While teaching on “entrepreneurship” in a prison years ago I met Ken who was incarcerated for armed robbery. Recently, I learned Ken has been out of prison for two years and has a good job! While in prison Ken became a Christian and began turning his life around. His hard work since his release has resulted in increased work responsibilities ...
On November 1st the Kansas City Royals defeated the New York Mets to win the 2015 World Series! When a financial opportunity surfaces, with a small window of time, it’s incredible to watch what can happen. What amazed me was that by November 3rd while Kansas City celebrated with its beloved players, anyone could easily find t-shirts, sweatshirts, and all ...
A CEO with vision can accomplish far more than just sell products by “leveraging their influence.” An effort called “Giving Tuesday” is one such opportunity for businesses that truly care for their communities. Some simple ideas being used today include companies matching any donations their employees make on “Giving Tuesday.” Other businesses encourage customers to support a specific cause by ...
Christmas season is a time most retailers focus on increasing their share of the billions of dollars spent on Christmas. Their efforts have brought us “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday.” Now we have “Giving Tuesday!” Giving Tuesday began in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y, a cultural center in New York City. Instead of being focused on consumerism, “Giving Tuesday” ...
For decades, Thanksgiving was a “day off” for many who typically worked retail jobs. This provided a rest and holiday for many to gear up for the biggest day of the retail year, Black Friday. Things have changed. Last year, retailers began pushing Black Friday into (what many who labor in retail likely believe has become) Black Thursday. As the ...
With the approach of Thanksgiving, our speaker challenged each man attending my men’s group to share a blessing God had given them. Some had relationships restored, others were thankful for supportive families, while some were literally given the gift of life. Each told an important story. For me, the minutes we spent in discussion resulted in a greater thankfulness to ...
Generosity can cause harm if not driven by the proper motivation. My friend, Stan, was so convicted by the biblical account of the rich young ruler, who Jesus directed to sell all that he had, that he determined to do likewise. Stan became consumed with giving away all his wealth. Unfortunately, he talked more about “getting to zero” than he ...
At a Christian business conference an entrepreneur asked the panel of leaders, “Isn’t it better for me to forgo tithing right now to grow the business faster? Then I’ll be able to give even more later.” It seemed that this entrepreneur believed he could get a better return on the company’s money than God can. In Malachi 3:10, God said, ...
During a business counseling call, Dennis shared with me that he desired to sell his business to some key employees, and use a significant portion of the proceeds for ministry. When I heard Dennis’ generous heart I urged him not to sign any documents until after he met my friends at the National Christian Foundation. Due to NCF’s charitable tax ...
Brad had hit a “wall” in his business. Frustrated by his lack of progress, he reached out to Matt for some direction. After listening to Brad’s situation, it appeared Brad was doing all the right things, yet he was discouraged. Matt realized that Brad didn’t need a “Friend with Knowledge”, he needed a “Friend with Encouragement.” Matt knew what to ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
