When I was 25 years old, I left public accounting and struggled to determine what I wanted to do next. I read about a new concept called Rent-a-Wreck. It sounded like a groundbreaking idea, so I started my own used car rental agency. Looking back, my only real objective was to make lots of money. I had no knowledge or ...
Mary Andringa wrote a book as a tribute to her father, Gary Vermeer., a book. As the founder of Vermeer Corporation, a large manufacturing company, Gary knew the importance of keeping an eye out for those who were disruptive to others. When Gary entered the manufacturing plant and saw three or more employees talking together, he noted that they were ...
What is a talent? A talent can be anything that we have been entrusted to steward. Talents are not only our abilities and giftedness, but also relationships, position, resources, schedule, education, portfolio, and so on. And what happens when we put our talents to use for the Glory of God? When we actively pursue using our gifts for the glory ...
An article by Investopedia says, “Your chances of being an American billionaire are similar to your chances of getting struck by lightning.” The odds of billionaire status are low, yet Wall Street and American Businesses seem fraught and consumed with focus on becoming wealthy. Proverbs 23:4 says, Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration of it.” Today ...
The Business Roundtable consists of the leaders of the largest companies in America. According to the Wall Street Journal, this group recently made a dramatic philosophical shift. For decades, economist Milton Friedman’s theory that companies’ only obligation is to maximize profits for their shareholders has been the stated purpose of this group. Their new philosophy, however, changed the focus from ...
As I’ve aged over the years, sometimes I lean towards being more cautious than courageous. In those moments, it’s encouraging to examine the story of Caleb. At 40 years old, Caleb displayed great courage and desired to overtake the Promised Land—but he didn’t get that opportunity, due to the Israelite’s disobedience and fear. Yet, at 85 years old, Caleb had ...
According to a recent Pew Research poll, 50% of Americans view made-up news as a very big problem for the country. Fake news has become a bigger concern than racism, illegal immigration, terrorism, or sexism. Fake news has undermined our trust in the media. Journalism was once defined by presenting unbiased facts. If our reporter’s still provided unbiased facts instead ...
The financial services industry has recently been handed new SEC rules for financial advisors. Advisors now must put their client’s interest above their own. Many advisors get paid on commission. Oftentimes, bigger commission can be made on products that may not always be in the best interest of the client. When you can make more money simply by steering a ...
When my wife and I try a new restaurant, it’s not uncommon for us to ask our server about their personal menu preferences. It’s refreshing when we discover a candid server who tells you the unvarnished truth. But on occasion we’ve encountered a server who intentionally steers us towards the most expensive items, and we sense their motive is to ...
Former CEO of Rochester Drug Cooperative, Laurence Doud, was recently charged with criminal charges related to drug trafficking opioids. This test case will be a wake-up call for executives that distribute any type of addictive pharmaceuticals. Rochester Drug distributes drugs to pharmacies. Distributors typically serve their customers well by providing whatever legal products the customer requests. If this test case ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
