“I’m thinking about starting a business but I’m not sure how to go about it.” I hear this phrase quite often these days. People who find themselves out of a job and contemplating starting a new business, or  those who are trying to pursue their dreams, often find themselves at the brink of a new venture not knowing what to do next. In my experience most new businesses fail not because of lack of talent, work ethic or drive. I have seen a lot of hard-working, talented people fail because they don’t understand the “business” part of their craft. Figuring out how to deliver a great product is only part of your business dilemma. You need to understand concepts like scalability,  sustainability, and cash-flow management. While those things might not be the “sexy” part of you do, they are vital to its survival. Here are 5 books every business owner,…

This past week I attended Catalyst Conference in Atlanta, GA. Some 13 thousand Christian leaders came together for 3 days of  meetings that featured, Pastors, businessmen, marketers and thought leaders. While I wouldn’t attempt to review or summarize the conference, I decided to share with you a few random thoughts: Authenticity from Christian leaders is no longer a novelty, it’s the norm. The days of the bully pulpit are over. I’m truly optimistic about a new generation of Christian leaders whose commitment to living out their faiths encourages my own walk. They are bright, resourceful and committed. I hold out a lot of hope for them. There’s a strong movement to give away resources and tools to the Christian community at large. Generosity seems to be making its way into the evangelical church. Evangelicals have embraced the under-resourced, exploited, and downtrodden. Social justice seems no longer the banner of the…

If you have ever met me in person, you know that I’m highly relational. I’m truly blessed to work with people I like. I’m at the stage in my career that I don’t have to pursue relationships that are only financially motivated. This year, instead of paying for a booth at the Catalyst Conference (13 thousand Christians leaders meeting for 3 days in Atlanta), I opted to have a small gathering of clients, friends and even some new friends at a restaurant near the arena. Everyone seemed to have had a great time. I loved it. It was a great fit for my personality and the type of work our branding and development team does: focused, personal and relational. By the end of the evening, our friends and clients were talking unsolicited about the value we bring to them to our new friends and potential clients. I realized years ago…

Don’t worry, I have not read “The Secret,” and this is not a scientific post. This is however, an observational and experiential commentary on something I have seen happen in my own life with surprisingly positive results. I call it the law of reciprocal attraction. What am I talking about? Simply put, the law of reciprocal attraction can be summarized in the following equation: positive attitude + interest in others = goodwill The meetings  and exchanges where I have previously decided to enjoy, as in, “this is going to be a good meeting”  and have intentionally focused my attention on others in the room and away from myself, are the  most enjoyable, productive and often lucrative. I don’t have any scientific data to back up my assertion but my positive attitude combined with a genuine interest in others create a reciprocal attraction. I’m convinced that a positive attitude alone is…

Leadership drives everything we do. Great leaders take us into the future with their ability to see what’s not yet reality and inspire and motivate us to get there.  As a consultant who has worked with hundreds of  business and church leaders, I have noticed that often great leaders have to retool their own leadership or management style in order to continue to grow their organization. This leadership retooling is both painful and necessary. These are leadership styles that if you don’t grow beyond them will stop your organization from getting to the next level: The Funnel. Everything needs to come through your desk. Nothing gets approved, financed or blessed unless you are involved. That’s a sure way to keep a good thing from growing. This usually happens because the leader doesn’t trust his or her team and feels that he’s the best person for the job– every job, that…

I was planning on running 9 miles yesterday morning. I ended up running 12. What happened? I was encouraged  (or shamed) into going further than I anticipated. But at the end of the run, I was better off for it. I had a strong sense of accomplishment and both my heart and waist benefited from the extra mileage. However, if it weren’t for the power of community, I would probably done less than the 9 I had originally intended to do. Some people like to run, exercise, eat and often do life alone. I’m not one of them. I’m convinced that even these lone wolves could benefit from being part of an encouraging community. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten out of bed at 4:30 am on a cold winter morning because I knew my running partners would be waiting for me at the park entrance. I…

Casual Friday is now a staple of the American workforce. It started decades ago with business men not wearing a tie on Fridays and it has taken a life of its own. With more and more businesses now embracing casual attire as the norm, one would surmise that Casual Friday would cease to exist. But  I’ve noticed men who already work in a casual environment pushing the envelope and creating, what I call, “Casualty Friday.”   So for this edition of the Fashion Friday post, let us consider what men should  not wear to work next Friday: First of all, no shorts. That goes for manpris as well (capri pants for men–a sad but current trend) No Flip flops, sorry. If you’d wear it to the gym, don’t wear it at work. Sweat pants are never, never OK. No meshes of any kind (as in see through shirts). No ball…

When we find ourselves in a difficult place in life seems like one of two things happen: we either give up and accept the situation making the most out of it with the fatalistic “it is what it is” attitude, or we decide to fight, crawl, push, and shove our way out, however difficult that might be. Yesterday I saw this video for the first time, and I cried like a baby watching it. I have seen it several times since, and every time it still moves me. Ben’s story resonates with my own. Do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to watch it: While I was never as big as Ben, I was on the same path and one day decided to do something about my health and so I went for a run. Since then I have done several races, a marathon and a triathlon. If…

Men need women. I know that’s a broad and general statement emotionally and philosophically charged, but it’s true. We all know Adam was lonely because he couldn’t find a companion so God created Eve. But in His infinite wisdom, God knew that Adam left alone would probably do a lot of stupid things, that, with Eve in the picture, could be avoided. Women after all have enough sense to know when something is utterly stupid, which most of us men, don’t have. My theory is that God decided to add the that’s-stupid-don’t-you-dare-do-it skill to Eve’s DNA after he spent time with Adam.  I know some of you who read my tweets and Facebook posts believe that I lack an inner monologue and self-editing skills. Trust me, without my wife, it would be worse, much worse. Not sure what I’m talking about? Well, let me illustrate: I rest my case. What’s…

Critics of social media abound. There’s not a week, maybe even a day, that goes by that I don’t hear someone complain about the “pseudo friendships” and “virtual and meaningless” relationships that are forged and maintained online. We all have heard, some of us even have said it, “If I want to talk with someone, I pick up the phone and call them.” Interestingly, in the days prior to the digital revolution, the telephone itself had its critics for being, well, impersonal. But regardless of where you stand on this debate, I am thankful for my social media friends and here’s why: Yesterday it was my birthday and before the day was over I had nearly 200 messages, tweets and texts from friends from all over the globe. I couldn’t have talked to a fraction of them even if I wanted to, but their love came through strong, even through…