Bippity Boppity Business: A podcast for Disney Enthusiasts and Business Professionals.

Theron Skees is a highly adaptive, solution-oriented creative executive with 30 years experience assembling and leading multi-disciplined, cross-functional teams for both domestic and international projects in the Themed Entertainment Industry. 

A veteran of Walt Disney Imagineering, he has led diverse concept, design and construction projects from hundreds of millions to multiple billions of dollars in a wide variety of experience types all over the world. 

The requirements for theme parks, hotels and attractions are different than retail, dining, entertainment and cruise ships, however, he applies the same story-based approach to connect the brand to the consumer in lasting ways. 

Disney is synonymous with family entertainment, and their parks reflect that commitment to quality. 

Whether it's the care taken to create an immersive environment or the focus on customer service, Disney sets the standard for the themed entertainment industry. 

For Theron, it's all about creating an emotional connection between the brand and the customer. 

That's what innovative design is all about. It's not just about making something look pretty; it's about creating an experience that will stay with people long after they've left your park or attraction. When done right, that connection can last a lifetime.

On this episode of Bippity Boppity Business our host, Rita Richa and guestTheron Skees, Owner and CCO @ The Designer's Creative Studio, discuss:

• Storytelling in business, inspired by Disney
• How to connect your brand to an audience 
• Excellent CX, infusing wonder in the work and experience
• How to continually create/innovate in a saturated market/ building selling experiences 

Want to learn more about the magic of branding behind the scenes to apply to YOUR business? If yes, then this episode is for you!

Be sure to stick around for the Disney Rapid Fire Questions segment! You definitely won’t want to miss Adam's creative answers!

Do you wish to connect with our special guest?

Connect with Theron Skees @: https://linktr.ee/designers.creative.studio 

Theron's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theronskees/  

Website: https://www.designerscreativestudio.com/

Tune in to every conversation about making magic in business on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google! [Leave a rating and review so we can keep making magic! ;)]

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Bippity Boppity Business in your favorite podcast player.

Have guest ideas or would like to be interviewed?

Connect with Rita:

Visit her website: https://bippityboppitybiz.com

Connect with her on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ritaricha 
Email: [email protected]

Do you have a podcast you want to create, rebrand, or grow? Discover Rita’s NEW podcast consulting company, Reignite Media. 

This episode of Bippity Boppity Business was produced by Reignite Media. 

Walt Disney’s life story is one of leadership, perseverance, courage, and above all, vision. Having a vision and believing in your wild ideas is vital to building a successful, passion-driven business, especially one that serves our future.

A wise man once said, if you’re facing a fork in the road, trying to figure out which way to go, pick the passionate option and put it all on the line. That wise man is actually our guest today, Dr. Jeffrey Barnes!

Listen in as Rita welcomes Dr. Jeffrey Barnes, best-selling author and world-renowned Disney keynote speaker, to have a magical discussion about the most powerful lessons learned from Walt Disney’s life and career.

In this episode, Rita and Jeffrey discuss:

• How Walt Disney became an iconic businessman.
• Why you need to take risks in business and go ALL IN.
• Innovative technology and business strategies Walt Disney used to market and grow his theme parks.
• How to truly believe in your wild ideas and see them come to fruition.
• Why Walt’s older brother, Roy Disney, is a forgotten hero.
• The powerful role of storytelling in business.
• The unspoken key to great storytelling.

Be sure to stick around for the Disney Rapid Fire Questions segment! You won’t want to miss Jeffrey’s answers!

Do you wish to connect with our special guest?

Visit Jeffrey’s website: https://thewisdomofwalt.com

Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-a-barnes-a18055106

Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdisneyland

Follow him on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drdisneyland

Connect with him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewisdomofwalt

Check out Dr. Jeffrey Barnes’s books: https://thewisdomofwalt.com/books

Email him: [email protected]

Tune in to every conversation about making magic in business on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google! Leave a rating and review so we can keep making magic!

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Bippity Boppity Business in your favorite podcast player.

Connect with Rita:

Visit her website: https://bippityboppitybiz.com

Connect with her on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ritaricha

Do you have a podcast you want to grow? 

Discover Rita’s NEW podcast consulting & production company, Reignite Media: 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/reignite-media

The passion of art often gets lost in the business world… but when we work from a place of passion, creativity, and wonderment, we can make a magical impact on people.

“Wonder” is defined as a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused my something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable. Here at Bippity Boppity Business, we believe that if you can hold onto the feelings of wonder you once experienced in childhood, you’ll be more likely to create something meaningful and impactful as an adult.

Having started his animation career for the Walt Disney Studios, this week’s guest has a unique background of infusing wonder into his work. 

Listen in as Rita welcomes Saul Blinkoff, legendary animator and filmmaker, to have a magical discussion about the power of wonderment in business and the skills/mindsets you need to pursue your most wondrous ideas.

In this episode, Saul and Rita discuss:

• How Saul became an animator and filmmaker for Disney, Netflix, MTV, and more.
• How to infuse a sense of wonder in your art or business.
• The secret to being confident in your career and achieving the “impossible”.
• How to turn your weaknesses into your strengths.
• Saul’s best advice for aspiring animators, entrepreneurs, and creators of all kinds.
• The #1 thing you need to be a successful leader, according to Saul Blinkoff.

Be sure to stick around for the Disney Rapid Fire Questions segment! You won’t want to miss Saul’s wondrous answers!

Do you wish to connect with our special guest?

Visit Saul’s website & listen to the Life of Awesome Podcast: http://www.saulblinkoff.com

Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saul.blinkoff

Tune in to every conversation about making magic in business on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google! Leave a rating and review so we can keep making magic!

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Bippity Boppity Business in your favorite podcast player.

Connect with Rita:

Visit her website: https://bippityboppitybiz.com

Connect with her on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ritaricha

Do you have a podcast you want to grow? 

Discover Rita’s NEW podcast consulting & production company, Reignite Media: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reignite-media

When Disney acquired Pixar in 2006, it was a big moment for the company. 

In the book “Ride of A Lifetime,” former CEO Bob Iger recounts that many felt it was too risky, controversial, and almost impossible to successfully execute.Disney and Pixar were two very different companies, with clashing animation and culture ideals. 

Directed under Steve Jobs, Pixar’s creative team were the rebels of animation, innovating and producing work that was far beyond the time and what technology was capable of achieving. They had free range to create, with little to no “corporate red tape”. Pixar’s creative team was creating movie blockbuster hits like “Toy Story” that no one had ever seen before. 

Meanwhile, Disney was struggling to rank in the box office- the golden era of the 90’s movies was beginning to fade. At the same time, they had stakeholder expectations, intellectual property, and Walt’s legacy, for their creative team to maintain and consider. Innovation was welcomed, but the prospect of producing 3D animation, instead of hand drawn 2D, was not widely accepted. 

There was a lot of worry, from the Pixar team, that they would lose their creative edge, that they would become a corporate machine, that churned out product without any care or feeling. 

But Iger knew, in order to continue growing as a business, Disney had to merge with Pixar. Iger was aware of the potential cultural clash that would occur when their two very different organizations would come together. His team couldn’t only be the ones executing this culture change management. 

Disney was not only acquiring Pixar's team and outputs, they were also acquiring the values and culture of Pixar. They needed a specialist, a neutral third party, to help bring these two very different worlds of business together. 

Adam Kingl was brought on board as a business consultant and leadership expert to help with the transition and merger. By hiring someone like Kingl, who could help them navigate these waters, Pixar was able to maintain their creative spirit and continue to inspire others.

In this episode Rita Richa and Adam Kingl discuss:

- Ways business leaders can effectively navigate cultural change and people during a merger

- How culture directly correlates to business profitability and business success

- Strategies Adam implemented to insure Pixar and Disney’s cultural transition was a success

- The difference between scientific management and creative leadership

- Future of work and capitalism, how Disney is innovating in this space

- The magic ways to fulfill organizational and personal purpose.

Be sure to stick around for the Disney Rapid Fire Questions segment! You definitely won’t want to miss Adam's creative answers!

Do you wish to connect with our special guest?

Connect with Adam Kingl @:

Adam's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/htaha/

Website: https://www.youngandprofiting.com/

Check out Adam’s Book, “Next Generation Leadership: How To Ensure Young Talent Will Thrive With Your Organization” here: https://www.amazon.com/Next-Generation-Leadership-Ensure-Organization-ebook/dp/B07TD15SYL/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=adam+kingl&qid=1561900368&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Tune in to every conversation about making magic in business on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google! Leave a rating and review so we can keep making magic!

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Bippity Boppity Business in your favorite podcast player.

Have guest ideas or would like to be interviewed?

Connect with Rita:

Visit her website: https://bippityboppitybiz.com

Connect with her on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ritaricha
Email: [email protected]

Do you have a podcast you want to create, rebrand, or grow? Discover Rita’s NEW podcast consulting company, Reignite Media. 

This episode of Bippity Boppity Business was produced by Reignite Media. 

 

This episode of Bippity Boppity Business was a live streamed virtual event! 

A virtual event for business leaders who want to learn about the benefits of podcasting from storyteller experts and two former Disney cast members!

Presented by Rita Richa, host of Bippity Boppity business & Founder of Reignite Media [B2B Podcast Coaching & Content Creation Collaborator].

Rita Richa is joined with TWO Former Disney Cast Members and Entrepreneurs rocking it in their spaces:

Cassie Tucker and Katie Currens!

Cassie is the Co-host of the Marketing Happy hour & Founder of CAMM Media.

She has 6+ years of experience in social media, marketing, public relations, photography, and consulting at a local and even international level.

Do you wish to connect with our special guests?

Connect with Cassie Tucker of CAMM Media on LinkedIn Here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassaundrapalmer/

Connect with Katie Currens of One Spark Solutions on LinkedIn Here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiecurrens/ 

She’s a HUGE fan of storytelling and loves coming up with creative ways of engaging audiences.

Katie Currens is the Host of One Spark stories and Chief Engagement Officer at One Spark Solutions. She specializes in providing "people-focused" empowering Innovative & empathetic leadership solutions.

Her motivation to explore wonders has contributed to her extensive knowledge through self-taught and formal education. In an effort to help create more equitable and inclusive experiences, she has completed several certificated courses on DEI in the workplace through the University of South Florida.

In this special feature virtual event they will discuss 3 things:

✨ How podcasting has helped us as entrepreneurs network with dream collaborators and clients
✨ Why podcasting is our favorite form of content creation for our business
✨ What most business leaders get wrong about podcasting when they first start out

If you are a business leader that is looking to infuse wonder, connection, and creativity in your work, this event is for you!

 

Storytelling is a talent and a gift. A great storyteller can create a connection with their audience, evoke emotion, and leave a lasting impression. The best storytellers immerse us into their worlds and leave us wanting more. As more businesses explore storytelling as a digital content strategy, it's become an increasingly valuable tool in a marketer's arsenal, especially in B2B. 

When we story-tell we don’t just create content, we create connection.  

And as a result, an amazing phenomenon occurs.  We start to gain super fans of our work that eventually turn into our super consumers. And Disney is a company that has properly executed this idea and profited from this content strategy ever its inception. 

As I started to think about the best person to explore this topic with, I immediately thought of Hala.

Why? 

Hala Taha is the founder and CEO of YAP Media, a social media and podcast marketing agency for top podcasters, celebrities and CEOs and more. Also dubbed the “The Podcast Princess,” Hala is the host of the Young and Profiting (YAP)  Podcast, frequently ranked as a #1 Education podcast and has interviewed star-studded guests from the likes of Matthew McConaughey, Deepak Chopra, Seth Godin and countless others. 

Hala started her career in radio production while in college at HOT97 on “The Angie Martinez Show.” Later, she launched an entertainment news blog site, “The Sorority of Hip Hop,” where she led an all-female team of 50 bloggers, she nearly snagged a reality TV show on MTV! 

She took a temporary exit from the entertainment industry to get an MBA and has 7 years of corporate marketing experience at HP and Disney Streaming Services. She started the Young and Profiting Podcast and YAP Media as a side hustle, scaling the business to 35+ employees before quitting her executive position at Disney to take the leap into entrepreneurship. 

YAP Media is now a premier social media and podcast production agency for CEOs, celebrities and top podcasters, with a dozen high-profile clients and nearly 60 employees. 

How?

She has mastered the art of story through her personal branding, marketing, and podcast, and she’s got over 150,000 super fans on LinkedIn to prove it!

In this episode, Hala and Rita discuss:

• Hala’s current business and podcast “YAP”
• Her thoughts  on how to turn super fans into super consumers
• Tips on podcast storytelling
• Her mindset on creating content with intent to serve your audience, not yourself
• How she pushed through constant rejections in her life and finally found success through podcasting and LinkedIn
• Personal Branding: From 0 -150,000+ Followers and a Six-Figure Business. How she went from rejections to success through her online side hustle. 
• Hala’s former experiences and how they have shapes her professional career then and now
• And Much More!

Be sure to stick around for the Disney Rapid Fire Questions segment! You definitely won’t want to miss Hala’s creative answers!

Do you wish to connect with our special guest?

Connect with Hala @ Young and Profiting:

Hala’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/htaha/

Hala’s Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/yapwithhala/

Hala’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/yapwithhala

Clubhouse: https://www.clubhouse.com/@halataha

Website: https://www.youngandprofiting.com/

Text Hala: https://youngandprofiting.co/TextHala  or text “YAP” to 28046  

Tune in to every conversation about making magic in business on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google! Leave a rating and review so we can keep making magic!

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Bippity Boppity Business in your favorite podcast player.

Connect with Rita:

Visit her website: https://bippityboppitybiz.com

Connect with her on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ritaricha

Do you have a podcast you want to create, rebrand, or grow? Discover Rita’s NEW podcast consulting company, Reignite Media. 

Disney is known for its fantastical immersion factor, meaning their storytelling never fails to suck you into its wonder… much like Alice falling into Wonderland!

Though, many businesses struggle to convey the heart of their brand’s story through storytelling and immersive writing. Why is that? How can businesses organically create that Disney-level immersion factor? 

This week’s guest is going to illustrate how you can integrate storytelling and creative immersion through your marketing strategy, content creation, and creative process. Doing this will not only connect you with your target audience, but turn passive followers into super fans and then into super consumers.

Listen in as Rita welcomes Geoffrey Golden, an LA-based narrative designer and game creator, to have a magical discussion about immersive writing and storytelling for businesses.

In this episode, Geoffrey and Rita discuss:

• How Geoffrey’s love for The Muppets has influenced his career as a creator and designer.
• Tips and advice for business owners on telling their brand story authentically and creatively.
• How his email newsletter, Adventure Snack, became so successful.
• Walt Disney’s eccentric approaches to storytelling.
• How to start your business like a movie.
• Geoffrey’s creative process & “The Carpenter Mindset”
• Advice for aspiring creators, game designers, etc.

Be sure to stick around for the Disney Rapid Fire Questions segment! You won’t want to miss Geoffrey’s answers!

Do you wish to connect with our special guest?

Visit Geoffrey’s website: https://www.geoffreygolden.com

Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/geoffreygolden

Sign up for Adventure Snack: https://adventuresnack.substack.com

Connect with Geoffrey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffreygolden

Be sure to hear every conversation about making magic in business on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google!

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Bippity Boppity Business in your favorite podcast player.

The secret behind Disneyland's success is in Mickey's 10 Commandments. 

Created by Disney's "Imagineers," this cheat sheet of sorts forms the core principles behind a brand that has captivated the imaginations of generations.

This week's guest has spent the last 15 years using behavioral and consumer psychology to develop what she calls "meaningful marketing," and one of her major inspirations is Disney's story. 

Listen in as Rita welcomes Jennifer Clinehens, the founder of Choice Hacking and the author of the book of the same name. They dive into the psychological concepts behind Disney's vision, design, and execution of Disneyland that have created visitors for life. 

In this episode, Jennifer and Rita discuss:

• Jennifer's introduction to behavioral psychology.
• The Imagineers and Mickey's 10 Commandments:

1. Know your customer.

2. Wear your guest's shoes, a discussion on empathy.

3. Organize the flow of people and ideas. 

4. Create a weenie, a visual magnet, which ties to the concept of salience.

5. Communicate with visual literacy.

6. Avoid overload, applying simplicity theory to minimize cognitive load. 

7. Tell one story at a time.

8. Maintain identity and avoid contradiction. 

9. For every ounce of treatment, provide a ton of fun.

10. Keep it up.

Jennifer: "I've been using behavioral science and psychology to create again what I'm kind of calling meaningful marketing and customer experience. So this idea that, can we sort of get into people's brains? That sounds creepy, but you know what I mean? Kind of see through people's eyes, why do people do the things that they do even if they don't really know it themselves?"

Jennifer: "We don't create memories from every single moment of an experience. We create memories and opinions and beliefs and things about an experience based on only two points, and that would be the emotional peak, which can be good or bad, so it can be a trough of like a peak, and then the end of the experience."

Jennifer: "I think a really important one is number two, so wear your guest's shoes. Having empathy for customers, the people you're trying to welcome to a park or sell something to, regardless of what your business is. Just go out and pretend to be a customer. Just watch people. And you'd be shocked because, being somebody who's worked in a big company and also in big ad agencies, small ad agencies, working for a client or being a client, you'd just be shocked like people forget."

Be sure to stick around for the Disney Rapid Fire Questions segment! You wouldn't want to miss Jennifer's awesome answers!

Do you wish to connect with our special guest? 

Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenclinehens/

Get her book Choice Hacking: How to use psychology and behavioral science to create an experience that sings: https://www.amazon.com/Choice-Hacking-psychology-behavioral-experience/dp/B08BV7JF2B

Visit her website: https://www.choicehacking.com/

Listen to her podcast, Choice Hacking: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/choice-hacking/id1535389276

Subscribe to her YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GrowLiketheGreatest

Tune in to every conversation about making magic in business on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google! Leave a rating and review so we can keep making magic!

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Bippity Boppity Business in your favorite podcast player.

Connect with Rita:

Visit her website: https://bippityboppitybiz.com

Connect with her on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ritaricha

Do you have a podcast you want to grow? Discover Rita’s NEW podcast consulting & production company, Reignite Media: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reignite-media

Do you ever wonder who the masterminds are behind Disney’s TikTok and Instagram accounts?

Have you ever considered creating social media content for Disney or even becoming a Disney microinfluencer?

It’s not easy, but it’s definitely a dream job if you ask us!

This week’s guest is a former Content Creator & Social Media Manager for The Walt Disney Company. She has helped them rapidly grow their TikTok and Instagram presence in just a few months. Now, she has a media company that specializes in social media strategy and influencer partnerships.

Listen in as Rita welcomes Josephine Maida, a freelance writer, PR expert, microinfluencer, and Founder of Maida Media, to have a magical discussion about Disney content creation, transitioning from freelancing to entrepreneurship, and growing as a social media influencer.

In this episode, Josephine and Rita discuss:

• How Josephine got a job as a content creator and social media manager for The Walt Disney Company.

Be sure to stick around for the Disney Rapid Fire Questions segment! You definitely won’t want to miss Josephine’s hilarious answers!

Do you wish to connect with our special guest?

Connect with Josephine on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/josephine-maida-she-her-50928393

Follow her on Instagram: www.instagram.com/josiemaida

Follow her on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@josiemaida

Visit her website: www.maidamedia.com

Listen to her podcast, The Carousel Project: https://anchor.fm/thecarouselproject Email her: [email protected]

Tune in to every conversation about making magic in business on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google! Leave a rating and review so we can keep making magic!

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Bippity Boppity Business in your favorite podcast player.

Connect with Rita:

Visit her website: https://bippityboppitybiz.com

Connect with her on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ritaricha

Do you have a podcast you want to grow? Discover Rita’s NEW podcast consulting & production company, Reignite Media: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reignite-media

The core of every Disney best practice is a service first mindset. 

Cast members are trained to think questions like, "How can I serve this project? How can I serve my customer? How can I serve my team?"It all comes from the mission and "why" statement the Disney company lives and breathes by: "creating happiness for people of all ages everywhere,"Join us on this episode of Bippity Boppity Business as we speak to Katie Currens of One Spark Solutions about: ✨Her past experience as a Disney Cast Member ✨ Her magical three-pillar business theory: connect, create, and celebrate 🥳 ✨ How to explore and find professional purpose, in ourselves and in business 👩🏻‍💼  

 It just might spark ⚡️ some new ideas 💡 you can implement in your work today!"One little spark of inspiration is at the heart of all creation." 🐉 - Figment

Do you wish to connect with our special guest?Connect with Katie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiecurrens/

Visit Katie's website: http://onesparksolutions.com/

Email her: [email protected]

Tune in to every conversation about making magic in business on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google! Leave a rating and review so we can keep making magic!

Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Bippity Boppity Business in your favorite podcast player.

Connect with our host Rita Richa :www.linkedin.com/in/ritaricha