I Wish You a Sterling

I Wish You a Sterling
My wife and I were travelling back from Chicago to Orlando after Christmas. It had been a hard holiday, one marred by sickness — as, unfortunately, so many of us are experiencing now — leading us to spend a lot of the time there with our kids in a hotel, away from most family. As... Read more »
By James Warda,
January 6, 2022 at 11:28 am • 

Stay Gold, Packers. Please.

Stay Gold, Packers. Please.
It all starts at the top. Or the bottom, depending on what matters most. Last week, I wrote about how Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, had yelled “I still own you!” at Chicago fans during a game at Soldier Field earlier in the year. I also wrote that he does indeed “own”... Read more »
By James Warda,
December 13, 2021 at 9:15 am • 

Aaron Rodgers' "I still own you!" comment tells us more about him than the Chicago Bears

Aaron Rodgers' "I still own you!" comment tells us more about him than the Chicago Bears
DISCLAIMER: I’m a Chicago Bears fan, but this post isn’t really about that. It’s about being professional and the words and approach we choose. Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. A pretty good one, in fact. He followed Brett Favre there, someone you may have heard of, too. And, in all that... Read more »
By James Warda,
December 9, 2021 at 10:48 am • 
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A Coincidental Conversation™ with Richard Snow about Amusement Parks, Perseverance, and the Disneyland moment that changed his life

A Coincidental Conversation™ with Richard Snow about Amusement Parks, Perseverance, and the Disneyland moment that changed his life
Richard Snow was 12 when he had his life-changing Disney moment. I had mine at 57. Speaking of moments, there’s a very cool one that happens when you find a special book. You read the cover and promotional blurbs, hoping that you might have found one of those books, Charlie’s Golden Ticket, if you will.... Read more »
By James Warda,
November 8, 2021 at 11:35 am • 

A Coincidental Conversation™ with former Disney Executive Dan Cockerell about Courage, Curiosity and Being the "Youngest Door-to-Door Salesman Ever"

A Coincidental Conversation™ with former Disney Executive Dan Cockerell about Courage, Curiosity and Being the "Youngest Door-to-Door Salesman Ever"
Every time I interview someone related to Disney, I find myself looking for the traits they share with Walt Disney. Insofar, of course, as much as I actually “know” Walt. I didn’t have to look far when it came to Dan Cockerell, an author, consultant, speaker, and coach who, before starting his own company in... Read more »
By James Warda,
October 26, 2021 at 11:15 am • 

A Coincidental Conversation™ about the "Love on Every Billboard" Movement with Founder John Pogachar

A Coincidental Conversation™ about the "Love on Every Billboard" Movement with Founder John Pogachar
I thought about John Pogachar recently on a cross-country trip my wife and I took from Chicago to Orlando. As I drove, I realized that the story of this country is told through billboards. Every topic is covered. Restaurants. Religion. Gas Stations. Lawyers. Doctors. Hospitals. Hotels. Adult Entertainment (sadly, quite a few of those). Local... Read more »
By James Warda,
October 14, 2021 at 2:44 pm • 
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A Coincidental Conversation™ about “A-Ha” moments, authenticity, and the Disney Difference with WDW Radio host Lou Mongello

A Coincidental Conversation™ about “A-Ha” moments, authenticity, and the Disney Difference with WDW Radio host Lou Mongello
WARNING: If you talk to Lou Mongello, author, speaker, consultant, and host of the popular WDW Radio podcast, you are going to come away from that conversation feeling energized and positive. You won’t be able to help it, it will just happen. In fact, you will feel like you’ve just spent the day at the... Read more »
By James Warda,
August 3, 2021 at 7:45 pm • 

A Coincidental Conversation™ about turning codependency into independence-y

A Coincidental Conversation™ about turning codependency into independence-y
Imagine you’re the parent of a 12-year-old girl and she comes to you one day and asks if both of you can go to therapy together. Next, imagine that two years later, she accompanies her good friend to a Twelve Step meeting to support her in recovery. Then, imagine that same girl growing up, and... Read more »
By James Warda,
July 24, 2021 at 9:58 am • 

A Coincidental Conversation about Rollercoasters, Shirt Cardboards and Walt Disney with former Imagineer Jim Shull

A Coincidental Conversation about Rollercoasters, Shirt Cardboards and Walt Disney with former Imagineer Jim Shull
It’s not a coincidence that “Jim Shull” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll” almost rhyme. At least not to me. That’s because Shull, a former Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) executive creative director, designed the “Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith” ride at Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World, among many others. And like that ride, getting the... Read more »
By James Warda,
July 7, 2021 at 9:42 am • 
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Happy Dependence Day!

Happy Dependence Day!
Me: “Happy Dependence Day!”You: “Wait, what? I thought it was ‘Independence’?”Me: “Well, yes, when you’re talking about the holiday commemorating the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, it is. But, what I’m talking about here is our dependence on each other. After all, humans are social creatures. We need each other, no matter how... Read more »
By James Warda,
July 2, 2021 at 1:46 pm •