Moxie: Do It Anyway

ONE STORY

Walt Disney wasn’t born into success. He wasn’t handed credibility. And he definitely wasn’t told, “You've got our blessing.”

He was reportedly fired from The Kansas City Star for not being creative enough.

He created Oswald the Lucky Rabbit—only to have the rights stolen and his animation team gutted.

That betrayal? It led directly to the birth of Mickey Mouse. And, again, when he pitched this new idea—a talking mouse with heart—he was told it wouldn’t work.

When he dreamed of Disneyland, executives laughed. Investors passed. His own team thought he was chasing a fantasy. They called it “Disney’s Folly.”

And when the park finally opened? It was plagued with broken rides, long lines, and plumbing failures.

[Can we pause for a moment? How many of us would've quit after the first setback? Or the second? I'd probably hang it up by the third or fourth. The kind of Moxie Disney had...wow.]

But Disney didn't wait for other's blessings.
He didn’t need a green light from others to believe in what he saw.

He kept building.
Kept risking.
Kept moving forward.

He chose belief over approval. And he did it anyway.

That’s not just creativity.
That’s courage.
That’s moxie.

Do it anyway.

TWO QUOTES

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
—Walt Disney

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”
—Also Walt (the man had Moxie)

THREE TAKEAWAYS

1. You don’t need consensus to start.
   The most important ideas rarely get a round of applause at the beginning. If you're waiting for everyone to understand or agree, you'll be waiting forever. Moxie is starting anyway.

2. Rejection is not a verdict—it’s a test.
   Disney wasn’t proven right by acceptance; he was proven right by staying the course. Courage means holding your ground when the world says, “No thanks.”

3. Belief is a decision, not a feeling.
   You won’t always feel brave. You won’t always feel ready. But you can decide to move anyway. To show up anyway. To believe anyway.

ONE MORE THING

One of Walt’s mottos was simple: Keep moving forward.

That’s the game.
That’s the posture.
That’s the play.

If the thing in your gut still makes sense…
If the voice inside still says yes…
If the world keeps saying no…

Do it anyway.

MOXIE REFLECTIONS

• What idea are you quietly waiting to get permission for?

• Who told you no—and do you still believe them?

• What would it look like to act as if your idea was already proven?