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Freakonomics Radio

Is Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Its Most Valuable Asset? (Update)

with Will Koss, Jen Neal, Jeff Kinney, Kevin Lynch, John Chaney, Dawn Tolson, Jessica Tish, Tony Spring

Published November 27, 2025
View Show Notes

About This Episode

The episode investigates the hidden economics and logistics of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, focusing on how it is produced, who pays for what, and what value it creates for Macy's, NBC, and New York City. Executive producer Will Koss, NBC executive Jen Neal, city officials, and author Jeff Kinney describe the year‑round production process, brand sponsorships, balloon design and fabrication, helium supply, security, and sanitation. Despite assembling many details, the show concludes that the true costs and financial arrangements around the parade remain largely opaque, and it tees up a second episode on Macy's broader retail challenges.

Topics Covered

Retail distribution Television history Marketing and customer education Holidays and family gatherings Urban design and culture Entrepreneurship Business growth and scaling Parade logistics and event management

Disclaimer: We provide independent summaries of podcasts and are not affiliated with or endorsed in any way by any podcast or creator. All podcast names and content are the property of their respective owners. The views and opinions expressed within the podcasts belong solely to the original hosts and guests and do not reflect the views or positions of Summapod.

Quick Takeaways

  • The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a massive, year‑round production involving more than 65 full‑time staff, thousands of volunteers, and extensive coordination with New York City agencies.
  • NBC has broadcast the parade for over 70 years and treats it as its largest televised variety show, integrating brand messages that advertisers see as highly valuable.
  • Most giant balloons and many floats are sponsored by brands under multi‑year deals, but financial terms are proprietary and Macy's closely guards overall cost figures.
  • Helium for the parade's 17 giant balloons would cost on the order of hundreds of thousands of dollars at market prices, yet balloons account for only a tiny slice of global helium use.
  • New York City provides substantial support in permits, security, sanitation, and infrastructure adjustments, but neither the city nor Macy's will say exactly how those costs are shared.
  • Author Jeff Kinney describes the Wimpy Kid balloon as both a point of pride and a key leg of his franchise's long‑term success, supported financially by his publisher and himself.
  • The parade's logistics include clearing aerial obstructions, moving light poles, managing horse waste, and planning for wind and weather that can threaten balloon safety.
  • Despite the lack of transparency around specific numbers, the parade clearly functions as a powerful marketing asset for Macy's and its partners, and as a global showcase for New York City.

Podcast Notes

Introduction and host's personal connection to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Host discovers the parade after moving near the starting point

Description of Upper West Side staging area and Inflation Night[1:41]
• Balloons arrive folded in small rolling carts, are unpacked and laid out on the pavement on two extra‑wide streets
• Helium truck with large canisters fills balloons as they expand to full size but are held down under nets with sandbags
• Nets and sandbags prevent balloons from rising to parade height during Wednesday evening "Inflation Night"
Atmosphere of Inflation Night[2:16]
• Thousands of people come to see the balloons, creating an unusual and joyful scene for visitors and locals
• Residents host "inflation parties" in apartments overlooking the staging streets
• From above, viewers see unique angles like bulging eyeballs or massive rear ends of balloon characters

Host's growing appreciation for parade logistics

Contrast between normal streets and rapid overnight transformation[3:39]
• On Wednesday morning, streets are full of cars, trucks, jaywalkers, dogs, and bikes; by evening they are dominated by balloons and parade operations
Clean‑up and quick return to normal[3:56]
• Cleanup begins as soon as the last balloon enters the parade route on Central Park West
• By the time balloons reach Macy's in Herald Square, Upper West Side streets have largely returned to normal traffic, albeit lighter due to Thanksgiving morning

Scale of the parade and initial economic questions

TV ratings and national prominence

Host checks TV ratings and is surprised by audience size[4:26]
• More than 30 million viewers watch on TV and another 3 million+ watch in person
Comparison with NFL and other top U.S. broadcasts[4:48]
• In a recent year, 72 of the 100 most‑watched broadcasts were NFL games; most others were presidential debates or election coverage
• The Macy's Parade is the only non‑football, non‑political program in the top 50 broadcasts

Questions about revenue and costs

Host wonders about ad revenue from a 30‑million‑person audience[5:03]
Host wonders what it costs to produce the parade[5:10]
Macy's reluctance to disclose economics[5:19]
• Macy's calls the parade its "annual gift to the nation" and culturally it is considered impolite to ask what a gift costs
Plan for the two‑part series[5:58]
• This first episode will examine raw material costs, city contributions, Macy's internal costs, and brand sponsorships
• Future episode will explore Macy's corporate challenges and whether the parade is its most valuable asset

Estimating parade costs and benefits

Existing cost estimates and their limitations

Published estimates claim the parade costs $10-15 million[7:17]
• Those figures are not sourced clearly, and Macy's does not verify them

Difficulties in tracking costs and benefits

Many costs are hard to identify, including city services and year‑round staff[7:28]
Many benefits come indirectly via brand sponsorships and Macy's brand advertising value[7:42]

Macy's parade production: Executive producer Will Koss

Role and responsibilities of the executive producer

Koss oversees the entire production from design to parade day execution[8:28]
• Duties include balloon and float design, construction, fabrication, and delivery to New York City
• He manages logistics for shutting down three and a half miles of New York City on the busiest travel day

Koss's background and connection to the parade

Personal history[8:35]
• Koss grew up in the Bronx, went to college on Long Island, and has never lived outside the New York City area
• He now lives on the Upper West Side with his wife and daughter and previously produced for MTV, Nickelodeon, and YouTube
Emotional and cultural significance of the parade[8:25]
• Koss sees the parade as part of the Thanksgiving morning tradition for millions, whether watched directly or in the background as a "soundtrack"

History and evolution of Macy's and its parade

Founding and growth of Macy's

Origins with Roland Hussey Macy[9:34]
• Roland Hussey Macy, a former whaler from Nantucket, opened dry goods stores in Massachusetts and California before settling in New York City
Early 20th‑century expansion[10:25]
• By 1902, Macy's was described as able to meet nearly all human wants, selling clothing, furniture, groceries, books, and more
• By 1924, the Herald Square flagship became the world's largest store with over 1.5 million square feet

Origins of the parade

First parade in 1924[10:11]
• The inaugural parade was a six‑mile march through Manhattan with three horse‑drawn floats, four professional bands, and animals from the Central Park Zoo
Early balloon traditions and safety incident[10:27]
• Macy's originally released big helium balloons into the sky after the parade and offered a $100 reward for their return
• This practice ended in 1932 when a novice pilot crashed into a balloon while seeking the reward
Parade continuity[10:46]
• It has been 101 years since the first parade, but only 99 parades because three years were skipped during World War II

NBC's broadcast role and advertising value

NBC's perspective on the parade as live television

Jen Neal's role and NBC's live events portfolio[11:28]
• Jen Neal oversees strategy, creative development, and operations for live events and specials across NBCUniversal
• Her team produces events like Christmas at Rockefeller Center, New Year's Eve, the People's Choice Awards, red carpets for major awards shows, and sports coverage like the Super Bowl and Olympics (via other NBC teams)
Comparing parade coverage to the Super Bowl[12:05]
• Neal notes that while the Super Bowl is complex, it remains a competition on a fixed field with stable rules
• The parade is a roving multi‑mile event with evolving segments, such as decisions about where to place Broadway performances within the three‑and‑a‑half‑hour broadcast

Production timeline and staffing

NBC's planning cycle[12:14]
• Neal's team begins planning the next parade in the week or two after the current parade ends
Macy's 18‑month production window[13:10]
• Koss states the parade has an 18‑month cycle from pre‑production to execution
• Macy's Studios has over 65 full‑time staff across partnerships, creative, studio production, logistics, and production management
• Staffing expands considerably in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving

Week‑of‑parade logistics and NBC broadcast day

Rehearsals and countdown programming[13:46]
• The week before, Macy's paints the star on 34th Street
• On Monday and Tuesday nights, 34th Street in front of Macy's is shut down for rehearsals with performers
• Wednesday night features a countdown show highlighting balloon inflation on the Upper West Side
Parade day operations from NBC's side[14:04]
• Koss notes parade call time is 2 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day
• Neal spends parade day in the production truck adjacent to 34th Street, overseeing the live broadcast
• NBC goes live at 8:30 a.m. through noon, with detailed contingency plans for things that can happen along the route
• Neal takes a brief break during a commercial to step outside and see the scale of balloons like Snoopy and Minions against New York buildings, which she describes as "magic"

Advertising value and revenue estimates

NBC's framing of advertiser value[14:41]
• Neal says they know the parade is incredibly valuable to advertising partners, with messages that deliver strong memorability and likability
Discussing the purchase funnel language[15:23]
• NBCUniversal material claims year‑over‑year growth in the parade demonstrates success in "moving consumers down the purchase funnel"
• Neal explains their first job is to make entertaining, relevant TV, and second is to position brands so their messaging is effectively woven into the show
Examples of branded floats[15:32]
• She cites Genio's turkey float, which highlights its history in the parade and role in the Thanksgiving meal
• The Jolly Green Giant float emphasizes holiday traditions and vegetable products for Thanksgiving tables
• She mentions branded characters like Minions, Ronald McDonald, Smokey Bear, and Wondership with different thematic messages (from forest‑fire prevention to fundraising for children's hospitals)
Host's Super Bowl revenue comparison and NBC's non‑answer[16:57]
• Dubner references the Super Bowl's roughly $600 million ad revenue, $7 million per 30‑second spot, and 110 million viewers
• He speculates the parade could bring in $100-150 million in ad revenue; Neal deflects, emphasizing her focus on creative coverage rather than revenue
Independent estimates of ad spending and NBC-Macy's deal[17:11]
• Vivvix, a commercial ad spending tracker, reports brands spent $76 million advertising on NBC during the 2023 parade broadcast
• The Wall Street Journal reports NBC pays Macy's around $60 million to broadcast the parade; Macy's does not confirm or deny

Balloons, floats, and brand relationships

Macy's owned vs. sponsored elements

Iconic Macy's‑owned floats[18:14]
• Tom Turkey and Santa are Macy's‑owned elements that open and close the parade
• No royalties are paid to any "Santa Claus Foundation"; these are Macy's creations

Criteria for balloon selection and audience targeting

Koss on how balloon characters are chosen[19:12]
• Examples of branded characters include Pillsbury Doughboy, Snoopy/Peanuts, and SpongeBob SquarePants
• Goal is to create images instantly recognizable in the sky and resonant with audiences aged 1 to 100
• They balance legacy characters with newer ones appealing to younger viewers

Hypothetical sponsorship from Freakonomics and openness to new brands

Dubner pitches a theoretical Freakonomics "orple" balloon[19:39]
• He describes Freakonomics' visual identity as an apple cut open to reveal an orange, and asks whether Macy's would consider such a brand
Koss's stance on prospective partners[20:03]
• Koss says Macy's is open to taking every meeting and stresses the parade is not an exclusive "members‑only" event
Limited number of balloon slots[19:19]
• In the referenced year, there were 17 giant balloons; Dubner notes Freakonomics did not have one

Jeff Kinney and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid balloon

Kinney's status and the cultural impact of Wimpy Kid

Kinney introduces himself and the series[21:09]
• He is the author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and co‑owner of the An Unlikely Story bookstore in Plainville, Massachusetts
• He has written 20 Wimpy Kid books, which have sold more than 300 million copies
Greg Hefley as a flawed protagonist[21:59]
• Kinney contrasts Greg with Harry Potter, calling Greg "complicated," non‑heroic, and akin to a "Larry David" type who doesn't always do the right thing

Kinney's path from aspiring cartoonist to author

Early ambition to be a newspaper cartoonist[22:38]
• He grew up reading the Washington Post comics page, admiring The Far Side, Bloom County, and Calvin and Hobbes and wanting to be at the top of that page
• In college, his comic strip drew a full‑page Washington Post Style section article proclaiming it the "next big thing"
• Shrinking newspapers and his own limits meant he could not break into syndicated comics over about three years of trying
Transition to diary‑style storytelling[23:09]
• While keeping a personal journal mixing text and cartoons, he realized it could be turned into a book rather than a comic strip
• He wrote down every funny thing from his childhood, a process he thought would take two months but which took four years, filling a 77‑page sketch journal with ideas for five books
Online serialization and discovery[24:15]
• Working as a game developer for Pearson Education, he posted Wimpy Kid on Pearson's Funbrain.com to keep traffic up over the summer
• Within about a year, the online version had 12 million readers and strong encouragement from adult followers
Securing a book deal with Harry N. Abrams[23:47]
• Kinney attended New York Comic Con with sample packets and connected with an editor who had published the webcomic Mom's Cancer, who said Wimpy Kid was exactly what they were looking for
• He signed with Harry N. Abrams, traditionally an art book publisher, attracted by their craftsmanship and belief that it would elevate his work
• Two weeks after publication, Wimpy Kid landed on the New York Times bestseller list, and over time the series has accumulated around 900 combined weeks on that list

Negotiating a balloon presence in the parade

From float proposal to balloon approval[25:01]
• Around 2010, publicist Jason Wells approached Macy's about a Wimpy Kid balloon, and Macy's initially offered a float promoting reading and literacy
• Kinney and his team declined the float, hoping for a balloon that better matched the Wimpy Kid brand's irreverent tone
• After Kinney was named to Time's Most Influential People list, Macy's agreed to a giant helium balloon for Wimpy Kid
Deal structure and costs from Kinney's vantage[25:50]
• Kinney says the financial terms are proprietary but describes a multi‑year arrangement with one amount to build the balloon and another amount to fly it each year
• The first Wimpy Kid balloon flew for three years, then was renewed for another three years, and this renewal pattern has continued
• Publisher Abrams has continued to support balloon costs, and Kinney personally contributed to the most recent balloon
• He estimates, without certainty, that building a balloon might cost in the low $100,000 range

Marketing ROI and emotional value of the balloon

Kinney's view of balloon as brand pillar[26:33]
• He thinks of the balloon as one leg of a chair supporting the Wimpy Kid franchise, suggesting that removing it might weaken the overall brand
• He notes that Wimpy Kid's enduring strength suggests the balloon is a meaningful part of the brand's success equation
Experience of marching with the balloon[26:59]
• Kinney describes walking the balloon as nerve‑wracking because it is a public statement that his property is worthy of this exposure
• Early on, some spectators seemed confused about who the character was, but over time Wimpy Kid has seeped into cultural consciousness
• He notes that concepts like the "cheese touch" from the first book have become widely recognized among kids
Longevity and design evolution of the Wimpy Kid balloon[27:43]
• This year will mark Wimpy Kid's 16th consecutive Macy's parade, placing it high on the all‑time balloon leaderboard but still behind Snoopy (44 appearances) and Pikachu (25)
• Kinney says a balloon typically lasts three to five years, and he is now on his third version of Greg Hefley
• The current design shows Greg hunched over, preparing to touch the piece of cheese, with the cheese itself on a motorized cart that spins and emits green "smell" smoke

Balloon design and 3D modeling process

From sketch to 3D model[28:30]
• Design begins with a sketch and pen‑and‑ink drawing, which Macy's turns into a 3D model
• Because Kinney's characters are inherently two‑dimensional, 3D articulation (such as giving Greg a butt) was a new experience
• Earlier, he visited Macy's studio in Hoboken to adjust clay models in real time, spinning them on a pole to judge street‑level appearance; the studio has since moved to Menache and now uses 3D printing

Inside Macy's Parade Studios in Menache, New Jersey

Studio facilities and fabrication work

Overall description of the Menache facility[31:56]
• The studio is a 72,000‑square‑foot warehouse with 44‑foot ceilings inside a brick‑and‑glass building that looks like a regular office building from outside
• It houses multiple workshop stations, including a 3D printing room where a three‑foot Greg Hefley model is shown in fabrication
Float construction from foam blocks[32:30]
• Koss points out floats in progress, such as one for the Bronx Zoo featuring sculpted giraffes, tigers, gorillas, and birds
• All sculptural elements start as blocks of foam, which are carved by artists into detailed figures

Veteran craftspeople: John Chaney

Chaney's path to Macy's parade work[32:00]
• John Chaney, a carpenter, has worked on 50 Macy's parades; he came to New York wanting to be an artist and studied at the Art Students League
• Running low on money, he went to Macy's hiring rail in ripped jeans and a T‑shirt, asked to work the parade, and was hired on the spot about 50 years ago
Chaney's reflections on the work[33:24]
• He notes the paradox of working year‑round for a one‑day event, but values that millions of people see the final product
• He describes the intense pressure and hard work in the week before the parade, comparing it to getting into cold water: once immersed, you just push through whatever goes wrong

Balloon studio and fabrication details

Heat‑sealing instead of sewing[33:58]
• Balloons are assembled on a heat‑sealing table that functions like a sewing machine but melts material instead of using needle and thread
Multi‑chamber balloon design for safety[34:11]
• The Paw Patrol character Marshall is used as an example: only his head chamber is inflated while the rest remains deflated during work
• Each giant balloon is built as a set of chambers, allowing crews to isolate and address issues in one area without deflating the whole balloon
• Kinney earlier noted that Greg's hand popped in a recent year, illustrating how localized damage can occur

Balloon Fest, helium logistics, and weather risks

Balloon Fest dry run at MetLife Stadium

Purpose and setup of Balloon Fest[37:38]
• Balloon Fest is held the first Saturday of November in the MetLife Stadium parking lot, giving crews a chance to see new balloons react to real wind conditions
• Six new balloons, including Marshall, Minnie Mouse, and a new Spider‑Man, are inflated under nets held with sandbags before practice flights
• Several hundred volunteers handle balloons using thin ropes attached to X‑shaped plastic grips called "handling bones"; 5,000 volunteers will participate on parade day

Helium supply and costs

Kevin Lynch on helium logistics[40:49]
• Kevin Lynch, vice president of global helium at Messer, explains that their company has supplied helium to the parade for decades
• A 40‑foot trailer contains 12 high‑pressure steel tubes; if fully emptied, one trailer could fill about six to eight giant balloons
• The helium originates in an underground reservoir in Amarillo, Texas, before being transported to events like the parade
Market costs vs. actual contract prices[41:19]
• Lynch says each giant balloon uses about 15,000 cubic feet of helium
• The show's rough calculation suggests filling 17 balloons at market prices would cost around $425,000, though Macy's contract price is undisclosed
• Lynch declines to disclose what Macy's actually pays, citing commercial sensitivity
• The host notes that giant balloons are a tiny fraction of global helium usage, where medical and industrial applications dominate

Weather and operational risk management

Koss on helium supply planning and weather worries[42:10]
• Koss says Macy's monitors the helium market and maintains strong vendor relationships to handle shortages
• He identifies wind as one of the biggest risks to balloons, though the parade is a rain‑or‑shine event unless weather significantly threatens balloon flight
• Snow has occurred in parade history, and while it would look beautiful on TV, Koss prefers it start after noon to avoid complicating the route

New York City's role: permits, security, and sanitation

Permits and city event coordination

Dawn Tolson's responsibilities[46:23]
• Dawn Tolson is executive director of Citywide Event Coordination and Management and the Street Activity Permit Office for New York City
• Her office issues permits for street fairs, farmers markets, festivals, and large events like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Permit costs and the special status of Macy's[46:29]
• She explains that event applications have a non‑refundable $25 fee, and usage fees range from zero to $66,000 per block depending on impact
• The parade uses over 40 blocks and is highly impactful, but Tolson will not disclose what Macy's pays, calling Macy's a partner that puts on iconic national events

Security and NYPD involvement

Scale of security operations[48:11]
• Koss says the security plan is very detailed, reflecting the need to protect 3.5 million spectators and a 30‑million‑person broadcast audience
• He notes there are visible personnel along the route and additional less visible security layers, and he praises the NYPD's efforts
• Tolson describes NYPD units involved: counterterrorism with FBI collaboration, a technical unit (TARU) for counter‑drone work, and public information teams for press conferences
• She says staging the parade effectively enacts the entire NYPD, including those placing barricades overnight so viewers don't even hear car horns

Route safety, infrastructure adjustments, and past accidents

Aerial obstruction clearance and "light swings"[48:31]
• All light poles and aerial obstructions from 77th Street to 34th Street along the parade route must be cleared for balloons and floats
• Teams work at night loosening and swinging light poles out of the parade path in a process Koss calls "light swings"
1997 Cat in the Hat accident and its legacy[49:22]
• In 1997, on a windy day, the Cat in the Hat balloon struck a lamppost at Central Park West and 72nd Street, causing part of it to fall and injure several people
• One woman was in a coma for 24 days, leading Macy's and the city to coordinate more closely on aerial safety thereafter

Sanitation and post‑parade cleanup

Special handling of horse waste[50:26]
• Tolson notes a special sanitation unit exists specifically to deal with horse refuse from NYPD and Parks Department mounted units in the parade
• She recalls one year when they forgot to call this unit, describing the result as "not pretty"
Jessica Tish on parade‑related sanitation work[51:51]
• At the time of the interview, Jessica Tish was the city's sanitation commissioner (she later became NYPD commissioner)
• She says sanitation's role is to make the route photogenic from 8:30 a.m. to noon, as locals and tourists converge on the area
• About 150 sanitation workers handle post‑parade cleanup through manual sweeping and mechanical brooms that can pick up 1,500 pounds of litter
• Roughly 71,000 pounds of trash are collected after the parade

Economic opacity and strategic value of the parade

Unanswered questions about cost allocation

Lack of clarity on city vs. Macy's financial responsibilities[51:48]
• Dubner points out that the parade is a commercial event, yet no one on the city or Macy's side will specify how security, sanitation, and other costs are shared or whether permits cover them
• He acknowledges New York City gains marketing value and economic activity from 3.5 million in‑person spectators, but notes the magnitude of that benefit is also hard to quantify

Interview with Macy's CEO Tony Spring about cost secrecy

Spring's refusal to disclose parade costs[54:25]
• Tony Spring, chairman and CEO of Macy's Inc., reiterates Macy's description of the parade as a privately sponsored and privately funded "gift to the nation"
• When asked why costs are so secret, he counters with analogies, asking whether one needs to know the production costs of The Lion King or the Hayden Planetarium
• Dubner says he can figure out those other costs but not the parade; Spring insists Dubner is smart enough to estimate and steers the conversation back to the parade's relevance and evolution
Spring's emphasis on relevance and evolution[54:02]
• Spring argues that if Macy's were still marching animals up and down the street, the parade wouldn't be as relevant today
• He credits the parade's staying power to its blend of history and modernity, with legacy floats and balloons alongside new ones each year

Teaser for part two: Macy's retail challenges and broader stakes

Upcoming focus on Macy's business health

Context of brick‑and‑mortar retail decline[55:28]
• Dubner notes that brick‑and‑mortar retail has been declining and Macy's plans to close 150 stores
• Spring became CEO about a year before this episode and is described as pushing for a renaissance at Macy's
Outside perspective on Macy's future[55:32]
• An unnamed industry expert (quoted briefly) says Macy's faces a major challenge to remain upright, let alone return to past success

Jeff Kinney's own retail experiment teaser

Question of whether investing in a downtown can revive a town[56:08]
• Dubner previews a visit to Kinney's Massachusetts bookstore and his question: if you invest in your downtown, can you change a town's fate?

Lessons Learned

Actionable insights and wisdom you can apply to your business, career, and personal life.

1

Long‑running traditions stay relevant by evolving their content and execution while preserving core emotional value.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Where in your work or life are you relying on an old tradition that might need updating to stay meaningful?
  • • How could you introduce new elements to a recurring project without losing the aspects people already love?
  • • What is one long‑standing process or ritual you could intentionally modernize over the next year?
2

High‑impact events are the result of meticulous, year‑round operations that coordinate many specialized teams across organizations.

Reflection Questions:

  • • What complex initiative in your world would benefit from treating it as a year‑round process rather than a last‑minute sprint?
  • • How clearly have you mapped the different roles and external partners required to make your biggest projects succeed?
  • • What is one coordination or contingency plan you could add to your next major launch or event?
3

Strategic visibility-like having a brand woven into a beloved live event-can act as a long‑term asset that reinforces a franchise or business.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Which channels or platforms currently give your work the most enduring visibility, and are you investing in them enough?
  • • How might associating your brand with an existing tradition or event change how people perceive it over time?
  • • What is one visibility investment you could make this year that would still be paying off five years from now?
4

Partnerships between private entities and public institutions often hinge on mutual benefit, even when the financial details are opaque.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Where are you relying on public or shared resources without fully understanding how your partners benefit?
  • • How could you better articulate the value you offer to partners so that collaborations are more balanced and sustainable?
  • • What is one existing relationship with a vendor, client, or public body that you could re‑examine to clarify expectations and contributions?
5

Creative careers often succeed through adaptive pivots-translating a core skill into a new format or medium when the original path closes.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Which of your skills could be repackaged into a different medium or business model if your current path stalled?
  • • How might you treat a current setback as a signal to explore an adjacent way to express your strengths?
  • • What is one small experiment you could run in a new format (writing, video, live events, etc.) over the next month?
6

Safety, risk management, and unglamorous logistics are foundational to delivering large, public experiences that appear effortless to the audience.

Reflection Questions:

  • • In your current projects, what "behind‑the‑scenes" risks have you not fully planned for yet?
  • • How could you build in quiet, robust safeguards so that your end users experience something smooth and magical?
  • • What is one potential point of failure you should address now before it becomes a public problem later?

Episode Summary - Notes by Remy

Is Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Its Most Valuable Asset? (Update)
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