A Letter from Chris Suarez
THE PLACE… IS THE PEOPLE
Earlier this month I spent a week with my family at the self-proclaimed “happiest place on earth” - yes, Disney World. There are no secrets that I am not the biggest fan of all things Disney, but I am a fan of “happy” so I was there and ready to play all in. During some 80 hours clocked inside the parks, amidst the 75 miles of walking logged, and over 70 rides completed there were many significant lessons along the way. I’ll share just one.
Disney is in fact the happiest place on earth, that is - if you allow it to be. But I saw and realized that it could also be the most frustrating, exhausting, disappointing, and unhappy place on earth - if you allow it to be.
Everything is what you make it. If you go to Disney with those that you love with the expectation of it being the happiest place on earth, it will be. It isn’t the place. It isn’t the rides. It isn’t the parades or ice-cream or fireworks. It is the people you are with.
You see, as I watched my kids laughing and smiling ear to ear and beaming with joy, I was also struck by the opposite. There were kids pouting, crying, full on screaming at parents, seemingly upset at the world - smack in the middle of the “happiest place in the world.” The place is what you make it.
My family left believing that Disney is in fact the happiest place in the world. But for them, as long as we are together, so is Oregon and Washington and New York and Costa Rica and our farm. The place is what you make it. The place is the people.
There is a statue in the heart of the Magic Kingdom right in front of the castle. It is a statue of one of the biggest dreamers and creators in history along with one of his creations - Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse. They are memorialized in bronze hand in hand. Just below the statue are the following words:
“Partners - We believe in our idea: a family park where parents and children could have fun - together.” -Walt Disney
Walt knew that it could be the happiest place in the world as long as people were willing and committed to having fun - together. It isn’t as much the actual place, as it is the actual people you are with and what you are doing, together.
Fast forward and this week I helped host the first in person event of all of our partners from across the country. Over 30 states or provinces were represented as we all showed up in Scottsdale, AZ to spend some time together. And I assure you, this week, Scottsdale had Disney World beat. Scottsdale was the “happiest place on earth.” Not because we rode rides, or watched fireworks, or ate ice cream (although I am pretty sure some people ate ice cream). It was the happiest PLACE on earth because a group of partners came together to have fun. Have fun building and creating and learning and designing and moving a mission forward.
About 40 of those partners shared from stage how they are winning and where they are losing and everything in between. To be honest, they could have just gotten up and stared into the audience. It still would have been the happiest place on earth. Because happiness is based on what you are doing and who you are doing it with. This is a group of partners that believe in an idea and a mission - just like Walt.
It was a perfect bookend for my mind as I thought through what makes a place so captivating and engaging and happy and special. It isn’t the place. It is the people.
Create your place. Find your place.
But remember, your PLACE is what you make it and the people you make it with.
Chris