Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were on the Mickey Mouse Club in 1995, just as I began my internship with Disney that spring. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet them or work with them, but one of my favorite tall tales I like to tell people is that we were coworkers (technically, I suppose, we were on the same payroll).
In looking back on the career trajectory of the three more famous members of the four of us, it helped me to realize just how much we can learn from following those who were in the same place as we were.
By looking back at the careers of JT, Britney and Christina, I see:
– Continuous reinvention
– Overcoming trials, tribulations and heartache
– Risk taking
– Changing the way things have been done before
By looking at just these four common characteristics, I can look upon success (or failure) I’ve had over the years as well in these four areas.
Could I have reinvented myself earlier (or more often) ?
What did I learn from the tough times?
Do I take enough risks?
And do I change the way things are done?
When I reflect upon all of these, I see I am most successful during constant change.
Lesson learned: no matter how successful others are that you were around at the same time, there’s always something you can learn from people you have never met.