No one can accuse George Lucas of not making the most of what he had. Well, until Disney bought his company. They have taken his franchise — the one that reinvented the movie business and merchandising industry — and mined it for even more gold. They’ve more than made back 25% of their investment on one movie. One. That’s not including all the tie-ins and toys. And books and other licensed products. The Force is strong with their creative and marketing teams.
Star Wars went from being huge to huger.
I walked in this morning and saw E&P magazine (a news trade magazine) on my office floor. The headline screamed “The Rising Popularity of Podcast: How audio is transforming storytelling and revenue for publishers” (Radio figured it out years ago). It’s just another example of how the industry I grew up in is trying to change. Newspapers are in a era of reinvention. Frankly, we all are (ask the manager of the local Blockbuster store). I held the magazine in my hand and started thinking, “We’re all a bit like George Lucas’ Star Wars. We have created a great story and are telling it daily (our jobs, our family). But you wonder. Could someone else tell the story better? How can we? Could there be more? What’s holding me back from doing it? How could I be like Disney and use my gold mine of talents in other and better ways?
I’ve driven all over Mississippi the past couple of months. We are a land of great potential. We have rich soil and talented people. But then I read articles about ‘brain drain,’ and it makes me worry about our future. But what’s holding us back? I cover the news. I have a few ideas about what our problems are. And how do we solve them? I know that it all starts with the person in the mirror. It’s easy to point our fingers and blame other for our problems. Instead, we have to look at lives hard and say, “Am I using all my talents?” “What can I do to make this a better place to live? ”
I’m doing that right now. I’m at a personal crossroads. The biggest struggle I have is workflow and of course, making it pay off. I’m a very creative person who is trying to mine that creativity in ways that will feed my family. I’m sure you’ve had similar moments in your life.
All I know is that I need to reflect, set goals and work my ass off to make those goals reality. I will vow to use my talents to uplift other people.
I guess you could say the Force has awakened. 2016 will be a year of innovation and change.
May the creative Force be with you.