Steve is a compassionate business owner whom Kathy and I have been blessed to pray for over the years. Recently, Steve called to say that he was in town and needed to meet with us. For hours, we listened as Steve described a difficult situation that his family had been involved in, that was beginning to put he and his ...
Gloria and I began working on a project together that typically would require some research and planning before cementing details. I tend to be a Ready – Aim -Aim -Fire kind of person, cautiously gathering facts and analyzing data before making a decision. But Gloria’s style is Ready – Fire -Aim. The project took off like a rocket. Although Gloria’s ...
The S in the TRUST acronym we’ve been exploring is for “Serve.” Serving others at their points of need requires that we be observant, then look for creative ways to serve. Peter and Andrew were professional fishermen who had fished all night without catching anything. Jesus realized they probably felt like they failed and were frustrated. Jesus served Peter in ...
This week we’re talking about “Building Trust.” In the acronym TRUST the R stands for Relationships. A critical element in building trust with others, especially those you don’t know well, is to build a relationship. Jesus knew this. I doubt that Peter and Andrew would have been so quick to walk away from all their possessions to follow Jesus had ...
Building trust is critical in our relationships, and, in the world of commerce. Jesus modeled five building blocks of trust in the calling of his first disciples. These elements can be remembered by the acronym TRUST. The first T is for Testimonials. Jesus’ first encounter with Peter and Andrew was at the Jordan River. John the Baptist baptized Jesus, then, ...
America’s banking system collapsed in the 1930s due to a lack of one important element: Trust. Whether it’s your business or your personal reputation, when you violate the trust of others there will be consequences! Since our relationships and our entire system of commerce is rooted in trust, we’ll spend the next week identifying 5 building blocks of trust. Jesus ...
Former CEO of United Van Lines, Rich McClure, shared at one of our events that he was talking with some people near his assistant’s desk one day. After their departure, Rich’s assistant said to him, “People can tell when you’re authentic and when you’re not.” This was very convicting to Rich, because she was right. He had just put on ...
In my book, “Unconventional Business,” I highlighted seven questions from marketing guru, Seth Godin, that may help you shape your marketing plan. The final question is, “How do your customers buy your product or service?” For decades, Walmart dominated the retail market as a department store chain. Now Walmart is playing catch-up to Amazon as more and more customers are ...
As a child I usually tried to be a peacemaker and avoid conflict. After decades in business, however, I’ve come to accept that there will be differences of opinion and misunderstandings that can easily result in broken relationships. It’s easy for these relationships to remain unreconciled leaving a bitter root of resentment. But God desires us to be peacemakers and ...
Some friends explored buying a company, but due to safety issues in the plant, they decided to pass. Several years later their management team revisited the discussion. One of their leaders proclaimed, “That plant would be safer the day after we buy it, because we care.” Their compassion for the people drove them to reconsider, and ultimately buy the other ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
