My last blog post

Over three years ago I launched Figment Consulting with the plan to right the virtual school ship. Since then I have had some wonderful opportunities to work with some school leaders who are truly working to build virtual schools that work -- for families.

It renewed my hope in what virtual could be, and should be.

However, over the past three years, I have also had the opportunity to expand the role of Figment and branch out beyond the confines of education. In doing so it allowed me, and us at Figment, to play in fields that produce inspiring work.

Most recently we helped launch former American Idol Terrian's music career with her debut single, 'I Am Free.' And, we continue to work with her, guiding her as she moves into her next stages beyond the launch.

Also, we have had the pleasure of working with Disney Master Artist, and celebrity artist, Kevin-John. He is an amazing talent and a wonderful personality. Currently, we are working to expand his brand in new and exciting ways that could propel him far down the path of celebrity over the next few years.

We have also had the pleasure of one-off efforts with some unique talent in a variety of fields, fields that lend themselves to producing good (not just good work, but good overall). To say it has been fun would be an understatement.

But, what to do with my passion for virtual schooling? What should I do with my desire to help schools build virtual schools that serve families -- I still recall the tens of thousands of families I have had the pleasure of meeting and talking with over the years. And recently I have been able to present my message from Pennsylvania to British Columbia.

However, I thought about leaving it all behind, and I was close to doing just that. In the end, though, after months of contemplating, soul-searching, and planning, I have decided to let Figment continue to evolve down the path it is headed -- talent management, marketing consulting, sales training, SEO, design, and simply producing great, fun work. In other words, putting good in the world.

With that decision, I then turned my attention to continuing the effort to help virtual schools. In essence, I am splitting the two, separating them. Moving forward Figment will concentrate on marketing, sales, and talent management, with me continuing to lead the charge.

I will also be launching a new endeavor that will allow me to continue working to expand the message of what virtual schools need to succeed. It will continue to be based on my Virtual School Manifesto: Nine Essential Ingredients. 

It will allow me to produce material, further conduct seminars, training, and speaking engagements focused on virtual schooling, but it will be separate from Figment. Soon I will launch it under my own name, Houston Tucker.

So, while this is my last blog post at Figment, I am not leaving (Figment will be taking over this blog). I care too much about the work we are doing at Figment to let it go. However, I also care about helping virtual schools serve families the way they deserve to be served.

Thank you, readers. Over the years it has grown from my family reading my blog posts (mostly because I asked them to) to hundreds and thousands reading it daily.

Stay tuned. More to come from Figment and me.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Be you

There is no other you like you.

And no one can be just like you.

In fact, no one can be as good of a you as you.

So, why be someone else when what we need is you.

Let them be them and you be you.

The world would be less of a place if you were someone else.

So, be you.

Be all of you.

Be only you.

Be you and we will all be better for it.

houston@figment-consulting.com

The potential of 2016

52 weeks
366 days (Leap Year)
8,784 hours

However you want to count it, the potential of it lies within you.

You get to decide what it will be.

houston@figment-consulting.com 

In pursuit of excellence

The difference between mediocrity and excellence is not found in the details. We can take care of all the details and still be mediocre.

Excellence begins with our mindset. It is a decision we make long before we begin working on it.

Excellence is a pursuit, a way of thinking, an inner focus.

Begin first with the decision to pursue it, then you will be on your way to achieving it.

houston@figment-consulting.com

"Hi, I'm Olaf. And I like warm hugs."

If you concentrate only on the needs of your students, you miss the point.

Take time to figure out what your students like.

When you begin to meet those, you then have the opportunity of building something remarkable.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Imagination

One little spark, of inspiration
Is at the heart, of all creation.
Right at the start, of everything that's new.
One little spark, lights up for you.

Two tiny wings, eyes big and yellow.
Horn of a steer, but a lovable fellow.
From head to tail, he's royal purple pigment.
And there, voila!, you've got a Figment.

We all have sparks, imaginations.
That's how our minds, create creations.
For they can make, our wildest dreams come true.
Those magic sparks, in me and you.

Imagination, imagination.
A dream, can be a dream come true.
With just that spark, in me and you.

The Sherman Brothers
Journey into Imagination with Figment

houston@figment-consulting.com

Unexpected expected

If you ever go to Magic Kingdom the best place to watch the fireworks is not in front of the castle where everyone else crowds in shoulder to shoulder. The best place is behind the castle near the carousel, in front of Be Our Guest restaurant.

By standing there you will have to watch the fireworks spectacular with tennis in mind -- turning your head back and forth from Cinderella's Castle then behind you, then back to the castle, then behind you.

The beauty of it all is that you find yourself not just watching the fireworks, but standing in the middle of them. It is something to behold.

But, that is the expected. Go to Disney, watch an amazing display of fireworks set to music, and even search for unique spots to watch them.

What is the unexpected expected?

When you stand behind the castle to watch the fireworks you will find on most evenings a young man named Craig.

Craig is a Custodial Cast Member. He spends his days and evenings working to ensure that the park is kept clean of trash and debris. You would expect that since he is a Cast Member, he would also seek out ways to make magical moments for Guests of Disney. Again, that is to be expected.

But, stand there and as the fireworks begin, Craig begins to put on a show. He transforms from a Custodial Cast Member to the Conductor of the fireworks themselves. He dances, waves his arms majestically with wand in hand, and lip syncs the entire fireworks program. For the little kids who are there watching, it is as if he is the one causing the fireworks to perform.

"I enjoy my role here at Disney, but I live for this each evening," Craig said to me after his performance last night.

For the families who are there to witness his show, it is a highlight of the day spent at the Magic Kingdom.

What makes it so magical is that it is so unexpected, and yet being Disney you would expect that this might happen -- the unexpected expected.

Virtual schools can learn from this by seeking ways to provide their families with an unexpected level of service at first, Then, over time it becomes expected. Once that is achieved, you then have the opportunity to provide the unexpected expected level of service to your families, continually surprise them, and consistently build loyalty from them.

It takes a disciplined approach to provide this type of service, and a commitment to seeing it through. It must be something you "live for" each day.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Seeing is believing

Or, could it actually be the other way? Believing is seeing.

If you believe only what you see then life will mirror what you tend to look at most.

However if you first believe -- believe in what you desire, believe in what you expect -- then you will begin to see what you believe come true.

You will see beyond what is and believe in what can be. Then, what can be has the potential to take the place of what is.

Believe first.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Why did Tomorrowland bomb at the box office?

My family and I went to see the Disney movie Tomorrowland yesterday (sounds funny when you say it). It had been on our radar since we first heard it was coming out. And, even after all of the negative reviews, and the narrative that it bombed at the box office, we wanted to see it.

For us, it was one of the best movies we have ever seen -- not because of the acting, or the visuals, or the actors and actresses involved. That was not our purpose in seeing it. We were attracted to it for other reasons.

So, why did it bomb at the box office? According to others it was a myriad of factors that included:

* Secrecy is not always a good idea -- the premise of it is hard to explain in a sentence or a 30-second ad because of the story's complex mythology.

* George Clooney is not a box-office draw -- the King of Hollywood doesn't sell tickets in proportion to people's fascination with him.

* Tougher-than-expected competition -- Poltergeist, Mad Max, and Pitch Perfect 2.

* Memorial Day openings are not a license to print money -- Not even a four day window can save a poorly made movie.

* The "select" Thursday preview -- only 701 theaters offered the movie on Thursday evening out of 3,972 venues overall on Friday.

Other articles seem to share the sentiment of this one in some form or another. They place the failure on marketing, Clooney, competition, or some other idea related to the script or quality of the movie itself.

I wonder though if they could be wrong? Perhaps they have missed the real reason why it did not meet expectations at the box office?

Perhaps the real reason it was not accepted by the masses could be found in the movie itself. As I sat there watching it yesterday, it occurred to me during one pivotal scene -- I bet this is why the public turned away from it. I caught myself contemplating the subtle difference this movie has when compared to the others -- one that is difficult to accept when one is not ready for it.

houston@figment-consulting.com

You should fear failure

if you do not desire to grow, to learn, to improve yourself, then yes fear failure.

If, on the other hand, you see failure for what it truly is, and understand that within it lies great opportunities for those who seek for it when experiencing failure, then you can use failure to aid you in achieving greater growth.

Read more on the lives of the following and see how they understood the role failure can play in success:

Steve Jobs
Nikola Tesla
Glenn Casey
Bill Gates
Sara Blakely
Warren Buffett
Thomas Edison
Henry Ford
Arianna Huffington

houston@figment-consulting.com

The IF Factor

Add if to what and the dynamic is radically altered.

Replace should with if and it opens wide the doors to possibilities.

Let if stand alone and imagination is unleashed.

houston@figment-consulting.com

If the norm is successful, then follow the norm.

Recently I spent time with a group in the blended learning space who understand that following the norm will produce normal results. They realize too this goes much deeper than a competitive analysis in order to find a niche to fit in or a space to occupy.

No, this is taking a step back and perusing the entire landscape in order to understand the norm and then determine if it is worth being followed. Apple, Disney, Google, and others did not achieve their success by following the norm. They understood that the norm allowed them an opportunity to reach higher levels of success by going against it, blowing past it, or doing something entirely different altogether.

In your line of business what is the norm? Is it successful and worth following? Or, does the norm present you the opportunity you need to lead in a new direction?

Instead of starting with the question - "How can we differentiate ourselves from our competitors?" - broaden the question and start with "What is the norm in our industry and is it worth following?"

When you do, breakthroughs can occur.

houston@figment-consulting.com

The snowball effect.

It's easy to predict the upcoming success of Avengers II: The Age of Ultron but many tend to forget the first Iron Man movie was a risk by Marvel.

In early 2014 there were multiple stories about why Frozen was resonating with families and continuing to draw audiences in to watch, sing and enjoy. Yet, there is not one story in October of 2013, right before the release of the Disney movie, that predicted the overwhelming success it would have. This Christmas was inundated with Frozen-themed products but not so much in 2013 because it even caught Disney by surprise, along with the timing of the release.

And, go back in time in the early 90s when animators at Disney were clamoring to be part of the next installment they thought would be huge, Pocahontas. This meant that many junior animators were left to work on the secondary movie in production at the time, Lion King.

Companies, organizations, and even individuals spend an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out, even predict what will be the next "blockbuster" in their field. Yet, predicting the future is difficult, at best, to do -- impossible is more like it.

What Disney does so well is they plan for what I call the snowball effect. In essence, Disney rolls multiple snowballs down the hill and stand ready for the ones that begin to grow, waiting to take advantage of the opportunities (albeit sometimes slowly).

In 2014 Disney released Maleficient, Big Hero 6, and Into the Woods - each performed well at the box office. Also that year, they released Million Dollar Arm, Planes: Fire & Rescue, Muppets Most Wanted, and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day -- each one opened and closed quickly at the box office. However, each served as a small snowball for Disney to roll down the hill and watch for momentum to kick in.

In 2015 Disney will release Avengers II and the next installment in the Star Wars franchise -- each, in my opinion, a snowball effect in that the success tied to these movies is based in large part on the small snowballs that were released at the top of the hill years ago.

However, can anyone right now predict the success of Disney's Tomorrowland movie releasing later this

year? Will it become the next Frozen? Disney is not sure either yet they have packed it up into a small snowball, and they will roll it down the hill and see if momentum grows it -- if it does, then they will kick into gear all of the other facets to take advantage of its success.

What can we learn from this? Yes, it is vital to spend time to determine which snowballs are worth releasing at the top of the hill but do you, as a company, have a plan to take advantage of the growth momentum of that snowball should it begin to gain speed and size?

Have you spent time on What if scenarios to extend the brand? To expand the distribution channel? To increase the awareness and revenue once the little snowball begins to grow?

It is difficult to predict which video will go viral, but it is not difficult to be ready for it should it gain momentum.

UPDATE: Since publishing this blog post this morning, a friend sent along this story from the Disney CFO that provides further evidence of what this post is all about: Disney CFO Outlines Movie Financing Strategy

houston@figment-consulting.com

Disney's quinoa customer service

It was four years ago and we had just landed as a family in Orlando, caught the Disney Magic Express, and headed straight to one of our favorite restaurants after checking in at our resort -- Whispering Canyon Cafe. If you have never been to this restaurant, I encourage you to try it out next time you are in Lake Buena Vista -- just be ready if you ask for ketchup.

All was going well, our kids were excited (it was the first trip for our youngest), and we were hungry. One item on the menu had caught my eye: Quinoa Cakes.

Now, keep in mind this was four years ago and quinoa had yet to be "discovered" as the superfood that it is today -- meaning, I had never seen the word before.

The server, dressed in his themed attire, took our orders, and when it was my turn, I proceeded to ask him, "Can you tell me more about the Quinoa Cakes?" -- the only problem, I pronounced it as "kwi noah" cakes.

Without missing a beat and sliding in the correct pronunciation (it is pronounced "keen-wa"), he simply replied, "The quinoa cakes are new to our menu but one of the best we have offered in a long time. They are especially great if you are going into the parks later this afternoon because you will not have a drop off in energy after eating them. So, I highly recommend them to you."

In other words, he corrected my pronunciation and at the same time made me "feel" ok about it.

As marketers, entrepreneurs, and business owners, spend time thinking about how you make your customer feel each time you interact with them. Every time you have a "touch point" with your customer, do they come away feeling better about it? If not, you may be focused on the wrong thing.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Do you want to build a snowman?

Disney's Frozen is now the highest grossing animated film of all time (for now that is). That begs the question -- Why?

Do a quick Google search of "Why is Disney's Frozen so popular?" and you will find a plethora of answers, explanations and thoughts in answer to that question. All, mind you, are after the fact.

The real question in my mind is did anyone predict ahead of time it would be so popular? Do a search for that and the results are absent in direct answer to that question.

During the early scripting and development of Disney's The Lion King, most of the Disney animators did not want to work on it. Instead they chose to be part of Disney's other production in progress, Pocahontas, one that Jeffrey Katzenberg, Disney's Creative Director at the time stated would be wildly successful. The few that were part of it initially were either placed there because they were junior animators, or they wanted a little more creative freedom. Twenty years later and people still celebrate and revere The Lion King while very few remember Pocahontas.

How does this apply to you as a CEO, or business owner? You do want to try and build the best snowman you can, but you also want to be nimble enough to take advantage when the snowball starts rolling down hill and gaining momentum. Perhaps that is what Disney is best at doing after all.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Yes, if . . .

Harrison (Buzz) Price, who led the economic feasibility and site-location studies for Walt Disney that allowed for the development of Disneyland and Walt Disney World, utilized the "Yes, if . . ." approach as a basis for reasoning when he reported his research findings to Walt.

In his book Walt's Revolution! By the Numbers (Ripley Entertainment, Inc., 2003), which I had the pleasure of reading last month, Buzz states, "Walt liked this language. 'No, because' is the language of a deal killer. 'Yes, if . . .' is the approach of a deal maker. Creative people thrive on 'Yes, if . . .'"

Try the 'Yes, if . . .' approach for this month and see what changes occur.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Get real

Gone are the days when a photographer could turn a White House into Camelot. The tools we have today (internet, social media, etc.) allow us all to peel back the curtain and discover what is real, what is authentic, and share our opinions with others across the globe.

Today's society and more importantly today's consumer desires for authenticity. If what you have to offer them is perceived as unreal, you will be labeled as inauthentic, or worse a fake! -- and that word will spread, quickly.

However, companies such as Disney understand the dramatic opportunity that exists here too. Disney's mission is to "create happiness" -- that is it's authenticity. The parks, the movies, the games, the television shows, they are simply the means by which they create this happiness. In doing so, trust is built among their customers, which in turn leads to loyalty.

Recently I read Pour Your Heart Into It by Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz in which he stated, "Authenticity is what we stand for. It's part of who we are. If we compromise who we are to achieve higher profits, what have we accomplished? Eventually all our customers would figure (it) out . . ."

Customers, your customers, are longing for you to get real. They know when you are, and they know when you are beginning to compromise.

Remember, they are already sharing their feelings about you with others. The real question is what are they sharing? You have the potential to influence it. Loyalty cannot be bought but it does come with a price.

Are you willing to pay the price?