Maurilio Amorim

Author: Maurilio Amorim

We Should Age But Never Grow Old

Aging is a matter of the mind. And yet I tell my body everyday that and it still aches and hurts every time I go out on a run. The truth is that, for the most part, aging stinks. But you can live a long time and never get “old” a.k.a crabby, bitter and demanding. Well, by those standards there are days that I could be considered old, very, very old.

We can’t stop gravity and time from slowing us down,but we can stop aging from robbing us of a full life. If you don’t think so, just take a look a this video.

Question: How do you stay young?

April 24, 2012
Work that Makes a Difference

I love the fact that what I do for a living matters. I could make more money if the core of my business served more corporate clients instead of not-for-profits, churches, authors, and Christian publishers. But I know I wouldn’t be any more fulfilled than I am today.

Walking side by side with men and women who have given their entire lives to serve others has been humbling and yet so rewarding. As I spend time in Europe with people who have given their lives to bring hope to the often called “dark continent,” I’m reminded that what I do and what my team does is making a difference.

My prayer today is that you’ll look for ways to live out your dreams and find the courage to seize the moment when opportunity presents itself.

If you were able to chose any profession or line of work you want, what would you be doing today?

April 19, 2012
An Amazing Dinner Experience and Why Details Matter

It was perhaps one of the best meals I’ve ever had. And I have had a lot of good meals. Restaurante Casino is top rated by Zagat. I made reservations based only on the reviews I read on my phone, hours before flying into Madrid. I had high expectations, but was not sure what to expect. The experience exceeded my expectations by a mile.

While the food tasted great (all 15 courses), what made the overall experience unforgettable was the attention to every detail from the moment I called them to the last goodby as a couple of the staff escorted us to the VIP elevator.

“Just a reminder, jackets are required for gentlemen” said the voice over the phone on a courtesy call on the day of my reservation. In the sum total of my valuation of the night, I think about the food as much as I recall the attentiveness of the staff, the decor of the building, the fresh flowers, the smiles, the fact that upon asking for the restroom I was escorted to it, even though it was not necessary. I asked if I could keep the menu so I could follow my dinner along and within a few minutes our waiter appeared with our customized printed version of our meal. I have never experienced that before.

For all practical purposes we were two American tourists who might never return to the restaurant. But for those 4 hours, I felt like European royalty. Yes, it was very expensive, but worth every penny.

Restaurante Casino – Madrid

Why bring a refreshing drink from the bar when you can mix one with dry ice at table side. Impressive and delicious

I don't know how the chef did this, but this "liquid ham croquette" burst into my mouth with the wonderful flavor of Iberian ham.

Norway lobster with quinoa and almond soup. As tasty as it looks.

The frozen bombon "hid" inside three different types of ice cream. Oh, my.

Now that's a tea cart!

What kind of experience is your organization offering those who come to you? While your main product might be good, how are you doing with the details?

April 18, 2012
In Business, Being Available is Often All You Need

Organizations are always looking for a competitive advantage that will get them more consumers, clients, or traffic. After all, times are difficult and most businesses, specially retail, are in survival mode. Often it is not the latest social media strategy or expensive marketing campaign that is the difference between winning or losing a sale, but making sure we do the basics well that will make the most difference.

My traveling companion’s computer bag ripped. Yesterday afternoon we walked the streets of Madrid looking for a replacement. We had passed a store with a great selection and reasonable prices, even for Europe. After lunch we decided to purchase a bag there. We arrived at 4:30 pm and the store was closed for “lunch” (the Spaniards take lunch around 2:30). They were not set to open until 5:30. We walked a couple of blocks and bought a more expensive bag from their competitor who decided not to close for lunch.

The experience re-affirmed one of the basics tenets of business: sometimes being available when people need you is a primary issue. There is no substitute for convenience, after all.

Think about your organization. How convenient are you making it for your clients, customers, member to “do business” with you?

What areas are you doing well and what should you improve?

April 17, 2012
Technology, Communication and Travel

I have been saying for a while now that technology and communication have fused into one discipline. I don’t think you can communicate effectively in our culture without using digital media. I was reminded of that Saturday night during my late dinner in a tiny Armenian restaurant in Madrid.

Restaurant Vartan has been in business for over 33 years. It does not have a website and it is tucked away in a side street away from the city crowded streets. If you do not look for it diligently, you’ll miss it altogether. The fact that I have never been to Madrid and that there are over 3,000 sit-down restaurants in the city to choose from, and that I found my way into Vartan was a feat against all odds.

While the establishment does not have a web presence, I found great reviews on the Trip Advisor app on my iPhone. From there it mapped a route from my hotel straight to the restaurant’s doors. After my arrival its owner and operator, the same man who started the place over three decades ago, was very helpful guiding me through the menu. But what I didn’t expect was for him to pull out his smart phone and flip through pictures of all his best dishes.

The food was terrific and the overall experience quite pleasant. While some might argue that technology had nothing to do with the quality of food or the friendliness of the staff, I will argue that it had everything to do with a successful outing.

How have you used technology in your travels?

April 16, 2012
Visualcy and the New Language of Communication
The job of the innovator is to create a new culture. But the job of the communicator is to speak the language of the culture, or create a new language in order to communicate effectively. Recently, I heard David Kinamman, president of Barna Research, talk about visualcy. I immediately understood it and it gave name to a trend I have been aware of for quite some time.
- Content is moving from passive to interactive from literacy to visualcy
- The average American teenage consumes 34 gigs of information a day, mostly video games and television
- Printed words account for less than 0.1% of today’s total communication
- The average teen spends more than 10 hours a day looking at media
What are the implication for communicators? How is this shift impacting how you communicate?
April 11, 2012
Pete Wilson, Empty Promises, and a Book You Must Read

Sometimes a book comes along that hits you like a ton of bricks. “Empty Promises” is that kind of a read. My friend and pastor Pete Wilson’s new book is not only something I’m proud to be part of, but it truly is a powerful reminder of how easy it is for me to be trapped by the dangers of the empty promises.

When asked about the book, Pete says,

“I wrote this book because I see a natural drift in my life. It’s a drift toward things that do not satisfy me, have never satisfied me, and have no hope of ever satisfying me, but I still continue to pursue them anyway.”

How ironic is it that although we’ve had gadgets, relationships, success, beauty and all these things that the world says, “This is what satisfies you,” we’ve had those things…and we’ve tasted them….and they didn’t satisfy.

So much of my life has been wasted on this lie: More of what we already possess that does not satisfy us is somehow going to bring us joy and happiness. How crazy is that?! We think more of what doesn’t work might work. I know it sounds funny, but it’s also sad because this is where a bulk of humanity is stuck.

Watch the short trailer

I’m glad Pete wrote this book. It spoke to me deeply. You need to read it. Buy it here.

I’m giving away 5 copies of the book to people who leave a comment on this post.

When was the last time you had to deal with an empty promise? Something that never deliver on what you had hoped for.

April 10, 2012
Why You Should Start a Business During Down Times

On a recent flight, I sat next to a man who had just started a new business. Unless you’re in Brazil, India, or China, starting a business anywhere else in the world at this moment is a difficult proposition. The recession has not subsided and economic indicators are all over the place. My new friend, Mike, is creating incentive management software for auto sellers. Nissan is his first client. What a way to get started by landing a big fish…no, landing a whale. But then I thought about when I started my own business and decided that this is a perfect time to start a new venture.

I started The A Group ten years ago this past November, a couple of months after 9/11. I have learned big shifts in the economy, such as our current recession, create openings in opportunity because it often changes the rules of the game.

Businesses, ministries, and churches don’t make major changes when things are going well. But when the rules change and fat margins are gone, or speed is of the essence, the usual players often can’t make the change fast or cheap enough to be competitive. If you can figure out where the opportunities are and how to do what the big guys were doing but faster, cheaper, or in a new way, then it’s time to break free and seize the moment.

If you have an entrepreneurial heart, this could be your chance to zig while others zag, to sprint while the bloated old guys crawl as they pay for a study to analyze the market conditions and give them enough data to put a matrix team together to discuss the viability of . . . you get my point.

What business or ministry opportunities do you see that have been created by the recession?

April 9, 2012
Easter Sunday and the Return of the White Pants
What should I wear for Easter Sunday? If you happen to be living in the South or Southwest of the US, that’s a question a lot of guys ask this time of the year. More than any other weekend, Easter Sunday brings out boldness in even the most fashion-timid of guys. And nothing says spring more elegantly than white pants.

For several years the white pants have been in a status of hiatus, relegated to tropical islands and part of the esoteric “resort wear.” But lately they are making a come-back. Lacoste, Dolce and Gabbana, and Gucci have all featured white pants in their 2011 spring and summer collections. Gucci and Guess have great looking white jeans versions. But wearing white pants come with responsibilities and warnings.
1. No Pleats. Don’t pull out your 1985 college edition of the white pants.
2. Right fitting. Dark colors can look ok if they are a bit tight. White pants don’t. You don’t want people seeing your “business” in church. For the love of all that’s good, don’t wear white pants that are too tight. When in doubt, ask a friend.
3. Belt awareness. White calls attention to itself the same way black blends things together. White pants will scream at people, “hey look at me!” You’ll need a good looking belt to balance and help focus people’s attention from your crotch.
4. Proper underwear. This is no time to wear you Valentine’s undies with red hearts. Unless you’re wearing white jeans, these pants show through so do yourself and the rest of us who are going to be looking at you a favor and wear a solid white pair of, must I say, clean underwear. Your mom will be proud. The rest of the world will thank you.
Resort wear with flip flops work in the most casual of environments.

For the fashion-aggressive the purple socks add even more drama–as if the white pants weren't enough.

You can pair white with a dark more formal top. Suddenly your winter coat becomes a Spring option. Notice the canvas shoes and no socks.

White jeans with a bold belt are back strong this season.

What do you think of the return of the white pants to mainstream fashion?
April 6, 2012
In Memory of David Foster and The Lessons He Taught Me

I was stuck in my career until David Foster offered me a job based on the potential he saw in me. Late into my twenties, I worked on the staff of a small, traditional congregation, but my heart yearned to reach those outside the faith with a non-traditional approach to church. My experience, however, showed a completely different type of ministry. During that time I felt like being in a no-man’s land where my desires and opportunities were not in sync. David’s vote of confidence in my abilities was the catalyst that changed the course of my entire career.

Sometime in the early hours of Monday, David woke up in heaven. He was only 58. During my nearly seven years of working for him, I learned a lot from Dave, but a few of these lessons are salient in my mind today.

Church should be a safe place for the broken. David used to say that the better we do our jobs reaching those outside the faith, the messier and more complicated things would get. He was right. We worked hard to create an environment where God would be the one changing people’s hearts and not a preacher’s expectation for them to cosmetically “clean up” their act. Transform the heart first, then everything else will follow. It was a paradigm shift that changed my thinking and my life.

Don’t ever say “no” for someone. I would often be timid about asking volunteers and staff to go above and beyond the call of duty. Dave would remind me that my job was to make the ask and let people decide how to answer. Since then I have been surprised by people’s generosity and their ability to go the extra mile when asked.

Try new ideas, even crazy ones. David was very creative. Together we were dangerous. We would come up with all kinds of ideas. Some were brilliant; others short of disastrous, as the time we decided it would be a good illustration to have a mock funeral during the weekend services complete with a casket, pall bearers and a fake eulogy. But no matter what happened, we would always ask the open-ended questions: “How can we reach more people, touch more lives, and impact further those around us?”

Trust is sacred. While we sometimes did not see eye to eye on every issue or decision, we both trusted one another. I have seen how important trust has become in my personal and professional life over the years. David was a trustworthy friend and boss.

David Foster left us too soon, but I owe to him the opportunity to have been part of a community of believers that has impacted so many over the years, and the privilege to have served with great people, many of whom have become life-long friends. A visionary leader not only sees the future of an organization, but he also recognizes the potential in people and compels them to reach new heights. Dave certainly did that for me.

Who in your life has propelled you to become a better person, or even a more competent professional?

April 3, 2012