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Listen "#124 Duncan Wardle – How to Be More Creative"
Episode Synopsis
How to Be More Creative and Innovative
Ex Disney Executive Duncan Wardle Reveals Easy to Follow Creative Strategies
Listening to Duncan Wardle and his Disney stories will reveal some easy to follow techniques that can make you more creative. The sort of creative that Blockbuster could and should have been when faced with their category killer, Netflix. Duncan reveals the approach Netflix took to unpicking Blockbuster's dominance.Can you be more creative? Of course you can be creative. We all can. It helps though if you have the guidance of a creativity expert.
Duncan Wardle spoke to us from Indianapolis, Indiana. He was in a hotel lobby, but you'd hardly know.
Duncan's Background
At Edinburgh University, he noticed a picture of Mickey Mouse on the notice board. A chance to be one of 5 students at the UK Pavilion at the Epcot Centre. In 1986, he had an interview with Becky, a 6' 7" female Texan. He got the gig. He joined lots of other young people and soon discovered that the Mexicans seemed to be having better parties!
He married a Mexican. On June 25th, they will have been married 30 years! No doubt they'll toast the event with Tequila!
After a year, he returned to London and phone the Disney London office. At the time they had just 16 people. Now there is nearer 2,000 people there. He phoned the office EVERY DAY for 27 DAYS. Until they got fed up of him calling. He got a half hour interview and was given a job as Cappuccino Boy. He'd get coffee for his boss and collate 50 press kits per day. He had his Disney start!
Creative Things Duncan Did in His Early Career
The job of that Disney office was to get Europe acclimatised to EuroDisney.
With a small budget and a lot of guts, they made a name for themselves.
Like flying into the Soviet Union. In a giant Mickey Mouse hot air balloon. There was a deal to tether the balloon in Red Square. It broke loose in the wind and it takes it over the walls of the Kremlin. They landed in the Kremlin. Surrounded by guards with Kalashnikovs. All they wanted though was a picture next to Mickey Mouse!
He persuaded Lord King to add big ears to one of his Concorde aircraft.
That's creative!
Like a Kid in a Candy Store (Sweet Shop)
Duncan got a promotion to Director of PR to Disney in the States because he'd got in front of then President Bill Clinton. He'd also got an audience with John Major too. Disney was impressed, they'd not been able to do that themselves.
The President pardons a turkey at Thanksgiving. The turkey becomes the happiest turkey in the country. Duncan cut a deal with the White House to take the happiest turkey to the happiest place in America - Disneyland!
He built an Olympic sized swimming pool for Michael Phelps to swim down Main Street!
Duncan got Buzz Lightyear into space!
http://thenext100days.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Duncan-Vid.mp4
The Toy Story went, that Duncan persuaded NASA to bring Buzz (his son James's Buzz) back to Earth.
Here's Duncan telling the story of Buzz Lightyear. You have to see that this is creative. If not. Stop reading!
He threatened NASA he'd tell the world's press if they followed through on kicking him into space rather than brining him home.
He was asked to figure out WHAT MADE PEOPLE INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE
Duncan surveyed 5,000 people in the Disney Organisation. He found 5 reasons why people weren't as creative as they could be.
Time - the lack of time. I don't have time to think.
There was no single definition of innovation and creativity. To prevent arguments about being creative.
Turning a "we build it and you will come" culture to customer centric. Walt Disneyworld is the largest single site employer in the United States. 100,000 employees!
Consultants who came to Disney, did a project and left again, didn't leave their how to be creative insight. They took their money and left. The organisation wasn't learning. So Duncan realised he needed Disney's own...
Ex Disney Executive Duncan Wardle Reveals Easy to Follow Creative Strategies
Listening to Duncan Wardle and his Disney stories will reveal some easy to follow techniques that can make you more creative. The sort of creative that Blockbuster could and should have been when faced with their category killer, Netflix. Duncan reveals the approach Netflix took to unpicking Blockbuster's dominance.Can you be more creative? Of course you can be creative. We all can. It helps though if you have the guidance of a creativity expert.
Duncan Wardle spoke to us from Indianapolis, Indiana. He was in a hotel lobby, but you'd hardly know.
Duncan's Background
At Edinburgh University, he noticed a picture of Mickey Mouse on the notice board. A chance to be one of 5 students at the UK Pavilion at the Epcot Centre. In 1986, he had an interview with Becky, a 6' 7" female Texan. He got the gig. He joined lots of other young people and soon discovered that the Mexicans seemed to be having better parties!
He married a Mexican. On June 25th, they will have been married 30 years! No doubt they'll toast the event with Tequila!
After a year, he returned to London and phone the Disney London office. At the time they had just 16 people. Now there is nearer 2,000 people there. He phoned the office EVERY DAY for 27 DAYS. Until they got fed up of him calling. He got a half hour interview and was given a job as Cappuccino Boy. He'd get coffee for his boss and collate 50 press kits per day. He had his Disney start!
Creative Things Duncan Did in His Early Career
The job of that Disney office was to get Europe acclimatised to EuroDisney.
With a small budget and a lot of guts, they made a name for themselves.
Like flying into the Soviet Union. In a giant Mickey Mouse hot air balloon. There was a deal to tether the balloon in Red Square. It broke loose in the wind and it takes it over the walls of the Kremlin. They landed in the Kremlin. Surrounded by guards with Kalashnikovs. All they wanted though was a picture next to Mickey Mouse!
He persuaded Lord King to add big ears to one of his Concorde aircraft.
That's creative!
Like a Kid in a Candy Store (Sweet Shop)
Duncan got a promotion to Director of PR to Disney in the States because he'd got in front of then President Bill Clinton. He'd also got an audience with John Major too. Disney was impressed, they'd not been able to do that themselves.
The President pardons a turkey at Thanksgiving. The turkey becomes the happiest turkey in the country. Duncan cut a deal with the White House to take the happiest turkey to the happiest place in America - Disneyland!
He built an Olympic sized swimming pool for Michael Phelps to swim down Main Street!
Duncan got Buzz Lightyear into space!
http://thenext100days.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Duncan-Vid.mp4
The Toy Story went, that Duncan persuaded NASA to bring Buzz (his son James's Buzz) back to Earth.
Here's Duncan telling the story of Buzz Lightyear. You have to see that this is creative. If not. Stop reading!
He threatened NASA he'd tell the world's press if they followed through on kicking him into space rather than brining him home.
He was asked to figure out WHAT MADE PEOPLE INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE
Duncan surveyed 5,000 people in the Disney Organisation. He found 5 reasons why people weren't as creative as they could be.
Time - the lack of time. I don't have time to think.
There was no single definition of innovation and creativity. To prevent arguments about being creative.
Turning a "we build it and you will come" culture to customer centric. Walt Disneyworld is the largest single site employer in the United States. 100,000 employees!
Consultants who came to Disney, did a project and left again, didn't leave their how to be creative insight. They took their money and left. The organisation wasn't learning. So Duncan realised he needed Disney's own...
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