My guest today is Reggie Williams, former NFL linebacker and Disney executive turned author. We are discussing what it means to be “Resilient by Nature” and how we can turn negatives into positives. How we deal with missed opportunities and being overlooked is proof of what we are made of. When you have been treated unfairly or experienced major disappointment, you can fill the void by strengthening yourself and others. Reggie share’s his experiences with us, from running into a childhood hero w...
Oct 21, 2020•33 min•Ep. 179
How often do we learn great lessons and write them down, only to walk away and forget them? It is always a good idea to review notes. Dan Cockerell and I revisit and expound on some notes I put together on a return flight from a trip to Buffalo in April of 2018. This event in Buffalo provided food for thought, ranging from how we care for the people that always show up to the importance of mixing up the way we approach tasks. When we allow others to be part of the story and present valuable info...
Oct 14, 2020•23 min•Ep. 178
Oct 08, 2020•23 min•Ep. 177
How do you remain in the present moment when responsibilities start to pull at you? Jeff Noel and I are on a final day in Glacier National Park. We are recording from a beautiful location, and I already start feeling drawn to everything I have to do. Instead of focusing on the beauty in front of me, I am thinking about driving home. I am thinking about all of the work I have to do once I get home. Jeff and I discuss how we can remain in the present moment when other responsibilities start to pul...
Oct 03, 2020•10 min•Ep. 176
When you have invested time, money, or hope into something, how do you know when it is time to turn around? Jeff Noel says it takes practice. You need experience before you know when you should turn around. Experience also helps you realize when you should say No. Saying no is a good time management tool. And it can help you not sink too much time into something you wouldn't be able to stick with. This episode will give you some consideration of knowing when it is time to turn around and walk in...
Oct 03, 2020•8 min•Ep. 175
Jeff Noel and I are deep in the wilderness of Glacier National Park. After recording an episode of If Disney Ran Your Life, it prompted us to stop and record this conversation about being all in. Being all in, reaching for excellence, can leave someone burnt out. Knowing no matter how good you do, you can always do better. Aim for perfection and settle for excellence. Always set the bar high. If you set the bar high and don't make it. You at least know you did your best. If you set the bar low a...
Oct 01, 2020•10 min•Ep. 174
What do you do when you get eh second chance at a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? For me, I started by reflecting and considered how I could have gotten the most out of the first opportunity. Jeff Noel and I team up again in the wilderness of Glacier National Park for a series of episodes in the wilderness. Based on Victor Frankl's book, we reflect on the question, "If I had today to live over again, what would I do differently?" Jeff and I realize every day is a once in a lifetime opportunity. ...
Sep 30, 2020•15 min•Ep. 173
Sep 23, 2020•42 min•Ep. 172
A while back, I shared a story on Facebook about my cousin. You can read the original post here. The story about my cousin helped me start some conversations about race. In this episode of The Jody Maberry Show, I share the story about my cousin. And then Jevonnah Ellison joins me to have a conversation about my story and a story she shared about tough questions white people can ask themselves about race. Jevonnah explains when white friends speak up, black people feel seen, heard, and understoo...
Sep 16, 2020•44 min•Ep. 171
Lee Cockerell joins me on The Jody Maberry Show to discuss lessons from one of our live in-person Masterminds. Here are the lessons we discuss. There is no upside to being an idiot. Be the kind of leader you would like your children to work for. The thing you are worried about, you are the only one who knows. Other people don't know you are shy and introverted, for example. Action is what matters. You can talk, but one great action is better than 2 great words. Sometimes you are looking at a sym...
Sep 09, 2020•33 min•Ep. 170
Today, best-selling author and mentor, Dan Miller, joins me on the show to share his three questions. Taking a more personal route, Dan and I discuss the joys of being a dad, the importance of experience-based education, and the future of Jody Maberry out to three years. Without spoiling the episode, while I hope to continue podcasting, I also plan to make several career shifts moving from behind the scenes to in front of them. Regardless of how life looks in 2023, I’m excited about the future a...
Sep 02, 2020•13 min•Ep. 169
Today, author Dan Miller joins me, and we are unpacking what it takes to create the life you love. Dan is one of the top 4 influential people in my life. This year marks the 20th anniversary of his book, 48 days to the Work You Love, n ow re-released with an updated title – 48 Days to the Work And Life You Love. Life isn’t just about work. Determining the areas that carry value for us will help us steer towards our desired outcome. We are diving deep into the mindset, perception, and belief syst...
Aug 26, 2020•40 min•Ep. 168
My uncle, Jerry, died of Covid. He was one of my favorite people and this is a terrible loss for my family. Uncle Jerry was one of the most generous people I have met. In the spirit of his generosity, I want to share some of the things I learned from him on this episode of The Jody Maberry Show. The Mask Isn't About You. Wearing a mask shows you care about other people. Where you begin is not as important as where you finish. If you have a rough start you can still have an amazing finish. Don't ...
Aug 12, 2020•11 min•Ep. 167
In the last episode of The Jody Maberry Show, Dr. Mike Goldsby joined me to talk about entrepreneurship the Disney Way. Dr. Goldsby returns to ask me three follow up questions to our conversation. In response, we are discussing three entrepreneurs who have influenced/impacted me over the years. Second, we take a look at my time as a park ranger. How did my experience and the skillset I learned prepare me for what I am doing now? Lastly, we are examining the areas of challenge and the opportuniti...
Jun 17, 2020•11 min•Ep. 166
Today, Dr. Mike Goldsby, Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship at Ball State University and author of Entrepreneurship the Disney Way is with me. Dr. Goldsby has been teaching for 20 years and is sharing some valuable lessons about entrepreneurship, especially as seen in the life and career of Walt Disney. Entrepreneurship is about being creative and it is all about opportunity. Walt Disney balanced creativity and business. He was a dreamer who knew how to be open to his circumstance and h...
Jun 10, 2020•27 min•Ep. 165
Jeff Noel is with me again today to continue our discussion and introduce the five new things that I am telling myself every day in 2020. Last time, we laid to rest sayings and questions that I have used daily for years. Entering 2020, I wanted to think differently about the year. Today we are examining my daily exercise and meditations on excellence, gratitude, thankfulness, appreciation, and ownership. By defining what excellence is in the short term, we know how the whole of a project or situ...
Jun 03, 2020•21 min•Ep. 164
Jeff Noel returns today to join me as I lay to rest my five daily sayings. Every day, there are five sayings/questions that I meditate on to help me create a successful frame of mind. When we want to do what we have never done, we must think differently than we have. So, in preparation for stepping into a new season, I want to visit these sayings for a final review. Jeff and I discuss the concept of ‘rest being a weapon’ and the advantage it gives you over any adversary. We examine the benefit o...
May 20, 2020•17 min•Ep. 163
Phil Gains and Donald Forgione join me today as we discuss what leading in a crisis really looks like. Both Phil and Donald are former State Park Directors and have faced their share of instilling confidence during a crisis. Phil, Donald, and I discuss the core leadership principles that are needed when navigating unprecedented scenarios. We cover the importance of understanding your 3 target markets and how to effectively extend comfort and confidence. We also examine how understanding the nece...
May 13, 2020•15 min•Ep. 162
While Dan Cockerell and I were in Orlando for the annual Magical Vacation Planner Conference, most travel-related businesses began closing in response to Covid-19. In the midst of the commotion and confusion, Dan and I along with Lee Cockerell to record an episode about how to deal with a crisis. In addition to the interview with Lee and Dan, this episode will give some behind the scenes information about dealing with the crisis as it unfolded. Here are four steps to keep in mind while dealing w...
Apr 01, 2020•27 min•Ep. 161
Vincent Pugliese joins me for the final episode in a series of special episodes of the Jody Maberry Show. Vincent does a podcast different than anything else you will hear out there. Total Life Freedom , a daily podcast hosted by Vincent, has no intro or outro. No theme music. Vincent doesn't even say his name. Inspired by his unusual style, I decided to invite Vincent to join me for a series of episodes. Five episodes in five days. Each day, we pick a topic and ask each other a question on the ...
Mar 22, 2020•10 min•Ep. 160
Vincent Pugliese joins me for a series of special episodes of the Jody Maberry Show. Vincent does a podcast different than anything else you will hear out there. Total Life Freedom , a daily podcast hosted by Vincent, has no intro or outro. No theme music. Vincent doesn't even say his name. Inspired by his unusual style, I decided to invite Vincent to join me for a series of episodes. Five episodes in five days. Each day, we pick a topic and ask each other a question on the topic. This episode w...
Mar 21, 2020•8 min•Ep. 159
Vincent Pugliese joins me for a series of special episodes of the Jody Maberry Show. Vincent does a podcast different than anything else you will hear out there. Total Life Freedom , a daily podcast hosted by Vincent, has no intro or outro. No theme music. Vincent doesn't even say his name. Inspired by his unusual style, I decided to invite Vincent to join me for a series of episodes. Five episodes in five days. Each day, we pick a topic and ask each other a question on the topic. This episode w...
Mar 20, 2020•7 min•Ep. 158
Vincent Pugliese joins me for a series of special episodes of the Jody Maberry Show. Vincent does a podcast different than anything else you will hear out there. Total Life Freedom , a daily podcast hosted by Vincent, has no intro or outro. No theme music. Vincent doesn't even say his name. Inspired by his unusual style, I decided to invite Vincent to join me for a series of episodes. Five episodes in five days. Each day, we pick a topic and ask each other a question on the topic. This episode w...
Mar 19, 2020•9 min•Ep. 157
Vincent Pugliese joins me for a series of special episodes of the Jody Maberry Show. Vincent does a podcast different than anything else you will hear out there. Total Life Freedom , a daily podcast hosted by Vincent, has no intro or outro. No theme music. Vincent doesn't even say his name. Inspired by his unusual style, I decided to invite Vincent to join me for a series of episodes. Five episodes in five days. Each day, we pick a topic and ask each other a question on the topic. This episode w...
Mar 19, 2020•13 min•Ep. 156
In the last episode of The Jody Maberry Show, Jeff Noel joined me to talk about how to use feedback to achieve excellence. On this episode, Jeff Noel returns to talk about what happened next. Using feedback, we implemented a good idea. But it didn't work out. Not every good idea works out. But you still have to keep trying. You will never find success without failure. "I've made more mistakes in my life than most people have made attempts" - Jeff Noel...
Mar 11, 2020•21 min•Ep. 155
Jeff Noel and I recorded this episode from the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene, OR. During this episode of the Jody Maberry Show, Jeff and I discuss the benefit of recording a podcast live in person. We also give a behind the scenes look into recording the first episode of season 5 for If Disney Ran Your Life. After recording the first episode, Jeff decides we could do better. So we regrouped and recorded the season-opening episode one more time. In the pursuit of excellence, Jeff u...
Feb 26, 2020•22 min•Ep. 154
A couple time each year, Lee Cockerell and I host a Creating Magic Mastermind event in Orlando. Even though I host the event, I learn as much or more than people who attend the event. And I take notes. In this episode, I share the 8 new things I learned during the last Creating Magic Mastermind event. You can do more than you are now. When you think different, you act different. The Magic happens when experiences and ideas that don't usually come together run into each other. Candor moves the co...
Feb 19, 2020•11 min•Ep. 153
Lauren Davis returns to the show to ask me three questions. If you were making so much money you couldn't spend it all, what causes would you give your money to? My focus would be to help fund foundations and friends groups that support parks. My time as a park ranger helped me realize what benefit parks are to communities. Most parks are underfunded, understaffed and falling behind. If I had the money to do so, I would fund organizations that work in parks and conversation. How do you deal with...
Feb 05, 2020•14 min•Ep. 152
After resisting getting involved with Instagram, I finally began posting photos. Instagram became my favorite social media platform, but I was reluctant to use Instagram stories. Finally, I posted an ongoing story when I took a trip to Florida. The response was delightful. Every day, I received comments, messages, emojis, and questions. More than anything else I have ever done on social media, Instagram stories was getting people more involved with what I was doing. Now I am hooked. And I want t...
Jan 29, 2020•31 min•Ep. 151
Whether you know it or not, and whether you like it or not, other people are telling a story about you. Here is an example, when my wife and I went out for dinner, we ran into a friend. Just the night before, we saw our friend's boss at an event. When I mentioned seeing her boss, my friend said. "He's not a fan of people." Whether he knows it or not, this is the story his employees tell about the boss when he is not around. He is not a fan of people. Here is what you have to understand about the...
Dec 25, 2019•20 min•Ep. 150
