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What I Learned From a Mouse at Build Business 2013

By Jennifer Hier posted 08-19-2013 13:31

  


"Somehow I can't believe there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secret of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four C's. They are Curiosity, Confidence, Courage, and Constancy and the greatest of these is Confidence. When you believe a thing, believe it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably." – Walt Disney

“Dream Big”, the theme of the 2013 Build Business Conference in Orlando, is still resonating with me. I’ve heard some good keynote speakers but I’ve heard more that are so uninspiring that I’ve found myself pinching my leg to stay awake. I have to give big mouse-hand claps to SMPS for bringing in the best keynote speakers I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing.

Mark Matheis from Disney was funny, fascinating, encouraging and inspiring. I listened to Mark. I was awake. I heard Mark. His beginnings with Disney, as a reservation sales agent, to a front desk host at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, to a Magic Kingdom manager, eventually led him to his current position as a facilitator for the Disney Institute. Dream big.

Listening to Mark talk about his personal journey to success and his passion for Disney drew parallels in my mind to our own careers in the A/E industry. I know many of my peers began as administrative assistants, and then became coordinators, then managers, directors, vice presidents and principals in marketing and business development. The same tenacity and passion that carried Mark all the way to the top drives the members of SMPS. Dream big.

Disney drew parallels in my mind to our own careers in the A/E industry. I know many of my peers began as administrative assistants, and then became coordinators, then managers, directors, vice presidents and principals in marketing and business development. The same tenacity and passion that carried Mark all the way to the top drives the members of SMPS. Dream big.

The biggest message that I took away from his keynote presentation was to keep doing what you love. That will bring you success even when others may try to hold you back. Truthfully I’ve never been a big fan of Disneyland or Disney World. I always believed it was corny and fake and created with the single goal of making money, representing all things capitalistic and evil. After listening to Mark I realized that I was wrong and completely ignorant to its origins. Walt Disney the man dreamed big and was a risk taker. At 19 he founded Iwerks-Disney, at 20 he founded his own studio Laugh-O-gram Films that eventually he had to close. From this failure he went on to form Disney Brothers Studio. When faced with bankruptcy and on the edge of financial disaster, Walt created Mickey Mouse. Mickey was intended to be a means to an end. Mickey is now a symbol of endurance, independence and delight. Mickey was the foundation for all things Disney. One man. One idea. One little mouse, sketched out on a pad of paper on a train to Hollywood created a legacy. Dream big.

Walt took a risk on Mickey, even when people scoffed at him. He didn’t listen to the naysayers and in fact, one of his greatest successes, the creation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, was predicted to sink the company. When asked how he created Disneyland, his living fantasy, Walt said “When we consider a project, we really study it—not just the surface idea, but everything about it. And when we go into that new project, we believe in it all the way. We have confidence in our ability to do it right. And we work hard to do the best possible job.” His personal philosophy, the four C’s, Curiosity, Confidence, Courage and Constancy are the same things that drive the members of SMPS. It is our Curiosity, Confidence, Courage and Constancy that seeks new clients, forms solid strategies, creates strong proposals and pushes graphics and ideas to the edge. We strive for success personally and professionally. We work hard and we do the best possible job every day. We dream big.

Not only were the keynote speakers great, but the breakout sessions were interesting and provided me with a lot of ideas that I’ve already started implementing. The Awards Ceremony was a nice break and a chance to see old friends and coworkers and meet new friends too. Watching our peers honored for their contributions to SMPS and to the industry as a whole was very inspiring. It gave me the push I needed to keep studying for the CPSM. Above all, it was really great to be among such dedicated and strong professionals who really do dream big. Our organization is full of truly amazing individuals. Attending the conference this year was well worth it. I look forward to the 2014 conference and until then, continue to implement Walt Disney’s four C’s and dream my own big dreams.

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