t until he hired his brother Roy, who was a savvy business man, that Disney began making money.

Hiring the right people is part of having success and maybe right now you are doing EVERYTHING; however, when it is time, you will benefit most by knowing who you need to hire or partner with first.

So, what is the next step? Perhaps that would be to subscribe to “The ROADMAP” where you will see the secret Roadmap some of the most successful people have taken and how it can help you.

Subscribe here:?https://theroadmap.beehiiv.com/

See you tomorrow