Just A Moment with Brant Menswar

Episode: The Moment Frozen Let It Go
Date: December 15, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Brant Menswar explores an extraordinary turning point in the creation of Disney’s Frozen: the decision to rewrite the storyline based on the emotional truth revealed by the now-iconic song, "Let It Go." Through vivid storytelling, Brant draws lessons about leadership, authenticity, and the courage to rewrite your own story when a life-altering moment arrives.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Hidden Crisis Behind Frozen’s Success

• Before "Let It Go" became a cultural phenomenon, Frozen was in deep trouble within Disney Animation.
  • The original version was uninspired: Elsa was a straightforward villain and Anna the hero.
  • The film "felt flat" and "wasn't emotional" ([00:49]).
  • Disney was running out of time, with only 18 months left before release—"that's not a timeline, that's a crisis" ([01:28]).

2. The Moment Everything Changed: "Let It Go"

• The pivotal moment came when songwriting duo Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez presented a simple piano demo of "Let It Go."
  • The emotional impact in the story room was immediate:
    • "Within seconds, the room shifted. What they heard wasn't a villain declaring power. It was a young woman unraveling, releasing shame, letting herself breathe for the first time. The song wasn't angry. It wasn't vengeful. It wasn't dark. It was human." ([02:19])
  • People in the room cried "not because the song was perfect, but because for the first time, they understood who Elsa really was" ([02:31]).

3. The Bold Decision: Rewrite the Story

• Faced with the song’s truth, the directors confronted a choice: force the song to fit their script, or "rewrite the story to fit the truth of the song. They chose the rewrite and everything, everything changed" ([02:47]).
  • Elsa’s character was transformed — from villain to complex, vulnerable sister.
  • The core conflict shifted from good vs. evil to "fear versus love. Isolation versus connection. Shame versus acceptance" ([03:16]).
  • The story turned into "a human story wrapped in magic" ([03:23]).

4. The Ripple Effect: Authenticity Connects the World

• This one creative pivot "unlocked everything that followed" ([03:30]):
  • Frozen became the highest grossing animated film of all time.
  • "Let It Go" won the Academy Award.
  • Elsa became "a global symbol of authenticity and empowerment" ([03:37]).
  • Millions resonated, "not to perfection, but to the feeling of finally being allowed to be yourself" ([03:44]).
  • Brant notes, "None of that happens if the team forces the old story to continue. It happens because they had the courage to rewrite" ([03:50]).

5. Personal Leadership Lessons

• Brant parallels Disney’s story with personal and professional growth:
  • "Every leader, every creator... will face a moment like this. You're deep into a plan... something reveals the truth. A piece of feedback, a conversation, a misstep. A moment of clarity. And suddenly you know the old story won't take you where you need to go" ([04:04]).
  • "Leaders don’t cling to the plan when truth shows up. Leaders pivot toward it, even when it costs them" ([04:25]).
  • The universal challenge: "Most of us spend years trying to be the version of ourselves we think people want... But every now and then, something breaks through. A moment that says, 'this is who you really are.'" ([04:44]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the song’s impact:

  "What they heard wasn't a villain declaring power. It was a young woman unraveling, releasing shame, letting herself breathe for the first time."
  — Brant Menswar ([02:19])

• On the pivotal decision:

  "They had to force the song to fit the story or rewrite the story to fit the truth of the song. They chose the rewrite and everything, everything changed."
  — Brant Menswar ([02:47])

• On the real essence of leadership:

  "Leaders don't cling to the plan when truth shows up. Leaders pivot toward it, even when it costs them."
  — Brant Menswar ([04:25])

• On authenticity:

  "She wasn’t rewritten to be perfect. She was rewritten to be true."
  — Brant Menswar ([04:32])

• Personal reflection prompt for listeners:

  "What part of your story is ready to be rewritten? And what truth is finally asking you to let go?"
  — Brant Menswar ([05:35])

Key Timestamps

• [00:00]— Introduction and framing: Big moments, big changes.
• [00:49]— The original Frozen script’s problems.
• [02:19]— First listen to "Let It Go" changes everything.
• [02:47]— The decision to rewrite the movie around the song.
• [03:16]— Transformation of the movie’s emotional core.
• [03:37]— The worldwide ripple effect of authenticity.
• [04:25]— Leadership lesson: pivoting toward truth.
• [05:35]— Final reflection question.

Closing Thoughts

Brant concludes by encouraging listeners to heed their own transformative moments. Using the Frozen rewrite as a powerful metaphor, he challenges us to let go of scripts that no longer serve us, and to bravely pivot toward the truths that emerge—however inconvenient.

"Keep listening for the story inside the story." — Brant Menswar ([06:40])

This episode delivers a heartfelt, cinematic lesson on how authenticity—not perfection—is where real magic happens, both in stories and in life.