Maurilio Amorim

Author: Maurilio Amorim

  • The Question that Can Take You to the Next Level

    Recently I’ve spent time with two great communicators: one has sold over 37 million books and the other is a leader of one of the nation’s largest churches and an amazing teacher. For all practical purposes these men are “on top of their game,” after all they have achieved the kind of professional success most people only dream of achieving. Interestingly, each of them independently of one another asked me the same question:

    How can I get better at what I do?

     

     

     I’m sure the very reason for their success is, what I call, “the life-long learner syndrome.” I was first introduced to it but an 83 year-old camp cook in South America when I was only 15. She called me in the kitchen and ask me to show her how to make Brazilian Stroganoff. She had been cooking five times longer than I had been alive, and yet, she was willing to learn from me. She was gracious and kind and did everything I ask her to do. There was no fuss, attitude, nor even the occasional “here’s a better way to chop onions.” I taught her how to make a dish, but she taught me a life lesson I have never forgotten: it’s never too late to learn. I blogged earlier about another life-long learner here.

    From time to time, I also find myself asking: How can I get better, what do I need to change or learn? It often means reading a new book, attending a seminar or meeting with an expert who can help me break through a problem or a plateau.

    What about you? How do you keep from getting stuck in your professional life?

  • Authenticity and the Deceptive Allure of Perfection

    Authenticity. It’s a big word and it’s everywhere today. We want an authentic life with authentic friends, even down to attending church with an authentic preacher. But sadly, we, myself included, are often guilty of measuring ourselves against the impossible: the manufactured image of perfection we hear, watch, and read about. These works of populist fiction become our target in real life.

    I must congratulate my fellow marketers in succeeding selling us plastic perfection but derailing us in our pursuit of an authentic self.

    But no matter how philosophical I get, I find myself going back to the old adage, “beauty is skin deep, but ugliness is to the bone.” So I try harder, run longer, hit the gym at 5 a.m. and pass up on the chocolate cake that beckons for me every time I walk into the kitchen. My insecurity demons emboldened by the latest picture of the shirtless, buff and Photoshopped (as in touched up, enhance, beautified by software) Brad Pitt, have their way with me as I try, still unsuccessfully, to measure up.

    I want authenticity from people around me while I try to sell everyone on the Photoshopped version of myself. I sell it to those around me as “giving it” my best, but is that my real motivation?

    Do you feel pressure to look, behave or become someone other than whom you believe God has created you to be?

  • What I Learned from Andy Rooney as I Watched 60 Minutes

    I want to live and  die like Andy Rooney. This past week he passed away at the age of 92. After watching Mr. Rooney’s life from my seat in front of the TV since I was a child, I have come to the realization that when it came to work, he got it right. I never met Andy Rooney or knew much about his personal life or religious views. That’s not the point of this post. But here’s what he taught me about life over the decades as I saw him on my tv.

    What Andy Rooney taught me about life While watching him on 60 minutes

    He taught me that I need to love what I do. There was no question Andy loved his job. At get 92 in this final interview, Mr. Rooney answered the if-you-had-to-do-it-over question with a simple answer: I would have been a journalist; I would have worked for 60 minutes. In other words, he would have it done it all over again.  I want to look back in my career and know that I did what I loved in a the place where I loved doing it.

    He taught me to speak my mind. Andy cared more about speaking what he believed than what it was popular.  Whether you agree with Mr. Rooney’s views or not, he let you know where he stood. A few years ago, he said something that upset a minority group. CBS suspended him for a month and saw a 20% decline in viewership. He was quickly re-instated. I want to stand up for what I believe even when it’s not the popular thing to do.

    He taught me that while my body might age, my mind doesn’t have to. He was old, he was feeble and according to some, cantankerous–at that age, I say you can be whatever you want to be. But his mind was sharp and his memory strong until the end, allowing him to write and comment on the world around him with a perspective very few could have. After all, he didn’t read about it but  lived through The Great Depression, World War II,  Vietnam, the Civil Rights Movement, Reaganomics and beyond. I want new generations to engage with the content that I produce in my latter days because it brings a critical perspective that only experience can generate. It’s not looking back and glamorizing the past, but interpreting the present in the light of where we have come and understanding where it might take us.

    He taught me that I should not quit until I’m really done. Mr. Rooney died less than a month after his last broadcast. What great timing. I want to contribute to my world until the day I die: nothing left to do, no more work left to be done, no bucket list item left uncrossed. I know that’s not up to me, and God’s timing is different for all of us, but what an awesome way to go.

    How do you feel about working until you die? Shouldn’t we retire?

     

  • Top 10 Worst Church Moments from a Church Secret Shopper

    I have attended hundreds of church services as a church secret shopper. I’ve had thousands of conversations with volunteers, staff and visitors. Here’s my list of the top 10 worst things people said to me:

    10. “Excuse me, but you’re sitting in my seat” It seems cliche but it happens more often than you think.

    9. “ya’ not from around here, are ya?” Older man said to me after I asked directions to the restroom. I didn’t respond, but I was thinking: “What gave it away? having all my teeth?”

    8. “Follow the blue line. It’s kinda of complicated. Good luck.” Said the two men sitting inside the information kiosk before turning to each other and finishing their conversation. They pointed to a board on the wall with multiple color lines leading to different locations on campus.

    7. “Nazarenes are a lot like the Baptists, but holier,” middle aged man at a Nazarene church when I asked him the difference between a Nazarene and a Baptist church.

    6. “You’re the prettiest thang I ever seen!” I’m not telling you who said it.

    5. “We Lutherans are a homely bunch.” A greeter at a Lutheran church as I asked more information about her church. She was right.

    4. “I don’t know anything. I can’t really help you. This is my first day at the information table and the person who was going to train me didn’t show up.”

    3. “I’ve got dresses that are older than you!” I don’t really remember how I got into this one, but does it really matter?

    2. “It must be a special day, I see a lot of strangers here today.” Misguided Music minister during a Sunday morning greeting time.  No warm and fuzzies for this stranger.

    1. “Hey, Mister, come back here! You’re not Catholic, are you? Give me the wafer back!” A Catholic Priest on the rightful suspicion I was impersonating a catholic worshiper during communion. I had to give it up.

    I’m sure you have a favorite line you got at church. Please DO share!

  • The Christian Ghetto and Social Media

    “Every good idea must have a similar, but yet inferior Christian version.”  Unfortunately, I think that’s a sad reality these days. I have lost count of the times I was asked if my company, The A Group, could help a church or ministry to create a Christian version of Facebook. Seriously.  Should every church have its own alternative to Facebook?

    For some un-Biblical reason, we Christians find the need to abandon our culture and gather together in what I call the  “Christian Ghetto.” The Christian Ghetto is a place where you go to hang out with your Christian friends, fill up a website with Christian pictures and Christian videos of lots of happy people, bad preaching and youth camp promos. There’s not much witnessing and shedding of light in the ghetto since everyone is already convinced and the place is way too bright as is.

    I understand the need for closed networks within several difference facets of ministry. For example, in managing small groups who need to connect in privacy or resourcing ministries that deal with evangelistic strategies where an open discussion in Facebook, would undermine their effectiveness.

    So should the Church abandon social media altogether? Absolutely not. The church should redeem it . Christians are already there in millions strong among their unchurched friends. Instead of trying to pull your people out of Facebook, Twitter, Myspace (Ok, there’s no one left there) or whatever the social media du jour is, your church should develop strategies to engage, inspire and create dialog within these networks. We should resource our people with tools for integration and not segregation. We should take our Christian content into every part of the web we’re allowed to go. Go where the darkness is and shed light. My friends Tami Heim and Tony Birdsong wrote a great book about how to do just that, @Sticky Jesus.

    I say let’s break up the Christian Ghetto mindset we Christians tend to have and lets become more intentional in our social media outreach.

    What’s your take?

  • How to Buy Designer Clothes on a Budget

    The retail price is never final. I learned that lesson early in life from my father who is a master bargainer. But I didn’t know that I could take my third world bargaining skills into the heart of the first world fashion district in Manhattan. This is a fashion post, sort of. I hear from guys or their wives who want to buy a designer jacket or suit but don’t have the budget to afford it. Here are a few tips to get you into the nicer clothes you thought you could not afford.

    sharp dressed men

    Set your budget before going shopping. Much like buying a car or something expensive, you can get caught “in the moment” and end up spending your children’s college fund in new clothes. It’s easy to do. Don’t ask me how I know it.

    Find a locally owned high-end store. The reason I prefer to shop in boutique stores is twofold. These stores often carry the more exclusive brands and products that you are not likely to find in most department stores; therefore, making your purchase even more special.

    Negotiate. Locally-owned stores have room to negotiate. That’s right, negotiate. Recently I was shopping at a very nice store and the coat I wanted was more than my budged amount. I told the owner that it was way over my allowance. He gave me a discount on the spot. I saw an opportunity and said that if he discounted further, I would buy more.  I ended up spending the same amount he wanted for one coat but got a pair of paints and another shirt for the same money. Score.

    Be strategic. In fashion you have the basics and the stand out parts of your wardrobe. Buy the basics at T.J. Max or find good brands on sale at a department store. But then there is the stuff that you don’t see very often, clothes that are fashionable and well built and that people notice right away. I have a few of these. I just bought such a piece at the Beau Brummel boutique: a double breasted, fitted coat. It’s quite good looking and I’m certain I won’t be seeing many people wearing it around most places. That’s the kind of purchase you spend extra on.

    Ask for more.  Ask for alterations to be done for free. You can save good money by not having to pay a tailor to work on a jacket or reconstruct a shirt. High-end stores will have a tailor on staff and they make you look your best.

    Are you comfortable asking for a discount at a high-end clothing store?

  • How to Screw Up Christmas 5 Different Ways

    Christmas Eve is a great opportunity to reach those outside the church that often goes unused. I’m usually arguing with several pastors during this time of the year. Seems like every year I have to convince a Senior Pastor that Christmas Eve is a powerful and great opportunity for outreach. Catholic churches have known this for centuries. Evangelicals are just now waking up to it. Here are the top 5 mistakes churches can make when planning their Christmas services.

    5 ways to screw up Christmas

    1. Give the staff Christmas Eve off. That’s a critical mistake that a lot of churches make. Christmas Eve is a great opportunity to reach out to people who want to connect with God and their families and who are looking for an opportunity to do so. Done well, your Christmas Eve service could be one of the best attended service of the entire year. If you are in ministry, working on Christmas should be expected.
    2. Have only one Christmas Eve service. Different time options give people a reason to say yes to an invitation to come to your service. Even if you only have two services, say one at 3 p.m. and another at 5 p.m. they give people a chance to come to church and then hit the road to visit relatives and friends without forcing people to choose between a church service or dinner at grandma. By the way, grandma wins every time.
    3. Go “Cutting Edge” creative. Well, if you know me you realize that I’m drawn to high-energy, creative environments. But when it comes to Christmas, I’m looking for traditional, warm, chestnuts-roasting-on-an-open-fire type of service. And most of everybody else is looking for the same thing as well. A lot of people I talk with around Christmas time are displaced from most of their families and are looking to make traditions of their own. Christmas Eve, for those of us, is a very sentimental time, and we want to feel like George and Mary Bailey and not like Homer and Marge Simpson.
    4. Don’t have any preaching. The number one reason people decide whether or not to come back to a church they visited is how they felt about the Pastor. I’m not advocating an hour message, it’s Christmas after all, but the Teaching Pastor should have at least 15-20 minute message so he can engage newcomers and share with them his heart and teaching style.
    5. Don’t give them a reason to return. Ok, you had multiple services on Christmas Eve and it was beautiful; people showed up in droves, and you had one of your best days. And then what? Well, the first of the year is just a weekend away. That’s a key time when people make new year’s resolutions and often, one of them is to get back in church. Have a new year series ready to promo that day. Enclose the graphics and message titles in the bulletin for your Christmas Eve service. Produce a short video that promos the new series and invite people back. You’ll be surprised how many people will take you up on that offer.

    How does your church celebrate Christmas?

  • Uniqlo: A Lesson on Brand, Retail and Business Strategy

    This past weekend I happened upon Uniqlo on 5th Avenue in Manhattan. I must confess, I didn’t know anything about the brand, but after shopping in its brand new 90,000 square foot flagship store, I have become a fan. I’m enthusiastic not because I like their clothing, which I do, but because in a time where retailers are struggling to “make it,” Uniqlo seems to have figured out what we want.

    Uniqlo Manhattan store

    The best way I can explain the brand is by saying that Uniqlo is for clothing what Ikea is for furniture, but with better quality stuff. Uniqlo started in Japan and was once a men’s clothing store. Now it’s making a play as a global brand. Here’s what I think these guys have gotten right from a branding, marketing and business model.

    Uniqlo Manhattan Store
    3 Floors, 90,000 ft on 5th Avenue. The largest single retailer NYC has ever had.

    They design and produce their own clothing line. They are not competing with everyone else for the same product line or having their buyers buy the same stuff everyone else is getting.

    They aimed their design to the fashion forward but rooted in practical living. I saw people in their 20’s all the way to late 60’s shopping at the store. The décor is modern but there’s something there for everyone. After all a crew neck sweater or a great pair of jeans knows no gender or age group.

    They did not skimp on quality. Most of the items I saw were of good materials and excellent workmanship. I visited some designer stores with much more expensive merchandize that looked cheap even before I touched them.

    They made shopping both fun and high-end experience.  This is not your bargain basement store with crowed racks you have to sift to find something you would wear. As you enter the store, someone hands you a large mesh shopping bag with a smile. “I don’t need one. I’m not buying anything.” Wrong. That’s before I saw the cashmere v-neck sweaters in 12 different colors for $39. And their amazingly well-cut, Japanese engineered jeans on sale for $9. Yes, that’s 9 American dollars! It’s less than what I paid for a hamburger at my hotel. Not all items were this reasonably priced, but the sheer options of sizes and colors combined with good prices and the store’s brilliant modern design got to me. Soon I had my basket filled.

    Uniqlo Manhattan
    The lit stairs changed colors all the time.

    Economically challenging times create openings for entrepreneurs who are able to see opportunities where most only see problems. Uniqlo is betting that in a depressed global market, people still want to buy fashionable clothing, at reasonable prices in an atmosphere that says high design and fun instead of a utilitarian warehouse lit by noise fluorescent lights.  Who wouldn’t? By the crowds I saw shopping there, I think we’ll be seeing more stores opening in the US. I hope Nashville gets one soon.

     Think about what you do. In our current economic climate, has your business or ministry figured out what people want or need?

  • The 5 Average: What Impact Your Closest Friends Have

    Someone said you are the average of the 5 people closest to you in every area of your life. That thought has stayed with me for a long time. Could it be true? Think about the 5 people whom you are the closest at this point in life. Where are you financially, physically, spiritually in relation to them?

     We grew up hearing about the dangers of peer pressure and not getting “mixed up with the wrong crowd.” People have a way to affect us negatively as well as positively, and in my experience, no relationship is strictly one way. Not for long, anyway. So we influence those around us as much as they influence us.

    For the sake of this mental exercise, let’s then assume we ARE the average of the five people closest to us. What are the implications not only for where we are currently in our life journey, but for the next steps to where we want to be?

    It’s fair to say there are seasons in our lives that we need different friends. That doesn’t sound very loyal but people change, priorities shift and we might find ourselves stuck in a place we don’t want to be. This is not about a self-serving idea of discarding people who cannot help get us to the top. But about being intentional about those in our lives who can help us grow and hold us accountable to higher performance, standards, and even a stronger faith. These are mentors/friends as well as those whom we mentor who share some of the same values and goals and make the idea of the 5 work.

    I have life-long friendships that are dear to me and that I will always have. These are people whom I trust with my heart and life. However, we might not be as close as some of relationships I see daily or “do life” close together for a season, but I know I can count on them and they on me. But often these are not part of the 5.

     How intentional should we be about the 5 people closest to us? Should we just let life happen and not worry about it?

  • The Problem with the Fake Blog

    “And let’s also add a blog to the new site design,” he said as if it were an afterthought, which I was sure it was. Knowing his propensity for delegating, I probed further, “That’s great. How often are you planning on blogging?” “Oh, I’m not going to write the blog myself, ” he said assuredly, “my secretary is going to take care of that.”

    Unfortunately, I find myself having this conversation with Pastors and business leaders more and more often. What ensues is usually a long argument about what a blog should or shouldn’t be. Here are some thoughts on the matter:

    Your blog should be your voice. It’s telling your story or the things you’re passionate about. No one else can do it for you. Are you sure you want your assistant speaking for you? If you have a corporate blog than, it’s a different matter. You can even use an editor to help make the posts smoother and edited for grammar. But you should own the ideas on your blog.

    Don’t disguise a PR post or news feed as a blog. People are smarter than that. They will let you know by not coming back or following you. Remember a blog is a conversation not just the latest thing you’re trying to push.

    Don’t fear negative feedback. Reasonable people can disagree and still respect each other. As far as the jerks and loonies go, just press “delete.” Not everyone appreciates my work, and some think I’m, let’s just say it nicely, “prostituting the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Unfortunately some anonymous commentators don’t use such polite language and I’m often forced to delete their entries.

    Have fun. Be transparent. People connect with you first then with your subject matter. My pastor Pete Wilson,  of Cross Point Community Church, posted a video in his blog of he and his wife Brandi in a silly competition of who was able to hold their breath the longest. The video not only helps us get the whimsical side of Pete, but it also features the sweet, albeit competitive, personality of his lovely wife, Brandi. After watching this how can you not love these people? Watch it here.

    The best blogs are a mix of personal and professional postings. Some people feel they need to dispense wisdom, wit and insight with every post. That’s OK, but the most interesting blogs to me are a mix of experience, passionate pursuits, insight, emotions, accomplishments and failures. I usually get the information, but I do in the context of one’s perspective that I’ve grown to understand and appreciate because of the human element found throughout each post.

    How do you react when facing with a blog that you suspect is not written by its named author or is too self serving?