Finding an Innovated Approach

“If you’re not willing to look dumb, you’re not going to accomplish anything.”

When I first met Matthew Miller, I knew he was different. Not the kind of different that makes you scratch your head. The kind that makes you lean in and listen a little closer. The way he talks about theme parks, you’d think he was describing a person he fell in love with back in first grade. And honestly, he kind of did.

Matthew told me that as a kid, one trip to Central Florida changed everything. He decided that day he’d spend his life building roller coasters. And he actually did it. It hasn’t happened by accident or luck though. It happened because he decided he would.

One of my favorite stories from Matthew is how he turned a three-month internship into a career. Most people would have packed up when it ended. Not Matthew. He stayed late, moved into a vacant office, and started calling people that were in a notebook he found. He didn’t know what he was doing. But he was moving with enough confidence that he had everyone else believing in him. Over time he learned. He out-worked, out-asked, and out-believed everyone around him.

That’s the thing about innovative people. They don’t wait to be told what to do. They see an opening and step into it. In Matthew’s case, quite literally.

When you have a passion, use it to help decide what you’re going to do. Learn from people who’ve already done it. Then go all in. Innovation doesn’t start with technology. It starts with a person’s curiosity and the courage to act on it. Maybe today is the day you stop waiting for permission to chase your dream.

Connect with Matthew

Website – ThemeParkMiller.com

LinkedIn – @matthew-miller-theme-parks

IMDB – Matthew Miller

Instagram – @Wewamiller

Connect with Jody

www.jodymaberry.com

About Jody – https://jodymaberry.com/about-jody-maberry/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/sugarjmaberry

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodymaberry/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/sugarjmaberry/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jodymaberry

Episode Highlights

00:10:05 – A trip that sparked Matthew’s dream to design roller coasters.

00:16:28 – How moving into an empty office turned an internship into a full-time role.

00:23:24 – The two-step mindset behind innovation: believe it’s possible and learn from others.

00:27:58 – Matthew’s “job application” to ask his future wife out on a date.

00:32:58 – Advice on taking bold, wise risks and being the main character in your own story.