Creativity finds inspiration in the most unlikely of places. A few months ago, two young men decided to set the somewhat humorous news interview with Antoine Dodson, brother to a woman who had been assaulted in her apartment by a rapist, to music creating an instant Youtube sensation. Mr. Dodson has moved away from the projects with the proceeds he’s made from the “song.” He also performed live at the BET awards last month. The “bedroom intruder song” has now made its way into the Christmas repertoire of the Liberty University singers. Below is the evolution of the original newscast, the song and finally the Christmas version. What’s your take on the “Bedroom Intruder” phenomenon?

Fashion accessories say a lot about a person. Your technology “clothing” says even more about the kind of person you are. Since everyone at The A Group got iPads as Christmas gifts this week, I’m featuring in today’s Fashion Friday edition iPad covers and how they are a reflection of their owners. Take a look at these: What’s your iPad cover of choice? What does it say about your style?

Lately I have spent time with several friends on their careers. The tough economy, life transition and leadership issues have forced some of my friends to reconsider their current employment.  It’s not uncommon for what you thought to be your dream job turn into your living nightmare. Over the years I have heard plenty of times, “I was hired to do one thing and now my job is doing something completely different.” It happens–more so these days than ever before.  While I empathize with their pain ( I have been there before)  I usually tell them: Don’t run away from a bad situation. Instead run toward the future you want. Every time we run from a job, we risk of ending up in a similar situation later down the road. Before you search for another job or decide to make a career move, take time and do some honest soul…

I love social media. It has changed my professional as well as personal life. I have made new friends, found new clients, and re-connected with my Brazilian high school as well as my American college friends. It’s by far one of the most significant shifts in human interactivity I have ever experienced. Because of it the world has become small, very small.  In most cases, I recommend and encourage my clients to be active in social media whether they are business leaders, ministry heads, authors, or performers. I have taught social media seminars for years to leaders all over the world. But even at its best, social media was never intended to replace face-to-face interactivity, and the sooner we understand that, the better off we are. As I considered how far we have taken our online interactivity, here’s a few things it can never do for us: A post on…

I remembering seeing an episode of the Celebrity Apprentice where Sharon Ousborne was thrilled she was able to secure a 15 thousand dollar gift from a wealthy donor. She was ‘shocked’ because according to her, she had never seen anyone give that much money away before. Well, I was shocked but for a different reason. First, her reaction told me a lot about Mrs. Ousborne generosity quotient or lack thereof and then it reminded me how many truly giving people I have met over the years. People who have given a lot more with a lot less money. So during this giving season, what does it mean to be generous? Here’s a few thoughts about generosity: It’s not an amount. a 15 thousand dollar gift might not be as generous as a 15 dollar one.  Remember the story of the widow’s mite? It’s not about money. Sometimes your most generous…

As a consultant, too often, I feel I’m telling my clients the obvious. After all, it doesn’t take me long to figure out what they should do next. I forget how immersed I am in my professional career and how much it has become second nature to me. In my years of consulting I have learned that there are three key components to helping a person or organization: expertise, experience and perspective. I tell my clients that they are not paying for my time, but for my expertise. If you’re going to be helpful you have to understand your professional arena well, and expertise that’s paired with experience is a powerful combination. Expertise tells you that A + B = C , but experience knows that if you don’t start with B first and then add A, your C will not be good. Experience gives context to expertise and produces…

We love to complicate simple things. The simple bottled water has turned into a multi-billion dollar industry that features flavor infused, protein added and whatever we can find to add in water and sell it. Human nature seem always  to want more, better and bigger. And while this desire to improve on what we have, reach for new heights and possibilities keeps us growing, it also can rob us from the very essence of the simple and foundational purpose.  That’s ever so true on how we have complicated church. This Sunday morning as I’m preparing to go to church, I’m aware of how much we have complicated church as well. I’ve caught myself anticipating the music, the new set, the featured video or even getting my favorite parking spot near the side door more than looking forward to worshiping with my church family or hearing from God. I’ve managed to…

Guest post by Dr. Tim Elmore Love. We probably talk about this concept more today than ever before, but actually practice it less than ever. At least in the way God intended us to do so. We find love in movies, romance novels, in Hallmark cards, on YouTube, and on bumper stickers. At Christmas time, especially, love is promoted by stores to push sales, and by cinemas to sell tickets. We all love the idea of love! But how do we practice it on the people we are closest to — like — in our home? Sometimes, the hardest people to love are not the strangers we meet out shopping, but our own family members. Try this simple idea. Sit down at dinner one night and talk about “love languages.” You may be familiar with the concept. Author, Dr. Gary Chapman, introduced it to us in his 1992 book: The…

So what’s the deal with men’s hats? Who should wear them and what style? Hats have been a staple of men’s fashion since Adam decided to wear a nice crown made of bay leaves, so the rumor goes. Some hats are more utilitarian, like Beanies, keep our heads warm during the cold months, even though they have become a fashion statement from gyms to red carpet events. Others, like the Fedora, set men apart in a crowd.  But no matter what kind of hat you decide to wear, it will make a fashion statement. While the modern-day hat is not quite as elaborate as its ancestor. Here’s a helpful news segment from CBN’s Early Show featuring the Editor of GQ magazine: No matter what hat you wear, keep these few rules in mind: Make sure the hat fits your head. Go to a hat store, or one that sells hats,…

Yesterday was an interesting day. I spent most of it carrying a mannequin around downtown Nashville in sub freezing temperatures. I carried “Pat,” our androgynous articulated dummy, through busy streets for a video shoot. For this piece, we placed Pat strategically around crowds, street corners and traffic and filmed “life” happening around a stiff, gray representation of a man (even though Pat is technically a woman dummy dressed like a man, but I digress). While I knew people might find the whole scene curious, I didn’t expect it to open the doors for a faith conversation. Periodically throughout the day someone would approach me and asked what we were doing. “Do you ever feel like life is passing you by and you’re paralyzed or stuck? People come and go but you’re not moving?” Most just shook their heads in agreement. “This mannequin represents us when we feel stuck and in…