The Time the Phillie Phanatic Didn't Show Up: Dave Raymond

<p>The original Phillie Phanatic (1978-1993), Author of "The Power of Fun"</p> <p>Notes &amp; enter to win a signed copy of his book: <a href="https://www.markgraban.com/mistake43">https://www.markgraban.com/mistake43</a></p> <p>My guest for Episode #43 is <a href="https://daveraymondspeaks.com/">Dave Raymond</a>, author of the book <a href="https://daveraymond.bigcartel.com/product/the-power-of-fun-paperback">The Power of Fun</a>. So what does Dave know about fun? He's had an incredibly fun career. For one, he was a somewhat accidental pioneer as a sports mascot — he was the first person to perform as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillie_Phanatic">Phillie Phanatic</a>, doing so for 16 years, in 48 states and five countries.</p> <p>He started Raymond Entertainment Group 20 years ago, where he has designed and rehabilitated hundreds of character brands for Fortune 500 companies, sports teams, and colleges and universities — Including <a href="https://www.nhl.com/stars/fans/victor-e-green">Victor E. Green</a>, who I’ve seen at Dallas Stars games and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gritty_(mascot)#:~:text=Gritty%20is%20the%20official%20mascot,the%20Philadelphia%20Phillies%20baseball%20team.">Gritty</a>, the new Philadelphia Flyers mascot. In 2005, he founded the <a href="https://mascothalloffame.com/">Mascot Hall of Fame</a>.&nbsp; Davie is also a motivational speaker (doing a lot of virtual work now).</p> <p>In the episode today, Dave shares his "favorite mistake" story which involved him and the Phanatic not showing up for an event -- and how the Phillies team leadership helped him learn a valuable lesson. We'll also talk about how he became the Phanatic, as a marketing intern with the team, the reception that he got from the fans, and whether the animosity with the late Dodgers' manager Tommy Lasorda was real or not.&nbsp;</p> <p>We also talk about his recent work and why people should be having more fun in the workplace. Can you have a process for creating fun?</p> --- Support this podcas