[INTERVIEW] Lou Mongello from WDW Radio on Turning What You LOVE Into What You DO

 

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**Speaker 0(Lindsay Dollinger)** (00:00:02) - Hello. Hello. Welcome back to another Purpose and Pixie Dust podcast. I am Lindsay Dollinger, and I am so, so, so excited for today's guest. Uh, we are talking today with Lou Mange and you have heard his name. If you have listened to my podcast before, I attended his Momentum retreat in October of 2022. And ever since then have been working with him as a mentor and a coach. And you guys are just gonna be blown away with his story. So, Lou, welcome. You are not the first man anymore on the show. I apologize for that. You're like, man, number three or four or something, but you're still in the top five. 

**Speaker 1 (Lou Mongello) ** (00:00:32) - Welcome, I'm happy to be here. Thank you for having me.

**Speaker 0** (00:00:35) - You're so welcome. Okay, so I always like to start with the origin story and I feel like your origin story kind of, kind of got a lot of pieces, but tell us who you are if people are unfamiliar with you somehow. Long story short, how did you get to do what you were doing today?

**Speaker 1** (00:00:55) - Who am I? Metaphor? What an interesting, no. So very, very short version of a long story. Um, I was once upon a time, a long time ago, a lawyer in New Jersey, um, always in the service business. I had a computer cult consulting company on the side. Had this idea to write a book. I've been a fan of Disney since I was a little kid. So I wrote to, I set out to write the book that I wanted to read. Never thinking it would be anything more than that other than just finding a publisher and making my parents proud by having the books show up in Barnes and Noble. Uh, started podcasting in 2005. Fast forward a couple years, I I have this community that's formed and, and I think that I can find a way to turn this thing that I love into the thing that I do. And I sold my house and I moved to Florida. I took a, a massive leap of faith that thankfully worked out okay. Um, and I've been doing this full-time since about, um, 2007. And, um, I always say that that success isn't measured in terms of dollars and cents in, but in levels of happiness. And if that is the barometer that we use, I consider myself very, very successful.

**Speaker 0** (00:02:00) - I love that, that that is very much the briefer <laugh>, um, and I don't even know all the bits of it. So you started with the book, what year was that?

**Speaker 1** (00:02:10) - I started writing it in 2003. Okay. And I came out in 2004.

**Speaker 0** (00:02:15) - Okay. So then you were, you were toggling this Disney world and your products you were creating while also being a lawyer for about three years then?

**Speaker 1** (00:02:23) - Yeah, and, and the computer consulting company on the side. So I would literally like be in my suit. I'd go to court in the morning, I'd run to a networking client in the afternoon, go back to the office, go home, inhale dinner, go down in the basement and bury myself down there to write, you know, from like 10 o'clock at night till two o'clock in the morning.

**Speaker 0** (00:02:40) - Oh my gosh. That just makes me tired. <laugh> about it. You're like that. And that's why that was 20 years ago because,

**Speaker 1** (00:02:48) - And now I feel old

**Speaker 0** (00:02:50) - <laugh>. Yeah, no, but really though, like, you think about it, um, I can't even imagine like, well, I can't kind of, but I mean, you do it because you love it. It and you, you pour into that. So how did, you wrote the book and the book was successful, but how did that end up becoming into you being able to leave your job as a lawyer and the computer company at what, you know, like at what point was that a thing for you?

**Speaker 1** (00:03:18) - Yeah, so it, it sort of was a snowball effect, right? So the book ended up, you know, I had a little two page brochure website and then the book and being active on, again, this wouldn't, there was no social media back then, so it was like discussion forums and bulletin boards. I, I was trying to be active and see that there was a community out there. I started a discussion forum of my own in January of 2004, which really I think was sort of like January 2nd, 2004 was sort of that moment when I turned it on and 29 people signed up, and it's not about the numbers, but understand to sort of the why, you know, 29 turned into 105 hundred, a thousand, 5,000, 10,000, 50,000. I'm like, wait a minute. Like there are other people out there. Um, I started podcasting in 2005, like literally just months after the, the technology came out because I am was still remain a, uh, a bit of a tech nerd.

**Speaker 1** (00:04:11) - And I knew that the spoken word was way more powerful in terms of conveying emotion than anything that I could write. Plus I'm a horrible typist. So it all worked out, um, perfectly. And I think that really was sort of the big catalyst for change. Um, I had started to, I got out of the practice of law. I got rid of my computer consulting company and uh, was the chief technology officer for a medical imaging facility, which meant I ran the network, which meant I sat in my office and was doing my Disney stuff all day anyway without anybody else knowing. Um, but at some point I sort of perfect decided that, yeah, if I had to. And then the, the way that I always sort of frame Lindsay is I, I had this fear, right? And it wasn't a fear of failure, it was a fear of regret.

**Speaker 1** (00:04:55) - And the regret I was fearful of was that if I didn't give it a shot, now I didn't want five, 10, or 20 years to go by and then go, you know, I wonder what would've happened if I would've tried this. Like I think what if are two incredibly powerful words, depending on how you frame it in terms of the, the positive thing that can come from it or negatively, you don't wanna look back with regret. And that fear is really sort of what was the, the huge motivating factor for me to choose that moment as I need to give this a shot now instead of waiting for the quote unquote perfect time, which we know never comes.

**Speaker 0** (00:05:31) - I love that. I've never thought of it as fear of regret, but I connect with that so much cuz you hear the fear of failure, the fear of success. Um, and I don't know that I've ever heard anyone convey fear of regret. So I really, really like that. I resonate with that a lot. Someone just said, oh my gosh, I love w DW radio, <laugh>, Disney Friends are the best. Yes. Um, okay, so community, you are huge on community. This is one thing thing that I really took away from momentum and just from observing you and you, you kind of just touched on it, how you started that community with, um, what's it called? A chat Chat forum. Chat room,

**Speaker 1** (00:06:08) - <laugh>. It was a, it was discussion form. It was an old discussion forum.

**Speaker 0** (00:06:13) - I I have seen those. I'm not that, I'm not that young that I'm like, what is that thing on? No, I have, I've seen those remember

**Speaker 1** (00:06:18) - Those days seen in the internet archive?

**Speaker 0** (00:06:19) - Yeah. Yeah. I don't think I ever actually was on them, but, um, yes, I do know what those are. So that's where you really started building your community. How has that transformed over the years and why do you continue to nurture that community?

**Speaker 1** (00:06:33) - So the more things change, the more they remain the same. Right? Community has sort of become, you know, the, the marketers or everything that's sort of sort of become like the marketing buzzword, but it really is not even the foundation. It is the heart of what I do because for me, Lindsay, I think we're in this time where everybody's looking to get the next, like the next heart, the next follow, the next whatever. I've always looked at it differently. I've always concentrated on the people who were already there, right? Focusing on the people who were already part of the community. Because I think when you give them that love and the respect, and you heard me talk about caring at scale, right? Caring about every username, every, you know, forum member, every person in your community, there's a real human being on the other side who is giving you the most valuable commodity, which is their time.

**Speaker 1** (00:07:26) - You better believe, I'm gonna give you, at the very least, the, the courtesy of responding to you and interacting with you and, and caring about you because you care clearly care about me and what I'm doing. I think when you do that, not only does a a a true community and sense of belonging, right? Which is what we all really want. We wanna feel like we're accepted and belong somewhere and that we're heard somewhere. But, and it's not the motivation, but it's the result. You create this community of not just members but evangelists. Because you can go around all day long telling people how great you are and how great your community is, but it's different when somebody else says, Hey, you need to come and listen to this show. Watch Lindsay's lives be part of her thing because that sort of testimonial for you, I think carries a a lot more weight. And that's, so I've never sort of looked, I don't look out, I look inward. I look inward on, on the people who are there.

**Speaker 0** (00:08:29) - Yeah, that's that's so true. And I can totally attest for that, that yes, he does do that <laugh>, because I've been, I mean, and that's part of, you know, being someone's mentor even before you're their mentor in like a paid capacity, uh, more formally is, you know, other people are watching you to see what you're doing and how you've created what you've created. And obviously what people see now if they go to like your w DW radio Facebook group is years in the making. It's not, not like someone can just pop in there and and recreate that. And I think one thing about your Facebook group specifically that really stuck out to me, um, I forget when I think you might have said this maybe at Momentum, was that you don't have, um, moderators mm-hmm. <affirmative> and really any sort of formal regulation. It's, it's self-regulating. And I was like, mind blown because you have attracted your community in there and I, you know, we see so many other Facebook groups, especially of the magnitude of yours and, you know, people are always popping in there like saying rude things or just a reminder, these are the rules. And you don't have that because you have attracted your person and created that community so well that it regulates itself.

**Speaker 1** (00:09:41) - So thank you. But it really is a testament to the other people, excuse me, in the community because I think we are, I think you're right. I think we were magnets for the people that we want to attract. But the reason why I've never had moderators, excuse me, going back to the discussion forum days and, and I knock on wood and, and the community on Facebook, and I said, it doesn't matter really where your community lives, right? Whether it's Facebook, a discussion forum, it's, it your sort of community follows and, and flows with you. But I think the reason why is because of the reason why. And, and what I mean by that is it's the why people are there and the why people have come to your community. And while I don't think that there's anything wrong, excuse me, with having a lead magnet and attracting people to get on your list or to become part of your community, sometimes what that does is attracts people for the wrong reason because they're there because they want the thing, they want the freebie, they want the access as opposed to being there because a friend of them told them, Hey, this is a warm, friendly, welcoming, drama free, flame, free <laugh> type of, you know, community.

**Speaker 1** (00:10:49) - And so it does self-regulate. And if that sort of oddball sort of walks in, you know, it's like walking into a party, I'm like, whoa, this, I am in the wrong place, <laugh>. And you just, they just sort of turn around and walk away. Um, and I'm grateful for that. Yeah,

**Speaker 0** (00:11:03) - Yeah, yeah. Do you have any freebies or lead magnets?

**Speaker 1** (00:11:07) - Um, so I do on WW radio, I have 102 things to do at Walton's New World at least once. Um, but that's just to get on the newsletter, that really has nothing to do with the community itself. It is where I drive people to, right? I, I invite you to be part of the community and more importantly, the conversation. Um, and you know, Facebook for all of its, it's pros and cons right now is where I think the, is the best place for it to live. And because I wanna love about groups as opposed to a page is

**Speaker 0** (00:11:39) - Yeah,

**Speaker 1** (00:11:40) - Everybody has an equal voice.

**Speaker 0** (00:11:43) - Yeah. Yeah. And I like that we, I know we had that conversation in our mastermind group last week, um, the pros and cons of that, and I hadn't thought about that before about the equal voice part. Whereas business page, um, for those of you listening and maybe you're not even familiar with the difference business page is more like your, your business cards, your billboard, it's like about you. Whereas you can really build community in a closed Facebook group and anyone can post if you ha if you have those settings set up that way, which I really liked. Um, oh goodness. You said something else about community. Oh, your monthly meetups. When did those get started? How did that come about?

**Speaker 1** (00:12:23) - Those started, excuse me, in January of 2008, 2000. Oh wow. Nine. Yeah. Um,

**Speaker 0** (00:12:32) - So they've been going a

**Speaker 1** (00:12:33) - While. Yeah, a long, long time because I, I, you know, it, it's, it's, I don't mean it to sound like sort of a, you know, a, a line, but, but I am, I'm a handshake and a hug kind of guy. And as much as you can connect with somebody online, there is nothing like meeting somebody face to face. And to be honest, and to be really, really clear, I started the meet of the month, not so people can come and meet me. It was so I could come and meet you because I would get emails or I would get messages from 20 and I wanna sort of make that connection because as a content creator or even podcaster, you put content out and then we wait, right? We sit there and we wait, like, is anybody listening? Is everybody gonna like, feel motivated enough? So to be able to look somebody eye and hear their story and say thank you and answer their questions and, and create really a meaningful relationship and to help other people meet one another too. I didn't have a lot of friends in high school in grammar school, college, law, school, it doesn't matter, <laugh>. So I wanted try to help sort of be the person to bridge that gap in real life for people too.

**Speaker 0** (00:13:37) - That's also smart cuz you had just moved to Orlando recently, like before you had started that too. That's a great way to, to kill two words with one stone and start your in-person community down there, right? Um, no I think that's genius and I know of some entrepreneurs that I have seen do that, but not usually monthly and not usually in person. Um, and I know I got to go to, I didn't even realize you did them, just, I think I probably have seen them and was like, well that's in Florida and I'm in Ohio, so that's not gonna happen <laugh>. Um, but I got to go to two of them cuz you guys aligned 'em with race weekend, which is really cool. And race weekend I feel like is a whole nother facet of what you do with, with your wife's involvement with the W DW radio team. And um, so do you, I guess we can talk about that briefly. Tell us a little bit about the W DW radio running team. That's a mouthful. <laugh> and, um, kind of their mission because I was really drawn to that, that it's not just about the races, but about there being some bigger purpose there.

**Speaker 1** (00:14:37) - So let me be clear right off the bat cuz you're looking at me and going, that is not the body of a runner. You're right. <laugh>. I am not an athlete by any stretch of the imagination. Very, very quick story. So before I started www radio when I, in 2005, I had a, a show that I was doing with somebody else under a different name. It was Mouse Tunes and the Run Disney races were just starting to sort of come into the conversation for people who were not sort of professional marathoners and, and endurance racers. And as we were talking about the news, I said in passing, I said, oh, you know what, maybe one day I'll try it, I'll try and do like a half marathon. And he laughed at me like, legit laugh me. And I'm like, okay buddy, game on. I'm like, yeah, yeah, I'm gonna do this. So me, my wife who was a runner in high school and one other friend of mine who I met through his wife, through the community, don these horrific yellow cotton don't wear cotton to a race.

**Speaker 0** (00:15:32) - Oh, shirts. Yeah. No.

**Speaker 1** (00:15:33) - And I, I didn't, what did I know, but I did my one and only Walt Disney New World Half Marathon, my wife and others. Congratulations. Continued. Thank you. Congrat <laugh>. I, I keep that medal hermetically seen.

**Speaker 0** (00:15:44) - I'm do <laugh>,

**Speaker 1** (00:15:46) - But what ends up happening is that, well wait a minute. If short fat Luke can do it, I can do it too. But sometimes people wanna rally around this idea of doing it together as a team. Well wait, if they're doing it, I'd love to run too. And now I know there's other people who have this thing in common. And then there is the charity aspect. Uh, when I was writing my book, my dad was sick. Um, I took 'em to Sloane Kettering five days a week. It's where I did a lot of my writing and I saw the Pediatric Cancel award and I wanted to help those kids out. So I wanted to work with a wish granting organization, uh, make a Wish, um, to grant wishes for those kids. And we've done a lot of events, but now we use the running team and 700 and some odd members from around the world all help contribute. And this number is not about me. It it's about them. They've raised more than $550,000 for Make-A-Wish. So Wow. That's awesome. That's like making a real difference Yeah. For people that, that really need it. So

**Speaker 0** (00:16:41) - Yeah, I love that aspect of it and I think that pulls out your purpose even further when you can attach it. Um, and we've talked about this in growing your business when you can attach it to something even bigger than you, maybe even bigger than you know, your own community. But attaching it to, um, you know, a philanthropy like that I think is, is very meaningful and reminds you to keep going on those days. That <laugh> you don't necessarily feel like it,

**Speaker 1** (00:17:10) - It's one of the things I love about you is you use that word purpose. Like it, it's meaningful to you. Right? It matters to you. Yeah. It's not just a buzzword. And and you're right, it's a yeah. You have to have that heart in what you do.

**Speaker 0** (00:17:20) - Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Yeah. Yeah. Or it's not, it's not worth it at the end of the day. Like why are you doing any of that? Right.

**Speaker 1** (00:17:25) - Becomes a job, right? It comes a job like everything

**Speaker 0** (00:17:27) - Else. Yes. Yes. Exactly. Um, so let's back up and yes, I still have a landline if you guys can hear that <laugh>. It's, it's always spam always. But I live in the middle of nowhere and have no cell reception here, so gotta have it <laugh>. Um, <laugh> and it's gonna keep ringing. Um, but anyway, when you were talking about you were still a, a lawyer, you were working at a company, you were running another company. I don't even know all the things that you said you were doing while also writing your book. A lot of my listeners are still at that point, maybe even not with that many different things stacked up. But, um, you were a dad. Were you a dad at that time? Were your kids born yet?

**Speaker 1** (00:18:06) - Uh, my daughter was born in, yeah, so my daughter was born in 2000. Look at me like thinking back. My daughter was born in 2003. So it was all sort of kind of converging at the same time.

**Speaker 0** (00:18:15) - Yeah, yeah. That's a lot. So talk to us about what that looked like. Um, how did you prioritize things? How did you manage your time? Did you not manage your time? Is it just like, you know, what did that look like and what sort of tips can you get for the listener listening in? Who is finding themselves in that spot right now and are trying to do all those things and, but also trying not to burn out.

**Speaker 1** (00:18:36) - Yeah, I mean time is, is everybody's enemy. Uh, right. I get it. We all have a real life. We have obligations, we have family, we've got the house, we've got sometimes two jobs, um, to do. And it's, it's the thing that we hear most often, right? I just don't have time. You have to find a way to make the time and there's a lot of sacrifice that has to come in being an entrepreneur or more specifically a solopreneur because it is just you. Even if you have a great support system of family or friends or parents or spouses, whatever around you, a lot of it's on you. So for me, if, if I wanted to write this book, I literally wrote from 10 o'clock at night till two o'clock in the morning, I did not sit on the couch, you know, on at night and, you know, take in a movie or fall asleep or do things like that.

**Speaker 1** (00:19:24) - Those were some of the sacrifices I made. I've made them for the past 20 years. I still continue to do it because you have to sort of see where you can take from to feed the thing that you want to do. Are you willing to give up this little thing, maybe going out with your friends on a Friday night or watching, you know, game of Thrones for the 17th time. How important is this thing that you wanna work on? Um, and I've even, you know, people that I've worked with before, you know, I'll use the book for example. Everybody sort of has this book in him, but there's a huge nexus between the people that say they're gonna write a book and actually start writing a book. And, and I had a, somebody that I was working with who struggled with it, not just for months but for years. And this, this book was in him and I said, look, you've gotta make the time. He says, I don't have it. I got this, this. I said, yes you do. If it means you have to get up 45 minutes earlier and in three months text all you I who five o'clock your phone. I'm like, I swear. Just a guy book. Have to do that. You have to be able to make those sacrifices.

**Speaker 0** (00:20:43) - Yes. And you are frozen on my end. I don't know if it's on other people's end or not. I can hear you. Okay, but you were just very frozen <laugh>. I'm so

**Speaker 1** (00:20:52) - Have to face on

**Speaker 0** (00:20:55) - <laugh>. Yeah, no, it's an okay face. It's not the worst <laugh>. Um, but yeah, you just have to make the time. Um, and as that can be a really hard <laugh> really hard lesson for people. Someone said yes, frozen, maybe it'll unf you're smiling now at least. So now it's frozen on the smiling side. <laugh>, um, oh gosh, there was some, oh, do you outsource now? Um, or delegate anything or, uh, what's the other word? Repurpose. And if so, can you explain a little bit what that looks like?

**Speaker 1** (00:21:29) - Lindsay do, as I say, not as I do <laugh>. You know, you've heard me talk about, you know, do the things that you are uniquely qualified to do. Um, I sometimes have a difficult time letting go, especially cuz I have been sort of, I have this sort of process that I've been doing for, for 20 years. Um, I'm, I'm trying to get better and I do have some help with certain things. Um, I have a an amazing team of writers for the blog and somebody who helps me with my newsletter and, and is an editor. So those things are, are off my plate and, and don't take up the mental real estate. Um, I think we, especially again, as solopreneurs, we struggle with a couple of aspects of it. One, who can I find that's gonna do it as well as me? Who am I gonna find that's gonna do it better than me?

**Speaker 1** (00:22:15) - How am I gonna afford to pay this person? You know, what should I be offloading? So there's a lot of sort of elements to it and I suggest to people a lot of times look inside, right? Look to your community, figure out the areas that you need help, those sort of rote tasks that somebody could do. And especially if they know you and they love you and they trust you and they just wanna be part of what you do, they'll be more than happy to step up to the plate and help. Sometimes all you need to do is just ask.

**Speaker 0** (00:22:47) - Yeah, I love that. Now let's talk about momentum. Um, momentum, we'll start with re did the the conference weekend start first or the retreat?

**Speaker 1** (00:22:57) - The, the, the workshop weekend started first.

**Speaker 0** (00:23:00) - Okay. So tell us a little bit about that because if people are, well people, listen, who did this show our entrepreneurs? So they might be interested in coming. So tell us a little bit about the origin story of that and what that has evolved into being, and feel free to include about the retreat too.

**Speaker 1** (00:23:13) - Thank you. So I, I love conferences, I love events. Again, we talked about the face-to-face, right going and a lot of times you go to a conference and sometimes the best stuff happens in the hallways, right? It's not necessarily in the rooms, but having gone to conferences for so many years and there's 2000 people in a room and I still like, I'm not kidding when I tell you I still have the exact same notebook. I went to this conference and I wrote all these great notes, I had all these great ideas and I took the, this exact notebook home and I put it down and what happens real life gets in the way, family, job, work all, and I still have the same notes, <laugh>, because I never actually got to 'em. And I'm like, wait a minute, this is not, you know, I, you spend this time, you spend this money and then you don't move the needle.

**Speaker 1** (00:23:55) - So I wanted to create a, a space and a weekend where a very limited number of people, I've only limited it to 50. It's what it's been, it's what it's always going to say. And I want them to be able to not only learn, but meet other people who are like-minded and in that same sort of, not space, but sort of, um, place in there that are entrepreneurial or solopreneur journey, but put pen to paper. Like do work in the room. So you walk out on Sunday night in a different place, not just sort of mentally, but in your business you're working, you are walking out in a different place and you, it's called momentum for a reason because those first initial steps to go down that longer path are the, the ones that are most critical.

**Speaker 0** (00:24:39) - Yeah. And I love that taking action because I'm that same person. I have the same notebook, I take it to every conference and I learned probably about a year and a half ago that I was like taking in all of this, but I wasn't doing, it's not that I wasn't doing anything with it, but I was not nearly living up to my potential in regards to an, you know, acting. And so now I like star things <laugh> that are like important to actually get done now whether they actually get done or not. Um, but I did really love that with momentum this past October was the time to implement or work through exercises there real time so that even if you're not necessarily applying all those skills into your business immediately, you've at least experienced it more than just like listening to it. So at least for me it sticks a lot better. Um, and I think that's so interesting. It's always been the 50 mm-hmm. <affirmative> like that small, that small group, cuz you could have it much huge if you wanted to.

**Speaker 1** (00:25:40) - Yeah. And some people are like, what are you doing? Like you're leaving money on the table. And I'm like, that's not the reason why I do it. Like that's not my why, because I've been in, I've been in that seat. Right. I still, yeah, to a certain degree I still am in that seat mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And I would rather ensure that 50 people have a great experience that that makes a difference than worrying about trying to cram in another 5,000, 200 or more into a room for the sake of of, of selling the ticket.

**Speaker 0** (00:26:12) - Yeah. Yeah. I love that. So last thing, let's talk a little bit about collaboration because I feel like, you know, everyone in the world, <laugh>, just just slightly exaggerating there, um, especially the Disney world, um, we had the most amazing speakers at Momentum. I was just like mind blown and I'm like, oh my gosh. And they're friends with him too. Like, what is this man doing? So <laugh> give us some tips because I feel like that's another thing that I will say to women I'm working with. Um, you know, you gotta collaborate more and this is why it's important. And yet there's always something kind of holding people back. They're afraid to reach out. Um, they're not really sure what this could look like. So how did you start doing that? I'm assuming probably through your podcast, but maybe other ways. But how did you start doing that and um, does it still make you nervous to this day? And if so, what sorts of tips can you give us to overcome that?

**Speaker 1** (00:27:11) - So collaboration is, is very important. And I don't even like to use a term strategic collaboration because I think that implies I'm doing it strategically to benefit myself. I think finding like-minded people in what can often be a very crowded space is very important and also very tricky. And forgive the sort of the, the euphemism that I use, but I don't mean this to come out the way it does, but it

**Speaker 0** (00:27:42) - <laugh> you can use it fine.

**Speaker 1** (00:27:44) - Who you get in bed with mm-hmm. Is ultimately a reflection on you. Yeah. So I see too often Lindsay people will reach out to somebody because they have X number of followers on Instagram. While they don't necessarily look very carefully at who they are, what their messages are, what they stand for, what they represent, what their history of posts and reels and tweets and are, you do have to see, be very, very intentional because that can come back to help you or it could come back to haunt you. And that's not who I am. I don't look to somebody because of the numbers that they have. I look to somebody because they're a good person, they're why is right. Um, and as somebody who, you know, I, I wasn't kidding when I said I didn't have a lot of friends growing up. I mean a lot, I'm an extroverted introvert, but I would seek out people and hopefully attract people who were doing things for the right reason.

**Speaker 1** (00:28:42) - Um, and even like when I wanted, you know, I've never monologued a show. A lot of my guests have come from the community. I reach out to them and say, look, this show is not just for you, but it's by with and about you. So if you have an idea, if there's something that you wanna contribute, if you have a a a segment that you, you know, let's talk about, let's do it together. And that's, that's how a lot of it happens. And I think if you do good things for the right reasons, with the right motivation, um, you know, I think it, it will pay dividends not just in the short but in the long term about some of the other relationships that you could make on not just an individual, but even, you know, a a corporate level for example.

**Speaker 0** (00:29:20) - Yeah. Yeah. That's so good. For sure. And I love that, um, the being strategic, but also the not being strategic <laugh>, um, point that you made too, because I think that can be a huge mind block for a lot of women specifically since I'm specifically usually talking to women and that they don't wanna come off as though they're, they're, they have a motive behind it. And I'm like, the motive can just be getting to know people mm-hmm. <affirmative> and sharing your expertise with their audience and vice versa. That doesn't have to be, you know, I'm trying to convert you into a client or whatever. Um, and,

**Speaker 1** (00:29:57) - And we're in it, we're, we're very much in a what's in it for me society right now. Yeah. You need to reverse that. It's what can I do for you if you reach out to somebody? How can I help you? Hey, if you don't have a podcast I do, maybe I can help you reach an audience that you've never reached before. There will be secondary and tertiary benefits for you, but give with no expectation of anything in return.

**Speaker 0** (00:30:20) - Yeah. Yeah. And that's been really hard for me as an adult to learn <laugh> <laugh>. Not, not, not only that, just that. But, but um, I guess more so the me putting my expectations on like, if I treat you really well, I'm assuming that you're going to treat me really well in return and that's not always how it goes. So that's been <laugh> that's been a hard lesson as an adult. Yeah. That's just kind of a side note there. It is. What I meant by that. Um, oh my gosh, there was one more thing. Okay. I'm gonna ask you a few Disney questions cuz if this is, can't be a Disney show without some Disney questions, so be prepared. I'm gonna put you on the spot. Um, and I already, I think I already know the answer to this. I'm gonna ask anyway. Favorite restaurant and what's your favorite dish there?

**Speaker 1** (00:31:01) - My gosh, I bounced around all the time. I mean, my first, my heart goes right to the boathouse in dis spring. I was gonna say, I happy

**Speaker 0** (00:31:08) - Not answer that. Let's be

**Speaker 1** (00:31:09) - Real. I've never had a bad meal there. Um, the Corey Ander tuna is possibly one of the best things I've ever eaten.

**Speaker 0** (00:31:18) - Really? Okay. Yeah. All right. I've never eaten there. We almost did this last trip. I know, I know. Oh,

**Speaker 1** (00:31:23) - How, how much

**Speaker 0** (00:31:24) - Did this last trip?

**Speaker 1** (00:31:25) - Well, lemme write this down that you and I are going to the boathouse.

**Speaker 0** (00:31:28) - Yes. We have to go to the boathouse. That's right. Next time I come to Florida, I'll have to go to the boathouse. Okay. Favorite Walt Disney World Park.

**Speaker 1** (00:31:38) - Do you have favorite? Um, I'm gonna give you a typical lawyer answer. My heart. Okay. Is in is here in Magic Kingdom, right? Yeah. It's, but I think Tokyo Disney Sea is the most remarkable, outstanding, like magical place, um, of any of the Disney I've worldwide. Yeah,

**Speaker 0** (00:31:55) - I've heard that. That's definitely on my list. Um, I heard there's small world, there is spectacular <laugh>

**Speaker 1** (00:32:02) - Do you everything there

**Speaker 0** (00:32:03) - Being. Okay.

**Speaker 1** (00:32:05) - So Tokyo Disneyland is the best of the best of the best from all the Disney parks around the world. Okay. But Tokyo Disney Sea is unlike anything else.

**Speaker 0** (00:32:13) - Uh, all right. Yeah. Now I have to go <laugh>. Uh oh. Jennifer says she's never been to Boathouse either, so I guess I'm going with Jennifer and you <laugh>

**Speaker 1** (00:32:22) - Listen, the more the merrier we

**Speaker 0** (00:32:24) - Can. Okay. We're just gonna <laugh> we're just gonna take everyone from their retreat and talk

**Speaker 1** (00:32:28) - Table for 20.

**Speaker 0** (00:32:29) - That's right. That's right. Uh, you can book that cuz you have connections. I do not.

**Speaker 1** (00:32:33) - <laugh> <laugh>.

**Speaker 0** (00:32:35) - Oh, someone says top 10 bathrooms. Yeah, top 10 bathrooms while Disney World. We don't have to go to that, but that is one of his podcast episodes recently. So

**Speaker 1** (00:32:43) - It was a thing. It

**Speaker 0** (00:32:44) - Was a thing. It was a thing. It was a whole thing. Um, favorite Disney resort. Which do you stay at Disney Resorts now since you live so close? So,

**Speaker 1** (00:32:55) - So sometimes yeah, sometimes I do. Sometimes you know, you, you take a little mini staycation or, or even just a night. Um, I, you know, you go to Wilderness Lodge especially at certain times a year and you forget that you're in Florida. I mean, until you step outside and you get hit with the heat. Uhhuh <affirmative>. Uh, I also love the Riviera. I really like the Riviera.

**Speaker 0** (00:33:15) - I've never stayed Riviera. I've done the Sky

**Speaker 1** (00:33:18) - Riviera to the list two

**Speaker 0** (00:33:20) - YeahI also have to get yeah, get me a a room there Lou and

**Speaker 1** (00:33:24) - <laugh>. And Toto

**Speaker 0** (00:33:25) - Call me in some favors. That's right. <laugh>. I'll pay for it. You just have to get the reservation books. Um, I do really love Wilderness Lodge. We, my sister and I stay there for the first time last June for just a few days. Um, but we have gone just to see the inside the lobby at Christmas time because the lobbies of all the hotels are just beautiful. But I, I actually, I love Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge at Christmas for sure. Um, okay. And then favorite park snack.

**Speaker 1** (00:33:57) - You know, I think there is something still special about walking into Magic Kingdom and grabbing a box of popcorn. Finding a bench somewhere and just watching the world go by

**Speaker 0** (00:34:13) - On Main

**Speaker 1** (00:34:13) - Street. Yeah.

**Speaker 0** (00:34:14) - There is some really good people watching on Main Street, <laugh> for sure. All the Disney parks actually. Um, favorite podcast episode or guest that you have ever interviewed? Oh gosh. I know, I know. Other

**Speaker 1** (00:34:29) - Than this one. Other than this one right here, right now.

**Speaker 0** (00:34:31) - This one Of course. Yeah. Yeah.

**Speaker 1** (00:34:33) - It is. It's so hard. And I, and I it is, I'm sometimes reluctant putting to do this cuz I don't wanna feel like, you know, if I say like one that's, that's somewhere that I interviewed. I don't wanna feel like it's name dropping. Um, yeah. Um,

**Speaker 0** (00:34:45) - Oh you can name drop for sure <laugh>.

**Speaker 1** (00:34:47) - I'm only gonna say this drop on the name. Cause because you don't have to be a Disney fan. Like, and my mom, God bless her, you know, she understood what I did but sometimes didn't understand what I was doing or the people. But when I called my mom and I'm gonna cry, um,

**Speaker 0** (00:35:03) - Aww don't cry <laugh>.

**Speaker 1** (00:35:06) - When I called my mom and told her that I interviewed Julie Andrews like she got it. Like she got it. And yeah, Dame Julie Andrews is ex they say don't meet your heroes. She's exactly the way you want her to be. She is wonderful and sweet and graceful and the nicest person in the world. And like, when we were done and I had, I turned off all 17 recorders cause I was really nervous and I was like, uh, Ms. Andrews danger. I I just thank you so much and, and I grew up watching you and, and now I like, you know, I, my I share Mary Popp

**Speaker 0** (00:35:38) - Fangirled all, all

**Speaker 1** (00:35:39) - Over her. I fangirled all over her and she goes, Ooh Lou. And I'm like, oh my God. She just said my name. Like it was a total like,

**Speaker 0** (00:35:47) - Oh

**Speaker 1** (00:35:48) - My God boy meltdown. Yeah, it was, it was.

**Speaker 0** (00:35:50) - Wait, you met her in person too, didn't you?

**Speaker 1** (00:35:53) - Uh, I've, I've only like in passing the interview was Okay. Uh, over the phone, but Oh okay. Yeah. Yeah, she was wonderful.

**Speaker 0** (00:36:00) - Oh I love that. I love that so much. I think you might have told that story in Momentum too. <laugh> and I think you might have cried then too <laugh>, right?

**Speaker 1** (00:36:06) - Like after all these years. I know. It's not like it happened last week, this is like I know. Years ago. So,

**Speaker 0** (00:36:11) - But I love that. That's so sweet. And um, I would have loved to, I've interviewed her for my show sometime cuz that would've been really cool. Alright, well friends Lou, tell us if people already haven't cut on <laugh> where they can connect with you if they are interested in Momentum Retreat or weekend, how can they find out more information about that and all the things? And I will link all this in the show notes for you guys too.

**Speaker 1** (00:36:35) - So first thank you very much for having me. I really appreciate it. I, I love you and what you do. Uh, you can find everything I do on the Disney side of [email protected] and you can find the podcast everywhere. Everything I do on the business entrepreneurial coaching momentum side of things [email protected]. I'm at lu mongie on all social. Uh, the Momentum Weekend workshop is going to be this fall, uh, at the end of September. Tickets are gonna go out on sale very, very soon, uh, with a super duper, duper duper early bird special. So stay

**Speaker 0** (00:37:10) - Tuned. Awesome. Yeah and get one of those tickets early guys cuz he does limited it at 50 and we would love to see you there in the room in Florida in September, cuz Who doesn't love Florida in September,

**Speaker 1** (00:37:21) - <laugh> and it's Food and Wine Festival. So there's a method to the Madness podcast.

**Speaker 0** (00:37:24) - Ah, <laugh>. Ah, I love it. I love it. I love it. Well Lou, thank you. Thank you, thank you so much. I know this is going to be a favorite for all of our podcast listeners. Um, and if you are listening to this live, feel free to discreet or not even live, I guess on the podcast too. It's not live. But, uh, screenshot this tag Lou and myself over on Instagram and we would love to give you a re-share. Thank you so much, Lou.

**Speaker 1** (00:37:46) - Thank you.