October 2018 Issue
An ironic thing happened this summer. Back in August, I attempted some work/life balance with a family vacay to Disney World. (Which we all know is a lot more work than…actual work!) While we were there, I took my son on the Carousel of Progress. For those of you not familiar, this is a nostalgic Tomorrowland “ride” where the audience rotates around a fixed stage learning the electrical advancements in the day to day life of an animatronic family as they progress through the 20th century. Yep, this show (unless you’re a real Disney freak) is boring AF and most often used as a place to take an air-conditioned nap. Admittedly, I’m a sentimental sucker for the show, and its happy-go-lucky theme songs.
One audience member was apparently not a fan, mid-rotation between the “future” (aka the late ‘80s) and the closing curtain; she just got up and walked out! Causing an automatic shut down of the theater, leaving the rest of us STUCK on the Carousel of Progress!
Since this bizarre experience, the phrase "stuck on a Carousel of Progress" keeps circulating around my head. The more I’ve thought about it, the more I've come to realize...it's a pretty comical metaphor for work…and life! Wouldn’t you agree, that as we rotate our business into the 4th quarter, the motion sickness often sets in as we swirl around in a teacup of exhaustion and anxiety? We work our tails off all while whispering to ourselves. "Am I going to meet this year's goals? Shouldn't I have more inquiries right now? Does this client understand my special sauce...do I even understand my special sauce?" Like the white rabbit in Wonderland, we are continually moving, moving, moving...but are we strategically going anywhere?
Ask yourself, is my carousel of progress spinning out of control as unachieved goals whip by? Am I, the unamused park guest, on the verge of giving up and walking off?
Don’t make yourself sick; I’ll hold your hair back. Together, we'll devise a progressive brand and marketing strategy to keep your business moving forward into your land of tomorrow!
PS – Will you be at The Knot Gala? Come find me for a high-five and kick-it over cocktails!🍸
