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 information with enthusiasm, we provide a five-star experience. Creating your own luck and being open to the unexpected are key practices, especially when paired with enjoying the experience. In life, we often fear mistakes, but the ability to do what you need to do, even when you don’t know what that is will allow us to live life with forward momentum, even if we encounter failure along the way.
Resources:
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Quotes:
“If you have a good story and you tell it very well, that may matter more than what an expert you are on your subject.”
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 pull at us.
Just like most things you are good at, it takes practice.
Jeff explains one of the keys is recognizing you are being pulled out of the present moment. Then you can ask yourself if you can let off the gas.
One way to help you remain in the present moment is to add some margin in your schedule. That way you have less to worry about if something gets in your way and causes a time delay.
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 a different direction.
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 and make it. You will always have to live with the regret of never having known what was possible.
No breakthroughs happen from people doing average work.
If you want to have an impact you have to go all in.
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. We can make the most out of each day by reflection and anticipation by treating each day life an opportunity.
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 understood.
Courageous kindness is what it will take, according to Jevonnah, in order to have the conversations we need to have to make a difference.
As an example of courageous kindness, I share a segment from a live question and answer segment with Lee Cockerell. Someone asked Lee what he thought about athletes kneeling during the national anthem. Lee gives a strong answer, a courageous answer, standing up for what he believes in.
We round out the episode with Kelli English explaining how to have a discussion with kids about some of the terrible racial experiences from the past.
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 symptom and not the problem. Poor performance is a symptom of the problem of bad hiring.
The only thing you can leave behind and take with you is your legacy.
Don't ask a question Google could answer for you.
"Until today, I didn't know I could be great." Often, people do not realize what they are capable of until you help them discover it.
Make it easy to do business with yourself.
Learning to say "no" is the most effective time management tool.
Ask a younger person how to do better.
The most important question you can ask is, "what if?"
Slow doesn't mean better. Slow means slow. If you know what you are doing you can move fast.
If you enjoyed these lessons from Lee Cockerell, check out the Cockerell Academy.
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 and what this year has taught me in terms of exploring new opportunities. No question, I look forward to making the most of them in the days, months, and years ahead.
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, now 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 system that makes a life we love possible. How we interpret opposition, how we define success; these are the factors that will propel us into the future. We also discuss the importance of taking action and the five steps we to making effective decisions. Dan has also graciously provided a special gift for my listeners. You can find the link in the episode resources.
Episode Resources
48 Days to the Work and Life You Love – Dan Miller
Quiz & First Chapter: https://www.48days.com/jody/
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 let your beginning hold you back.
Money makes you more of what you already are. Money doesn't make someone selfish or a jerk. Money does not make someone generous and helpful. They were that way before they had money.
If you are not doing it for other people, why are you doing it?
Some problems are not worth fixing. When you know where you are going and why you are doing it. Some problems aren't worth the time or money to worry about.
A story can make anything personal. If you take the time to tell stories, it connects you to other people.
Living a big story is worth the risk. Sure, things may not work out the way you hope. But if it gives you a story to tell, it is worth it.
You become larger than life by living each day. It's not the big things people remember you for, it is what you do with each day you have.
Legacy is not built on big accomplishments. You build a legacy by what you do every day. How you treat people, and you help people, how you make people feel on a daily basis is where your legacy comes from.
People remember unexpected answers to expected questions. Rather than answer the simple, usual answers to questions, can you say something people will remember after the conversation?
The most important person in the world is the person right in front of you.
No matter what happens, it's going to be ok. These were Uncle Jerry's last words. And he is right. It will be ok.
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.
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 of asking ‘what does this make possible’ when you suffer loss. We look at the pro’s and con’s of ‘do the one thing’. We also consider what it means to ask yourself ‘what is it for’ as a means of keeping yourself on mission. Lastly, we unpack the benefit of reminding yourself to ‘do your best and forgive yourself’.
Words are very powerful. A slight change to a word can affect the whole manner with which we approach something. In the next episode, I will share what 5 new things I will be saying to myself every day.
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 necessary principles that help form your long term vision will help you rise as a leader even beyond your immediate sphere. We must also look to those around us, our neighbors, and be a voice of hope.
Visit tailgate-talks.com
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 with a crisis:
Safety First. Before anything else, the safety of employees, customers, and yourself comes before anything else.
Deal with the Facts. During a crisis people get emotional. People speculate and gossip. You should deal only with the facts when you communicate with people.
Be Empathetic. Everybody is dealing with a crisis in different ways for different reasons. Understand people are worried.
Use the situation to get better. You and your organization can learn plenty from a crisis. Use it as a training opportunity.
During a crisis, your culture is on show for everyone to see. Your actions should match your words. What you say doesn’t build a culture. Culture is built through actions.
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 topic.
This episode we talk about our jobs and getting fired.
Both Vincent and I talk about our early work history and some of the unflattering things that have happened.
In the end, Vincent tells us a story to teach us every day is a bonus. We have nothing to lose.
Visit TotalLifeFreedom.com to learn more about Vincent and get a free audio version of his book, Freelance to Freedom.
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 we talk about education.
If a principal asked us to develop a curriculum of 5 classes we felt kids should be learning about, what would those classes be?
Hear both myself and Vincent list our 5 classes and why we feel they are important.
Visit TotalLifeFreedom.com to learn more about Vincent and get a free audio version of his book, Freelance to Freedom.
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 we talk about dealing with mi.
Tell me about an opportunity you turned down and then regretted.
For me, I should have left my career as a park ranger two years before I actually did. Staying on longer than I should have made me miss opportunities. Instead of finding a new opportunity, I stayed with the comfort of an uncomfortable situation.
Have you taken an opportunity that turned out to be the wrong decision?
Vincent tells about how he left his job and jumped into his own business. For a while, it seemed like it may have been a better idea to stay in a traditional job.
Don't fear a bad decision. Even a bad decision can lead you to your next opportunity.
Visit TotalLifeFreedom.com to learn more about Vincent and get a free audio version of his book, Freelance to Freedom.
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 we talk about paying to get access to people.
Tell me about a time you have paid to cut to the front of the line and get access to someone.
Vincent gives us several examples of times he has paid to get access to people to learn about podcasting, speaking and more. Access to people has helped him to build relationships and put him in the room with the type of people he wants to be around.
For me, the best example is Dan Miller. After paying to attend his Coaching with Excellence Program, Dan and I have built a relationship. Plus, I got to know many of the other people who attended the event.
Visit TotalLifeFreedom.com to learn more about Vincent and get a free audio version of his book, Freelance to Freedom.
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 we talk about Podcasting.
Why did you ignore conventional advice and launch a podcast so much different than what everyone else was doing?
Hear why Vincent decided to launch a podcast that is so different and how he was able to include so much of his personality in each episode. Vincent ignored advice and best practices to put more of his personality into his podcast.
How do you keep up with so many podcasts?
Systems. Without good systems and processes, I would not be able to produce as many shows as I do. I also talk about shows I considered doing but did not.
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
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 used feedback to understand he could do better. Feedback is a tool for excellence.
If you have a clear understanding of where you want to go, one piece of feedback could be the spark you need to make a change that moves you closer to excellence.
Jeff Noel reminds us, the only way you can succeed is if you are willing to fail. Some feedback can be tough. But you have to willing and open to hearing feedback if you are committed to excellence.
If you want to follow along and hear the final episodes of If Disney Ran Your Life as Jeff Noel and I create them, you can find the podcast here.