From Pommes Frites to Burger Sidekick: The Fascinating History of French Fries

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Picture a warm summer day, the sun casting a golden hue over a bustling street corner. The sizzle of a grill fills the air, teasing your senses with the promise of a mouthwatering treat. You step closer, and there it is, the star of the show – a perfectly grilled burger, its savory aroma wafting towards you. But what’s a burger without its trusty sidekick? The golden, crispy companions we all know and love – French fries. In this exploration of the history of French fries, we’ll take you on a sensory journey through time, unraveling the story of how these humble fried potatoes became an inseparable part of our favorite fast food indulgence.

The Early Origins of Fried Potatoes

Close your eyes, and let’s journey back to a time when Europe was just beginning to embrace the magic of potatoes. In the heart of 17th-century Belgium and France, culinary innovators were already experimenting with these peculiar, starchy tubers. Thin slices of the potatoes were tossed into sizzling oil, and the result was nothing short of culinary alchemy. The tantalizing aroma of these early fries wafted through the streets, luring passersby to experience a revelation.

The Introduction of “French Fries”

Now, let’s transport ourselves to the late 18th century, where our story truly begins. Picture yourself in the enchanting city of Paris, where the Eiffel Tower had yet to pierce the sky. Here, in the heart of culinary innovation, street vendors began to serve up these fried wonders. They quickly earned the moniker “French fries.” But their fame didn’t stop at the French border; their seductive aroma and addictive flavor soon crossed oceans and continents, capturing the hearts of people worldwide.

American Adoption and Fast Food Revolution

Fast forward to the 19th century, where America was still a land of dreams and opportunities. Immigrants, including the French, brought their culinary traditions with them, and with them, they brought the secret of French fries. American kitchens embraced this new delight, and soon, they became a symbol of unity in this melting pot of cultures. But it was in the 20th century, amidst the whirlwind of the fast food revolution, that they truly skyrocketed to stardom.

The Connection to Burgers

Close your eyes and step into a classic American diner. The rhythmic sizzle of the grill plays like a culinary symphony, a tune that has echoed through countless decades. It’s a place where time seems to stand still, where nostalgia mingles with the aroma of sizzling beef. At the center of this gastronomic performance stands a perfectly grilled burger, a masterpiece of flavors and textures. And what’s a burger without its trusty sidekick? A heap of golden French fries.

Imagine that first bite of your burger, a harmonious blend of succulent beef, fresh vegetables, and creamy condiments. As you chew, your taste buds dance with delight, and you’re keenly aware of the complex interplay of flavors. But as you swallow, your hand instinctively reaches for those golden, crispy fries. It’s a seamless transition, a culinary pas de deux. The tender, juicy notes of the burger are complemented by the crispy, salty crescendo of the fries.

The contrast is striking. The burger, a substantial and robust creation, offers a sensory journey through textures, from the initial bite through layers of toppings and sauces. It’s a satisfying experience, but it’s the fries that provide the crucial counterpoint. As you pick up a fry, it’s light, delicate, and golden. The first crunch is a revelation, a contrast to the burger’s meaty embrace. Each fry carries a balance of crispy exterior and soft interior, and the unmistakable essence of potato. The salt clings to the surface, enhancing the natural flavors.

This interplay between burger and fries is more than just culinary happenstance; it’s an art form. It’s about the yin and yang of flavors, textures, and emotions. The burger is hearty, the comfort food that satisfies the soul, and the fries are the lively companion, offering that satisfying crunch that keeps you coming back for more.

Now, take a moment to reflect on your own experiences. Whether in a bustling diner, a fast-food joint, or even a gourmet restaurant, the union of burgers and French fries is a universal comfort. It’s a sensory journey that has been etched into our collective memory, a combination that transcends cultural boundaries and speaks to our shared love of simple, yet profound, culinary pleasures.

As you sit in that imaginary diner, take another bite of your burger and savor a French fry. This is the timeless connection between burgers and French fries, an unspoken bond that elevates each dish and provides a sensory experience that’s more than the sum of its parts. It’s the simple joy of life, wrapped in a checkered tablecloth, and served with a smile.

Innovations and Variations

As we move forward, let’s explore the magic of French fries. The cooking methods evolved, from simple slices to delicate shoestring cuts, and even the playful crinkle-cuts, each variation offering a unique texture and flavor. Around the world, these humble potatoes were transformed into culinary masterpieces, like Canada’s beloved poutine, a symphony of fries, cheese curds, and gravy, a creation that dances on the palate.

Modern Trends and Challenges

Fast forward to today, where our love affair with French fries continues unabated. The aroma of frying oil still wafts through the air, but now, there’s a twist. Our awareness of health and nutrition has raised questions. Innovations are underway, from air frying to healthier cooking oils, as we strive to balance our insatiable cravings with our well-being.

As we bring our sensory and emotional journey to a close, it’s clear that French fries have come a long way from their European origins. From Parisian streets to American diners, they have transcended borders, satisfying our collective cravings for generations. These golden, crispy delights are more than just a side dish; they’re a symbol of culinary unity, a testament to the power of simplicity in the world of food. Their legacy is not just one of taste but of emotions, memories, and shared experiences.

Still hungry?

Building an Empire, One Whopper at a Time: Jim McLamore’s Journey and the Story of Burger King

The Condiment Conundrum: Finding the Perfect Toppings to Elevate Your Burger Experience

The Whataburger Story: A Tale of Flavor and Family

From Drive-Thru to Cultural Icon: The Story Behind In-N-Out Burger

Burgerology: The Art and Science of the Perfect Patty

Flipping History: How McDonald’s Shaped the Hamburger’s Popularity

Indulging in Burger Bliss: A Quest for Culinary Perfection

White Castle: The Trailblazing Pioneer of Fast Food

Bite Into Tradition: The Best Loved Regional Burger Chains in the Country

Burger Beast Unleashed: The Ultimate Tribute to Burgers in Sef Gonzalez’ Book

Sink Your Teeth into “The Hamburger”: A Culinary Journey by Josh Ozersky

Burger Magic: Exploring the Universal Fascination Behind America’s Favorite Dish

My Quest for the Perfect Hamburger: A Literary, Culinary, and Arbitrary Journey in Pursuit of America’s Iconic Delight

A Tantalizing Top of the Stack, Made to Order

Before Burger Quest

Building an Empire, One Whopper at a Time: Jim McLamore’s Journey and the Story of Burger King

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Burger King’s founder Jim McLamore gives us a backstage pass to the making of Burger King, an American success story and an important part of burger culture history.

Here is the “Burger King’s” own fascinating account of how he launched and built a billion-dollar empire from humble beginnings and helped change the way the world eats; how he challenged arch rival McDonald’s; the many times he nearly failed; and the surprising inspiration for the Whopper campaign that arrived just in time to save Burger King from going ketchup-side down.

McLamore is always candid, outspoken, and totally engaging – whether he is talking about the embarrassing “Herb the Nerd” campaign (the advertising fiasco that briefly replaced “Have it your way”) – or discussing his problems with Pillsbury top management after they bought Burger King.

Candid, too, is his account of the real story behind the fierce – and still ongoing – competition between Burger King and McDonalds. In remarkable contrast, you will also read the story of the warm personal relationship between McLamore and McDonald’s CEO Ray Kroc.

The Burger King is at once an endearing self-portrait of a true American original and a rare insider’s look at why America eats the way it does. It’s an epic tale of an industry giant who, through his devotion to his company and community, let billions of people “have it their way.”

Above all, it’s a story that could only be this well-told by the Burger King himself.

In the realm of fast-food royalty, one name stands out prominently, conjuring images of flame-grilled perfection and a crown-wearing monarch: Burger King. The saga of this iconic fast-food empire is brilliantly chronicled in The Burger King: Jim McLamore and the Building of an Empire by James W. McLamore, the co-founder of the brand himself. In this delectable narrative, readers are invited to savor the journey of innovation, resilience, and burger brilliance.

Picture a post-World War II America, where diners and drive-ins reigned supreme. It’s a time of burgeoning car culture, where the freedom of the open road meets the allure of a hearty, satisfying meal. Into this scene strides Jim McLamore, a man whose vision and passion for great burgers would forever change the fast-food landscape.

As you turn the pages of The Burger King, you’ll find yourself transported to the vibrant Miami of the 1950s, where Jim McLamore and his partner, David Edgerton, embarked on a culinary adventure. Their dream? To create a burger joint that would deliver not just a meal but an experience. You can almost smell the tantalizing aroma of sizzling beef patties as they describe their early experiments with the flame-grilling technique – a groundbreaking innovation that would set Burger King apart.

The book captures the spirit of entrepreneurship, from the humble beginnings of the first “Insta-Burger King” location in Miami to the eventual evolution into the renowned Burger King brand. Readers gain insights into the challenges faced by McLamore and his team as they navigated the competitive fast-food landscape.

The narrative artfully depicts the birth of the Whopper, the crown jewel of Burger King’s menu. Imagine the first bite into a flame-grilled, juicy patty topped with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and the signature King’s own “special sauce.” It’s a sensory experience that changed the fast-food game forever. The Burger King vividly recounts the meticulous development and launch of this iconic burger, underscoring Jim McLamore’s unwavering commitment to quality and flavor.

Jim McLamore’s vision extended beyond the food. He recognized the importance of branding and marketing in the fast-food industry. The book takes readers on a journey through the creation of the memorable “Have It Your Way” slogan, which invited customers to customize their burgers to their heart’s content. It’s as if you’re in the room with McLamore, witnessing the birth of a marketing strategy that would become a cornerstone of Burger King’s identity.

But The Burger King doesn’t shy away from the challenges and adversities faced by the brand. It recounts the ups and downs, including changes in ownership and market competition. Yet, through it all, Jim McLamore’s resilience and dedication to the Burger King vision shine brightly, a testament to his enduring commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.

As you finish the book, you’ll find yourself with a newfound appreciation for the man behind the crown and the enduring legacy he left in the world of fast food. The story of The Burger King is not just about hamburgers; it’s a tale of entrepreneurial spirit, innovation, and a relentless pursuit of excellence—a legacy that continues to captivate taste buds and hearts worldwide.

With each page turned, you’ll savor not only the flavors of a Whopper but also the enduring legacy of Jim McLamore, the man who built an empire one delicious burger at a time.

Still hungry?

The Condiment Conundrum: Finding the Perfect Toppings to Elevate Your Burger Experience

The Whataburger Story: A Tale of Flavor and Family

Bun Brilliance: Unveiling the Essence of the Ultimate Burger Bun

From Drive Thru to Cultural Icon: The Story Behind In-N-Out Burger

Burgerology: The Art and Science of the Perfect Patty

Flipping History: How McDonald’s Shaped the Hamburger’s Popularity

Indulging in Burger Bliss: A Quest for Culinary Perfection

White Castle: The Trailblazing Pioneer of Fast Food

Bite Into Tradition: The Best Loved Regional Burger Chains in the Country

Burger Beast Unleashed: The Ultimate Tribute to Burgers in Sef Gonzalez’ Book

Sink Your Teeth into “The Hamburger”: A Culinary Journey by Josh Ozersky

Burger Magic: Exploring the Universal Fascination Behind America’s Favorite Dish

My Quest for the Perfect Hamburger: A Literary, Culinary, and Arbitrary Journey in Pursuit of America’s Iconic Delight

A Tantalizing Top of the Stack, Made to Order

Before Burger Quest

How Can We Serve Our Neighbors If We Haven’t Paid Attention to Them?

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Welcome to the age of white noise.

We live our lives in a constant tether to phones, to apps, and to social media – mostly acquiescing to FOMO.

In this age of distraction, the ability to experience and be present is often lost, as is our capacity to think and to see and to listen.

Rob Walker, The Art of Noticing

At a basic level, paying attention is simply making a selection among all the stimuli bombarding you at any moment.

Even if we ignore most of what is going on around us, we can only take in so much of the world at a time. Our sensory system has a limited capacity, both in range and in speed of processing.

I was paying so little attention to most of what was right before me that I had become a sleepwalker on the sidewalk. What I saw and attended to was exactly what I expected to see. That attention invited attention’s companion: inattention to everything else.

Alexandra Horowitz, On Looking

Questions to Ponder

  • How do you observe the all-too-familiar in order to discover new meaning and discern the activity of God that others miss?
  • What do you look for?
  • How can you learn to scrutinize the obvious?
  • What does it mean to look for the extraordinary in the ordinary?

I would like to suggest the answer to these questions begins with seeing through the lens of love.

Download the tool below to begin a ten-day journey in looking at your neighbors through the lens of love, specifically with the Fruit of the Spirit in mind.

 

The fruit of the Spirit are not merely characteristics that we aspire to own. They are glorious graces that characterize all those who pursue a Christlike character.

In order to “pay attention” by following the Holy Spirit, use the nine fruit of the spirit as described by pastor, professor, and storyteller, Calvin Miller as a framework for incorporating them into your life.

The Art of Life Editing: Reimagining Life and Rediscovering Inspiration

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Welcome to the exciting and ongoing journey of becoming a modern elder! Life is a continuous adventure, and a modern elder has a unique opportunity to engage with it in a fresh, inspiring, and purpose-filled way. 

One powerful skill for that adventure is the art of “Editing Your Life.” Let’s explore how you can build on the practices of noticing and self-awareness to make a great midlife edit, creating space for more inspiration and purpose.

Editing is an act of change, involving asking questions about what something currently is and what it should be. Whether it’s a book, a relationship, a kitchen, or a parenting philosophy, the principles of editing remain the same. The term “life-edit” signifies the application of these principles to life.

As a skill that helps us see things clearly and involves looking and looking again, editing transcends the specifics of individual lives. Use life-editing principles to rethink how you spend your time, regardless of the circumstances. Reflect on your own life, acknowledging that while the details may vary, everyone is striving to live a life that is worthy of them.

Life often undergoes involuntary edits due to external or internal changes, including both gain and loss. Crisis situations force people to reevaluate their lives. However, proactive life-editing is a way to take an active role in shaping one’s life around what matters most. It encourages clarity, grit, self-respect, resourcefulness, and joy in this quest.

The best time to edit is not just in response to crises but whenever one’s life feels out of alignment. Waiting to edit carries the risk of regret, as one may wish for a different life. It also leads to disengagement, reducing life to a checklist of tasks, resulting in a sense of claustrophobia and guilt for neglecting essential aspects.

Regardless of when and where you are in life, the time to edit is now, especially if you are contemplating how to make your life better.

Here are some principles you can use in a life-editing process:

The Skill of Noticing/Awareness

The first step in this transformation is to develop the skill of noticing and self-awareness. Check out this previous post on Noticing and Attention for specifics. By becoming more attuned to your thoughts, feelings, and circumstances, you can recognize the areas of your life that may need adjustment. Awareness is the compass guiding you towards a more fulfilling existence.

As the foundational step in the transformational journey of the “great midlife edit,”  the skill of noticing or awareness is the art of developing heightened self-awareness and the ability to observe and acknowledge the intricacies of your thoughts, emotions, and surroundings. This section delves into the significance of this skill and how it acts as a compass guiding you toward a more fulfilling life.

1. Self-Reflection and Mindfulness – Noticing and awareness begin with self-reflection and mindfulness. It involves consciously and non-judgmentally observing your thoughts, emotions, and the world around you. This practice allows you to become more connected with your inner self and your external environment.

2. Recognizing Areas of Discontent – The process of self-awareness enables you to identify areas of your life that may be causing discontent or dissatisfaction. It’s akin to shining a light on the aspects that no longer align with your true desires and values. By pinpointing these areas, you can take the first step toward transformation.

3. Clarity of Purpose – Awareness provides you with clarity of purpose. It helps you answer essential questions about what truly matters to you, what brings you joy, and what ignites your passion. This understanding becomes the foundation upon which you can build a more meaningful life.

4. Navigating Life Changes – Life is a journey of continuous change, and not all changes are within your control. Noticing and awareness empower you to navigate life’s transitions more effectively. You can respond to changes with adaptability and grace, adjusting your course as needed.

5. Stress Reduction – Self-awareness and mindfulness have been linked to reduced stress and anxiety. By recognizing your emotions and thought patterns, you can gain control over them, reducing the negative impact of stressors in your life.

6. Embracing Authenticity – Becoming attuned to your authentic self is a key outcome of awareness. It’s about being true to who you are, rather than trying to fit into societal or external expectations. Authenticity brings a sense of empowerment and contentment.

7. Setting Goals and Priorities – With awareness, you can set clear goals and priorities based on what truly matters to you. This aligns your actions with your aspirations and ensures you’re not drifting through life without purpose.

8. Empowering Personal Growth – Noticing and awareness are tools that empower personal growth. By recognizing areas in need of adjustment, you become proactive in your self-improvement journey. You’re continually evolving and becoming the best version of yourself.

The skill of noticing and self-awareness is the foundation of the “great midlife edit.” It is the compass that guides you toward a more fulfilling existence by helping you identify areas of discontent, clarify your purpose, navigate life changes, and empower personal growth. This skill is your constant companion in the journey of self-discovery and transformation, enabling you to create a life that truly resonates with your authentic self.

Identifying What to Edit Out

Take a moment for self-reflection. What aspects of your life no longer serve your purpose or inspire you? It could be a job that no longer excites you, habits that hold you back, or relationships that drain your energy. Identifying these elements is the essential first step in the “great midlife edit.”

Identifying what needs to be edited out of your life is a pivotal step in the “great midlife edit.” It’s the moment when you begin to declutter your life, removing what no longer aligns with your true purpose or inspiration. This process involves self-reflection, a deeper understanding of your desires, and the courage to let go of what’s holding you back.

1. Assess Your Job or Career – Consider your work situation. Is your current job no longer exciting or fulfilling? Are you stuck in a career that doesn’t align with your true passions or aspirations? If you find yourself dreading each workday or feeling uninspired, it might be a clear sign that it’s time for a change. In the “great midlife edit,” this may mean exploring new career paths, considering a shift in your current job, or even pursuing a passion project on the side.

2. Examine Your Habits – Habits, both good and bad, play a significant role in our lives. Self-destructive habits, like procrastination or excessive time spent on social media, can hold you back from your full potential. Identifying these habits is crucial. Self-reflection can help you recognize when and why you engage in such behaviors. Once you’ve identified them, you can take proactive steps to replace them with more positive habits that serve your greater purpose.

3. Evaluate Your Relationships – Relationships, whether personal or professional, have a profound impact on our well-being. Assess your relationships honestly. Are there toxic friendships that drain your energy and positivity? Are you in a romantic relationship that no longer brings joy or fulfillment? In the “great midlife edit,” this is the moment to decide whether it’s time to distance yourself from negative influences and invest more in those relationships that nurture your growth and happiness.

4. Identify Unnecessary Commitments – Our lives often become cluttered with various commitments and obligations. Some of these may no longer be serving your purpose. This could include volunteer work, extracurricular activities, or even household responsibilities. It’s crucial to assess whether these commitments align with your current goals and desires. If not, consider editing out those that no longer contribute to your well-being or sense of fulfillment.

5. Explore Unfulfilled Passions – Perhaps there are passions and interests that you’ve set aside over the years but still hold a special place in your heart. Part of the “great midlife edit” is exploring these unfulfilled dreams and integrating them into your life. This might involve taking up a hobby, enrolling in a course, or embarking on a new adventure that reignites your inspiration and purpose.

6. Seek External Guidance – Self-reflection is essential, but it’s often helpful to seek external guidance during this process. Friends, family, mentors, or a therapist can provide valuable insights and support as you navigate your life edit.

The process of identifying what to edit out of your life is a pivotal moment in your journey as a modern elder. It involves a deep look within, acknowledging what no longer serves your purpose or inspires you, and then taking the courageous steps to make changes. This is a path to rediscovering your true passions, aligning your life with your aspirations, and creating a sense of fulfillment that is both empowering and inspiring.

The Process of Letting Go

Letting go is often the most challenging part of the editing process. It’s natural to feel attached to the familiar, even if it no longer serves your best interests. Acknowledge the emotional struggle, but remember, letting go also opens the door to new opportunities and experiences.

The process of letting go is a deeply transformative and often the most challenging aspect of the life edit. It’s a phase where you must bid farewell to elements of your life that have become familiar but no longer contribute to your well-being or personal growth. Here, we’ll delve into the complexities of letting go and explore how this process can pave the way for a brighter and more fulfilling future.

1. Emotional Attachment – Letting go is challenging because it often involves saying goodbye to something you’ve known for a long time. It could be a job, a relationship, a daily routine, or even a mindset that’s been a part of your life for years. This attachment can evoke strong emotions, such as sadness, nostalgia, or fear. Acknowledging and accepting these emotions is a critical first step.

2. Fear of the Unknown – Another reason letting go is difficult is the uncertainty of what lies ahead. When you’ve been in a particular job, relationship, or situation for an extended period, it becomes a comfort zone, even if it’s not serving your best interests. The fear of the unknown and the potential challenges that come with change can be paralyzing. It’s important to acknowledge this fear and recognize that it’s a natural part of the process.

3. Embracing New Opportunities – However, it’s essential to remember that letting go is not just about loss; it’s also about creating space for new opportunities and experiences. Just as you close one door, another opens. By releasing what no longer serves you, you free up your energy, time, and resources to explore new paths. This can lead to personal growth, self-discovery, and the pursuit of dreams you may have set aside.

4. Personal Growth and Reinvention – The process of letting go can be a catalyst for personal growth and reinvention. For example, if you’re leaving a job that has become stagnant, you open yourself up to exploring new career opportunities or entrepreneurial ventures that align with your true passions. If you’re ending a relationship that no longer brings happiness, you pave the way for personal healing and a chance to meet someone who truly complements your life.

5. Reflect on the Bigger Picture – When the process of letting go becomes overwhelming, it can be helpful to reflect on the bigger picture of your life. Consider the long-term benefits of shedding what no longer serves you. What are your ultimate goals? What kind of life do you envision for yourself? Keeping your broader vision in mind can provide the motivation to move through the emotional struggles of letting go.

6. Seek Support and Guidance – Remember that you don’t have to navigate this process alone. Seek support from friends, family, mentors, or a therapist. Sharing your feelings and experiences with someone you trust can provide valuable insights, encouragement, and a sense of solidarity as you face the challenges of letting go.

The process of letting go is a significant and courageous step in your journey as a modern elder. While it may be emotionally demanding, it’s essential to recognize that by releasing what no longer serves your best interests, you open yourself up to a world of new possibilities and experiences. Embrace the discomfort as part of the transformative process, and know that the path of letting go can lead to personal growth, reinvention, and a life that aligns more closely with your true purpose and inspiration.

Editing In Inspiration and Purpose

What inspires and fulfills you? As a modern elder, you have a wealth of experience and knowledge to draw from. Consider your interests and passions. Is there a project, a cause, or a hobby you’ve always wanted to pursue? Now is the time to make it a reality.

Editing in inspiration and purpose is the exciting phase of the life edit where you get to infuse your life with new sources of inspiration and rediscover your sense of purpose. Here, we’ll explore this process in more detail, highlighting the wealth of experience and knowledge you, as a modern elder, can leverage to make your aspirations a reality.

1. Tapping into Your Wealth of Experience – One of the remarkable advantages of being a modern elder is the wealth of experience and knowledge you’ve accumulated over the years. This reservoir of wisdom is a valuable asset when it comes to editing in inspiration and purpose. It’s a storehouse of lessons learned, skills honed, and insights gained from the various chapters of your life.

2. Identifying What Inspires You – To embark on this journey, start by identifying what truly inspires you. What activities, causes, or subjects ignite your passion and curiosity? Think about those moments when you felt most alive and fulfilled. Whether it’s mentoring, creative pursuits, social impact, or even a hobby, these are the sparks that can rekindle your sense of purpose.

3. Pursuing Unfulfilled Dreams – Consider those dreams and aspirations that might have been put on hold as life’s demands took precedence. Now is the time to revisit them. Have you always wanted to write a book, travel to a particular destination, or start a business? The “great midlife edit” is the perfect opportunity to make these aspirations a reality.

4. Investing in Personal Growth – Editing in inspiration and purpose isn’t just about external pursuits; it’s also about investing in personal growth. It might involve enrolling in courses, attending workshops, or seeking mentorship in areas that interest you. This continuous learning can provide fresh perspectives and enhance your skills.

5. Making a Difference – For many modern elders, making a difference in the lives of others is a significant source of inspiration. Whether it’s through mentoring, volunteering, or supporting a charitable cause, the opportunity to positively impact the world is fulfilling and purposeful.

6. Balancing Aspirations with Reality – It’s essential to strike a balance between your aspirations and the practical aspects of life. While pursuing your passions, consider how they align with your current responsibilities and commitments. This balance ensures that your journey toward inspiration and purpose is harmonious and sustainable.

7. Embracing Lifelong Learning – Modern elders often embody the concept of lifelong learning. Embrace new knowledge and skills with an open mind. Be willing to adapt, grow, and evolve as you chase your inspirations and purposes.

8. Sharing Your Wisdom – The journey of “editing in” inspiration and purpose is not only about personal fulfillment but also about sharing your wisdom with younger generations. Your experiences, both successes and challenges, are valuable lessons that can guide and inspire others.

The process of editing in inspiration and purpose is a remarkable phase of the modern elder’s journey. By tapping into your wealth of experience, identifying your sources of inspiration, and pursuing your passions and aspirations, you can reignite your sense of purpose and lead a more fulfilling life. It’s a celebration of your unique journey, and the world is waiting to witness the remarkable contributions you have yet to make.

Balancing the Edit

While it’s important to embrace change, don’t feel pressured to make radical shifts. Balance is key. Strive to find a middle ground that incorporates the old and the new, providing stability and adventure in your life.

Balancing the edit is a crucial phase in the life edit. It’s the part of the journey where you seek equilibrium between the changes you’re making and the familiarity of your past. Here, we’ll explore the importance of finding this balance, avoiding the pressure for radical shifts, and creating a life that combines stability and adventure.

1. Embracing Change Gradually – It’s natural to feel a rush of enthusiasm when you decide to make significant changes in your life. However, it’s important not to rush into these changes recklessly. Instead, consider gradual adjustments that allow you to adapt more comfortably. Remember that transformation is a journey, and taking measured steps ensures that you’re better prepared for the shifts you’re introducing.

2. Finding the Middle Ground – Balancing the edit involves finding the middle ground between your old routines and the new experiences you’re integrating. The aim is to incorporate elements that provide stability and familiarity while also welcoming novelty and adventure. For instance, if you’re transitioning to a new career, you might retain certain aspects of your previous job while incorporating fresh challenges.

3. Nurturing Your Comfort Zone – Your comfort zone is a valuable space for self-care and self-assurance. Balancing the edit means recognizing the importance of this space and nurturing it. Your comfort zone serves as a refuge where you can recharge and gain strength when facing new challenges.

4. Exploring New Horizons – While it’s essential to maintain elements of the past, don’t forget to explore new horizons. Seek adventures, experiences, and opportunities that resonate with your aspirations. This exploration can infuse your life with energy, excitement, and renewed purpose.

5. Minimizing Overwhelm – Radical changes can often lead to feelings of overwhelm or anxiety. By seeking a balanced approach, you can reduce the stress associated with transition. Gradual adjustments and a mixture of old and new elements minimize the likelihood of feeling lost or overloaded.

6. Incorporating Lessons Learned – Your past experiences hold valuable lessons that you can bring into your new life. They provide a foundation of wisdom and knowledge that can guide you in your current pursuits. Don’t disregard the lessons from your past; incorporate them into your journey of self-reinvention.

7. Evaluating as You Go – Balancing the edit isn’t a one-time decision; it’s an ongoing process. Continuously evaluate how the changes are affecting your life. Be open to adjusting your approach as needed to maintain that equilibrium between the old and the new.

8. Building Resilience – The ability to find balance in the edit is an exercise in resilience. It strengthens your adaptability and resourcefulness. It’s about learning to navigate through change with grace and a sense of empowerment.

The process of balancing the edit is about recognizing that change doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. By striving to find a middle ground, you can create a life that incorporates both the comfort of the past and the thrill of the future. It’s a journey of embracing change at your own pace, finding equilibrium, and ensuring that your life remains a harmonious blend of stability and adventure.

The Role of Mentoring and Sharing Wisdom

One of the great joys of being a modern elder is the opportunity to share your wisdom with younger generations. Your journey through the life edit can be a source of inspiration for others. Your experiences can serve as a valuable resource, helping them navigate their own life changes.

The role of mentoring and sharing wisdom is a powerful aspect of the modern elder’s journey, emphasizing the value of passing on knowledge and experiences to younger generations. This section explores the significance of this role and how your journey through the great midlife edit can inspire and guide others.

1. Sharing Your Wisdom – Your life experiences, whether they involve successes, challenges, or moments of self-discovery, are a treasure trove of wisdom. As a modern elder, you have the opportunity to share this wisdom with younger individuals who can benefit from your insights. Your stories and lessons can be a source of guidance and inspiration for them.

2. Navigating Life Changes – Life is full of changes and transitions, and your journey through the great midlife edit equips you with the experience to navigate these shifts effectively. Younger generations often face similar challenges, and your wisdom can provide them with a roadmap for handling their own life changes with resilience and confidence.

3. Building Mentorship Relationships – Mentorship is a two-way street. While you share your wisdom, you also establish valuable mentorship relationships with younger individuals. These relationships can be mutually enriching, allowing you to learn from their fresh perspectives and ideas while offering guidance and support.

4. Leaving a Legacy – By actively engaging in mentoring and sharing wisdom, you leave a lasting legacy. The impact of your guidance can extend far beyond your lifetime, influencing the choices and decisions of those you mentor. Your legacy becomes a testament to the power of your experiences and the value you bring to others.

5. Fostering a Sense of Purpose – Mentoring and sharing wisdom can bring a profound sense of purpose to your life. Knowing that your knowledge and experiences are positively impacting others can be deeply fulfilling. It offers a renewed sense of meaning and contribution in your role as a modern elder.

6. Bridging Generational Gaps – In an ever-changing world, there can be generational gaps in understanding and perspectives. By actively engaging with younger individuals, you bridge these gaps, fostering greater understanding and cooperation between generations.

7. Keeping Knowledge Alive – Your wisdom is a valuable resource that should not be lost. By mentoring and sharing your experiences, you ensure that your knowledge continues to benefit others, contributing to the growth and development of society as a whole.

8. Inspiring Change – Your journey through the great midlife edit serves as an example of embracing change and self-reinvention. Your willingness to make significant life adjustments can inspire younger generations to face their own transformations with courage and optimism.

The role of mentoring and sharing wisdom as a modern elder is a noble and fulfilling one. Your experiences and insights have the power to inspire and guide younger individuals as they navigate their life changes. By actively engaging in mentorship, you become a source of support and encouragement, leaving a lasting legacy of knowledge, inspiration, and personal growth.

The Ongoing Process

Remember, the life edit is not a one-time event. It’s an ongoing, evolving process. Regularly assess your life and make adjustments as needed. Embrace the adventure of continuous self-discovery.

The ongoing process underscores that the life edit is not a singular event but rather an ever-evolving, lifelong journey of self-discovery, growth, and adaptation. It emphasizes the importance of consistently reassessing your life and making adjustments as needed to ensure that you continue to align with your evolving values and aspirations.

1. Lifelong Learning – This concept embraces the idea of lifelong learning. Just as the world is in a constant state of change, so too should your life be a journey of continuous growth and self-improvement. Remaining open to new ideas, experiences, and knowledge is fundamental to this process.

2. Adapting to Change – Life is dynamic and full of unexpected shifts. Your circumstances, goals, and priorities will change over time. To stay in tune with your evolving self, it’s crucial to be adaptable and open to making the necessary adjustments. This allows you to navigate life’s challenges and seize new opportunities as they arise.

3. Reflecting on Your Goals – Regular self-reflection is a key component of the ongoing process. It involves revisiting your goals and aspirations and determining whether they remain relevant. If you find that your priorities have shifted, you have the freedom to realign your life accordingly.

4. Staying Authentic – Throughout this journey, the goal is to remain authentic to yourself. As you make adjustments, be sure they reflect your true desires and values, rather than external pressures or expectations. Your life should be a reflection of who you are at your core.

5. Embracing Change with Confidence – Embracing the adventure of continuous self-discovery means approaching change with confidence and a sense of curiosity. It means viewing life’s transitions as opportunities for personal growth and new experiences rather than as challenges or setbacks.

6. Celebrating Milestones – Milestones in your life offer an opportunity to celebrate your progress and reflect on your journey. Each phase of the “great midlife edit” can be marked as a chapter in your life story, a testament to your resilience and adaptability.

7. Nurturing Your Passions – This ongoing process allows you to nurture your passions and interests over time. As your life evolves, you may have more opportunities to delve into hobbies, projects, and activities that bring you joy and fulfillment.

8. Supporting Others – Your commitment to continuous self-discovery and growth serves as an inspiration to others. Younger generations can learn from your example, gaining insight into the importance of evolving and adapting as life progresses.

The life edit is a dynamic, lifelong journey that embraces change, self-reflection, and personal growth. It’s about staying true to your authentic self while remaining open to the endless possibilities life offers. By continually reassessing and adjusting your life, you ensure that it remains a reflection of who you are, where you’ve been, and where you’re heading on this extraordinary adventure of self-discovery.

Becoming a modern elder is about embracing change and harnessing the power of noticing, self-awareness, and editing your life for inspiration and purpose. Your journey is a source of inspiration not only for yourself but for those around you. Embrace the adventure, keep an open mind, and continue to explore the boundless possibilities of life.

As you embark on your journey, remember that you are not alone. Many have walked this path before you, and many more will follow. So, take a deep breath, make that first edit, and let the journey begin. Welcome to the world of the modern elder!

How to Live a Focused Life in an Increasingly Noisy World

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To stay eager, to connect, to find interests in the everyday, to noice what everybody else overlooks – these are vital skills and noble goals. They speak to the difference between looking and seeing, between hearing and listening, between accepting what the world presents and noticing what matters to you.

Rob Walker, On Noticing

In pursuit of becoming a modern elder, I’m working on the development of foundational principles that contribute to such a journey.

The first of those was Noticing.

Modern elders are encouraged to become first-class noticers in order to make the unconscious conscious. They are encouraged to become more fully aware of themselves and others. Noticing (or “awareness”) is a key wisdom skill for making personal changes, and a foundational principle of a modern elder.

Here are some posts on Noticing you can revisit:

Next up: Editing.

Modern elders are encouraged to use the previously mentioned skill of noticing/awareness for a “great midlife edit.” What could you edit out of your life so that you can edit in something more inspiring and purpose-filled?

The first step on that journey is realizing there is much that could be edited from this noisy world we live in.

Information overload.

You live it every day – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. You’re more informed and connected than ever.

Yet, if you’re honest, you’re probably feeling more distracted than ever.

More lonely. More restless.

According to studies done by Barna Research:

  • 71% of people feel overwhelmed by the amount of information they need to stay up to date.
  • 36% of adults stop what they’re doing to check a text or message when it comes in.
  • 35% of adults think their personal electronics sometimes separate them from other people.

Being hyperlinked changes every aspect of our lives – and often, not for the better.

This trifecta of books will look at solutions that will help you begin to understand the concepts of Editing.

THE QUICK SUMMARY

Minimalism is the art of knowing how much is just enough. Digital minimalism applies this idea to our personal technology. It’s the key to living a focused life in an increasingly noisy world.

In this timely and enlightening book, the bestselling author of Deep Work introduces a philosophy for technology use that has already improved countless lives.

Digital minimalists are all around us. They’re the calm, happy people who can hold long conversations without furtive glances at their phones. They can get lost in a good book, a woodworking project, or a leisurely morning run. They can have fun with friends and family without the obsessive urge to document the experience. They stay informed about the news of the day, but don’t feel overwhelmed by it. They don’t experience “fear of missing out” because they already know which activities provide them meaning and satisfaction.

Now, Newport gives us a name for this quiet movement, and makes a persuasive case for its urgency in our tech-saturated world. Common sense tips, like turning off notifications, or occasional rituals like observing a digital Sabbath, don’t go far enough in helping us take back control of our technological lives, and attempts to unplug completely are complicated by the demands of family, friends and work. What we need instead is a thoughtful method to decide what tools to use, for what purposes, and under what conditions.

Drawing on a diverse array of real-life examples, from Amish farmers to harried parents to Silicon Valley programmers, Newport identifies the common practices of digital minimalists and the ideas that underpin them. He shows how digital minimalists are rethinking their relationship to social media, rediscovering the pleasures of the offline world, and reconnecting with their inner selves through regular periods of solitude. He then shares strategies for integrating these practices into your life, starting with a thirty-day “digital declutter” process that has already helped thousands feel less overwhelmed and more in control.

Technology is intrinsically neither good nor bad. The key is using it to support your goals and values, rather than letting it use you. Digital Minimalism shows the way.

A SIMPLE SOLUTION

While many leaders believe in the power of digital platforms, and recognize the importance of various specific applications, a growing number of those same leaders feel as though their current relationship with technology is unsustainable – to the point that if something doesn’t change soon, they will reach a breaking point.

According to author Cal Newport, people don’t succumb to screens because they’re lazy, but instead billions of dollars have been invested to make this outcome inevitable.

It seems we have stumbled backward into a digital life we didn’t sign up for.

My research on digital minimalism has revealed the existence of a loosely organized “attention resistance movement,” made up of individuals who combine high-tech tools with disciplined operating procedures to conduct surgical strikes on popular attention economy services – dropping in to extract value, and then  slipping away before the attention traps set by those companies can spring shut.

The tactics below have proved successful in shunting aside relentless efforts to capture your attention.

Delete Social Media from Your Phone The smartphone versions of social media sites are much more adept at hijacking your attention than the versions accessed through a web browser on your laptop or desktop computer. Because you always have your phone with you, every occasion becomes an opportunity to check your feeds. If you’re going to use social media, stay far away from the mobile versions of these services, as they pose a significantly bigger risk to our time and attention. This practice suggests you remove all social media apps from your phone. You don’t have to quit these services, you just have to quit accessing them on the go.

Turn Your Devices Into Single-Purpose Computers The sentiment that temporarily blocking features of a general-purpose computer reduces its potential is common for tools that do just that. It’s also flawed: it represents a misunderstanding of computation and productivity that benefits the large digital attention economy conglomerates much more than the individual users that they exploit. As many have discovered, the rapid switching between different applications tends to make the human’s interaction with the computer less productive in terms of the quality and quantity of what is produced. This practice of blocking might at first seem overly aggressive, but what it’s actually doing is bringing you back closer to the ideal of sing-purpose computing that’s much more compatible with our human attention systems.

Use Social Media Like a Professional Social media professionals approach these tools differently than the average user. They seek to extract large amounts of value for their professional and (to a lesser degree) personal lives, while avoiding much of the low-value distortion these services deploy to lure users into compulsive behavior. Their disciplined professionalism, in other words, provides a great example for any digital minimalist looking to join the attention resistance. To a social media pro, the idea of endlessly surfing your feed in search of entertainment is a trap (these platforms have been designed to take more and more of your attention) – an act of being used by these services instead of using them to your own advantage.

Embrace Slow Media To embrace news media from a mind-set of slowness requires first and foremost that you focus only on the highest-quality sources. Breaking news, for example, is almost always much lower quality than the reporting that’s possible once an event has occurred and journalists have had time to process it. Similarly, consider limiting yourself to the best of the best when it comes to selecting individual writers you follow. Another important aspect of slow news is the decisions you make regarding how and when this consumption occurs. The key to embracing Slow Media is the general commitment to maximizing the quality of what you consume and the conditions under which you consume it.

Dumb Down Your Smartphone Declaring your freedom from your smartphone is probably the most serious step you can take toward embracing the attention resistance. Dumbing down your phone, of course, is a big decision. Convincing yourself that a dumb phone can satisfy your need so that its benefits outweigh its costs is not necessarily easy. Indeed, it might require a leap of faith – a commitment to test life without a smartphone to see what it’s really like.

– Cal Newport, Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World

A NEXT STEP

According to author Cal Newport, if you are exhausted by your “digital device addiction,” it’s not only possible to say, “No More,” it’s actually not that hard.

Set aside some time (without your phone!) to review the following five suggestions listed above. For each, make a Pro/Con list for what it would mean to your life if you took that action.

Review the list, and make a decision to embrace at least one of the actions for the next week.

After the week has passed, reflect on what taking that action meant to you, in terms of time gained, relationships grown, etc.

Consider another action to undertake, and follow the same suggestions.

At the end of one month’s experiments, talk with your spouse or a close colleague who would have noticed the changes in your routine and its results. What do they have to say?

THE QUICK SUMMARY

Have you bought into the lie that success constantly requires more, more, and more? To achieve success, you must do more, work more hours, take on more projects, and accept more responsibilities?

If so, you’re probably experiencing a roller coaster ride of mixed results – being on top of the world one moment and crashing to earth at lightning speed the next.

The Success Lie was written for you. You recognize the gap between where you are now and your highest potential, but don’t want to sacrifice your sanity to get there. Janelle Bruland has built a formidable bridge over that gap, proving that you can be successful in the business world and maintain balance in your personal life without constantly feeling stressed and overwhelmed.

You know that everything in life is a result of the choices you’ve made, yet you’re wondering if you’re making the right choices. The proven strategies in this book will show you how to step away from the modern world’s path to success and create a life of significance – one where you are loving your work and making a positive impact.

  • Determine what’s truly important to you and then live by those values.
  • Recognize what’s gotten in the way of your success and take transformational steps to increase mindfulness, improve your skills, and become a better (and happier) version of yourself.
  • Discover strategies to eliminate over-work, overcommitment, and overwhelm.

Take back your life! Stop allowing societal pressures to tell you what matters. Get back on the path to fulfillment and do it your way! Reduce stress, enjoy peace of mind, and create the life you have always wanted.

Don’t buy into the lie anymore. You have the choice.

A SIMPLE SOLUTION

Who doesn’t love saying “yes”? The look of gratitude or relief on the face of the person who asked lifts us up – at least in the short run.

However, the more we say “yes” to, the more we will be asked. It’s a trait of a successful person; frequent participation often brings additional asks.

High achievers are driven and want to accomplish things, and are therefore often caught up in doing more and more. However, if we aren’t careful, we will miss out on the very things that matter the most to us.

Everything you say “yes” to means saying “no” to something else.

Here are the top five items I have learned to say “no” to:

1. The opportunities that come up that I’m not completely passionate about. When we choose to participate in something, we should be excited to be involved, not doing it out of guilt or obligation.

2. The things that are not aligned with my core values and priorities. To stay true to our values, our words, behavior, and actions must be in line with our beliefs.

3. To those requests that are not in my wheelhouse. Often, we are asked to do things that truly belong on someone else’s “to do” list. Be sure to pass on those, or delegate them to a more appropriate person.

4. To the things that drain me of energy. Our time should be spent on activities that we enjoy and give us energy, not deplete it.

5. To relationships that are unhealthy. We will never be our best if we are constantly having to lift ourselves up from interactions with unsupportive or negative people. Eliminate these relationships.

– Janelle Bruland, The Success Lie

A NEXT STEP

To have the successful life you desire, you must be disciplined to say “no” more than you say “yes.”

Author Janelle Bruland developed the following exercise to challenge leaders to “Just Say No.” Set aside an hour of uninterrupted time to complete it. In order to focus on our top priorities, giving them all of our attention and energy, it is important to evaluate what we need to say “no” to. Evaluate yourself in the following areas:

  • What commitments have I made that I am not excited about? These may be things that are past their time, or that you committed to out of obligation.
  • Is there anything I am involved in that is not aligned with my core values and priorities? If so, they should be eliminated.
  • What things am I adding to my “to-do” list that are not in the area of my strengths? These items should be delegated.
  • What activities am I involved in that drain me of energy? These should be removed from my priority list.
  • Am I involved in relationships that are unhealthy? These should be carefully evaluated and repaired or eliminated.

THE QUICK SUMMARY

Are you:

• Working, working, working?

• Busy taking care of everyone but yourself?

• Wondering what to do with the rest of your life?

• Planning to do what makes you happy someday when you have more time, money, or freedom?

What if someday never happens?

Sam Horn is a woman on a mission about not waiting for SOMEDAY… and this is her manifesto. Her dad’s dream was to visit all the National Parks when he retired. He worked six to seven days a week for decades. A week into his long-delayed dream, he had a stroke.

Sam doesn’t want that to happen to you. She took her business on the road for a Year by the Water. During her travels, she asked people, “Do you like your life? Your job? If so, why? If not, why not?”

The surprising insights about what makes people happy or unhappy, what they’re doing about it (or not), and why…will inspire you to carve out time for what truly matters now, not later.

Life is much too precious to postpone. It’s time to put yourself in your own story. The good news is, there are “hacks” you can do right now to make your life more of what you want it to be. And you don’t have to be selfish, quit your job, or win the lottery to do them. Sam Horn offers actionable, practical advice in short, snappy chapters to show you how to get started on your best life now.

A SIMPLE SOLUTION

According to author Sam Horn, you don’t need to quit your job, win the lottery, or walk away from your responsibilities to make your life more of what you want it to be.

There are things you can do right here, right now, to be happier, healthier, and more fulfilled.

There are steps you can take to make your life more fulfilling.

It’s time to hack your life by tapping into proven best practices, expedite results and discover a shortcut to success.

Make your “one day” Day One.

The Ten Life Hacks are actions you can take to create a more fulfilling life, sooner, not later. Please note: These hacks are a framework, not a formula.

LIFE HACK 1: Evaluate Your Happiness History

LIFE HACK 2: Generate a Today, Not Someday Dream

LIFE HACK 3: Abdicate Outdated Beliefs and Behaviors

LIFE HACK 4: Initiate Daily Actions that Move Your Life Forward

LIFE HACK 5: Celebrate What’s Right with Life, Right Here, Right Now

LIFE HACK 6: Affiliate with People Who Have Your Back and Front

LIFE HACK 7: Integrate Your Passion and Profession

LIFE HACK 8: Negotiate for What You Want, Need, and Deserve

LIFE HACK 9: Innovate a Fresh Start

LIFE HACK 10: Relocate to Greener Pastures

– Sam Horn, Someday is Not a Day in the Week

A NEXT STEP

According to author Sam Horn, the best way to make progress in making your “Someday” is to ask probing questions that prompt you to change – for good.

Listed below are sample questions for each of the ten Life Hacks listed above. Schedule at least thirty minutes a day for the next ten days, and reflect on the questions listed.

LIFE HACK 1: Evaluate Your Happiness History

Play hooky for a day.

  1. How would you spend your free day or afternoon? What would you do if the people you’re responsible for would be taken care of, and there would be no repercussions?
  2. What are three things you would not do on your day of hooky? Why?

LIFE HACK 2: Generate a Today, Not Someday Dream

Put a date on the calendar.

  1. What would you like to experience or achieve by the end of this year? What is your Today, Not Someday dream? When will you launch it? What “do-date” did you put on your calendar?
  2. Now, start filling in the W’s … where, when, who, what, and why. Who will you discuss this with so they can help you fill in the blanks so your dream goes from vague to vividly clear?
  3. Where will you post your dream so it stays “in sight, in mind,” and you are constantly reinspired to do what you said you wanted to do?

LIFE HACK 3: Abdicate Outdated Beliefs and Behaviors

Let it go, let it go, let it go.

  1. How do you feel when you walk into your home? Where would your home rate on the “Clutter (1) to Clean (10) Scale”? How does that affect you? Do you feel guilty, stressed, or frustrated with how things have piled up? Or do you feel proud and at peace with how well-designed, organized, and beautiful your space is?
  2. How much time do you spend cleaning, repairing, buying, renovating your stuff? Is that a source of enjoyment, a burden and chore, or something in between? Explain.
  3. Are you ready to downsize your home and/or release some belongings? How will you do that? Who else does this have an impact on? How will you negotiate this with them? What could you do with the resources that would be freed up when you have less to take care of?

LIFE HACK 4: Initiate Daily Actions that Move Your Life Forward

Honor the nudges, and connect the dots.

  1. Do you make room for whims? Why or why not? When was a time you honored a nudge and acted on your intuition? What happened as a result?
  2. Do you think this is a lot of hooey? Does your intellect override your instincts? Or, do you agree that if we have a sixth sense that alerts us to what’s wrong, we also have a sixth sense that alerts us to what’s right? What are your beliefs about this?
  3. How will you honor the instincts that have your best interests at heart? How will you connect the dots, act on “coincidences” that beat the odds, and align with congruent individuals and opportunities that “feel right”?

LIFE HACK 5: Celebrate What’s Right with Life, Right Here, Right Now

Get out of your head and come to your senses.

  1. When was the last time you saw something as if for the first or last time? Describe what happened and what it felt like.
  2. Do you have a busy, stressful life? What is the ongoing impact of rushing, rushing, rushing— and always feeling “an hour late and a dollar short”?
  3. Would you say you have “juice” in your camera? Do you look at the world with fresh eyes? When, where, and how will you get out of your head and come to your senses?

LIFE HACK 6: Affiliate with People Who Have Your Back and Front

Launch your ship in public.

  1. So, what is that venture you want to launch? Who has supported you, cheered you on? What have they done to help you achieve your goal and do what’s important to you?
  2. Who has cautioned you, told you (“for your own good”) that what you want to do won’t work or isn’t a good idea? What impact has that had on you?
  3. How will you take your dream public and give others a chance to jump on your bandwagon? Will you create a vision board and/or host a Today, Not Someday party? Where did you post your vision so it stays “in sight, in mind”?

LIFE HACK 7: Integrate Your Passion and Profession

Don’t wait for work you love – create work you love.

  1. Do you love your job? Do you feel you’re adding value and contributing? How so?
  2. If you don’t find your work satisfying, why not? What talents or skills are you not having an opportunity to use or get credit for?
  3. What are your Four I’s? How could you leverage them into a paying career where you get paid to do what you’re good at? What is your next step? Will you visit crafts fairs to see how other people have turned a passion into a profession? Elaborate.

LIFE HACK 8: Negotiate for What You Want, Need, and Deserve

If you don’t ask, the answer’s always “No.”

  1. When is a time you asked for something you wanted – whether it was a promotion, project lead, or pay raise? How did you prepare? What was the result?
  2. When is a time you waited for someone to “do the right thing,” act on your behalf, or give you what you deserved? As Dr. Phil would say, “How’d that work for you?”
  3. What is a situation you’re unhappy with right now? Which of the Four A’s have you used? How will you alter the situation by using the Five P’s of Persuasion to increase the likelihood of improving this situation?

LIFE HACK 9: Innovate a Fresh Start

Quit watering dead plants.

  1. Is the majority of your life out of your control and not to your liking? How so? Does this challenging time have a timeline? Can you “make your mind a deal it can’t refuse” so you are able to keep things in perspective?
  2. What do you currently do to maintain a positive perspective, to have something to look forward to in bleak times? How do you stay focused on what you can control?
  3. Are there dead plants you can stop watering? What can you quit that is compromising your quality of life? How can you innovate a fresh start if you are going through dark times to keep the light on in your eyes?

LIFE HACK 10: Relocate to Greener Pastures

Come full circle.

  1. When was the last time you were in your hometown? What memories did it bring back? Did you reconnect with people that influenced you? Did it catalyze a new creative direction that could be a satisfying full-circle way to come home to who you truly are?
  2. What used to light you up but now feels like it might be a retreat or regression to “go back there”? Do you worry it’s thinking small instead of thinking big? Could it actually be you’re going “home” to who you are at your core, your best self?
  3. Do you agree that we can be “at home” wherever we are and that “home” is a mindset, not a location? Where do you feel most at home?

Part of a regular series on 27gen, entitled Wednesday Weekly Reader

During my elementary school years one of the things I looked forward to the most was the delivery of “My Weekly Reader,” a weekly educational magazine designed for children and containing news-based, current events.

It became a regular part of my love for reading, and helped develop my curiosity about the world around us.

Disney at 100: Looking Back, Moving Forward

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I can never stand still.
I must explore and experiment…
I resent the limitations of my own imagination.

Walt Disney

There is a blueprint to The Walt Disney Company: the primacy of story, the focus on character, the thrill of adventure, the attention to placemaking, the wonders of the world around us, the magic in beautiful music, and the excitement of experimentation and innovation.

These concepts are what made Walt Disney’s creations so unique and special, and they are still the heart and soul of the stories and experiences that The Walt Disney Company produces today.

With Walt’s shining philosophy as its guiding star, The Walt Disney Company will alway be moving forward to sharing its stories, amaze it fans, and make dreams come true. Even one hundred years is just a beginning.

In the vast landscape of entertainment and creativity, few names evoke the same sense of wonder and nostalgia as the Walt Disney Company. As we celebrate its 100th anniversary, it’s a momentous occasion that calls for reflection and celebration. For a century, Disney has been a beacon of innovation and imagination, enchanting audiences of all ages with its timeless stories, beloved characters, and groundbreaking achievements.

The journey of the Walt Disney Company is not just a corporate success story; it’s a testament to the power of dreams and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Founded in 1923 by Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney, this modest studio in Hollywood has grown into a global entertainment empire, touching the hearts of millions around the world. From the first synchronized sound cartoon, Steamboat Willie, to the much anticipated Wish coming in November, Disney’s influence on animation, film, television, and theme parks has been nothing short of remarkable.

But the significance of Disney extends beyond its business prowess. It’s a cultural touchstone, a source of inspiration, and a cherished part of countless childhoods. It’s a place where dreams come true and where imagination knows no bounds.

In this commemorative series, we embarked on a journey through time, exploring the key milestones, innovations, and moments that have defined the Walt Disney Company’s first century. From the early beginnings that saw the birth of Mickey Mouse to the digital age of streaming and global expansion, each era of Disney’s history holds its unique charm and significance.

We examined the creative genius of Walt Disney, the resilience of the company during challenging times, and the visionary leadership that has kept the magic alive for a hundred years. As we celebrate this remarkable milestone, we can’t help but ponder what the future holds for Disney and how it continues to shape the world of entertainment.

Disney at 100 Article List

As we bring our journey through the 100-year history of the Walt Disney Company to a close, we are left with a profound sense of wonder and admiration for the enduring magic that this iconic company has brought to the world. From its humble beginnings in a small office on Kingswell Avenue to its current status as a global entertainment conglomerate, Disney’s journey is nothing short of remarkable.

The Magic of Storytelling

At the heart of Disney’s success lies the magic of storytelling. It’s a magic that has transported us to enchanted forests, under the sea, to galaxies far, far away, and beyond. It’s a magic that has introduced us to unforgettable characters who have become a part of our lives. Disney’s commitment to storytelling excellence has transcended generations, proving that good stories are timeless.

Innovation and Adaptation

Disney’s ability to innovate and adapt to changing times has been a key driver of its success. From the introduction of synchronized sound in “Steamboat Willie” to the acquisition of Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm, Disney has consistently pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in entertainment. The launch of Disney+ and the streaming revolution is another testament to Disney’s willingness to embrace new technologies and platforms.

The Legacy of Imagination

The legacy of Disney is not just about the past but also about the future. It’s about inspiring generations of dreamers, creators, and innovators to believe in the power of imagination. As the company celebrates its 100th anniversary, it remains committed to fostering creativity and investing in the talent of the future.

The Joy of Shared Experiences

Disney has always been about more than just entertainment; it’s about shared experiences. Whether it’s families coming together to watch a beloved Disney film, friends embarking on adventures in theme parks, or fans connecting over a shared love for iconic characters, Disney has created moments of joy and togetherness that are cherished for a lifetime.

The Promise of the Future

As we look to the future, the Walt Disney Company stands as a symbol of hope, inspiration, and endless possibilities. With plans for new theme park experiences, innovative content on Disney+, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion, Disney continues to shape the world of entertainment and storytelling.

The 100th Anniversary Celebration

As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company, we honor a century of creativity, innovation, and magic. Disney has been a source of joy and inspiration for millions, and its impact on the world of entertainment and popular culture is immeasurable.

So, here’s to the dreamers, the believers, and the magic-makers who have brought us a century of enchantment. Remember that the magic of Disney is not bound by time or place—it’s a timeless, ever-evolving force that continues to capture the hearts of young and old alike.

What must concern us more thoughtfully is subject matter…We must appeal to a far wider range of audience interest than ever before.

Walt Disney

In bidding farewell to this journey through Disney’s history, I eagerly anticipate the stories yet to be told, the dreams yet to be realized, and the joy yet to be shared.

Happy 100th anniversary, Disney – it’s a century worth celebrating!

Walt was alway ahead of any of us, searching for new procedures, new forms of entertainment.

Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, Animators, Disney Legends, and coauthors of The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation

Disney at 100: The Leadership Lessons from Walt Disney

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Courage is the main quality of leadership, in my opinion, no matter where it is exercised. Usually it implies some risk – especially in new undertakings. Courage to initiate something and to keep it going – pioneering and adventurous spirit to blaze new ways.

Walt Disney

Walt Disney was no stranger to adversity and even failure.

The setbacks, tough times, and even failures of Walt Disney are well-documented. In every case, he led the company bearing his name to greater success in spite of adversity.

March 2020 was a sobering, disconcerting time to be a Cast Member of any Disney organization. As the reality of the COVID pandemic set in, I had conversations with both current and former Cast Members, and to a person, there was been one trait that stood out.

Optimism.

Even when it was hard to see in the increasing numbers of Cast Members laid off, the curtailment of operations, the postponement of work in progress, and the likely cancellation of future planning, optimism is the underlying strength of the Walt Disney Company.

Even now, three years later, there have continued to be many ups and downs.

So where does the optimism come from?

Jim Korkis was a Disney historian and long-time writer and teacher about Walt Disney and the organization he created. Who’s the Leader of the Club: Walt Disney’s Leadership Lessons is a departure for Korkis in that his usual subject matter was about the culture and history of Disney, a topic which he is uniquely qualified to write about.

As a boy, he grew up grew up in Glendale, California, which just happened to be located next to Burbank – the home of the Disney Studios. Korkis was an inquisitive and undaunted fan of Disney who not only watched the weekly Disney television series but took the initiative to write down the names he saw on the end credits.

He matched passion with inquisitiveness and began to look for those names in the local phonebook. Upon finding one, he would call the individual up and ask them about their work. Many were gracious enough to invite Korkis to their homes where he spent hours being enthralled by their stories of their work at the Disney organization.

Fast forward decades, where you will find that Korkis relocated to Orlando FL to take care of aging parents. In his own words,

I got a job at Walt Disney World that included assisting with the professional business programs, where I met many executives who had worked with Walt Disney and been trained by him.

I was often called on to research, design and facilitate customized programs for different Disney clients like Feld Entertainment, Kodak, Toys “R” Us and more that touched on both the connections of the individual companies to Disney history, as well as how Walt did business.

I was tapped to do this work because of my knowledge of Walt Disney and his approach to business.

I got the opportunity to meet with some of Walt’s “original cast.” I was enthralled by their stories and experiences and took detailed notes. Hearing stories about how Walt led and how he expected others to lead with compassion, integrity and common sense made a huge impact on me.

Twenty years later, the result was Who’s the Leader of the Club.

Korkis goes to great lengths to use Walt Disney’s own words, from a variety of published and unpublished interviews, as well as the words of those who personally experienced him in action, to help elaborate and describe the basic concepts.

In doing so, Korkis delivered to us a refreshing breath of fresh air – a business book using the words and actions of a rare genius that are glaringly absent from most organizations today.

68 years after Walt Disney’s death, and on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Disney Company, his achievements and legacy continue to inspire new generations.

In my case, it’s actually to re-inspire older generations! As a Baby Boomer, I grew up with “The Wonderful World of Disney” as a weekly television show. As a child, I was taken to see most of the Disney films of the 60’s and early 70’s. As a teenager, I took myself – and then, once I became a father, took my family to see those movies. Though I only visited Walt Disney World once as a teenager, I maintained a fascination with the Disney organization that has continued to grow through the years.

In the early 2000s my vocational role as a consultant with churches took on a specific niche – a focus on guest experiences. That lead to a Disney immersion of research, books, films, on-site visits, and conversations with Disney Cast Members past and present. Over the past decade plus, I have spent over 100 days on Disney properties from coast to coast – and on the oceans. My Disney library numbers over 475+ volumes – the oldest released in 1939; the newest released in the last few weeks.

Vital to that immersion was the work of Jim Korkis – through his books and writings for and about Walt Disney and the Disney organization.

By his own admission, Who’s the Leader of the Club was the most difficult book Korkis has ever written. That may be true from his perspective, but the words and stories flow off the page and into the reader’s conscience in an almost imperceptible manner.

Leaders of any organization would do well to settle in with Who’s the Leader of the Club, and be prepared for a story-filled journey of insight into one of the most creative geniuses of recent history.

Along with the stories the reader will find seven “lessons” about Walt Disney’s leadership. Best of all, Korkis concludes each of the “lesson” chapters with a one page checklist called “What Would Walt Do?” summarizing the key points in the lesson and a space to write notes.

For those who are more curious about the chapters in the book, here is the Table of Contents:

Section One: Disney And Leadership

  • Who Was Walt Disney?
  • What Type of Leader was Walt?
  • Leaders and Managers: Walt and Roy
  • Roy O. Disney and Manager Skills
  • Walt Disney and Leadership Skills

Section Two: Leadership Lessons

  • Lesson One: Know The Story
  • Lesson Two: Share The Story
  • Lesson Three: Take a (Calculated) Risk
  • Lesson Four: Make ‘Em Laugh
  • Lesson Five: Eager To Learn
  • Lesson Six: Understand People
  • Lesson Seven: Live The Story (Integrity)

Section Three: Additional Guidance

  • Walt’s Bad Leadership Traits
  • Walt’s Advice to Leaders
  • Create Leaders
  • Letting People Go
  • Walt and Money
  • Do You Know Your Story?
  • Remembering Walt’s Leadership (Quotes from those who worked for Walt)
  • Final Words from Walt (Quotes from Walt not previously used in the book)
  • Recommended Reading
  • Quotation Sources

Of course, when Korkis wrote the book, he could not have anticipated the  uncertainty caused by the disruption to the Disney “kingdoms” around the world by the pandemic in 2020 and the ongoing uncertainties since then.

Disney emerged from the pandemic a greatly-changed organization – and future generations of families – and leaders – will benefit from it. Recent announcements highlight a 60 billion dollar investment in Disney properties around the world. Only time will tell if they come to fruition.

After all, Walt Disney himself went through countless setbacks, and even failures, before the launch of the Walt Disney Company in 1923…

…and look what that has brought to the world in the 100 years since!

What are you waiting for? It’s time to join the “club!”

J. Jeff Kober’s book, “Disney, Leadership, and You” is an excellent work that more than delivers on its title.

Drawing from an inquisitive mind and keen insight, Kober has nearly five decades experience with Walt Disney – from both within and without the company – which provide a very readable, practical, and thoroughly enjoyable leadership book that you will find yourself returning to time and again for just the right nugget to use.

I have known of Jeff for years through his writing, and several years ago was grateful to meet him and engage his services for an immersive park experience with a group I was leading. The warmth, wit, and sheer knowledge of Disney, coupled with his ability to instantly link it to practical applications of my group, was one of the highlights of our experience. That same experience has been translated into this book.

If you are a leader in any size or type of organization, the stories Jeff Kober has captured in “Disney, Leadership, and You” should be a valuable addition to your library, a source of personal encouragement, and a wealth of practical training for both you and your team.

The book is divided into four sections:

  1. Defining Leadership
  2. Leaders Attain Results
  3. Leaders Build Relationships
  4. Putting It All Together

In those four sections you will find 18 themed chapters, each chock full of leadership principles illustrated with stories of Disney leaders from all ranks. The principles are solid in themselves, but what makes them memorable is the stories of the Cast Members.

The stories and principles perfectly describe how Disney Cast Members create magic each day through their hard work and respect for Walt Disney’s original vision.

You organization is not Disney, but you can learn from their excellence. “Disney, Leadership, and You” is an extraordinary source of lessons and learning to help you make a dramatic impact on why you do, what you do, and how you do it.

Leadership means that a group, large or small, is willing to entrust authority to a person who has shown judgement, wisdom, personal appeal, and proven competence.

Walt Disney

Research

Disney at 100: Guest Experience Excellence

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Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.

Walt Disney

Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World is beautiful from every angle…

…but the most interesting view is underneath.

Deep underneath Cinderella’s castle in the middle of the Magic Kingdom is a utility corridor running from Main Street Square to Fantasyland. There is also a circular corridor running around the circumference of the Magic Kingdom. Though it gives the appearance of a tunnel, and many Cast Members call it a tunnel, these long passageways are really corridors, built on ground level and then covered over with 5 million square yards of dirt and sand dredged to create all the beautiful water features you see around the park. The visible park you see is really the second story of the park – but that’s really another story.

In recent years I have spent over 100 days at Disney parks, museums, and a cruise. Because of proximity, most of that time was at Walt Disney World, with much of the time observing and talking with Cast Members and Guest Experience Managers of all four theme parks. In a one year stretch, I was able to be on Disney property 31 days! During my time onsite, there have been many stories but there is no better summary than this:

Imagine, if you will, that long central corridor described above where almost all Magic Kingdom Cast Members pass through in their work at the park. To one side of that corridor, beginning a long wall of photos, sayings, and displays of the history of Walt Disney World, is a very large, but simple poster with a picture of Walt Disney and these words:

Walt Disney’s vision for a great guest experience:

Safety, Courtesy, Show, Efficiency

In a line past that poster, you will see 4 more large posters, with a smiling Cast Member’s picture on each, with these words below:

  • I practice safe behaviors in everything I do
  • I am courteous and respectful to Guests of all ages
  • I stay in character and perform my role in every story
  • I use my time and resources wisely

Known by various terms but most often called the 4 Keys, they were a result of Walt Disney’s vision for Guest Experiences – first at Disneyland when it opened in 1955, then at the Magic Kingdom in 1971, and at every other theme park, cruise ship, and Disney organization since then.

In literally every conversation I had, the 4 Keys were mentioned – as a group, as individual stories, and how they are used as training tools.

That’s powerful.

These 4 keys are simple service standards, and they can be powerful tools in any organization – but especially in churches that want to provide an Exceptional Guest Experience.

There is power in establishing a framework of values from which everyone in your organization operates. Within that framework, you can empower team members in a way that gives them a sense of ownership and purpose. You create a consistent image across the entire organization.

Disney’s standards have stood the test of time for almost 70 years – shouldn’t you consider creating standards for your organization that will stand the test of time as well?

Yes, you should. And here’s the guide to help you do just that!

Whether they are called clients, customers, constituents, or, in Disney-speak, Guests, all organizations must better serve the people who purchase their products and services or risk losing them. Now, for the first time, one critical element of the methods behind the magic that is the Walt Disney World Resort – quality service – is revealed in Be Our Guest.

Even before Tom Peters and Bob Waterman profiled Walt Disney World Resort in their groundbreaking book In Search of Excellence, the most popular resort destination in the world enjoyed a reputation as a company that sets the benchmark for best business practices.

Be Our Guest outlines proven Disney principles and processes for helping your organization focus its vision and align its people and infrastructure into a cohesive strategy that delivers on the promise of exceptional customer service.

Five years after the publication of Imagineering in 1996, Walt Disney Studios CEO Michael Eisner had finally overcome the hesitations he had for years regarding Disney’s “insider’s secrets” – first with Imagineering, and now with the Guest Services found in the Parks and Resorts. It also marked the 15th anniversary of the Disney Institute – professional development programs delivered to organizations worldwide.

At the time of the publication of Be Our Guest in 2001 (and revised in 2011), the Disney Institute had established a significant presence in the training world for its ability to appeal to leaders in multiple industries, and to customize content into programs that uniquely connected participants to their own heritage, values, people, and guests.

And what better way to highlight the Disney Institute than to shine a spotlight on quality service?

Quality Service means exceeding your guests’ expectations and paying attention to detail.

Be Our Guest has been the invitation for people coming to a Disney theme park long before the song from “Beauty and the Beast” became a box office hit.

It underscores an important element in the Disney vocabulary, that customers are not referred to as such, but rather as Guests. In the Disney nomenclature, the word “Guest” is capitalized and treated as a formal noun.

What’s the difference between treating someone like a customer, and treating someone like a Guest?

The obvious analogy is that we do things differently when we bring Guests into our home. We clean up the house. We dress up. We prepare something special to eat. We host them. We take care of their real needs.

Disney Expects Guests

This principle has to be the starting point, the foundation on which all else is built. Everything – and I mean everything – is done with the Guest in mind. At Walt Disney World, exceeding Guest expectations is the standard call to duty for all cast members, both those “onstage” and “backstage”.

At Disney, everyone is a part of the Guest Experience team.

For years, Disney cast members talked of sprinkling “pixie dust”  to create magical experiences for their Guests. There really wasn’t any pixie dust – but the pixie dust was real in that it is the show that has been created from the moment a Guest arrives on the property until they leave for home.

It’s a practical magic that occurs both onstage (whenever cast members are in public areas of the parks and in front of Guests) and backstage (when they are behind the scenes where the everyday work of operating a city devoted to entertainment is conducted).

The onstage component of practical magic is the response that it produces in Guests when everything comes together in a seamless, seemingly effortless performance. The backstage component is comprised of the nuts and bolts of creating practical magic. Practical magic is whatever it takes to exceed Guest expectations.

Superlative face-to-face service is just one element in the work of exceeding Guest expectations. It means:

  • Paying attention to every aspect of the Guest experience
  • Analyzing that experience from the Guest’s perspective
  • Understanding the needs and wants of the Guest
  • Committing every element of the business – from the design of each element of the infrastructure to the interactions between Guest and cast – to the creation of an exceptional experience for each of them

Exceeding Guests’ expectations is Disney’s service strategy, and paying attention to every detail is the tactic by which it is accomplished.

  • Friendly, helpful Parking Teams
  • Getting you from the parking lot to the park entrance
  • Beautifully maintained landscaping
  • Trash – nonexistent
  • Baby strollers organized and waiting for Guests
  • Team Leaders visible everywhere – leading by example
  • Personalizing and enhancing the Guest Experience
  • Giving a “face” to the place

Disney expects Guests – and plans to exceed their Guests’ expectations every time. What about you?

The Disney organization is perhaps the greatest practitioner of Guest Experiences around today. Books have been written about what the “cast members” at Disney do to make people feel welcome (I know – I’ve read all of them, and own most of them).

As we move into the holiday season, I’m reminded of a very special visit to Walt Disney World about this time of year. My wife and I “opened and closed” the Magic Kingdom (we were there from the opening at 8 AM to closing at midnight) including Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party as a part of a wedding anniversary celebration.

Once again, I was amazed at the exceptional attitude of the cast members.

Observing hundreds of Cast Members, dealing with tens of thousands of Guests, there’s only one word to describe their attitude: Magical.

So I’m sure you won’t mind if we go backstage and back in time at Disney to learn about their 7 Guest Service Guidelines – a list of actions that every Disney team member learns during their orientation.

When Disneyland opened in 1955, Disney was looking for a set of generic behaviors that ensured that cast members knew how to act courteously and respect the individuality of each Guest. Over the first ten years, the four values of Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency became the foundation from which all succeeding service standards were developed.

During the 1960s, these standards were translated into a set of behavioral actions called Guidelines for Guest Services, which became the centerpiece of training for all Disney cast members. Appropriately enough, the seven guidelines were personalized with the characters from the seven Dwarfs:

7 Guidelines for Guest Services

  • Make eye contact and smile
  • Greet and welcome each and every Guest
  • Seek out Guest contact
  • Provide immediate service recovery
  • Display appropriate body language at all times
  • Preserve the “magical” Guest Experience
  • Thank each and every Guest

These seven phrases serve a variety of purposes. First, they define behavior in terms of Guests. They also communicate cast member responsibilities. Finally, they showcase ways to customize service to individual Guests.

Even though these Guidelines don’t exist in this form anymore, my experiences over the years reminded me that the spirit of the Guidelines are very much in practice by cast members today.

Your organization probably won’t have tens of thousands of people coming through your doors every day – but the principles Disney uses as a baseline starting point for training its Cast Members are appropriate your use.

I don’t want the public to see the world they live in while they’re in the park. I want them to feel like they’re in another world.

Walt Disney

References

Disney at 100: Examining the Vision of Walt Disney

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Get a good idea, and stay with it. Dog it, and work at it until it’s done, and done right.

Walt Disney

Frequent readers of this site know of my fondness (well, let’s call it what it is – extreme fanaticism) for the genius of Walt Disney and the amazing “kingdom” that bears his name. Recently, I’ve been researching the early history of animation at Disney through various sources, mostly first-person accounts of the animators from the 1930s.

When I had the opportunity, I also spent a few days in Anaheim, CA at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. In a unique dining experience while talking with Cast Members, I was reminded again of the vision Walt Disney exercised to bring Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to life.

carthaycirclefb-1

Tucked inside the entrance gates to Disney’s California Adventure is an iconic reproduction of the Carthay Circle Theater in Los Angeles. One of the most important theaters in the Golden Age of Movies during the Twenties and Thirties, it represents the premier of a tremendous achievement by Walt Disney – the first full length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Though we now view Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as an animation classic, in the mid-1930’s the idea of a full-length “cartoon” was unheard of. Walt Disney took one of the biggest risks of his career, putting almost all of his resources – both business and personal – into the film. Called “Disney’s Folly” by most of Hollywood (and more than a few inside Disney Studios itself), the film opened to critical and financial success, paving the way for Disney to continue expanding his creative genius.

With critics becoming more vocal, Walt Disney knew he would have to inspire his team of artists and writers as never before.

The rest is history…

Ken Anderson, Art Director for Snow White, remembered it this way:

Walt approached a group of employees late one afternoon, gave each of them fifty cents, told them to grab dinner across the street and then return to the soundstage that evening. None had any idea of what Walt had in mind.

When they arrived and took their seats on wooden tiers at the back of the room, Walt was standing at the front lit by a single spotlight in the otherwise dark space.

Announcing that he was going to launch an animated feature, he told the story of Snow White, not just telling it but acting it out, assuming the character; mannerisms, putting on their voices, letting his audience visualize exactly what they would be seeing on the screen. 

He became Snow White and the wicked queen and the prince and each of the dwarfs.

Anderson said the performance took over three hours. One animator later claimed, “that one performance lasted us three years. Whenever we’d get stuck, we’d remember how Walt did it on that night.”

– Neal Gabler, “Walt Disney-The Triumph of the American Imagination”

But there’s more to the story…

Along about the same time, Disney demonstrated his vision in another way. The new medium of television, though in its infancy, was growing.

According to Keith Gluck, writing for The Walt Disney Family Museum,

Before Walt Disney even understood the new medium of television, he still had the foresight to invest in it. Walt had learned from dealing with shady characters in the past to pay close attention to contracts. When his distribution deal with United Artists was coming to a close, he chose not to renew. UA was insisting on the television rights to all Disney cartoons. “I don’t know what television is, and I’m not going to sign away anything I don’t know about,” Walt said. He ended up signing with RKO Pictures in late 1935.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered in 1937, distributed by RKO Pictures. It was a smashing success, and was later given an honorary Academy Award for its groundbreaking achievements. It was no typical Oscar, either – the award instead was one statuette with seven miniature statuettes!

There’s one more piece to this vision puzzle…

Over a decade later, Walt’s interest in television began to develop. In 1948 he spent a week in New York with the specific purpose of watching and learning more about television. By the time he returned to the Studio, he was convinced it was just the forum to help promote his work. He even told Studio Nurse Hazel George, “Television is the coming thing.” While other movie studios were trying to think of ways to thwart the coming of television, Walt was gearing up to embrace it. 

 – Keith Gluck, The Walt Disney Family Museum

By being the first studio producer to become involved with the fledgling medium of television, Disney was able to leverage that partnership into a financing arrangement that allowed him to bring another dream to reality – Disneyland.

Walt had a grander vision of what his shows could do on ABC, and how they could be used to promote Disneyland. Despite pressure from the other studios, Walt and Roy Disney signed a contact with Leonard Goldenson of ABC, in which the network put up $500,000 in cash, guarantee $4.5 million in loans, and receive one-third ownership in Disneyland (which it later sold back to Disney).

– J. Jeff Kober, Disney’s Hollywood Studios: From Show Biz to Your Biz

With the opening of Disneyland in 1955, Walt’s vision and imagination took on a reality that people could see, hear, and feel – an experience that changed entertainment forever.

disneyland2-fb-1

Walt Disney’s Vision Lesson for Leaders Today

Walt Disney’s unique vision, personalized in the telling of Snow White, demonstrated in the far-reaching aspects of a contract, and brought to life at Disneyland, can be a model for leaders today.

What vision is burning inside of you, a vision that can captivate your team, influence the influential, and be brought to life in your community?

People often ask me if I know the secret of success and if I could tell others how to make their dreams come true. My answer is you do it by working.

Walt Disney

References

Disney at 100: How Teamwork Makes the Dream Come True

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To make the dream of Disneyland come true took the combined skills and talents of hundreds of artisans, carpenters, engineers, scientists, and craftsmen. The dream they built now becomes your heritage. It is you who will make Disneyland truly a magic kingdom and a happy place for the millions of guests who will visit us now in the future.

Walt Disney, to Disneyland Cast Members in 1955

In 2017, I was able to be at Walt Disney World for 31 days – most time spent in the parks and resorts in any calendar year of my long history there.

Thanks to the unexpected generosity of two of my kids, my 2016 Annual Pass was renewed for 2017. That, coupled with a lot of client work in the Central Florida area, was all I needed to have an amazing year of yes, magical, experiences.

Let me unpack this a little: I don’t do attractions that have motion to them (vertigo). Most of those days were solo trips (though I did have some very special time with my wife in April, and my wife and daughter in November). On a few of those days I would drop in for just a few hours – maybe during the evening hours for a single show and a meal. On most of the days, it was a full day experience including a stay in one of the Resorts. On one particular day, I spent almost 20 hours at the Magic Kingdom, beginning with a 5:45 a.m. visit with the Parking Lot Cast Members, and ending at 2 a.m. the next day closing the park out.

As one of my friends put it, “Why?”

Simply put, I am always amazed by the Cast Members as they fulfill Walt Disney’s dream referenced above for Disneyland, and by extension, to all Disney endeavors the world over.

A picture is worth a thousand words:

Start with the image on the left: the Cast Member is smiling at the large crowd headed her way. But as you look at the next two images on the upper right, she is looking downward – seemingly away from the crowd approaching her. As the final image shows in the lower right, her focus all along has been on children right in front of her, but masked by the crowd from my initial viewpoint.

Boom.

The 31 days at Walt Disney World provided me with dozens of conversations with current and former Cast Members just like this. I was able to spend hours just watching interactions between Cast Members and Guests. I photographed thousands of “moments” that tell stories. Whether an hour or a day, my time at Walt Disney World provided an immersion into the excellence of Disney’s Cast Members when it comes to interactions with Guests.

Here are just a few personal stories from my Disney visits that would illustrate this takeaway:

  • The very helpful Cast Members who helped with my Backstage Magic tour arrangements
  • Cast Members at the parking lot ticket booth and in the parking lots who understood I was just being dropped off for the day
  • Bob, the Security Team member who told me I was in for a good day
  • Wayne and Ernesto, our Disney Institute tour guides, who were knowledgeable and passionate about all things Disney
  • The funny and loud Cast Members of the Whispering Canyons restaurant, who fed and entertained us at the same time
  • Cast Members who smiled and greeted us backstage and onstage all day

I could go on and on, but maybe the best story is one from the past:

courtesy Disney Imagineering

In 1978, Disney announced it was opening another part of Walt Disney World in 1982. Not just a new section – this was Epcot, one of Walt Disney’s original dreams for Disney World. And the opening was specific: October 1, 1982.

At the time, Epcot was the largest construction project in the world. Most of the people working on the project did not work for Disney; they worked for all the contractors and subcontractors all over the country.

What Disney decided to do was to make these workers feel as though they were part of the Disney family – to get them to identify with Epcot even though they weren’t actually part of the Disney organization. Here’s how they did it:

They closed down the job site one Sunday a month for over a year. Keep in mind that this was the world’s biggest construction project, moving toward a rock-solid deadline that had been announced almost four years in advance. To shut the place down one day a month was a big deal.

Disney brought in several big circus tents and set the up in what was eventually to be the Epcot parking lot. Food service went in one of the tents – hot dogs, hamburgers, and the whole works – a picnic.

In another tent, the Disney Imagineers created a miniature Epcot: the ground was sculpted to show where the land and water would be; photographs of the work were posted; artists’ renderings showed what the completed project would look like. Everything was kept up-to-date for over a year.

On that one Sunday a month, the project was shut down, and all the construction workers and their families were invited to enjoy the picnic and look around. They would enjoy the food and see what their Dad or Mom was doing.

Disney continued this for over a year so the families could watch it grow and the workers could see what they were creating – not just the big picture, but where their piece happened to fit into the big picture.

This went on all the way through the construction cycle until Epcot opened. The $1.2 billion project came in on time and on budget, with very few snags. This was in part thanks to thousands of people who were not Cast Members, and had little motivation to do so. Disney wasn’t writing their checks; they weren’t giving them benefits. They couldn’t do the traditional things that you normally do to keep employees happy.

Instead, they treated them like Cast Members. And it worked. At the grand celebration of the opening of Epcot, there was a huge celebration with thousands of people attending – most of them the construction workers and their families.

When a rough-necked iron worker is seen wearing mouse ears, you know he understands the dream.

Don’t you love the surprise of getting something extra when you least expect it?

Disney’s Custodial Cast Members are some of my most favorite Cast Members to observe as they go about their role. It’s a very important role, far more than you might think. The Custodial Cast Member is much more than a “janitor” or a “street sweeper.” They are independent for the most part – meaning they have the freedom to move around in different sections of the parks because of their white costumes don’t clash with any theming. They receive extra training because of their visibility and accessibility. Their official title is Custodial Guest Services Cast Member for a reason – their very visible presence in all the parks allows them to answer guest questions, make personal connections, and create artwork…

Wait a minute – create artwork?

That’s what I said! In addition to upholding Walt Disney’s vision for keeping the parks clean for guests, members of the custodial team can also become water artists.

Custodial Cast Members can sign up for a class where they learn to draw various Disney characters with their pan, broom, and a little water.

Not to be outdone, on a recent trip to the Magic Kingdom I even saw a few regular Cast Members practicing a little art magic with masking tape.

Lee Cockerell, former executive vice president of operations at Walt Disney World Resorts, talks about this in his book The Customer Rules:

With a little bit of imagination, you too can delight customers by giving them a little extra when they least expect it. They’ll surprise you in turn by coming back early and often and by singing your praises to others.

Lee Cockerell, The Customer Rules

That’s right – some of the best comments and thanks from Guests go to the Custodial teams. That speaks so powerfully to the culture at Disney.

Now for a tough question – think of the “least desirable role” in your organization. Do those team members have the same passion and culture exhibited by the Custodial Cast Members at Disney?

We train them to be aware that they’re there mainly to help the guest.

Walt Disney

References