Let's Talk Soon

Episode 48 Like Putting a Hat on a Head of Lettuce

If you enjoy funny real-life anecdotes, this episode might be just for you!

Rob and Tricia begin with a brief conversation on the benefits of “soft starts” that allow the option of easing into any conversation rather than an abrupt beginning and end. Tricia’s soft-start-question for her brother today: “What is your favorite color, and how did you land on that choice?” After a brief discussion of Rob’s love of shades of blue, Tricia shares an anecdote about her fifth-grade teacher’s revelation regarding her favorite shade of red—which had some rather shocking connotations—and the journey to come to terms with her emotional attachment to red—and plenty of it.

Rob shifts the conversation to a funny story that happened that very morning, when a friend of his posted some pictures from his recent photo shoot, and the others on his team decided to use those pictures as the background for their Zoom meeting. There was laughter all around—but not so much when Rob had another important Zoom call this morning and forgot to change his background back to something a bit more professional!

Tricia shares a funny story of her own about a casual conversation with a roofer, doing work at her home, that seemed to result in his totally misunderstanding the genre of books that she writes! Rob resorts to the kind of teasing that a younger brother can do best, resulting in her being nearly at a loss for words.

(Nearly.)

Quotes

“I’ve tried other colors—I try ochre, and I try ecru, and I try eggshell and camel and taupe, and before I know it…everything’s red again.”  Anna Quindlen

Resources

Unlocking Us. A podcast series by Brene Brown, available through your favorite podcast app.

Let’s Talk Soon is honored to promote our sponsor for this episode, Heyer Expectations, an executive recruiting company.  They specialize in the fields of technology and cloud design, but also Peter Heyer, CEO, can find anyone for any position to meet your company’s needs!  If you’d like to chat with him about your hiring needs, send him an email at heyerexpectations.com!

Episode 47 Odds ‘n’ Ends

In this episode, Tricia and Rob set out to cover several topics, each not being quite enough for a full episode, yet still worth discussion! Rob begins with a “public service announcement:” The episodes of Let’s Talk Soon can be enjoyed in any order; if you miss one or a few, you can jump back in anywhere. Tricia shares a word coined by her son Tyler as a preschooler: “Lasterday.”  There are valid reasons why that really should be a ‘real’ word!

Rob shares the reasons why he has chosen to organize the books in his home library by copyright dates, rather than by author, title, or any other traditional ways that books are often organized. They also delve into the pros and cons of being planners vs. adventurers, and each has married someone who is the opposite of their own temperaments!

If you love the musical Hamilton! based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, you’ll enjoy their discussion of the musical and the thoughts and differing theories about the many outstanding aspects and moments of the show.  Tricia shares her perspective on the final moments of the show, and why it “gets her every time.” They also give a shout-out to their friend Taylor Ward, who asked that they discuss the musical!

In the final moments, Rob explains the reasons why Tricia seems to be quickly gaining speed as she talks near the end of this episode. It’s a matter of technical production challenges; if you slow your podcast device to ‘half speed,’ she’ll sound “normal” again!

Quotes

“Those who say ‘yes’ are rewarded with adventure; however, those who say ‘no’ are rewarded with safety and security.”  - Keith Johnstone

“Kate holds the string of your kite, Rob. You hold on to her!” – Tricia

“Collaboration in the creative process is incredibly healthy and super important. But there is a point leader, a singular person who says, “I am the one to decide what goes on to the stage (or page).” - Rob

Resources

Johnstone, Keith. Impro. A classic book on improvisation in theatre, including the principle of “yes, and…”

Let’s Talk Soon is honored to promote our sponsor for this episode, Heyer Expectations, an executive recruiting company.  They specialize in the fields of technology and cloud design, but also Peter Heyer, CEO, can find anyone for any position to meet your company’s needs!  If you’d like to chat with him about your hiring needs, send him an email at heyerexpectations.com!

Episode 46 Rob Talks Behind the Scenes Disney Stuff, part 2

In this continuation of Episode 45 (the previous week), Tricia asks Rob to share some of his real-life  stories that illustrate the values from a book introduced in Episode 45, Creating Magic. 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney, by Lee Cockerell. She several of the strategies and invites Rob to tell some stories from his personal experience as a Walt Disney World Cast Member for nearly two decades..  (She also expresses joy over the fact that Rob is finally getting a haircut—after months of “pandemic growth!”)

For each value Tricia shares from the book, Rob shares how the Cast of Walt Disney World lives those values out in real life—including a story or two about Walt Disney himself and the values he wanted the Disney parks to demonstrate every day.

The stories Rob shares from his 20 years of filling various roles at Walt Disney World are all real life experiences of how the Cast works very hard to fulfill the values of Mr. Disney.  They are tasked with  “making the magic happen,” and their company supports them as they serve the guests well—and sometimes even surprise them with Disney magic!

Caution: you might just get a little choked up in this episode, just as Rob does as he tells these wonderful stories of making “Disney Magic” happen for children. Consider yourself warned!

Quotes

“It’s not the magic that makes it work.  It’s the way we work that makes it magic.”—Lee Cockerell

Resources

Cockerell, Lee. Creating Magic. 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-385-52386-8

Let’s Talk Soon is honored to promote our sponsor for this episode, Heyer Expectations, an executive recruiting company.  They specialize in the fields of technology and cloud design, but also Peter Heyer, CEO, can find anyone for any position to meet your company’s needs!  If you’d like to chat with him about your hiring needs, send him an email at heyerexpectations.com!

Episode 45 Rob Talks Behind the Scenes Disney Stuff

In this episode, Tricia takes the lead as she asks Rob to share his thoughts on some of the topics from a book entitled, Creating Magic. 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney, by Lee Cockerell. She begins by explaining that she bought the book at Disney World on a day when she was “just a little hung over” because—well, that story alone is a reason to listen to this episode…

Cockerell divides this excellent book by leadership strategies that are used by Disney cast members daily in providing the “Disney magic” – which, based on Cockerell’s study, is not really ‘magic’ as much as it is the habitual strategies actively taught to new Cast Members (the term for all Disney employees) and practiced throughout the parks in every area of service, every day.  When Tricia presents this concept to Rob, he is not even slightly surprised; he has been actively serving Guests well through these strategies for all of his twenty years of service.  Tricia shares each of the strategies and invites Rob to talk about its effectiveness from his personal experience. 

This episode is excellent for any individual who ever leads anyone on their job, in their community, or even just within their own family.

Quotes

“It’s  not the magic that makes it work.  It’s the way we work that makes it magic.”—Lee Cockerell

Resources

Cockerell, Lee. Creating Magic. 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-385-52386-8

Let’s Talk Soon is honored to promote our sponsor for this episode, Heyer Expectations, an executive recruiting company.  They specialize in the fields of technology and cloud design, but also Peter Heyer, CEO, can find anyone for any position to meet your company’s needs!  If you’d like to chat with him about your hiring needs, send him an email at heyerexpectations.com!

Episode 44 Closing the Loop – A Surprise for Tricia

In this episode, Rob proves to Tricia that he has not lost his ability to surprise his sister!

About 15 years ago, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee tour came to Denver! And of course Tricia and her family went to see the show, as she has long been a fan of spelling challenges, so…a musical based on a spelling bee?  Well, how could she miss that? 

Upon arrival at the show, she learned that they were looking for volunteers to actually be on stage as part of the Spelling Bee in the performance! And how could she miss that?

She signed up and was chosen to be in that night’s performance, and it’s possible that the drawing card for those auditioning her was that she was…six months pregnant!

With that as the backdrop for this episode, Rob asked Tricia to tell a bit about her experience that night, the fun she had and the actor she met and kept talking to during the performance—forgetting that actually, this young woman was there to ACT, not as a volunteer to spell!

This very fun episode is about a surprise that Rob was about to pull off with his sister, and he did indeed catch her entirely by surprise!

Resources

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee 

https://www.mtishows.com/the-25th-annual-putnam-county-spelling-bee 

Let’s Talk Soon is honored to promote our sponsor for this episode, Heyer Expectations, an executive recruiting company.  They specialize in the fields of technology and cloud design, but also Peter Heyer, CEO, can find anyone for any position to meet your company’s needs!  If you’d like to chat with him about your hiring needs, send him an email at heyerexpectations.com!

Episode 42 Nine People’s Favorite Thing

In this episode, Tricia expresses concern over her ability to keep her daily to-do list organized (which didn’t seem to be a problem in the pre-COVID days of her life). This prompts a brief discussion about just what are the best ways to stay organized, get things done, and not get bogged down in the processes? Well, they aren’t quite sure in this episode—but do feel a determination to get their post-COVID lives organized and up to speed again.

Tricia shares the story of the time in college when she was required to take a Physical Education class, signed up to take a racquetball course, somehow forgetting about her depth perception issues that keep her from every hitting virtually any ball, and most assuredly, a racquet ball.  Her only solution was to hide in the locker room.  For most of the semester!

Which is better, to aim for winning the attention and respect of 90% of your audience, or 10%? Rob offers an answer—and explains the reasoning behind it.

In their careers at Disney World, Rob and his wife Kate perform in some venues that are designed to simply be a fun experience, not necessarily offering the most amazing and impressive acting or choreography you’ve ever seen in your life. However, Disney also offers a few shows where the goal is to please and truly impress the 10% who will truly appreciate and never forget it—not the 90% who simply thought it was “good.”  Rob explains the validity of both purposes.

Quotes

“There were people sitting on the edge of their earbuds.”—Rob  (Um…what?)

“I’d rather be nine people’s favorite thing than a hundred people’s ninth favorite thing.” – a line from [title of show] (see credit below under Resources).

Resources

The Eisenhower Decision Matrix  https://www.gloveworx.com/blog/using-eisenhower-decision-matrix/ “How to distinguish between urgent and important tasks, and make real progress in your life.”

[title of show]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_of_show  “A musical about two guys writing a musical about two guys writing a musical of which they are currently in.” – Rob

Voctave – an outstanding, nationally recognized vocal accapella group. You can find them easily on YouTube!

Episode 41 TP Tutorial

“Thank you for targeting my house (for your TP’ing) …because you “like my daughters?”

With this real-life quote, Rob and Tricia devote this episode to the creative ‘skill’ of TP’ing (toilet papering) and why it just must be done right—or not at all.

Not many experienced TP’ers can say that their parents were the ones to actually teach them the skill, but yes, it is true in the Lott family! Tricia and Rob’s parents had TP’d far too many houses to count in their day, and as youth leaders, had had their own home TP’d sometimes nearly every weekend, and they viewed TP’ing as a skill that responsible parents should pass on to their children like any other life skill!

If you’ve never in your life gone TP’ing, they offer detailed lessons on how to get the best artistic results. How embarrassing it is when a TP novice tosses a roll into the top of a tree and it just…sits there, stuck on a branch.  Clearly the work of a novice, and this episode is designed to help you avoid that embarrassment.

And then there’s the time when they TP’d a house (with so many trees!) with loads of toilet paper, got caught by the police—and their family’s Swedish foreign exchange student was instantly at risk of being deported from the US as a small-time criminal.  (And the homeowner just happened to be their high school band director, whom they loved.)

All in this episode.  Prepare to laugh! 

(And also, take notes.  Because Tricia and Rob are quite serious about toilet papering as a SKILL.)

Disclaimer:

Here is an unbreakable rule: TP’ing is ONLY to be done for fun, in the yards of people you like (who will agree that it’s funny), and never, ever to be mean or hurtful.  Preferably only at homes where either (1) you are about 95% sure that they won’t be mad in the morning, or (2) you’re willing to clean it up.  Thoroughly.

Let’s Talk Soon is honored to promote our sponsor for this episode, Heyer Expectations, an executive recruiting company.  They specialize in the fields of technology and cloud design, but also Peter Heyer, CEO, can find anyone for any position to meet your company’s needs!  If you’d like to chat with him about your hiring needs, send him an email at heyerexpectations.com!