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 opportunities for innovation in education as we move forward.

These three topics share the bottom line that leaders learn from the inputs around them – whether observation, experience, or the chance for innovation. Leaders keep moving.

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 how to capitalize on his unique situation. As entrepreneurs, we can learn a couple of lessons from him in this area. First, be willing to take time and shape your ideas – learn and take input. Second, as a dreamer/visionary, surround yourself with implementors.

Understand yourself and what you stand for. Know yourself well enough to know when an opportunity isn’t for you. When you know what gives you energy and what takes it away, you can be patient enough to wait and find the opportunities that are good for you and those connected to you.

“A visionary needs an implementor”

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 situation will play out. By allowing ourselves to embrace enough and be thankful, we can experience the fullness of life. Through understanding our follow-through is not dependent on other’s feedback, we can overcome discouragement, which can allow us to appreciate what we encounter, rather than set ourselves up for unmet expectations. Lastly, by embracing ownership, we remove the limit of waiting for someone else to fix something or make a change. Even amid failure, we can move forward and do better. As Jeff likes to say, be amazed and be amazing.

What quotes or sayings inspire you? DM me on Instagram or go to jodymaberry.com and reach out.