Kevin Parent

Theme Park Consultant

“I like to do something that not everybody else does, and I find that I have a place in various worlds. I like to be right in the middle.”

Here’s what we know for sure about Kevin Parent: he’s multitalented. His diverse and impressive career is fueled by his gift to be both “left-brained” and “right-brained”. He’s analytical and mathematical while also being highly creative and imaginative, and looking at his career path, it’s easy to see this is true.

From earning a degree in physics at MIT, to working as a screenwriter in LA, to designing and building iconic rides at Disney, and starting his own companies, Kevin’s career path has a unique combination of technical and creative tasks. Keep reading as Kevin shares his biggest accomplishments, the value of talking less, and the power of mindfulness. 

Q: What’s keeping you busy?

A: “At the moment, I’m a theme park consultant. In my early career I worked for Disney as an Imagineer. I then went on and built some other businesses, some of them were consulting businesses back to the theme park industry, and then sort of a chain of startups and different types of companies that did work in various industries.”

Q: How have technology and creativity worked together throughout your career? How do you nurture both?

A: “At first I thought they were really separate things. I went to MIT and studied physics, so that was very left brain centric. When I was done, I immediately said ‘alright, I need some right brain’ so I went into writing. I did screenwriting for a number of years and wrote episodes for Amazing Stories and some other stuff. For a while I kind of bounced between the two domains. Eventually, I got to the place where the work I’m doing includes both. If you think of really technical things and really creative endeavors, a company like Disney comes to mind. They create physical experiences, moving technologies to tell immersive stories. So I was lucky to find my way there. I quit going back and forth and found a place in the middle.”

“I love the fact that I get to work with these unbelievably talented people.”

Q: What’s an accomplishment that stands out?

A: “The thing that I’m most proud about is my kids. They are doing amazing things like graduating from college, getting jobs, and not moving back home (like I did!). Career-wise, I was the project engineer for the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney. That was huge. We were inventing a new kind of thrill ride that was as much of a visceral experience as a rollercoaster but with a full show wrapped around it – a completely immersive experience. I was involved with that project from its inception, all the way through to design and building. And we were inventing a lot of stuff that had never been done before, some things that haven’t been done since.”

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve received throughout your career?

A: “I think the best advice I’ve ever got was talk less. What I learned was that is if you’re a little quieter, and you choose what you say, you’re actually more likely to be heard. If you’re talking continuously people filter you out. I always like to fill silences, but sometimes it’s better to let things happen and wait and sort of sit back and think and say the thing that’s actually useful at the right moment. It’s amazing that literally when I started applying this, I instantly became more effective. 

Q: What brought you to the Sandbox?

A: “During the rains that washed out the highway, I couldn’t get to my office in Carpinteria. Sandbox offered free coworking to people at that time who couldn’t get to where they needed to be, and so I came here, and I was really enamored with the feeling. I really enjoy the space. I’ve found that this has been one of the most productive periods of my life. It has just the right balance of quiet and just enough background stimulation. I look forward to coming here.”

Q: If you had 5 minutes to teach someone something new, what would you teach?

A: “I would teach them how to meditate. For the past couple of years I’ve been a daily meditator, and I’ve been on several 5 day silent retreats. I got started when I was a CEO, and I needed something to help with the pressures and stay focused. It’s so simple and has such a big impact. Mindfulness is super valuable and we all need to figure out how to be that way. In our culture, we don’t have that built into our childhood training: the idea of just being in the moment as opposed to looking for what’s next. I treat it like a science experiment on yourself. You’re basically looking back at your mind and seeing what’s happening.”

Q: What do you enjoy doing once your work is finished?

A: “One of the things I’m involved with now is the Computer Science Academy at the Santa Barbara High School. This is a really cool and fairly new program that is teaching high school students real coding skills. Even if you’re not going into coding, having the ability to build things you might need in your world or just understand those things that are around you is important. I’m also setting up a program with them called Hello World! It’s basically connecting the kids to the world and giving them the opportunity to have a real coding job that makes a difference for a non-profit organization. .”

Q: What do you know a lot about?

A: Magic. When I was a kid I was really into magic shows. Magic is a combination of technical skill and creativity and really it’s all about communication with an audience. You’re creating a moment for somebody. If the situation is right, it works. I don’t consider myself to be a skilled magician but I understand it and I appreciate it.

Q: What do you wish you knew more about?

A: Design. I have no formal training in design, and I feel like I have a lot of visual things in my head which are very hard for me to get out.

Q: Tell me about something adventurous you’ve done

A: “In college, I secretly went off and jumped out of a plane… 3 times.”

Q: What stat for your life would you most like to see?

A: “How many hours I have spent untangling my headphones.”