Disney Leadership Keynote Speaker
Five daily blogs about life's 5 big choices on five interconnected sites.
(photo: A few days ago as we were walking to Japan for lunch.)
What’s keeping you on edge today, recently, or coming up this week?
Retirement is the wrong word to describe life right now.
Career change is what’s happening. Received the second pension check (direct deposit) this morning though.
Weird.
Weird is good.
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(photos: Placing us at the scene of the crime…third row, dead center… ha, ha, ha)
It all comes down to leadership, culture and time doesn’t it? A great culture doesn’t suck as much as a poor culture because the leaders are better at using their time to intentionally drive the internal service culture (the employee experience).
Two nights ago at the Walt Disney World Service Awards, we randomly sat in the third row, dead center for a special, one-of-a-kind (and one night only) return of the comedy warehouse.
The comedian took a moment to poll the audience and have them clap when their years of service were announced. We were the only two who clapped at 30, and were also the last two to clap – the senior people in the audience. Who knew? What happened next was the question, “What was the worst thing that ever happened to you at Disney?”
Here’s the freaky thing. A brain freeze. Nothing compelling was ever remembered as a ‘nightmare’, so the answer was supposed to be fun (yet true), “Leaving each day.”
They needed something juicier, so they pressed… and got to this, “Closing New Year’s Eve and opening New Year’s Day.” At Disney’s Grand Floridian.
The six performers sang a little ditty tying the two together and closed out the show.
In retrospect a key insight was revealed: a positive mental attitude can cure many things, like the daily frustrations challenges of working in a demanding, high-pressure, high expectation, expensive, can’t-say-no-to-the-Guests environment.
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(photo: Spent a few hours yesterday reworking www.jeffnoel.com and changing all social media avatars with the photo above – taken a month or so ago)
What is Disney’s best kept secret? Disney Vacation Club had it as a tagline for many years.
In the world of positive organizational culture attitude, Disney’s best kept secret is an Orlando based Motivational speaker and 30-year Disney veteran. The fact he can confidently make this claim is a testament to the power of our mental thoughts.
He’s out on his own, speaking and enlightening business leaders in the world’s most respected companies. He did it for 15 years at Disney Institute, and he’s still doing it, here.
PS. (This post was written 100 days ago, shortly after retiring. Reading it now, Feb 28, it feels awkward. Leaving it as is. It captures the vibe of that day, right or wrong, appropriate or inappropriate.)
Next Blog (about physical wellness)
(photo: Last night at the top of Disney’s Contemporary Resort… jeff noel, Lori and Joe McColgan)
His colleagues from the past 30 years had a couple recurring themes in their stories and memories:
Last night was the final, official moment as a Disney Cast Member.
It kills him to leave. He IS Disney. He’s not running from something. He’s running to something, and has been for the past six years.
The other theme, shared over and over last night with his wife? Because of his intentionality he’s going to be incredible successful.
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(photo: Mid Life Celebration released on Amazon nearly a year to the day – everything is going according to plan…)
What happens when you pair one of your bold, audacious goals with living like you mean it?
Received the call from the Fidelity Benefits Coordinator that retirement is officially official. While Disney had processed the separation two weeks ago, it also had to upload into Fidelity’s system. That happened today.
A surreal feeling that helps make this life event feel more real. Really real you might say. Burn the ships real.
When a spouse retires this creates what’s called a life event. A life event qualifies as significant enough to allow for modifying health care coverage to include a retired spouse.
Dear Son, what looks like luck, privilege, or ease is massively anything but. So glad you know this without a shadow of a doubt.
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