Making the Fan

Explore the science of anticipation and AI for experiential marketing with David Millay, learn about the role of humor in marketing and cultural phenomena from Troy Campbell. Topics include the psychology of Portals, blending science with art, and the art of 'portals out' in diverse settings.

David Millay, an expert on Disney's strategies, discusses creating emotional connections with employees through Disney's onboarding course. They explore how small gestures, like receiving a name tag from Mickey Mouse, can turn employees into dedicated advocates. The podcast highlights strategies for transforming customers and employees into loyal fans, emphasizing innovation and customer engagement.

Joey Coleman, world's leading expert on employee experience, shares practical strategies for recruiting, onboarding, and retaining employees. The podcast delves into the link between customer experience and employee experience, assessing talent, improving game days, balancing legal requirements, affirming job acceptance, creating powerful stories for new hires, and adopting employees.

Augmented reality and virtual reality are transforming both the in-venue and at-home viewing experience. To understand how to incorporate these emerging technologies, we sat down with Steven King, founder and Chief Innovation Officer of University of North Carolina’s Blue Sky Innovation lab.  King’s work is rooted in human-centered design and this episode hits on some of the latest projects coming out of the lab and how to effectively use human-centered design for brainstorming and change management. -----2:42    “Time Space” Storytelling at The Washington Post4:32     Human-Centered Design Methodology10:54   Testing Before Investing 12:25   Change Has to Be Exponentially Better17:40   Bridging In-Venue and At-Home Viewing21:36   HoloLens Headsets25:35   The NBA is Missing the Mark on VR Viewing30:37   Change Management and Defining Success35:53   Leadership’s Impact on Creativity42:14   Key Organizational Players in Driving Change46:53   Misconceptions 48:13   Learning About New Trends-----For more information on topics covered in this episode, check out: UNC’s Blue Sky Innovation lab: Website | LinkedIn Connect with Steven on LinkedInSteven’s Go To SourcesFortune Brainstorm TechTech CrunchOn Steven’s bookshelfThe Ride of a Lifetime by Bob IgerShoe Dog by Phil KnightFree to Focus by Michael HyattConnect with Host, David Millay:Connect w/ David Millay on LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmillay/Follow David on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/david.millay/Follow David Millay on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DavidMillay

It used to be fun to work in sports. But like so many other industries, responsibilities have increased, often demanding employees to achieve more with less. The result, according to Matt Huml, can be burnout, workaholism, disengagement, and resentment. In this episode, we dive deep into Matt's two most recent research projects: "The Effect of Remote Work on Family and Work Dynamics Within the Sport Industry;" and "From engaged worker to workaholic: a mediated model of athletic department employees". -----2:43    Behind the Research5:45    The Razor’s Edge Between Engaged Worker vs. Workaholic9:02    What’s Wrong with a Team of Workaholics?13:01  The Full Financial Impact of Turnover20:03  Improving the Recruiting Pitch for Staff 27:45  The Extreme Sacrifices32:05  Evaluating Extreme Sacrifices on Your Team41:09  The Radioactive Ring Around Coaches -----For more info on topics referenced in this episode:Read the Full Versions of Matt’s research - The Effect of Remote Work on Family and Work Dynamics in the Sports IndustryFrom engaged worker to workaholic: a mediated model of athletic department employeesBooks highlighted - Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal NewportHear more about the outcomes from our workshop with Penn State Episode 96: How to Curb the Great Resignation in Your OrganizationConnect with Host, David Millay:Connect w/ David Millay on LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmillay/Follow David on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/david.millay/Follow David Millay on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DavidMillay

After more than 220 undercover interviews with 12,000 employees, Clint Pulver is known as the leading authority on employee retention.  In this episode, David and Clint discuss the key attributes of mentor managing and the 5 Cs of leadership that result in employees saying, “I Love it Here.”-----2:24     The Undercover Millennial Program5:49     Behind the Book “I Love It Here”9:24     The 4 Types of Managers17:36   Assessing Your Leadership - The 5 Cs21:43   Leading Through Transitions - Status Interviews25:43   Finding Purpose27:56   Advocating vs. Developing32:06   The Power of Purpose34:46   Individual Needs vs. Organizational Needs42:28   To Don’t Lists44:23   Be A Mr. Jensen-----To connect with Clint Pulver, check out his website or follow him on social: ClintPulver.com | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTubeRead Clint’s book I Love It Here For more leadership resources, check out Clint’s masterclassConnect with Host, David Millay:Connect w/ David Millay on LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmillay/Follow David on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/david.millay/Follow David Millay on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DavidMillay

In this episode, David Millay sits down with Vanessa Ward, Vice President of Event Service for the Phoenix Suns. Before joining the Suns, Vanessa spent time at Disney, launching the Guest Experience Center, and the Chicago Cubs, overseeing the Guest and Associate Experience.  Understanding that the employee experience directly impacts the guest experience, Vanessa shares tactics on communicating significant changes from event to event, making events unique for the staff and how to develop niche service programs.-----3:17    Takeaways and Key Learnings from Disney6:09    The Service Recovery Toolkit10:42  Building a New Service Recovery Toolkit 13:25  Disney’s Guest Experience Center and Proactively Resolving Issues20:17  Customer Satisfaction Surveys 25:50  Newsletters and Themes to Drive the Seasonal Employee Experience33:53  Making Events in a Series Unique39:17  “Know Before You Go” Communications43:12   Building a Niche Service Operation49:15   Training Throughout the Season52:21   Taking Risks-----Other podcasts referenced in this episode: Episode 35: Personalizing the Guest Experience w/ Brian Betts (Disney’s Guest Experience Center) Connect with Vanessa on LinkedIn or emailConnect with Host, David Millay:Connect w/ David Millay on LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmillay/Follow David on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/david.millay/Follow David Millay on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DavidMillay

He’s considered a bit of a social media ‘OG’.  For seven years, Preston guided players on the PGA Tour to create their own brands and communities, an effort that grew the greater PGA audience from 20 million to 60 million followers in 5 years.  Now, as a co-founder of Golf Space Collective, Preston and his team guides golf properties on all things digital. This episode hits on why building a personal brand is important, the impact that personal brand has on team and league brands or any business and why human connection is critical to form a community over an audience.  -----2:50     A Social Media OG, @Preston4:33     Launching Memphis Athletics accounts6:56     Building a Following on the PGA Tour9:31     The Incentive to Building Player Brands13:09   Growing Players’ Social Media Game16:16   Putting Emphasis on Human Connection and Personal Brands21:28   Frameworks for Personal Branding - Just Get Started29:07   Audience vs. Community and Creating Brand Advocates35:05   Connecting with Younger Fan Bases38:24   The Netflix Impact & ‘First Swing’44:38   Showing Human Emotion and Personality-----For more information on the topics covered in this episode:Netflix “First Swing” trailerJustin Welsh’s LinkedIn courseGolf Space Collective GSC InstagramTo connect with Preston: Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Connect with Host, David Millay:Connect w/ David Millay on LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmillay/Follow David on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/david.millay/Follow David Millay on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DavidMillay

In the second half of this two-part episode, we’re diving into why Disney uses portals, the principles of meta-modernism and why something is “cool” with Dr. Troy Campbell. Campbell is the Chief Scientist at On Your Feet and his research and career has centered around the intersection of scientific minds and artistic hearts and how to create and capture original and powerful ideas and make amazing things.  -----3:29    The Importance of “Portals”11:19   The Science of “Cool”18:12  How to Break the Norm23:01  Meta-Modernism-----To learn more about Troy’s research on the intersection of Scientific Mind, Artistic Heart, check out:Troy-Campbell.comStart with Science - NetflixTeam Science: Building Better Science Activists with Insights from Disney, Marketing, and Psychological ResearchCheck out other topics referenced in this episode:Metamodernist Manifesto by Luke TurnerConnect with Host, David Millay:Connect w/ David Millay on LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmillay/Follow David on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/david.millay/Follow David Millay on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DavidMillay

In the first of this two-part episode with Dr. Troy Campbell, we’re breaking down the principles behind storytelling and what makes something “cool.”  Campbell is the Chief Scientist at On Your Feet and his research and career has centered around the intersection of scientific minds and artistic hearts and how to create and capture original and powerful ideas and make amazing things.  Part one hits on why Nike ads are simple to make and how brands like Disney borrow stories.-----3:52    Troy’s Career Thesis: “Scientific Mind & Artistic Heart”6:11    Marvel Isn’t Appealing to Everyone10:19  Egocentrism 14:04  Nike Ads are Simple to Make16:58  Borrowing Stories From Others22:50  Multi-Narrative Storytelling25:46  Defining Your Story to Tell Multi-Narrative Stories31:20  The Destiny Narrative-----To learn more about Troy’s research on the intersection of Scientific Mind, Artistic Heart, check out:Troy-Campbell.comStart with Science - NetflixTeam Science: Building Better Science Activists with Insights from Disney, Marketing, and Psychological ResearchConnect with Host, David Millay:Connect w/ David Millay on LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmillay/Follow David on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/david.millay/Follow David Millay on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DavidMillay