It's easy to think you've got something figured out from a distance. Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal did exactly that with cruises, spending years convinced they were quiet vacations meant for retirees. Then he stepped aboard a Carnival ship—and everything he thought he knew went overboard.
"No, that's for old people. But it ain't for old people," O'Neal told The Wall Street Journal in 2019, recalling his first reaction when Carnival Cruise Line approached him.
While playing for the Miami Heat, O'Neal said he regularly drove past Carnival's massive ships in Miami and assumed there wasn't much happening onboard. From the outside, he pictured a slow-paced vacation with little to offer younger travelers or families.
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That assumption didn't survive his first visit.
One Visit Changed Everything
"It was one of the best things I've ever seen in my life," O'Neal said after touring one of Carnival's ships.
Instead of the sleepy getaway he had imagined, O'Neal found restaurants, pools, basketball courts, entertainment, nightlife and activities for guests of all ages.
"I don't think the people know what you're rolling with over here," he said. "It's for everybody. And it's affordable."
The visit left O'Neal convinced that many people probably shared the same misconception he once did. Until they stepped onboard, they had no idea everything Carnival had to offer.
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From Skeptic to Chief Fun Officer
That realization prompted O'Neal to meet with Carnival Corp. (NYSE:CCL) Chair Micky Arison, who also owned the Miami Heat during O'Neal's time with the team.
Rather than simply accepting an endorsement deal, O'Neal believed he could help introduce Carnival to people who shared the same misconceptions he once had.
Carnival agreed, naming him its chief fun officer in 2018. Since then, O'Neal has appeared in advertising campaigns, onboard events and promotional videos while helping reshape the cruise line's image for a new generation of travelers.
His decision came down to a simple rule he's followed throughout his business career.
"My skill is if something comes across my desk and I don't believe in it, I won't even look at it," O'Neal told The Journal. "I can't lie to the people."
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Looking Beyond First Impressions
That mindset has guided far more than O'Neal's endorsement deals. Whether it's a vacation, a business or an investment, he's shown a willingness to look past first impressions before making up his mind.
Mode Mobile is another company challenging conventional thinking. Rather than treating smartphones as devices that simply consume time, the company has built technology that rewards users for everyday phone activity. As it continues to grow, everyday investors also have the opportunity to buy shares while the company is still privately held, giving them access before a potential public offering.
For O'Neal, the lesson wasn't really about cruises. It was about keeping an open mind. Sometimes the biggest surprises—and the opportunities worth pursuing—are the ones that don't look especially impressive until you take a closer look.
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