Values

Heavily Regulated

2020-12-22T23:37:41-06:00December 23rd, 2020|Tags: , |

A friend shared with me that under previous administrations his industry was weighed down with lots of rules and regulations. But under President Trump, many regulations were eliminated, leading to robust business growth. He fears the pendulum is likely to swing back again to burdensome regulations. Bear with me. Businesses are often rules-oriented, but, they can be more values-based. Many ...

What Matters Most

2020-11-04T23:42:30-06:00November 5th, 2020|Tags: , , , |

Bob Goff in his book, Love Does, says, “I used to be afraid of failing at something that really mattered to me, but now I'm more afraid of succeeding at things that don't matter.” The Bible guides the way to what matters most. Goff warns of the temptation to pursue success in what doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of ...

Knowing and Doing the Right Thing

2020-07-27T00:57:51-05:00July 27th, 2020|Tags: , , |

During one of our virtual events, Dr. Richard Blackaby shared about a CEO of a publicly traded company. This CEO had been asked to approve a marketing campaign that glorified sexual immorality. This CEO’s staff challenged him to dismiss his religious beliefs and instead focus on increasing shareholders value. The CEO called Dr. Blackaby for counsel, seeking insight on how ...

Tax Deception

2021-08-31T00:14:27-05:00April 13th, 2020|Tags: , , |

When I was a banker, I was reviewing a loan request for someone who wanted to buy an additional self-serve car wash. I asked my customer to bring tax returns to verify his information. At our next meeting, he sheepishly handed me his previous year’s tax returns. “I hope you don’t make your loan decision based on this information” he ...

Work Stressors, Part I

2020-03-20T14:28:10-05:00March 23rd, 2020|Tags: , , , |

The American Psychological Association recently surveyed workers to determine what causes the most work stress. 49% of these interviewees said that low salaries were their highest stress factor. The perception of low wages can be due to employees living beyond their means. Their stress may need to be relieved with financial training. Some employers, however, may be guilty of enhancing profits ...

Unconventional Hiring Strategy

2020-03-02T02:55:14-06:00March 2nd, 2020|Tags: , , |

Recently, the Wall Street Journal featured a story on Nehemiah Manufacturing in Cincinnati that has some interesting hiring practices. 80% of their employees have criminal records! As I expected, the founders of this business are Christian men who wanted to rebuild a city more than a company. Within the inner city of Cincinnati, they are rebuilding the lives of people ...

Rebuilding Your Reputation, Part I

2020-02-10T07:12:13-06:00February 10th, 2020|Tags: , , |

We all make mistakes, and sometimes we make big ones. In business, when you make a big mistake, your employees, customers, suppliers and sometimes even the press learn and share your mistakes with others. It’s those mistakes that help us learn and become even better, even as the fallout lingers, sometimes for years. Rebuilding your reputation isn’t easy. It takes ...

Taking Shortcuts

2020-02-04T22:39:35-06:00February 5th, 2020|Tags: , , |

Bret took shortcuts in everything he did, so much so that it regularly got him in trouble at work and home.  He once confided that he had just taken a call from the trash company that hauled his company’s trash. They were livid that someone had put cans of industrial paint into the dumpster which spilled onto their truck, and ...

The Power of a Story

2019-12-22T23:03:33-06:00December 25th, 2019|Tags: , , |

After the American Revolution, Christmas was viewed in America as an English custom and not widely celebrated. According to Wikipedia, in the 1820s, story tellers like Washington Irving and others encouraged new Christmas traditions. In 1822, Clement Clark Moore released a poem now known as “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” It was these stories that popularized exchanging gifts, and many believe ...

Values First, Money Second

2019-12-22T22:58:38-06:00December 23rd, 2019|Tags: , , |

Recently, I met with a new friend who was carrying a burden of concern for his children. My friend’s father had established trusts for each grandchild to be funded from the success of their family business. In the beginning, the trust amounts were modest, but as the business flourished, the trusts had grown larger than the family ever imagined. My ...

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