Walt Disney’s 8 secrets to success

by Bob Hill www.businessbrief.com

Walt Disney was an innovator and a visionary. But he was also one of the most successful business leaders of his time. Here are eight principles that made Walt Disney one of the greatest icons of the 20th century:

1. Provide a promise, not a product: The legend goes that Walt Disney was sitting on a bench watching his daughters ride a carousel when he came up with the concept for Disney World. He noticed amusement parks and state fairs were always littered and poorly organized, and the employees were generally rude and resentful.
His wife once asked, “Why do you want to build an amusement park? They’re so dirty.” To which Walt replied, “That’s the point. Mine won’t be.” From day one, Disney has focused on “the experience” as a key component to increasing the value of its parks.

2. Always exceed customers’ expectations: One of the reasons the Disney tradition stands the test of time is that Walt Disney was more critical of his creations than anyone else could ever possibly be. He was a relentless perfectionist with a keen eye for detail, often forcing projects to go over budget and past deadline because he wasn’t satisfied with the finished product.

3. Pursue your passion, and the money will follow: Walt Disney went bankrupt more than once, leveraging everything he had in terms of assets in order to build his studio, his films and his dreams. The more profit one project yielded, the bigger the next would be. His vision was constantly growing, and he used whatever capital he had to allow that vision to evolve. His films and theme parks were labors of love, built to revolutionize an industry, rather than maximize profits.

4. Stay true to your company’s mission and values: Walt Disney was famous for saying, “I hope that we never lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a mouse.”
Decades later, Mickey Mouse is still the crown jewel of the Disney franchise, representing all the good will and imagination Disney represents. He’s also a constant reminder that the company has strong roots and it embraces American values.

5. Differentiate your offer: Every facet of Disney’s operation is unique. Employees are called “associates,” visitors are called “guests,” creative designers are called “Imagineers.” And that’s just the beginning. The experience of being at a Disney theme park or staying at a Disney resort is all about creating a dream vacation – one where the attention to detail and personal service is just as memorable as the attractions themselves.

6. Lead by example and delegate: Walt Disney was the artist who originally sketched Mickey Mouse, as well as several of the other iconic Disney characters. He even voiced several characters and provided the inspiration for a lot Disney’s animated classics. But as he built a studio and then an empire, he hired reliable men and women who understood his vision and trusted them to translate that vision to others. By the time Walt broke ground on Disney World, he hadn’t drawn a character for decades, nor was he a daily fixture at creative meetings. He built a strong foundation and developed self-reliant managers who embraced his vision. That allowed him to turn his attention to even bigger dreams, while the company and its employees continued to prosper.

7. Defy convention: So much about Walt Disney’s rise was about bucking the odds and ignoring the critics, whether it was show biz insiders telling him no one would ever sit still for a feature-length animated film, or others saying Walt was crazy for buying acres and acres of murky swampland in central Florida, Disney always trusted his instincts first. Einstein once said, “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” Walt Disney was a perfect example.

8. Leave behind something to grow: According to one historian, “The true measure of a man’s greatness is what he’s left behind to grow.” Disney World didn’t even open its gates until nearly a year after Walt Disney’s death. And yet, the tradition continues to evolve, almost 45 years later. While Disney has diversified in a number of ways, it’s still the company that started with a mouse. Perhaps Walt himself put it best: “Disney Land is something that will never be finished, something I can keep ‘plussing’ and adding to. I just finished a live-action picture. It’s gone. I can’t touch it. I want something live, something that will grow. The park is that.”

Select quotes taken from The Quotable Walt Disney

PayPal Debit Card Agreement

The following is the PayPal Debit Card Agreement; Last Update: Oct 14, 2009

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1. PayPal Debit Card. The PayPal Debit Card ("Debit Card") allows you to access your PayPal Balance through a debit card. You may also access your bank account or PayPal Credit through the PayPal Debit Card if your PayPal Balance is insufficient, and if you have set up a backup funding source. To set up your bank account or PayPal Credit as a backup funding source, log in to your Account, go to the "Profile" page, select "Debit Card" and add your backup funding source preferences.

2. Using your Debit Card. You may use your Debit Card at any Maestro/Cirrus ATM. If given the option, select "Checking Account" when using an ATM. You may use your Debit Card to purchase goods and services from merchants that accept MasterCard, in an amount up to your available PayPal Account Balance, or the amounts available through your backup funding source subject to the Spending Limits below. You may also use your card to withdraw cash from your PayPal balance.

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GE’s last big hooray at NBC fails over Jay Leno gamble

“NBC Wants Leno Back in Old Slot,” according to the New York Times. Faced with the failure of the biggest recent gamble in television, NBC is reportedly shuffling its late-night deck one more time.

GE struck a deal last month to sell NBC Universal, the parent of NBC, to Comcast. According to the times, “one person with knowledge of the negotiations said that NBC’s poor performance — it languishes in last place in prime time — was a driving reason for the sale.”

GE has lost much of its bravado over the past three years, so it seems.

A little taste of the West Coast to warm a cold New Yorker

There’s nothing like a little taste of the West Coast to warm a cold New Yorker.

"If the Dos Toros Taqueria just off Union Square brings to mind the sort of fresh, quick and cheap eating found at Mexican joints in the San Francisco Bay Area, that’s by design," writes NYT’s Oliver Strand. "It was opened by brothers Leo and Oliver Kremer, two natives of Berkeley, Calif., who worshiped Gordo Taqueria, a local favorite founded in 1977.

Dos Toros is something of an homage." There are only three items on the menu: a taco, burrito and quesadilla, with a variety of possible preparations. Hint: say yes to the guacamole. Go for the "simple and succulent food, stripped-down cooking served in Spartan conditions. Just like at Gordo, Dos Toros has a short menu, high standards and such satisfying fare you don’t mind the hospital lighting."

Also look out for other Left Coast details: "the biodegradable corn-based utensils, the aggressive composting policy, the disarmingly nice staff." It will make you feel like you’re in sunny California, at least until you walk back outside.

Free laughs with comedian Mike Yard, Bad Boys of Comedy alumnus

"Between the squeeze of the recession and the annual appetite for holiday entertainment, the hunt for a good, cheap evening out has reached new heights," writes NY Times’ Felicia R. Lee. Thankfully, there are plenty of bargain tickets, freebies, and discounts o be scored during this somewhat subdued holiday season, including Juilliard, Lincoln Center, the New York Public Library and the Museum of Modern Art.

On Saturday, Lee reminds us the comedian Mike Yard, an alumnus of the Bad Boys of Comedy, will film his one-hour special live at Symphony Space, admission free.

Click Here for more New York City cultural bargains

Card Networks questioned about aggressive online sales tactics

Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, has sent letters to Visa, American Express, and MasterCard asking them what they know about the aggressive online sales tactics many online companies use to charge consumers’ credit cards for unwanted club memberships. An earlier Committee staff report found that "millions of online consumers have been enrolled in these membership clubs and their credit card or debit cards have been charged even though they never provided the companies with their sixteen digit credit card or debit card numbers."

Huffington Post launched its local Los Angeles website

We’ve seen it roll out in New York and Chicago; now Los Angeles has one too. Yesterday, the Huffington Post launched its local Los Angeles website, featuring the day’s hot stories plus commentary about the city.

Billy Silverman is the Editor, Willow Bay is Senior Editor. Bloggers they’ve brought on board include philanthropist Eli Broad, The Office’s Ellie Kemper, musician Ben Lee and County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. Others include former porn actress Jennifer Ketcham and City Council President Eric Garcetti.

Comcast announces deal for control of NBC Universal

Comcast announces deal for control of NBC Universal, creating movie and TV powerhouse.

Deal would turn the nation’s largest cable TV provider into one of its most powerful media companies.

For more information, visit washingtonpost.com

Green Dot employees will be able to choose a health insurance option with absolutely no premiums

Green Dot Corporation, the nation’s leading provider of prepaid financial services for America’s financially underserved community, announced major improvements to its employee benefits package for 2010 for all of the Company’s nearly 300 Southern California-based employees.

At the company’s Thanksgiving luncheon, Green Dot Founder and CEO Steve Streit announced that starting in January 2010, all Green Dot employees will be able to choose a health insurance option with absolutely no premiums under the Company’s high quality Blue Cross HMO plan. Furthermore, in order to help the Company’s employees who have children, Green Dot will extend the same high quality coverage for the children of employees for approximately $1 per day. The Company also announced greatly reduced costs for the Company’s Blue Cross PPO plans. The dramatic program upgrades include all levels, not just senior management, and are available for both part-time and full-time staff.

Said Mr. Streit, "Whatever side of the health care reform debate you’re on, there’s no denying that our country is in a health care crisis where many simply go without. While we don’t have the resources to impact the lives of every person in America, we certainly have the resources to impact the lives of our employees. And we will." Mr. Streit added, "Our ability to spend millions on health care and other benefit programs is due in large part to our employees’ hard work and dedication on behalf of our Company, our investors and most of all, our customers. Green Dot employees should benefit from their hard work and we are proud to reinvest our profits into one of our most important assets – our employees and their families."

At the same luncheon, Green Dot also announced a greatly enhanced 401(k) matching program and a more robust employee stock option program.

Green Dot is hiring. For information about careers at Green Dot Corporation, please visit www.greendotonline.com. Green Dot is an equal opportunity employer.

About Green Dot

Green Dot is the leading provider of prepaid financial services in the United States, and owns and operates the Green Dot Network, which is the largest cash reloading network in the United States. The company offers consumers a comprehensive portfolio of financial products and services through thousands of leading retailer locations nationwide including Walmart, CVS/pharmacy, Fred Meyer, Kmart, Kroger, Radio Shack, Ralphs, Rite Aid, Smiths and Walgreens. Green Dot’s products include Green Dot MasterCard(R) and Visa(R) branded prepaid debit cards and the Green Dot MoneyPak(R). The Green Dot MoneyPak provides a convenient and efficient way for consumers to load cash to prepaid cards, use cash to make purchases and pay bills, and add cash to a variety of accounts. Green Dot is headquartered in the greater Los Angeles area. Green Dot and MoneyPak are registered trademarks of Green Dot Corporation.

 For more information:

 Vickie Fite

 323-866-6013

Green Dot Corporation Announces Significant Enhancements to Employee Benefits Package for 2010

Green Dot Corporation, the nation’s leading provider of prepaid financial services for America’s financially underserved community, announced major improvements to its employee benefits package for 2010 for all of the Company’s nearly 300 Southern California-based employees.

At the company’s Thanksgiving luncheon, Green Dot Founder and CEO Steve Streit announced that starting in January 2010, all Green Dot employees will be able to choose a health insurance option with absolutely no premiums under the Company’s high quality Blue Cross HMO plan. Furthermore, in order to help the Company’s employees who have children, Green Dot will extend the same high quality coverage for the children of employees for approximately $1 per day. The Company also announced greatly reduced costs for the Company’s Blue Cross PPO plans. The dramatic program upgrades include all levels, not just senior management, and are available for both part-time and full-time staff.

Said Mr. Streit, "Whatever side of the health care reform debate you’re on, there’s no denying that our country is in a health care crisis where many simply go without. While we don’t have the resources to impact the lives of every person in America, we certainly have the resources to impact the lives of our employees. And we will." Mr. Streit added, "Our ability to spend millions on health care and other benefit programs is due in large part to our employees’ hard work and dedication on behalf of our Company, our investors and most of all, our customers. Green Dot employees should benefit from their hard work and we are proud to reinvest our profits into one of our most important assets – our employees and their families."

At the same luncheon, Green Dot also announced a greatly enhanced 401(k) matching program and a more robust employee stock option program.

For more information: Vickie Fite, 323-866-6013