Creating Disney Magic

Latest Episodes:

Experience Takes Time Mar 01, 2022

Show notes

Today, we have another question from a faithful listener, Tanner Brock. Tanner requested advice on becoming more comfortable and confident in your professional background. Especially in situations where business partners or fellow team members have a longer tenure in the workforce.

It is part of the game and part of learning business. We all start out being intimidated by others having experience. It takes time to get smarter; to learn new things. Pushing yourself to expand your understanding will help you grow and learn. With time, you won't be intimidated, because you have gained experiences of your own. Wisdom comes with age, education, experience, and exposure.

If you want to get past intimidation, you need to get outside of your immediate sphere. Meet people and put yourself in situations where you can learn willingly. Spend time around your customers and employees. You have to work at it. Be intentional about seeking out understanding; you don't just get to absorb it.

Rather than being intimidated by the experience of others, use it as an opportunity to ask questions and learn. Make it a goal. Never stop learning. Ask questions every day. This will help you gain experience and confidence; it will keep you from becoming prideful and resting on your laurels, as you gain the experience you desire.

If you want a fun way to gain exposure and experience, take a vacation. Magical Vacation Planners can help you get everything you want out of your next trip. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Resources

Have an excellent career by learning from Lee: Career Magic

Lee's website: https://www.leecockerell.com/

You Have One Goal in Business Feb 22, 2022

Show notes

In the book, The Goal by Ellyahu Goldratt, business is boiled down to one goal. If you are in business, the goal is to make money. Business owners use this end to justify the means, especially how you treat people, especially employees and customers.

If you treat people right, you will make money. Modern business tells us to look at the bottom line. If you devalue the customer, who is going to contribute to that bottom line? There is no upside or reason to mistreat people if you want them to pay you.

You can still have the end goal of making money. You need to do it in a way that creates a sustainable model. Be approachable and nice. Treat people like you want people to treat your grandmother, mother, or daughter. When you find yourself in a situation, predetermine how you will behave. The potential for negative interactions comes every day. You must be intentional and program your brain to react in a kind and patient way.

Make sure what you are doing is in line with what you are working for. Don't lie. Work with integrity. What you try to hide will eventually come out. Giving in to negative emotions can come back up years in the future. When we treat people with kindness and as valuable, we create a model that will scale and provide income for years to come.

Nice weather is quickly approaching. If you are considering touring the states this year and hitting up national parks, make sure you reach out to Magical Vacation Planners. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Advice on Relocating Overseas Feb 15, 2022

Show notes

Today we are answering an anonymous listener question. Our listener asks: "What is your take on personal and family considering and advice on making a transition overseas?"

Thinking about relocating for work? You live in the right era for it. Approach it like you would if you were moving domestically. The first thing you should do is get on the internet and do your research. Make a list of potential impacts to your family, like schools, cost of living, taxes, housing, spousal employment, etc. Identify what it will take to make your family happy and then compare what is available to you where you want to move. Will your family be happy there? If the answer is yes, examine some of the other benefits.

Exposing your family, especially your children, to other experiences and locations will prepare them for life. It instills confidence and provides varied life experiences that will help them engage their world.

If you get the chance to work internationally, I recommend grabbing it. If you can, take a small trip before committing. Past barriers, such as language, are quickly becoming less impactful. Many countries' inhabitants speak English, and you can learn the local language as you go.

When you live and work abroad, you will grow and learn how much you are capable of, adjusting when impact does come. You will gain confidence through the jump. There is often the additional perk of being able to travel more broadly when you live outside of the US.If you are looking to travel, even within the United States, I highly recommend contacting Magical Vacation Planners. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

You Can Standout When Service is Bad Feb 08, 2022

Show notes

Every industry feels the impact of turnover and instability in staffing due to the current pandemic. Every industry's customer service is also suffering. Constant staffing changes mean employees often lack training or the development needed to go above and beyond to serve. It also means that anyone can rise to the top right now by offering outstanding service.

It is the perfect time for people who want to show up and be great. There is a hole in service that needs to be filled; that means you can shine by showing up and providing service at a higher level. When you help people and take care of them, it will distinguish you. People can go anywhere for products. How they are treated keeps them coming to you; as a leader or an employee.

Often, people are getting put into the thick of it with inadequate training, and they don't know what they don't know. If you have something to offer your team, do it. Help those around you to succeed, and you will rise as a result.

If you are a leader, think outside of the box. You can repurpose existing training to help your team, especially in the soft skills department. We have a lot of great resources at the Cockerell Academy. Filling the holes in training and service will help you stand out when everyone around you is providing subpar experiences.

One company that is never lacking in great service is Magical Vacation Planner. Not only do they offer great service, but they can help navigate some of the most difficult industries for your next trip, so you can eliminate some of the potentials for poor service. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Should You Take Care of Your Business or Your People? Feb 01, 2022

Show notes

Today we are answering a listener question. Our anonymous listener asks: How do you balance the need to take care of employees with the very real challenge a business is facing?

First, you as a leader need to define what 'taking care of' means for you. I think you can start with caring for your team emotionally. Let them know they matter. When you are faced with the type of decision that puts the team against the company, bring them into the discussion. Ask their opinion on the decisions that impact them, like needing to cut costs. Communicate your desire to take care of them and always be honest around uncertainty. When people know you care about them, and you deal with them truthfully, people are understanding.

It isn't always an easy solution, and you have to make the best choice you can. At the end of the day, you are responsible. Tell people what they are going to be thinking anyway and help them understand the reasoning for decisions. Be willing to take the heat when necessary and deal with people personally. Avoiding a problem will never solve it. Hopefully, you prioritize people, but at the end of the day, the choice is yours to make.

If you need some help making better decisions, make sure you check our Better Decisions course in the Cockerell Academy.

One decision that is easy to make is utilizing Magical Vacation Planner for your next trip. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Do You Have a Strategy to Be Different? Jan 25, 2022

Show notes

Today is one of our rare episodes that Jody and I are in the same room, in person. We just wrapped up the Creating Magic Mastermind. It is amazing what can come out of a concentrated time when people who are passionate and want to grow and learn come together. Two big themes emerged over the mastermind: Strategy and everyone matters, and should know they matter.

The strategy doesn't have to be complicated. When you boil it down, you need to ask yourself how you will be different from your competitors so that people want to work with you. It's not about being flashy. It is about being different. Are you trustworthy? Do you show up and do your job accurately and with integrity? It isn't about your job; it is about who you are. That is what makes people want to work with you.

We were surprised to have Reggie Williams drop in and join us for part of the mastermind. Reggie always reminds me that it is important to really look out for everyone and not back down from what you know is right. There is power in being able to give people an answer and not have to say "I'll think about it." It is follow through on what matters that communicates to others that they matter. If you want to be great, everything matters. If you want to be good, you can let some things slide. Either way, you have to make the call and follow through.

If you have an event you need to plan, make sure to reach out to Magical Vacation Planners. They helped us with our mastermind. They also are a huge resource when planning just about any kind of trip. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Resources:

Resilient by Nature by Reggie Williams

Take Responsibility For Your Own Development Jan 18, 2022

Show notes

Today we are answering our first listener question of 2022 (full disclosure, we recorded it last month). Eric Reys asks: My daughter just became a manager and has not had any leadership training. Should she look into outside courses and bring them to her boss or do it on her own?

I have explained previously that there is a difference between management and leadership. Management is about getting things done and is technical. These are the hard skills needed to do a job, and ideally, you should have the skillset and the training you need to perform your job. Leadership, however, is about empowering those around you by helping them and developing them.

When it comes to being developed as a leader, do it on your own. You don't have to invest lots of money. You can start by listening to podcasts (this one is great – we have almost 400 episodes). Find voices in leadership that you trust and dig into what they teach. You don't need to go to your boss to get what you need; it is already at your fingertips. It is your responsibility to quietly and quickly work on expanding your understanding of leadership and what it looks like to be a good leader. Chances are, you are already doing a lot of what makes a good leader; you just need to get intentional about honing it.

You don't need leadership training; you need awareness of what it is so you can conduct yourself accordingly. Be nice. Tell the truth. Be a good person and be reliable. Get out there every day and ask how you can be a better person for those around you. Once you move into leadership, your career is no longer about you; it is about those you lead. Your job is to remove obstacles so others can do their job. If you want to work with vacation planners who remove obstacles in the way of your perfect vacation, contact Magical Vacation Planners. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Resources:

cockerellacademy.com

Hero on a Mission with Donald Miller Jan 11, 2022

Show notes

If you feel bored with your own story, bored with life, or feel like your life is a story you are not enjoying right now, you need to hear this episode.

Donald Miller returns to Creating Disney Magic to talk about his new book, Hero on a Mission.

Don shares the three stories he is living with his life. When you are know what story you are living, you know what you won't do. You get more clarity in your life. You have a filter to help you make decisions.

Many people struggle when one story in their life ends and they don't start a new story. When there is a void in your mind about your story, it becomes hard to know what to do next.

"Meaning is only experienced in motion," Don says. In order to feel fulfilled, you have to take action to feel you are doing something worthwhile.

Every morning, Don reads his eulogy to remind him of what he will regret not doing. It keeps him actively involved in his story.

At one point during my career, I realized what my reputation was. People called me "Doberman" because of how I treated people. My mother and grandmother would have not been proud of me. It led to me changing my approach towards people. Using Hero on a Mission, you can write a eulogy worth living up to. You won't need an incident to shock you into a change.

Here on a Mission could be Donald Miller's best book yet. You can get it here.

Donald Miller Resources:

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Website

The Benefit of Deadlines Jan 04, 2022

Show notes

Wrapping up one year and moving into the next can get people thinking of things they want to change and improve. I have learned over the years that knowing how to set deadlines is a make-or-break strategy when it comes to being organized and getting things in your life done.

In life, you get done what you want to do. If you desire to do more, you need to get organized. Often, we know what we need to do; we don't do it. It is easy, especially in our personal life, to fail to complete those things that no one knows you are working on. By setting deadlines and making sure you have time blocked off to work on them, you will give yourself space to complete them.

You can be organized at work, but you need to be organized across your life. Deadlines help you to make sure you get what is important done. Set them. Meet them. When you do that, people trust you and want to work with you. Deadlines allow you to get it done.

If you are looking at improving your time management skills, my Time Management Magic is available at cockerellacademy.com.

If you are taking a vacation, let Magical Vacation Planners take care of all the pieces you don't want to handle. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Resources

Agents of Excellence

Can You Be Informal and Professional? Dec 28, 2021

Show notes

We have another listener question, this time coming all the way from the UK. Deanto Callo wants to know if it is possible to be friendly and informal with your staff and still maintain professional standards?

It is possible to be friendly and maintain expectations and standards with your team. You have to decide who you are and what you stand for, as a leader and as a company. Make sure your team knows what you stand for and how it will help them grow and get better. When you have clear expectations, you can still be friendly and approachable. It is good to have friendly relationships and a comfortable atmosphere, as long as your team knows how it works.

I like to say manage like a mother. Mothers want you to be successful. They care about you, and they will hold you to the family standards and expectations because it is in your best interest, and they care about you. Mothers are informal and friendly, but they are firm and fair and manage with empathy and discipline.

As long as you set expectations, reinforce expectations and then enforce expectations, you can cultivate a relational atmosphere. Your attitude will determine the outcome. People want to work in an orderly and predictable environment – it lets them know they are safe. The boundaries must be clear. Monopoly and poker have different rules – make sure your team knows what game they are playing.

Magical Vacation Planners will make sure you know what to expect when it comes to your next vacation. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.