How does someone leave their job as a lawyer in New Jersey, sell their house, pack their bags, and move with his family all the way to Florida -to pursue a career rooted in their passion for all things Walt Disney?
Well Lou Mongello did it, and he is CRUSHING it as an entrepreneur. And he is here on Gen X Amplified to talk all about his love and career as a Disney expert.
Lou Mongello is an author, historian, speaker, podcaster, and Disney Expert. For many years he was actually an attorney living in New Jersey - but he left practicing law to follow his dream of sharing his love for Walt Disney World.
He is now the host of the top-ranked podcast WDW Radio, which is dedicated to enhance the appreciation for the Walt Disney World parks - so visitors can be better prepared have an outstanding experience. WDW Radio has also been awarded the “Best Travel” podcast for 9 years straight since 2006.
Lou is also the author of the book, 102 Ways to Save Money For and At Walt Disney World, which is both in print and digital formats.
In addition to his business activities, Lou founded the Dream Team Project to help grant the wishes children with serious illnesses to visit Walt Disney World through the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, and has raised more than $250,000 to date.
A social media pioneer and influencer, Lou connects with his loyal audiences (he prefers to say “friends”) via a variety of online social networks, and also hosts monthly meet-ups in Walt Disney World and around the country.
As one of the leading authorities on Disney, Lou is frequently interviewed for his expertise - on outlets such as USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Business, Parenting Magazine, and others.
We're so excited to chat with Lou as our featured guest on this episode of Gen X Amplified. During our conversation, Lou talks about his journey from being a lawyer, to trusting his instincts and embracing his knowledge and love for Disney - and then turning that into a lucrative career.
When you think of “brand” or “branding” what immediately comes to mind? Is it a logo? Or the name of a business? Or colors? These are all important, but they only touch the surface of what a brand entails.
For this special solo episode of Gen X Amplified, I discuss why developing your brand is essential - even before you think about marketing, social media, etc. And, I break down what I consider to be the 5 key elements of what defines a brand.
As an entrepreneur or even a marketer - you should not put all the weight of your brand on your logo. Your brand is the complete story of what you want to communicate about your business, and the perception that you leave in the hearts and minds of your audience.
That’s why before you even think about creative, logos, or marketing – you must have clarity on what your brand truly includes. So here are what I consider to be the 5 key elements of a brand:
As a leader in today's marketplace, you must be able to understand why new media platforms, including content marketing, and especially social media are very critical to your business success.
On this episode of Gen X Amplified, we are joined by someone who is very much considered a quintessential marketing leader and social media expert. The one and only Scott Monty is here to discuss his journey from becoming the global head of social media for Ford Motor Company, to his current role as an entrepreneur - launching his own strategic consultancy, Scott Monty Strategies.
Scott Monty is an internationally recognized thought leader in digital communications, social media and marketing. For six years, he was best known for being the global head of social media at Ford Motor Company - where he advised on social media activities across the entire company.
Scott also has a decade of experience at marketing agencies, where he worked with clients including Coca-Cola, American Airlines, T-Mobile, and IBM.
Now, he recently launched his own consultancy, Scott Monty Strategies, where he advises brands and agencies on strategy communications, influencer management, and the overall customer digital experience.
In addition to his professional duties, Scott is also an active blogger and podcaster - not only on his personal website - but also on a site and podcast called I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, dedicated to none other than Sherlock Holmes.
He frequently speaks at events around the world, and has been featured on a variety of mainstream media, including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg TV, NBC, NPR, CNN, and Fox Business.
As our guest today on Gen X Amplified, Scott brings his "marketing brilliance" to the podcast, and not only outlines his journey to becoming the head of social media for Ford Motor Company, but also provides some valuable insights on social media, marketing, and thought leadership.
The process of starting a business can be both challenging and rewarding. But what about starting a business with your spouse and growing that business into a world recognized niche brand and movement.
On this very special episode of Gen X Amplified, we not only have just one guest - but for the first time ever, we are speaking with a dynamic married couple - Lamar Tyler and Ronnie Tyler from the very popular blog: BlackandMarriedWithKids.com.
Lamar Tyler and Ronnie Tyler are the husband-and-wife power pair behind the very popular and internationally recognized brand, BlackandMarriedWithKids.com - which has become the largest independent, African American marriage and parenting website.
They founded the website in 2007 after finding themselves frustrated with the negative images of black marriage in the media. Now recently, the website has grown from a small personal blog to an international brand with nearly 500,000 Facebook fans.
Also through their company, Tyler New Media, Lamar directed and produced four Amazon best-selling films; Still Standing, Men Ain’t Boys, You Saved Me and Happily Ever After: A Positive Image of Black Marriage - which deals with the challenges and triumphs of marriage in the black community.
Along with managing the very popular website and producing the films, Lamar and Ronnie travel the country speaking on parenting and marriage-related topics to a variety of media outlets, and give advice to aspiring bloggers on how to build their brands.
As our featured guests on today's episode of Gen X Amplified, I chat with Lamar and Ronnie about their professional journey, the dynamic of balancing entrepreneurship and marriage, and also the methods they use to build such a massive brand and movement.