Dave Raymond: The Phillie Phanatic, a Big Mistake, and the Power of Fun

The original Phillie Phanatic (1978-1993), Author of "The Power of Fun"

Notes & enter to win a signed copy of his book: https://www.markgraban.com/mistake43

My guest for Episode #43 is Dave Raymond, author of the book The Power of Fun. 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 Phillie Phanatic, doing so for 16 years, in 48 states and five countries.

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 Victor E. Green, who I’ve seen at Dallas Stars games and Gritty, the new Philadelphia Flyers mascot. In 2005, he founded the Mascot Hall of Fame. Davie is also a motivational speaker (doing a lot of virtual work now).

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.

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?

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/favorite-mistake/support