September 19, 2022
Daniel Pacchioni
- Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-pacchioni/
- Learn more about Daniel’s work:
Daniel Pacchioni:
To tell a great story, you have to lean on what you know and be super confident in who you are and what you bring to the table.
Announcer:
Welcome to Agency for Change, a podcast from KidGlov that brings you the stories of changemakers who are actively working to improve our communities. In every episode, we’ll meet with people who are making a lasting impact in the places we call home.
Dan Downs:
Every once in a while, we get to talk to someone who’s not only incredibly talented, but is also dedicated to using their skills to help people through the power of storytelling and creativity. And in our case, this person has a really cool day job, too, at the Universal Orlando Resort. In addition, he’s an actor, a musician, writer, comedian, and a lover of matcha tea, gummy worms, and good stories. So stick around until the end of the episode. We’re going to talk to him about how he’s using his skills in the creative role to give back to his community and make the world a better place.
Dan Downs:
Hey everyone, this is Dan Downs and you might know me as a copywriter here at KidGlov, or as an occasional host of the Agency for Change podcast, or even as a regular contributor working behind the scenes to make sure every episode you hear is filled with amazing interviews from interesting people. You might also remember me from our 100th episode, which aired back in May of 2022, but if not, that’s okay. It’s great to meet you. Thanks for listening in.
Dan Downs:
Today, we’re speaking with Daniel Pacchioni, an award-winning creative brand storyteller at Universal Orlando Resort and co-owner of Grim Brad Studios, a production studio which creates comedic, story-driven, strategic video content for digital, social and broadcast. Daniel, I’m eager to talk with you today and learn more about the great impact you’re making on the world.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Thank you so much for having me, Dan.
Dan Downs:
Yeah. I’m glad you’re here. This is going to be fun. Just to kick us off here, the first question here, I’d love to hear more about your work, both with Universal Orlando Resort and Grim Brads Studios. For those who haven’t heard of those places though, could you give us an overview of what they do.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Sure.
Dan Downs:
And your role at each of those?
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah. If you haven’t traveled to Orlando, Florida, sunny Orlando, Florida, then you probably haven’t heard of the theme parks, and I totally understand that. But if you have visited Orlando, then you can’t miss it, right?
Dan Downs:
Yeah.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Universal Orlando Resort is huge. It’s growing. Three theme parks. We’re about to have a fourth one soon. I’ve been working at Universal Orlando Resort for about maybe nine years or so.
Dan Downs:
Wow.
Daniel Pacchioni:
At different capacities. So if you’re familiar, can definitely talk about all the awesome attractions and things that are happening. But if you’re not familiar, then I would just say it’s a theme park. It is owned by NBCUniversal, which is owned by Comcast. There’s a Universal in Hollywood, Japan, Beijing. So there’s multiple around the world.
Dan Downs:
Yeah. What would you say you do for them? What’s your title?
Daniel Pacchioni:
So I am a content and social strategist. My main function is to create content and deploy campaigns, marque events. I usually lead those. So a lot of the events that we have at Universal Orlando is Halloween Horror Nights, which is our big, big, spooky, amazing event that I am a fan of, I’ve been a fan of since I was very young. Now, I get to create content for that event and get people excited and build a fandom for that brand. So it’s exciting and it’s a lot of fun. And that is sort of my role with universal.
Dan Downs:
That’s cool. That’s great. So as you are involved in building this event out, is there anything recently that you were able to do as part of your role then as a content producer?
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah. So right now the event starts September 2nd. So it’s starting soon and a lot of the work has already been done, obviously. Right?
Dan Downs:
Yeah.
Daniel Pacchioni:
But there’s really cool like just awesome ideas and awesome storytelling that we get to think about from a social standpoint, from a content standpoint. It’s just really exciting. I’m trying to think of the stuff that I can tell you, I can’t tell you.
Dan Downs:
Top secret, right?
Daniel Pacchioni:
But I think we’ve released everything, so I don’t think there’s any secrets out there. A lot of the cool stuff that we do, usually for Halloween Horror Nights, it’s partner up with intellectual properties. This year we’re collaborating with The Weeknd, which is a musical artist.
Dan Downs:
Yeah, that’s great.
Daniel Pacchioni:
We’re also collaborating with Universal Monsters, the Bloom House. Right?
Dan Downs:
Yeah.
Daniel Pacchioni:
So there’s a lot of awesome collaboration happening and getting to think about how we create digital stories and how we partner with them because they have to let us do these things. It’s definitely a challenge, but also an awesome challenge to have. It’s been really exciting.
Dan Downs:
That’s great. I’m really excited. I wish I could go because I do love some horror films and I would love to come check out your work.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Do you get scared easily?
Dan Downs:
No. I’m not much of a person who gets scared. So would I be okay? Do you think I would be scared even if I am a person that does it scary easy?
Daniel Pacchioni:
Let me ask you a question. Do you like haunted anything? Do you like haunted mazes or anything like that?
Dan Downs:
Yes. Oh, yeah. I find all that stuff just so fascinating. And the commitment from the people who plan it, I think is one of the most impressive things to me.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah. I mean, we’ve been told that we do it at a very, very high level. I definitely see it, when you think about the creative team that actually builds the houses and the amount of detail that they put in. It definitely makes me want to do better work. Right? Because from a digital standpoint, you want to make sure that you are doing those things justice. Right?
Dan Downs:
Mm-hmm.
Daniel Pacchioni:
You have a bunch of teams that are building this thing, and it’s your job to make people excited for it. So you want to do as equal of a job that they do. But they are so talented. The details that they have at each house is just amazing and incredible.
Dan Downs:
Yeah. So on the digital side then, what are you doing to, like you said, equal their hard work? What are you doing on your side to really hype up this event and get people excited about going?
Daniel Pacchioni:
So something that to know is our audiences, right? The Halloween Horror Nights audience is a very unique audience. I would relate that audience to a Marvel fan audience. And our job is really mid funnel content. So really talking to the fans, right?
Dan Downs:
Mm-hmm.
Daniel Pacchioni:
And that puts us in a really great position to really come up with ways that they aren’t expecting our brands to do or any brand really from a horror standpoint. Right?
Dan Downs:
Yeah.
Daniel Pacchioni:
So whether it’s creating in-feed scares where you’re just scrolling through your daily feed and then all of a sudden a monster jumps out at you. Right?
Dan Downs:
Yeah.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Or just having a little bit of fun with the fans. Right?
Dan Downs:
Mm-hmm.
Daniel Pacchioni:
We do that on a daily basis. We do that from a campaign standpoint. So we try to do that everywhere. But what’s something that I would definitely say that it’s very important to us and myself is to understand the audience and give them not only what they want, but something that they’re not expecting. Right?
Dan Downs:
Yeah.
Daniel Pacchioni:
So that’s kind of how I see it from a digital standpoint. How do we do that? How do we elevate in the everyday basis. Not just with copy or video, but just in the simplest forms that those fans are interacting with our brand. And obviously, they interact with our brand through our social accounts, but they do it sometimes when they come to our parks. Right?
Dan Downs:
Yeah.
Daniel Pacchioni:
They’re looking to engage. There’s a game that’s coming out for Halloween Horror Nights that folks can play while they’re waiting line to get into the hunted houses. So for us is how do we get that to them? How do we create excitement for them? So those are the ways that I think about when I think about content and the fans. Right?
Dan Downs:
Yeah.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Halloween Horror Nights.
Dan Downs:
That’s a really great mindset to have, how do you deliver them the unexpected? And I’m sure that that’s something that’s more challenging than ever nowadays when I think the internet and the of ubiquity of smartphones has really made. We’ve seen so much. YouTube and social media exposes us to all kinds of images and ideas just on a daily basis. So I can’t even imagine what goes into giving them something that’s so unexpected that as they’re scrolling, they stop what they’re doing. So that’s really impressive to me that you guys are doing that kind of content.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah. Like winning people’s attention is a 24/7 job I think.
Dan Downs:
Yes.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Thinking about how to do that better every day. You’re right. I think from a digital standpoint, something that maybe not everyone thinks about all the time, but from a brand standpoint, we have to win everyone’s attention. We’re not competing with competitors like business competitors, but we’re competing with everyone. We’re competing with your grandma’s recipe, right?
Dan Downs:
Yes.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Truly in that space. So we definitely have to think about it every single day and how to deliver something new, fresh, and engaging.
Dan Downs:
Yeah. That’s great. I’m curious then about your work with Grim Brad Studios. Talk to me about what you do there, your role there, and the work you guys do, that kind of thing.
Daniel Pacchioni:
So this is a business that I founded with my writing partner. And basically what we offer is stuff that I’ve always wanted to do. My background is heavily in the comedic genre. That is where I gravitate towards. I always felt like, “Man, that is a unique genre or a niche genre to own.” So that’s what we dedicate that studio for is to provide comedic content for brands. But we also utilize this business to do pro bono work, which is really important to me.
Daniel Pacchioni:
We select a nonprofit every year, which is going to be the plan. And then we offer our services fully pro bono. Again, it’s kind of important for me to deliver those things to businesses or nonprofit organizations that might not be able to afford these things. Right?
Dan Downs:
Right.
Daniel Pacchioni:
I know how to build these things, but I totally understand the small businesses or nonprofits might not know how to talk to their audiences or even know who their audiences are. Right?
Dan Downs:
Right.
Daniel Pacchioni:
So it’s been really awesome to do that and to be really flexible and to just pick and choose the projects that we get to work on. So it’s been really great.
Dan Downs:
When you co-founded that studio was that always your goal doing this? Was because you wanted to help people and make this kind of content? Or did that evolve over time?
Daniel Pacchioni:
I think it definitely evolved. My business partner and my writing partner, he lives in LA. So a lot of the stuff that we have wanted to work on were pilots, treatments, TV shows, things like that. And that’s still part of it, but it’s kind of evolved. Then we’re like, “Well, what about small businesses? What about other things, campaigns? What about things like that? Or digital campaigns.”
Daniel Pacchioni:
Even out of home, we talked about that. Even though that’s not our main focus, what can we do with the billboard if we had a chance. So definitely, it’s evolving, but I also don’t want it to leave the focus that we started with, which is really just comedic content. It’s something that I feel strongly, and I am very passionate about because that’s kind of been my forte. I started in entertainment as an actor at Universal. Comedy school of Second City in Chicago.
Dan Downs:
Very popular comedy school.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Where most famous comics came out of and our SNL and all kinds of stuff.
Dan Downs:
Tina Faye, right? Was that one of them, I think?
Daniel Pacchioni:
Exactly. Tina Faye and all those guys. That is where I lean on and what I’m passionate about. So I try to embed that in everything that I touch. Although, my motto is really like, “You should really make an audience either cry or laugh.” And if you can make someone do both of those things at the same time, then that is the golden dream.
Dan Downs:
Right. Okay. Make them cry in a good way, I hope. Although, I guess any emotional response that you’ve elicited from them, you’ve at least made an impact.
Daniel Pacchioni:
That’s all you can ask for.
Dan Downs:
It is. That’s all you can ask for. I am curious about the name. How did you guys come up with this name Grim Brad Studios?
Daniel Pacchioni:
So my partner and I, we have been doing comedy for a very long time. We’ve had improv groups. We’ve acted together. We’ve written stage plays. And out of those thing… “Oh yeah, we’ve done all kinds of short films.” Yeah, sure. But out of all those creative mediums, we’ve had small little stories within them and one of those stories had a character, his name was Grim Brad. And the story that we gave him is that he is the grim reaper’s son.
Dan Downs:
Okay.
Daniel Pacchioni:
And his deal is that he doesn’t want to do the reaping. He doesn’t want to follow his dad’s footsteps.
Dan Downs:
Yes. He doesn’t want to work in his dad’s profession.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Exactly. Like all kids or teenagers.
Dan Downs:
“Don’t tell me how to live my life, dad.”
Daniel Pacchioni:
Exactly. So Grim Brad doesn’t want to do the reaping anymore. So what he wants to do is to create a creative agency. He did, and he named it Grim Brad Studios and he hired me and my business partner to run it. So that’s kind of the story that we have. We are currently creating a web series around that, which is very meta, right? Grim Brad is creating this agency or creative agency or content studio, and he hires us to run it and that’s sort of the web series, but it’s also a real content studio that businesses can hire. So that’s currently in development.
Dan Downs:
That’s great. Is it animated or live action?
Daniel Pacchioni:
Live action.
Dan Downs:
Very cool. Well, I look forward to seeing that, especially as a person who works at a marketing agency. That idea sounds super funny to me, and I would love to hear it. It reminds me a little of… I’m sure you’ve seen this show. Years ago, there was a show on TV called The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. Did you ever watch that?
Daniel Pacchioni:
Of course. Absolutely. Definitely.
Dan Downs:
Yes. I thought just a fascinating idea for a kid show that they are friends with the Grim Reaper and they have these bizarre adventures.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Right. It’s kind of the same thing, except that it’s a creative agency.
Dan Downs:
Right. I love it.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Or content studio. It comes to it.
Dan Downs:
It’s very much geared to people in our industry, which I love. So I’ll be looking forward to that. So one of the things, we touched on this just a little bit ago, but I want to come circle back to really quick here, because one thing we will be talking about a lot today obviously is storytelling. So integral to your roles, both at Universal Orlando and at Grim Brad Studios. I think the fascinating thing for me about storytelling is that it has this just magical ability to move people to action and elicit this wide range of emotions from people we talked about that earlier. Any reaction is great.
Dan Downs:
So in doing that pro bono work for Grim Brad Studios, how do you use storytelling to help people? And if you have any examples of people, organizations that you were able to help, I’d love to hear about those.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah, sure. Well, the first thing that I would say is storytelling, it has to be the foundation of how we approach and work. In my opinion, I think everyone does some type of storytelling. They just don’t see it that way. I would say when you go to Starbucks and you find someone that you really enjoy, they’re just super approachable, they’re just super on point with their work, you leave that Starbucks and you go, “Oh man, that was an awesome experience. I’m going to come back.”
Daniel Pacchioni:
So in my view, that person that helped you at Starbucks just told an amazing story his own way. And that’s really all it is. It’s a way to connecting ideas that you feel emotional attached to. And that’s really how I define stories. Stories can be told in numerous multiple ways, whether it’s small, sure, long. Whatever you are doing, you are telling a story. And that’s kind of how I see the world. That’s the foundation to me.
Dan Downs:
Right.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Now, what’s really awesome is that when you can tell a really good story, or when you do tell a really good story and the outcome of that story is seen, or you can evidently see it in someone’s faces or emotional attachment or fans. There are places where storytelling is super-fast and you get immediate feedback like standup comedy or comedy in general.
Dan Downs:
Improv.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Sure, improv. There are certain areas where it’s not that immediate feedback where it’s like films or TV or anything like that. Right?
Dan Downs:
Yeah. Right.
Daniel Pacchioni:
But I would say that it’s all the same. One example that I would love to share is when something really clicks in numerous places and when you affect someone’s life, but also business objective. There’s an example that I love to share actually and I’ve shared it multiple times when people ask me something related to that question. I’ll start with this. A few years back, I was tasked by Universal to lead Grad Bash, which is a senior event, so a high school senior event. So basically seniors go to Universal and the parks close and it’s just open to them, and they just have fun with their friends. That is a Universal Orlando event called Grad Bash.
Dan Downs:
I love the sound of it so far. Okay.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah.
Dan Downs:
I would love to have gone to something like this as a senior.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Funny story. When I was in high school, they told me about Grad Bash and I could have gone, but I was too cool for it for something. I totally was just like, “Nah, I’m going to do something else.”
Dan Downs:
“I’ve got Legos to play with. Oh, sorry.”
Daniel Pacchioni:
And a lot of people did go and they had an amazing time, but I didn’t go because I thought I was too cool.
Dan Downs:
Did you regret that afterward? Where you like, “I really wish I had gone to this”?
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah, of course I did. Totally, totally. Cut back to a couple years ago. Now I’m leading the content for Grad Bash. Right? For Universal. I’m like, “Oh man, I remember…”
Dan Downs:
Full circle.
Daniel Pacchioni:
I remember now wanting to go through here. Then I put myself in their shoes. How do I make this exciting for them? How do I create hype? So I thought about this a lot and I put myself in that situation. I’m like, “What story can I tell here?” It’s one of the proudest moments for me in my job currently because we came up with this concept or it was called Megatron Goes to School. And the idea was, “Okay, so how about we have a new Grad Bash ambassador. And what if this Grad Bash ambassador was Megatron? What if Universal hired Megatron to spread the word of Grad Bash at different schools?
Dan Downs:
Megatron from Transformers, right?
Daniel Pacchioni:
From Transformers. That’s correct.
Dan Downs:
Fantastic.
Daniel Pacchioni:
By the way, this was a logistic nightmare, but we did it. We did it.
Dan Downs:
Okay.
Daniel Pacchioni:
We got Megatron and we took him to a school in the area. So that was it. That was the idea.
Dan Downs:
Did you tell them you were coming or did you just show up with Megatron and say, “What’s for lunch?”
Daniel Pacchioni:
First we were like, “Let’s surprise them.” And then there were-
Dan Downs:
There were legal considerations.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Our legal team was like, “No. There is no way you are bringing Megatron.”
Dan Downs:
That’s too bad.
Daniel Pacchioni:
But anyway-
Dan Downs:
Beyond the news tonight.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Exactly. Although, that could’ve been good. But anyway-
Dan Downs:
It’s true. That could’ve been good coverage for you guys.
Daniel Pacchioni:
So it was a simple idea. But there were a few layers I didn’t think about that made it impactful for me. The first thing was that we ended up picking a very underfunded school because we got some insights that a lot of the kids that went to Grad Bash saved out almost all year. These kids weren’t… They didn’t have the means to do a lot of things, but this is the one thing that they really wanted to do for their senior year. So these insights allowed us to say, “Okay, well we need to feature these kids.” Right?
Dan Downs:
Right.
Daniel Pacchioni:
It would be a disservice if we don’t. So we went to one of the schools that these kids are from, and we went to the drama teacher. We’re like, “Hey, we’re looking for background kids to help us with this concept.” And that evolved. Right?
Dan Downs:
Yeah.
Daniel Pacchioni:
All of a sudden we’re talking with this drama class and the kids have dreams of becoming stars. They are so excited to be part of this. No one has ever asked them to be part of anything like this. And we’re like-
Dan Downs:
That’s fantastic.
Daniel Pacchioni:
… “Hey, be part of our concept.” So things start to evolve. Now, we are doing more than what we wanted to do. We’re affecting some of their lives in the small way. So we started filming. And just to side note on this concept, one of the main kids that we picked, he was phenomenal. He got it. He did it. He was awesome. He was super grateful. He shook my hand every time.
Dan Downs:
For a high school, I feel like that’s really big.
Daniel Pacchioni:
That’s huge. It’s huge.
Dan Downs:
Yeah, it is.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Once we were done with the whole production, once we were done with everything at the end of it, they were proud of the work. They showed all their friends and family. We affected them in a way that I wasn’t expecting to. So I share this example to say, “Man, you never know who you’re going to affect with the stories that you tell. And those things can evolve and it’s okay that they evolve as long as they are evolving in a positive way and be super aware of what you’re doing at all times because of those reasons.” I think if I would’ve been like, “This is just a Grab Dash Universal commercial. They don’t really need to do any of that.” You know what I mean?
Dan Downs:
Yeah, right.
Daniel Pacchioni:
I think it wouldn’t have been as impactful. Now, when this piece came out, it was instantly a hit. It was loved by everyone. It was something that our brand has never done before. We’ve never taken Megatron outside of our parks, out of school. We’ve never done that. So we did a lot of firsts, but more importantly, I think we did it justice featuring these kids and giving them an outlet to express themselves and tell a little bit of their story. A lot of them had ideas on set and we listened to them. We’re like, “Yeah, do it.”
Dan Downs:
Go nuts.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Man, I tell you, it was so fun.
Dan Downs:
That’s fantastic.
Daniel Pacchioni:
I’m super grateful for those opportunities. And not just one of many. Right?
Dan Downs:
Right.
Daniel Pacchioni:
But if you are curious about this video, you can go on YouTube, just search Universal Orlando Resort and then search for Megatron Goes to School.
Dan Downs:
Okay. Okay, great. I think this sounds like something that I want to watch. I’m really excited because… And I’m trying to imagine… Just so I’m clear, was there somebody in a suit? What does it look like? What are we picturing here?
Daniel Pacchioni:
So Megatron, it’s a character. There are stilts involved. It’s a full-on suit. He looks just like Megatron.
Dan Downs:
Yeah, it sounds very involved.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah.
Dan Downs:
Interesting.
Daniel Pacchioni:
I mean, there was a few handlers, I’m going to say four or five.
Dan Downs:
Oh, wow. It took a lot of planning on your part.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Sure. Yeah, definitely. A lot of planning. A lot of legal discussions as well.
Dan Downs:
Yes, that as well. I bet. I do feel like when you do these kinds of product, and probably any endeavor, I think in the creative realm requires a certain amount of flexibility. Would you agree with that?
Daniel Pacchioni:
Oh, yeah. I always say that, try not to attach yourself emotionally to the work as much because I think that you have to in a way, so you can be passionate about it, but don’t do it too much of that. If there’s a roadblock, you are blinded by those like, “Oh, you can’t do this and you just can’t solve it because you are so attached to your concept.” Right?
Dan Downs:
Right. Yeah.
Daniel Pacchioni:
So being flexible is definitely one of those things.
Dan Downs:
At another job I had, a creative director and what he used to say to me is that when it comes to the work, nothing is sacred. And that was just his way of saying to me that sometimes even if you’re really in love with a story that you’ve written or a commercial or whatever the piece is, obviously there’s going to be changes and you got to be… Like we just talked about, you got to be flexible and roll with things to create the very best end product.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah. I think he’s dead on. Things will change. Legal might say, “You can’t do this,” or you might have to find a solve for that or take it out or whatever that might be. I think you’re right. I think a lot of junior creatives… And I see it a lot. It’s not bad. It’s totally normal to be so attached to your idea that you don’t see it any other way. And the more that you are in the industry, the more you’ll see that you have to be flexible. You have to communicate your ideas correctly. Sometimes it’s your fault if you don’t communicate your idea correctly. And they don’t get it.
Daniel Pacchioni:
I always blame myself, by the way. It’s like if someone doesn’t get a concept of mine, I only blame myself. It’s just easier to be like, “Ah, next time I’ll communicate it better.”
Dan Downs:
It’s a good approach because the alternative there is, what, that you go, “Well, it’s your fault because you didn’t understand.” And I think as a person like, I’m a writer, you’re a writer, we have to really look at things when we produce a piece and say, “Look, is it their fault that they didn’t get it? Or is it my fault for not making it clearer what’s happening here?” Making that message the most important piece so that they get it immediately, that every single person, because if they don’t get it, somebody else out there might not either. And there, you’ve diluted the impact of your piece. Right?
Daniel Pacchioni:
Totally. You could totally be wrong. Right?
Dan Downs:
Yes.
Daniel Pacchioni:
And you have to trust other people to also give you feedback. Because again, you’re completely… Which is why I love working and collaborating with other people.
Dan Downs:
Me too.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Because there’s definitely a chance that you could be wrong. What you’re seeing isn’t what everyone else is seeing. It’s super important to have that.
Dan Downs:
Right. There’s something that is really nice about the collaborative creative process that is so different from creating or writing in a bubble because when you have… It sounds like you have a great partner at Grim Brad Studios that when you have a great partner like that, you can build off of each other. Just improv. You build off each other and you go, “That’s a great idea. What if we also did this?” And you end up with this beautiful end result that that is better because you work together and not by yourself.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Right. I mean, I feel like everything that I’ve learned was through comedy to be honest. That’s why I always lean on that. I think there’s some great lessons to be learned that you can apply to everything that you do.
Dan Downs:
We’re kind of already on the topic. So this next question should go right along with what we’ve been discussing about storytelling. But what do you think is the key to telling a really great story and what do you think is the secret to standing out now that there’s so much content out there on social, on the web for people to take in? How do you make a story that kind of cuts above all that noise?
Daniel Pacchioni:
I think that to tell a great story, you have to lean on what you know and just be super confident about that, of who you are and what you bring to the table. It’s something that I always share whether it’s an intern or someone looking for advice. Because the way I see it is the experiences that I bring to the table no one else can bring. So therefore, my point of view is going to be a unique one because of that alone. And then you can build on that. So for example, for me, again, my experience is I started as an actor, I did comedy. So if I were to tell the greatest story I’ve ever told, it would have to be something in that area, in there somewhere. Right?
Dan Downs:
Yeah.
Daniel Pacchioni:
If I started doing, I don’t know, a story about a bartender, then I might not feel too connected there because I’ve never been a bartender. Right?
Dan Downs:
Right.
Daniel Pacchioni:
That’s just a small little example of what I mean by that. But lean heavily on what you know is just a good place to start. And then being relevant or relatable. Being relatable to me is probably more important than being funny. I always think that being relatable is probably the most important thing if you are thinking about storytelling.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Now, there are formulas of storytelling that you can find on the internet and things like that. But if you are looking to have a really good foundation, you want to start with something. Being relatable to me is just a good place to start and a good base to tell a good story.
Dan Downs:
I think in a lot of ways the relatability of a story is sort of what pulls people in. And then to make it funny, which is, I think so often when you’re working on a piece it’s supposed to be funny. Then once you have them engaged in the story, what makes it funny, at least in my mind, is that you’re moving your subverting expectations. It’s about taking where they expect the punchline to be or what they expect the punchline to be, and now it’s something else.
Dan Downs:
So on the one hand, I think you’re totally right, it is about giving them something relatable that they’re familiar with and then also simultaneously giving them something unfamiliar. And that’s where that funny comes in, I feel like it’s that, “I got you a little bit.” You didn’t know this was coming.
Daniel Pacchioni:
No, you’re right. You are dead on that. And another thing that I would add too, it’s like, there’s no rules really. I always say this, it’s like, “You can break the rules as long as the rules. As soon as you know the rules, then you can feel free to break them.” Because if you start breaking the rules without having a foundation, then that’s when you start getting a little bit lost. And I see that when I was doing improv comedy or standup, I saw that a lot. They were trying to break the rules without understanding the rules. So that’s kind of my advice for anyone doing something new is telling a story or building a script or a joke or whatever it is to what are the rules here? How do I this first? And then how do I surprise people? Right?
Dan Downs:
Right.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Like what you mentioned, how do I do something different, and what you mentioned before.
Dan Downs:
That’s really interesting. Do you feel like your experience in standup, your experience in improv, and you talked about this earlier, what have you been able to take away from those roles and those parts of your life and apply maybe to other parts of your life or other roles that you’ve held?
Daniel Pacchioni:
I did improv comedy for a long time. For over five years or so. And the collaborative way that you have to perform on stage to me is what I apply to creative work today for Universal?
Dan Downs:
Okay.
Daniel Pacchioni:
So I’ve learned many lessons through those mediums, through performing in general whether it’s theater or whatever it is. But listening to an audience is one of the ones that I think about all the time. The instant feedback, when you do something and the audience knows it that can be applied to different places. But having that instinct of knowing that, it’s really a muscle that you have to work at all the time. Once you have it, Dan, you are cooking with all kinds of highly combustible oil. But those are super useful tools that I’ve learned, so I apply that all the time.
Dan Downs:
Yeah, that’s great. Is there a favorite project that you have been able to work on, either at Universal or through Grim Brand Studios?
Daniel Pacchioni:
A favorite work? Project?
Dan Downs:
Yeah, anything at all that you’ve worked on. What’s been your favorite over the years that you’ve gotten to work on? And what do you think made that thing so special to you?
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah, that’s interesting. So I would say outside of Universal and outside of our content studio, one time we got a chance to put on a play. A local theater was just super excited for us to put something together and they just kind of hired us to do this. And that was where I felt the most creative because that was… I get to do the thing. I don’t have to learn the lines, I get to write the lines and do the whole thing. So I would say that was probably the one project that I was super excited for because I was able to build as high as I wanted it to be. And that’s actually one of the reasons why I started the content studio because we created a character again called Grim Brad, and he was so lovable. We had so many ideas for him and we’re like, “What if he created a content studio, hired us?” And that’s the content studio that we want to work for.
Daniel Pacchioni:
So that’s one project that I really, I would say, added a lot of value for me. I learned a lot from it. And in the corporate environment, I utilize it all the time. All those learnings that I had. So that’s one of the projects that I feel most proud of.
Dan Downs:
That’s great. The way you talk about it feels very much like… Grim Brad is like this other partner for you. You wrote your studio into existence. You wrote this role and this thing into existence in what started on the pages now a thing that you’re doing in real life, which is I think, fascinating to me.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah. I usually go with whatever feels right. That felt so natural and organic which is just right place, right time. From there, we just started saying, “This could be another way to give back to the community too.” Right?
Dan Downs:
Yeah.
Daniel Pacchioni:
So everything kind of fell into place.
Dan Downs:
Let’s talk about how today’s digital tools and platforms have enabled increased access to different kinds of storytelling. Because things like YouTube or TikTok, what they’ve done for video content. I’m thinking of SoundCloud, what SoundCloud has done for audio is really taken these fields that really were unattainable for most people just a few years ago because at the time they may be required equipment that was way too expensive or industry connections that were very hard to come by.
Dan Downs:
But as these tools have become easier to find and use, what do you think are some of the good and bad ways that we have seen storytelling evolve along with these tools?
Daniel Pacchioni:
So man, what a change. If you think about just five years ago or even 10 years ago when I first started, things have changed dramatically in the digital space and how we tell stories through those mediums. I would say that, you’re always going to have a place to tell stories like that. I don’t know if you remember Vine. Vine was-
Dan Downs:
Vine was very big.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Vine was a six-second way of telling some story, right?
Dan Downs:
Yeah.
Daniel Pacchioni:
What an awesome concept to like, okay, you have six seconds.
Dan Downs:
Had to be concise.
Daniel Pacchioni:
You have to be concise. Exactly. Go straight to the point. You already have time to build character like arcs or background stories or even barely name your character. So I think those are things that… By the way, I consider those stories too. It’s just a different way of telling a story. And creators will always find a way to utilize those tools to tell stories whether it’s funny or entertaining, or they’re teaching someone something. It just changes all the time. And there’s going to be way more change. So I personally, definitely… You don’t want to lose those. You don’t want to be outside of those places because you want to be involved when those changes are happening because you don’t want to be left behind in that.
Dan Downs:
Right. It’s where a lot of conversations are happening now.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah. I mean, especially TikTok. I mean, man, I was talking about TikTok two, three years ago because I don’t know if… Well, you don’t know this, but Universal does not have a TikTok account right now.
Dan Downs:
Okay. All right.
Daniel Pacchioni:
About two years ago we were talking about this. For one reason or another, we’re getting there. No spoilers there. But it’s just a place where our fans are and that strategically is part of our strategy to be where our fans are. So that’s where they are and that’s where we should be.
Dan Downs:
Right, exactly.
Daniel Pacchioni:
And things change. I think a lot of people… I don’t know. Are you okay with those types of changes? Does it make you feel old? Does it make you feel like you’re out of touch? Because that’s a normal thing that I felt when these things come out. Right now it’s BReal. I don’t know if you know what that is.
Dan Downs:
Yes. Actually, I’m on BeReal.
Daniel Pacchioni:
You’re ahead of a game. I got to be honest, Dan. Are you an influencer? Is that…
Dan Downs:
I can barely influence my dog. So I don’t think it’s me.
Daniel Pacchioni:
All right.
Dan Downs:
But the only reason I know about it is just because I keep an ear out for those kinds of things. I think when you work in the creative industry or in the marketing industry, you do want to know. Like you said, you want to know where people are. You want to know where conversations are happening. And there is this movement to more authentic posts, more authentic video and photography that is really kind of a counter movement to what Instagram has created over the years with the very curated feeds that people go, “Wow, their life looks amazing.” Well, BReal is all the opposite from that. Right?
Daniel Pacchioni:
Sure is. Right.
Dan Downs:
It’s very real. My wife and I are both on it. And a lot of what people post on there, feels very mundane, but in a way I find that refreshing. You just see them doing the same stuff you’re doing, watching TV, cooking dinner, playing with the dog, going to the store. That’s real. That’s real stuff.
Daniel Pacchioni:
I mean that was Facebook in 2012 or something. I completely agree. I think, man, everything is such a circle. Every time someone talks about that, I think about fashion for some reason. Now, skinny jeans are not a thing, but bootleg jeans are in. But that was in 2000 also.
Dan Downs:
It was.
Daniel Pacchioni:
There’s a cycle in fashion and obvious cycle in fashion. I think on the digital space, there’s also a cycle. It’s just not so evident like jeans, right?
Dan Downs:
Yes.
Daniel Pacchioni:
But I think it happens. I think you’re right. Right now everyone has high produce content and it’s just refreshing to have just like, “Hey, I didn’t plan this. Here you go.” You know what I mean? I also think there’s a strategic value as a business to have that too and something that businesses you listen to. We talk about Universal all the time. That’s about that like high produce content versus just go to the park and see what’s happening. That’s part of the strategy too. But I think you’re right. It’s definitely something to be aware of all the time.
Dan Downs:
Yes. Things are always changing. And you asked me do I ever feel old? And the answer is resounding, yes.
Daniel Pacchioni:
That’s normal. I always feel that way.
Dan Downs:
I don’t know when it happened. I remember feeling like, “Oh, I’m on top of all the apps and platforms that are out there.” And at some point it got past me.
Daniel Pacchioni:
I’ll tell you what, I felt old yesterday, and I’ll give you an example.
Dan Downs:
Okay. All right.
Daniel Pacchioni:
I was watching the VMAs and I didn’t recognize anyone.
Dan Downs:
Oh, that’s the moment.
Daniel Pacchioni:
And then I was like, “Okay, I think it’s me. It’s not them, it’s me. I haven’t been keeping up with what’s going on.”
Dan Downs:
Right. You haven’t been on Spotify enough apparently.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Or that playlist, exactly.
Dan Downs:
Yes. I’ve had those moments too, where I turn to my wife and I go, “Who is this?” And she’s like, “Oh, you don’t know who this is?” And I’m like, “No.” It’s past me now.
Daniel Pacchioni:
It’s hard to keep up. I get it.
Dan Downs:
It is, yes. I do think, it sounds like you’re saying to me that with the advent of these things, TikTok and things like that, that there’s been a lot of good that has come from that, at least in terms of storytelling. I feel like at least when you have six seconds to work with, back in the days of Vine, relatability was really king that it was a no frills. But is there anything bad that you think has come from storytelling as a result of the shorter attention spans, the shorter video clips? I mean, gone are the days of a long 10-minute video. People want a 30-second sure clip now. Is that bad or is that just a natural progression do you think?
Daniel Pacchioni:
I always think it’s a natural progression. I think if you feel like it’s a bad thing, I think you’re ignoring the good things. It’s possible to have both, to have good things and bad things. That’s totally normal from an evolution of whatever it is. At some point, I’m sure when cars were invented, everyone was like, “What? What about my horse?”
Dan Downs:
“What am I going to do with my horse and my horse driver?”
Daniel Pacchioni:
“This is a horrible idea. I’ve named my horse. I got to get driver’s license. What? I don’t need a driver’s license for a horse.” So it’s just normal, right? There’s good, there’s bad. I don’t label it that way. I just think it’s a normal progression of things. It’s just now you got to do it differently. Stories just need to be done differently. And there’s a lot of good, again, but I’m sure there’s bad. And if you ask me, “Okay, well what is the bad?” Hard to say. Right?
Dan Downs:
Right.
Daniel Pacchioni:
I think it depends on the individual. Maybe if you’re a small business, it could be bad because now you got to spend more money on another channel or hire more people to work on your TikTok account or whatever it is. So that would be the bad because there’s other investments and there’s some new knowledge that someone needs to learn and that could be costly. So that’s the bad. But there’s also good. So there’s doing both.
Dan Downs:
Really spoken like a true content producer. The way you frame that up is the only bad you had for me on that was, “We’re going to have to invest money in this new channel and somebody’s got to create content.”
Daniel Pacchioni:
Isn’t that the problem with everyone? They’re like, “Oh great, now we have a new feature, a new channel. Now, we got to hire someone to run it.”
Dan Downs:
That’s right.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Or understand it.
Dan Downs:
We need a to expert now. We need a BeReal expert tomorrow.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Exactly.
Dan Downs:
I like that. That was an appropriate answer for you, I feel like.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Thanks.
Dan Downs:
So getting back to you and all your many, many talents, you’ve told me that you were an actor. You’ve told me you’ve done comedy standup and improv. I know you’re a musician, you’re a writer. You’re involved with the American Advertising Federation in Orlando.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yes.
Dan Downs:
How did you come to be a person with all these different interests and talents? As a follow up, I’m curious if you have a favorite out of all of those skills.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah. One thing that I always share because I have a lot of interests and I totally am super aware of that. One thing that I always share about that specific topic is that when I was growing up, someone asked me, “Hey, what do you want to do when you grow up?” I never had an answer. I never had, “Oh, I want to be a doctor or lawyer or one specific thing.”
Daniel Pacchioni:
That question never appealed to me. I never had a good answer. Now, as I’m older, I think I know why’s because I never wanted to do one thing. I always had multiple interests even when I was younger. But no one ever told me that you could do multiple things if you want to. You don’t have to be just a lawyer, you can be a lawyer and a soccer player if you want. If you find the right way to do it is problem solving.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Growing up, I feel like everyone’s just like, “What’s the one thing you want to do for the rest of your life?” And that was never my case. So whenever I talk about that topic, I’m like, “I always just wanted to do multiple things.” I’ve tried doing one thing and I’ve just never felt fulfilled or even happy at those points. I remember I used to be an actor full time. I used to be a musician full time. I didn’t do anything else. And then I was in the corporate world full time.
Daniel Pacchioni:
None of those things felt right to me. The moment that it started to feel right or I started to feel like myself was when I started combining those things. Then I started to realize that they are all related to each other. I use my music background with the work that I do all the time. When we are going over scores or we’re going through music, I know that area. When I used to act full time, I know when I’m on set, I know exactly who is working on and what their job is and how to act on set.
Daniel Pacchioni:
There’s a flow that you need to know. So I learned that and I bring that to the table. And the writing as well. I’ve written many articles and many scripts for Universal, and I use that all the time. So that’s kind of how I do that and how I see it. I have multiple interests that I would say… I don’t recommend to anyone by the way. I honestly-
Dan Downs:
Don’t follow your path.
Daniel Pacchioni:
No, not unless you feel the same way I do. And because it’s not always good. The good part is that you can combine them, you can figure out how to do it. The bad part is that you’re not going to have time for a lot of different things. You only have 24 hours during the day, so you’re going to have to be super organized. For me, performing is super important in my life. I have to schedule that in between everything that I have. So it becomes difficult, but not impossible. So if you’re like me then there is a way. If you’re not like me then I don’t recommend it. So that’s kind of how I approach that.
Dan Downs:
Are you just incredibly organized then? Is your planner just filled out to the tee? Is that the deal?
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah. My calendar and my phone are my best friends.
Dan Downs:
Okay.
Daniel Pacchioni:
So I have everything scheduled out. So Saturday, I have this thing. In the afternoon, I have a rehearsal. Monday I have a shoot at Universal. At nighttime, I have a rehearsal for whatever theater. On Tuesday night, whether it’s a church gig or a session. So everything is scheduled way in advance. And that’s kind of how I keep myself organized. Like I said, it’s hectic. So if you are not like me, I don’t recommend it. But if you are like me with multiple interests, it’s the way to go. And I feel super, super grateful.
Dan Downs:
Yeah. Do you schedule your downtime? And if so, what do you do during your downtime?
Daniel Pacchioni:
I have to schedule my downtime. I usually schedule my downtime in the afternoons, on the weekends. My girlfriend is in there in my schedule.
Dan Downs:
I would hope so. She probably hopes so too.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yes. She’s in there.
Dan Downs:
Did she put herself in there or do you put her in there?
Daniel Pacchioni:
We figure out dinners and stuff.
Dan Downs:
Okay.
Daniel Pacchioni:
So I have to add it to my schedule if I want to do these things, otherwise it gets really crazy. But not a lot downtime for TV. So I haven’t watched a lot of shows. The last show I watched was Stranger Things and that is it.
Dan Downs:
Oh, wow. Okay.
Daniel Pacchioni:
That is it. That is it.
Dan Downs:
The most recent season or…
Daniel Pacchioni:
The most recent season.
Dan Downs:
Okay. That was good stuff I thought. I don’t know how you felt about it.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Very good. Very, very good.
Dan Downs:
It was. Talk about great storytelling.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Sure.
Dan Downs:
What they’ve done is fantastic.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah.
Dan Downs:
So let me ask you this. How do you get ready to go on stage whether it’s acting, you’re doing improv, you’re singing? Do you have a pre-performance ritual that helps you kind of get in the zone and get ready?
Daniel Pacchioni:
So basically, every time I perform, I get super excited and super nervous. If you’re a performer out there listening and you get nervous, that’s totally normal. That nerve should also never go away, though utilize that to really catapult you to the next moment. But how I see it, and I do this at work too, because there are a lot of moments where I get nervous, whether you’re presenting or you’re pitching. Those are the exact same things that I do for those scenarios. And my approach is really just take a moment to worry about everything that you have to do tomorrow or everything that you did yesterday or everything that you screwed up yesterday.
Dan Downs:
True.
Daniel Pacchioni:
None of that matters. What matters is that moment that you’re in and focus on what you’re good about to do next. Just give it your best in that moment and everything else of falls apart. It just sort of melts away. So that’s how I approach, again, pitches or meetings that you’re leading or even performances.
Dan Downs:
Just being present, it sounds like. Is that something that you learned from someone or is that something you developed that just worked for you?
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah. I mean a lot of my acting teachers or teachers in general, I’ve always been a sponge and just seeing people how do they do it? Do they think like me? And if they do think me, how do they approach this, this specific thing that I want to learn from. I’m lucky that I’ve had a lot of great mentors and teachers throughout my life. I’ve learned so much and I try to remember those things every single day.
Dan Downs:
Yeah. I like that a lot. I’m going to have to try that the next time I’m getting my performance anxieties. I’m going to take a minute.
Daniel Pacchioni:
The whole, hey, picture everyone naked thing, that has never worked for me. I don’t know why-
Dan Downs:
That’s so distracting, isn’t it?
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah. I don’t know why people say that.
Dan Downs:
Who’s idea was that?
Daniel Pacchioni:
I don’t know. I remember hearing that. No, that doesn’t work for me at all.
Dan Downs:
No.
Dan Downs:
The last thing I want to do is picture a bunch of strangers in underwear.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah.
Dan Downs:
That’s not what I want.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Absolutely not. Sometimes my mom is in the audience. Have they not thought about this
Dan Downs:
Maybe that advice was developed by someone whose shows were not well attended. There was maybe one or two people in the audience and so that would work. But I agree with you. If your mom is in the audience, abort that method.
Daniel Pacchioni:
That doesn’t work all the time. So there you go.
Dan Downs:
Okay. The next question here is about the future. So I want you to get your crystal ball out for a moment. Just give it a little-
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah, I have one.
Dan Downs:
… squeak.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Got it.
Dan Downs:
Clean it off. Tell me what you see for Grim Brad Studios in the next five to 10 years here.
Daniel Pacchioni:
So we’re doing a lot of cool things and things that I can definitely share. So again, one of the missions for our content studio is to do a lot of pro bono work. We’re working right now with a new organization that I want to announce, but I can’t because we’re trying to figure out a few more things. But it’s a big organization here in Orlando. On top of that, we are working on a few pilots actually in LA that I’m really excited about. A few web series. Those are chucking along and I’m super excited for those. We really hope that the next phase of that is to pitch to a network and then those get picked up and then maybe we’ll have a chat about what’s going on with my life next year.
Dan Downs:
But those are super exciting.
Daniel Pacchioni:
I would love that.
Dan Downs:
There are super exciting opportunities that are great. Universal Halloween Horror Nights is kind of taking my life in that area. It’s really, but it’s really fun man. I’ve been attending Halloween Horror Nights since I was little. So this has been a dream to work on this brand. What else? Just doing maybe some short films and then continuing doing some music sessions and just kind of chugging along.
Dan Downs:
Yeah. Well, I’m excited for everything you’ve got coming and I would love it if we checked in next year. We talk about how things have gone since then. We can see how your projects are coming along because I would love to hear more about the work you’re doing.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah. I can also tell you how else I felt old. Probably the most VMAs, how I would be like, “I have no idea who these are.” Again, I never know who none of these artists are.
Dan Downs:
I feel like every year that goes by the list of things that made me feel old, gets longer and I trust that’ll be the same for you the next time that we talk.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah.
Dan Downs:
Well, this next question here, I’d love to hear what inspires you in terms of motivational quotes. Do you think that you could give me a few of your own words of wisdom for our listeners at home?
Daniel Pacchioni:
Okay. One thing that I do here and it kind of resonates. I wouldn’t say this is what I live by, but I heard it two days ago and I was like, “Oh okay, that does make sense to me.” This is something that I relate to. Man, I’m going to butcher it though because this is my worst nightmare, Dan. Butchering a quote from Gandhi or butchering a quote from someone famous.
Dan Downs:
I can give you a minute if you want to collect your thoughts.
Daniel Pacchioni:
You probably heard of it but it’s because it’s super cliche. Change is inevitable, growth is optional. That resonates with me for sure. I’m not sure who said that. It says John Maxwell. But man, that’s so good. Everyone is always changing. You can’t stop change. Are you kidding me? There’s no way. You can’t hold on to the past if things are always moving forward. But also at the same time, you can definitely stop growing. That’s something that you have to choose. Growth is definitely optional. You can choose to be like, “You know what, I’m not going to learn anything new. I’m not even going to watch the MTV video music awards.
Daniel Pacchioni:
I’m not going to find new music anymore because I’m mad that I don’t understand them or something or the music. So growth is definitely optional, but change is inevitable.
Dan Downs:
I really think there’s so much to a growth mindset in that. Just like you said that getting old is something we really can’t do anything about. But how you respond to and approach that, makes all the difference. So for example, I’m saying, “You know what, I’m going to get on BeReal. I know that-“
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah, there you go.
Dan Downs:
What I’ve seen on the app everybody is probably 10 years my junior on BeReal. But that’s okay. I think the important thing is that you are getting out there. You’re putting yourself out there and you’re learning something new. I think that’s the most important thing about it.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Dan, when TikTok came out, did you have friends that were just like, “I’m never getting on TikTok”?
Dan Downs:
Oh yeah, definitely.
Daniel Pacchioni:
And now they’re in TikTok. They’re like-
Dan Downs:
They live and breathe on TikTok.
Daniel Pacchioni:
I think about that all the time because it’s such a, man, indicator of just how life is in general with anything. Who knows what’s going to happen in two or three years from now that I’m going to be like, “You know what? No.” I’m too old to do that. And hopefully, I think about that time where, “Hey, remember when your friends were the same way?” You’re doing it. You’re doing it now.
Dan Downs:
Right.
Daniel Pacchioni:
And I think it’s okay to not understand everything. That’s totally normal. You’re never going to understand every single new thing. But just having an open mind is always going to be helpful.
Dan Downs:
Yeah. I think about a lot of changes that were received poorly like that. I’m sure you remember when Twitter changed the character limit from 140 to 280, Right?
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah.
Dan Downs:
People went, “Oh, this is going to ruin the platform.” I hate it, and now those same people who are like, “That’s it. I’m quitting Twitter over this.” They’re taking full advantage of that 280 character limit. They think it’s great. So I think it just goes to show you that people really receive change poorly by and large.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Sure.
Dan Downs:
Over time, I think when we really give it a chance and say, “Okay, I’m going to try it,” it’s very easy to adopt change once you really put your mind to it. And I think that’s what I feel like you’re saying in a lot of ways.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah. Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.
Dan Downs:
Right.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Gandhi said that I think. No, that was John… Nevermind. That was…
Dan Downs:
That’ll be part of your quote, Gandhi said that.
Daniel Pacchioni:
That was John Maxwell. I looked it up.
Dan Downs:
John Gandhi is his name.
Daniel Pacchioni:
That’s it.
Dan Downs:
So just to wrap us up here, if there’s a listener who is hearing us right now, they want know more about you or your work, where should we point them to? Where can they find out about you?
Daniel Pacchioni:
I mean, if you all take a vacation to sunny Orlando, Florida and visit our many theme parks at Universal Orlando Resort, you will find me there, because our offices are right there. But if you want to find me online and we can become friends on the digital spaces, you can find me @Daniel_notdan on Twitter, on Instagram or LinkedIn. It’s just Daniel Pacchioni. And then if you want to learn more about our content studio and our cool little contents that we’re producing all the time and future stuff, you can visit grimbradstudios.com.
Dan Downs:
Perfect. And finally, Daniel, what would you say is the most important thing that you would like our listeners to remember about the work that you’re doing?
Daniel Pacchioni:
The most important thing that I would love for the listeners out there to know is that anyone can be a great storyteller. Don’t sell yourself too short. You have a great story to tell. You just need to figure out how to do it.
Dan Downs:
I love that. That’s a great quote. That right there, that was perfect.
Daniel Pacchioni:
That was also Gandhi.
Dan Downs:
That was also Gandhi, yes. I thought that sounded familiar. I was like, that sounds like a Gandhi quote to me.
Daniel Pacchioni:
I looked it up.
Dan Downs:
That Gandhi guy really knew a lot of stuff.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Yeah, he knows his stuff.
Dan Downs:
Well, thank you so much, Daniel. I really believe the world needs more people like you. So thank you so much for taking the time to share with me today.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Oh, thank you so much, Dan. This was really fun. Thank you.
Dan Downs:
This was so much fun. I would love to do this again. I hope that in a year we can check in and see how you’re doing at that time. But I appreciate you taking the time to talk with me.
Daniel Pacchioni:
Sounds good. Thank you.
Dan Downs:
All right, Dan. We’ll talk to you soon.
Announcer:
We hope you enjoyed today’s Agency for Change podcast. To hear all our interviews with those who are making a positive change in our communities, or to nominate a changemaker you’d love to hear from, visit KidGlov.com at K-I-D-G-L-O-V.com to get in touch. As always, if you like what you’ve heard today, be sure to rate, review, subscribe, and share. Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you next time.