A Monday Mindset Story by Barbara Rozgonyi for WiredPRWorks with assistance from AI and Gemini for the Glinda the Good inspired featured image.

An Introduction: Why Oz Still Speaks to Us in 2025

In a world shaped by AI, shifting identities and unprecedented change, the stories that last are the ones that remind us who we are and who we can become.

And sometimes, those reminders arrive wrapped in color, music and magic.

This weekend, when I watched Wicked for Good, I expected a great show. What I did not expect was a message that felt like it had been waiting for me since the very first time I held a wand on a stage.

When Glinda says:
“We cannot let good be just a word. It has to mean something,”
it lands like a truth from every era of my life.

Have you ever heard a movie line that stops you because it speaks directly to the part of you that is trying to evolve
This was mine.

And it transported me right back to where my own Oz story began.

Becoming Glinda: A Costume, a Calling and a Clue About Leadership

When I played Glinda the Good in Children’s Theater, something clicked inside me. My Aunt Aggie had sewn my gown by hand. It shimmered. It floated. And once I stepped into it, Glinda became more than a character.

She was clarity.
She was compassion.
She was presence.
She was the spark that helped others find their courage.

Even then, I felt the responsibility of being “good” in a way that meant something. Do you remember the first role, job or moment that made you see a different version of yourself
That was mine.

Years later, when I taught branding and digital marketing for one of Adobe’s largest creative training centers in the Fine Arts Building at 400 South Michigan Avenue, I discovered that W. W. Denslow, illustrator of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, once kept his studio in that same building.

Imagine that.
Dorothy, Oz and the Ruby Slippers imagined only floors away from where I taught students about visibility, storytelling and creative leadership.

No wonder Oz feels like part of my DNA.

Experiencing Wicked for Good: An Oz for Our Time

Watching the new movie felt like rediscovering a world I thought I already knew.

The scale

The sets are stunning and deeply textured. There is so much visual information that standard format was the perfect choice for me. IMAX might have blown me straight into Munchkinland.

If you’ve seen it, which format did you choose
If not, which experience would you prefer

The music

The singing is rich and powerful. The orchestration feels both modern and timeless, honoring the original story while elevating it.

The credits

Almost ten minutes long. Ten minutes of artists, designers, animators and creators whose work built this world from the ground up. In an AI era, this felt like a celebration of human craft.

The tone

This is not the whimsical 1939 Oz.
This is emotional.
Layered.
And often, uncomfortably honest.

It asks real questions:
What shapes our identity
How do we choose who we will be
What does “good” actually require

Which brings me back to a day in August 2001.

A Memory From 2001: Popcorn, Poppies and a Life Lesson at the Movies

The boys and I went to summer movie camp. The movie was The Wizard of Oz. They were not thrilled. Free popcorn saved the day.

I had seen Oz countless times, but never on a theater screen. Suddenly, the colors glowed. The Tinman’s blue eye shadow popped. Kansas felt heartbreakingly familiar. And like clockwork, I cried at the ending.

Something about Dorothy reaching for home always brings me back to my grandparents.
Do you have a movie moment that always makes you tear up even when you expect it

As the boys stood to leave, I asked them the message of the movie.
“There is no place like home. Can we go home now”

Simple. True. And more relevant today than ever.

Lessons for Leaders, Creatives and Anyone Beginning a New Week

Goodness requires action

The line from the film says it clearly. Goodness must be lived, not labeled.

Details reveal truth

What we notice shapes how we understand what matters.

Collaboration is creative power

Ten minutes of credits is proof that meaningful work is never done alone.

Home is a living concept

Home is not only where we started. It is where we choose to grow.

Wonder recalibrates the mind

A little awe can shift an entire week.

Which of these five lessons speaks to you right now

How Oz Reflects the World We Are Living In Today

This is not political. This is human. And these themes are exactly why Oz endures.

1. Story, perception and who gets to define “truth”

Oz is built on competing narratives. Sound familiar
The movie subtly asks: Who gets believed Who gets silenced Who benefits from a single story

These are visibility questions. Leadership questions. Humanity questions.

2. Popular, influential or truly leading

In 2008, I wrote a post exploring the differences between popularity, influence and leadership. At the time, it was a marketing reflection. Today, it feels prophetic.

Glinda starts by wanting to be popular.
Then she becomes influential.
But she grows into leadership by choosing integrity over applause.

Where do you feel you are on that spectrum right now
Popular
Influential
Or fully stepping into leadership

3. Compassion and the way we treat living beings

Oz has always been full of expressive, thoughtful animals. In this version, their vulnerability carries emotional weight.

As someone who has lived vegetarian and almost entirely plant based for five years, this theme resonated deeply. Not as activism, but as alignment.
Goodness is reflected in how we treat the most vulnerable characters in our world.

4. Home as responsibility, not escape

“There is no place like home” is not about returning to what was.
It is about building what can be better.

Where does “home” live for you today
A place
A person
A feeling
A sense of belonging
A vision of your next chapter

Oz as an Economy and a Legacy

• Over one billion dollars generated in Wizard of Oz related merchandising
• Wicked has earned more than one and a half billion dollars on Broadway
• Wicked for Good is expected to expand Oz’s cultural, collectible and creative ecosystem

Stories endure when they speak to the world we are actually living in.

A Travel Tuesday Tease: The Ruby Slippers

Tomorrow, I will share Part Two including the story of the Ruby Slippers, what they symbolize and how they continue to guide the way we navigate identity, direction and courage.

If Dorothy needed slippers to guide her, what guides you today
A mentor
A memory
A mantra
A dream you are finally ready to name

FAQ About Wicked for Good and the Oz Universe

What is Wicked for Good?

A 2025 cinematic expansion of the Wicked storyline exploring friendship, power, identity and transformation.

Is the “good has to mean something” line real?

Yes, it is spoken in the film and serves as a thematic anchor.

How is “Wicked for Good” different from the 1939 original ‘Wizard of Oz?”

The 1939 film is whimsical. The 2025 film is emotionally layered and visually epic.

Should I see “Wicked for Good” in IMAX?

If you want full sensory immersion, yes. For a more comfortable experience, standard format is ideal.

Is “Wicked for Good” family-friendly?

Generally yes, with deeper emotional themes.

About the Author

I am Barbara Rozgonyi, The Visibility Architect, a Top 100 Keynote Speaker to Watch and a global guide in AI powered PR, visibility leadership and creative brand storytelling. I am the founder of CoryWest Media and publisher of WiredPRWorks.

I taught branding and digital marketing for one of Adobe’s largest creative training centers in Chicago’s historic Fine Arts Building, where Oz illustrator W. W. Denslow once kept his studio. I blend creativity, photography, leadership, nature and strategic storytelling to help people and brands become unforgettable. Connect with Barbara Rozgonyi on LinkedIn.