- What is your favorite saying or motto?
- Who do you most admire?
- What are your favorite types of music?
- What is your favorite book?
- What is your favorite movie?
- What are your favorite Broadway Shows?
- Where have you traveled domestically?
- Where have you traveled internationally?
- What is something most people wouldn’t know about you?
What is your favorite saying or motto?
I have two sayings that stick with me.
“Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.” – Benjamin Franklin
My paternal grandparents, who suffered through the Great Depression in their teens, drilled this saying into my head. While they used it to refer to money, I’ve applied it more broadly to make sure that I focus on and enjoy the small things in life because they are the basis for the achievements you make.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
I do not consider myself to be religious. I see myself as more spiritual. This was one of the first bible verses I memorized. Oh, I should mention that my paternal grandfather is a pastor—and after retiring as a coal miner, my maternal grandfather became a missionary, i.e., I spent a lot of time in church. I’ve always remembered this verse and that I need to live the example I want to see in the world.
Who do you most admire?
Walter Elias Disney (1901-1966). I’m a huge fan of The Walt Disney Company. While Walt could have done a better job of providing feedback and recognition to his team, he brought education and entertainment together to engage everyone without talking down to any segment or group.
What are your favorite types of music?
I have three kinds / types of favorites:
- Broadway musical original cast recordings
- Movie soundtracks
- EDM (Electronic Dance Music)
They all engage the listener, tell stories, and entertain.
Don’t laugh! It is The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt & Oliver Jeffers. I found a deeper message in this children’s book. For me, the book was an allegory for employee engagement in the workplace. In fact, I even wrote a blog post about it: What Crayons Can Teach Us About Employee Engagement.
If you are curious about some of my other favorite books, you can find my yearly Reading Lists here.
Hands down, it’s The Sound of Music. It was released before I was born and has always been a part of my life. I prefer the 1965 Robert Wise movie to the stage versions.
Do Re Mi – Start with the basics and build on them when learning something new.
Climb Every Mountain – Explore and keep moving forward.
Love, romance, heartbreak, history, and intrigue in a beautiful setting. Confession: If I get married, the wedding scene will figure prominently. I seem to have an obsession with wailing pipe organs.
What are your favorite Broadway Shows?
Elton John and Tim Rice’s AIDA. Yes, it’s Disney! I saw this on Broadway with my best friend in 2000. Heather Headly played Aida and won the Best Performance by a Leading Actress Tony Award for her performance. Amneris was Sherie Rene Scott and Radames was played by Adam Pascal but for my performance, Eric Sciotto took the stage. All amazing actors/singers! It just kept getting better. Oh, and it has trios – I love that!
In the second act, Radames and Aida finally realize they are in love. Radames, who is engaged to Amneris, agrees to go through with the wedding so that Aida and her father can escape. With the plan settled, they exit the stage. At that point, Amneris appears from behind a wall. The audience gasped and went completely silent. Now that’s engagement!!
Next to Normal (Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt) is another favorite. It is an impactful story about a mother suffering from mental illness and the music is very affecting.
I keep a list of the Broadway and other shows I’ve seen.
Where have you traveled domestically?
I’m lucky that my family exposed me to most of the continental US. My grandparents owned a trailer camper and later, a motor home. We took two big trips in them. The first trip took us up the east coast and the second was a giant loop from Kentucky to California and back.
I’ve visited 44 states in all. I still have the following left to visit: Louisiana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Oregon, and Alaska.
Where have you traveled internationally?
I’ve been fortunate to have traveled internationally to Canada, England, Ireland, France, Monaco, Netherlands, Italy, Czech Republic, Thailand, Korea, Macau, Hong Kong, Japan, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Brazil.
Click here for a map of the countries I’ve visited.
What is something most people wouldn’t know about you?
OK, be warned. I’m going all Disney on you again!
I visited Walt Disney World in its opening year.
When I lived in Atlanta, I was halfway between my parents/family and Walt Disney World. My parents kept asking me if I was going to come home since they frequently received calls from me when I arrived at Walt Disney World for a quick weekend of fun.
In 2008 – 2009, I visited all 5 Disney resorts and all 11 parks within one year.
- Disneyland Paris (Disneyland & Walt Disney Studios)
- Hong Kong Disneyland (Disneyland)
- Tokyo Disneyland (Disneyland & DisneySea)
- Disneyland (Disneyland & California Adventure)
- Walt Disney World (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, & Animal Kingdom)
My favorite resort and park? Walt Disney World and Epcot.
Shanghai Disneyland opened in 2016. Excited to visit it!!