Where was it? How old were you? How much were you paid?
When I was 16, I got a job at McDonald's because I wanted a car, and I knew I couldn't ask my parents for the money. We had just moved to Orlando, and my parents had put all their money down on our house. I made $1.75 an hour, and I ended up buying an English Ford for about $800.

How was your job different than you thought it would be?
I didn't confine myself to just one job. I made it a point to learn every single one of the stations in the place. I would change the hot chocolate when it was low without being asked. I would challenge myself to see how many customers I could get to at the window and to do it as quickly as I could. I think that had to do with my upbringing and doing the best you can at everything you do, and having a good time doing it.

What important lessons or skills that you learned in your first job have been instrumental in your success?
After about a year at McDonald's, I was promoted to swing manager. So at 17, I was supervising most of the night shifts, mostly kids my age. I tried to make it fun by challenging the team to make it as clean as we could, serve as many customers as we could, set sales records in any given hour. It was so great to see the team push toward higher and higher levels of performance. That same type of motivation, passion for excellence and sense of fun is evident across all areas of the Walt Disney World Resort, from our front-line Cast Members (employees) all the way through our leadership ranks.

Which of those lessons, and how, carried into subsequent jobs after your first?
The desire to do better and better all the time - and to inspire those around me to do the same - are strong characteristics of my personality. Those are two keys to good leadership.

How do you use those skills in your position today?
At Disney, we never rest on our laurels because there's always something we can do better than we ever have before. We're fortunate to have so many wonderful, inspiring Cast Members within this company, making smart decisions, developing amazingly creative products and services, and always delivering the best-possible guest experience.

Have you seen how lacking those first job skills had negative effects on others?
I think some people confine themselves to a certain role and don't try to go beyond it. That's why Disney affords its Cast Members so many opportunities to take on additional responsibilities and master more tasks. There are endless opportunities to learn and improve yourself and the operation, and you have to always be curious about how things work and what could be done differently.

Is there a specific event in your first job through which you learned something you still use today?
The worst thing I had to do was to leave McDonald's when I was going to work for Disney. They told me, "you're making a big mistake. You're going to be a big-time manager at McDonald's." For an 18-year-old kid, that was a lot of pressure, and it was one of my worst moments, but I knew it was the right thing to do.That event taught me the importance of taking risks, as long as you've carefully thought through the potential benefits and pitfalls. It also made me realize that as a leader, you can have a real impact on people and their attitudes. I'm so proud that our leadership team at Disney is keenly attuned to setting our people up for success, not holding them back or providing misguided direction.

Did someone give you advice that you carried or later passed on to someone else?
My dad was a Baptist minister, so he was a very strong leader. He also worked extremely hard - 60- or 70-hour work weeks. He performed weddings, baptisms, and funerals. I always appreciated people because I saw them at their best and their worst, and I could see that, as an individual, you could make a difference in people's lives. I saw my dad do it every day, and I try to do that too.

What obstacles had the greatest impact on your career path?
By nature, I'm a very introverted person and I would not, naturally, get up in front of a group of people. I can remember the first presentation I had to give, and I couldn't sleep the night before. After the presentation, I decided I was going to learn how to do that better. I went out, sought the help of others, and they shared their expertise with me. If you take areas you're not confident in and get help and learn, you can build confidence. So I never hesitate to take on new challenges because I know I can always grow, especially in partnership with others.

What people or outside factors affected your work ethic or motivated you the most to succeed?
My parents really instilled that work ethic in me - the knowledge that you earn what you work for in life, and that you should always do your best. When I was 18, I had written goals about what I wanted to achieve by the time I was 40. I'm fortunate. I have more than achieved those things. Most of the goals I have today are in my personal life - my faith, my family and then my career. I'm fairly balanced in how I go about my life.

What advice would you give to someone starting his or her first job?
To succeed, you have to set goals, preferably in writing. Get an education so you're prepared from that standpoint and then try to get the work experiences you really want. I started at the Walt Disney World Resort in an hourly role, and I moved around a lot. I had 20 jobs in my first 22 years at Disney. I think you have to be willing to really explore the possibilities and push yourself.

What do you find most rewarding about your position today?
I have the greatest job in the world. I love getting out into our theme parks and other parts of our operation and talking with our Cast Members and guests to hear how things are going, what we're doing right and where we need to improve. Some days are more challenging than others, of course, but there's nothing our great Cast can't overcome or achieve. The most satisfying part of my job is knowing that Disney has such incredibly talented people - people who love their work and who have the ability to make magic every single day. The entire Cast of the Walt Disney World Resort, in fact, is focused on providing our guests with the most memorable, enjoyable experience possible. That's the most amazing thing about my job.