Living A Legacy The Tim Tebow Foundation
Flying Strong Standing On God’s Promise
Leading With Love Investing In Your Company’s Culture
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31 NIV
T H E U LT I M AT E I N P R I V AT E J E T T R A V E L w w w .1st E xQuarter ecuJetCharter.com / (888) 6y-jet
2
|
WANT TO BE A
HERO
TO YOUR KIDS?
e e Tony Dungy e e
e e Mark Merrill e e
Super Bow l w inning coach a nd NBC Sports commen tator
Founder of Fa mily F irst A nd Host of t he Fa mily Minu t e
All Pro Dad lays out a game plan built on seven essential fathering truths and ultra-practical insights for the questions every dad needs answered at some point in his childs life.
Available wherever books and ebooks are sold
w w w.A llProDadBook.com TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
3
Contents
14
22 42 Cover Story
28
Features
4
|
14
Living A Legacy
22
Leading With Love
28
Living Faith
42
Flying Strong
1st Quarter
Tim Tebow is making an eternal impact through the Tim Tebow Foundation.
Joel Manby shows that following biblical principles makes good business sense.
Danny Wuerffel uses his gifts and talents to raise up leaders in urban centers.
Covington Aircraft embodies their core values while excelling in their industry. Table of Contents
62 48 34
06
68
70
VOLUME 1
ISSUE 2 Q1 2013
Columns & Departments Welcome 06
Thank You! – Richard W. Hayes shares about the journey of TwoTen and where we are headed.
08
Living Your Leadership Legacy – Phil Hodges on what it means to live the life you lead.
Articles 32
Maximizing The Impact – Providing the tools to lead well.
34
A New Kind Of Business Acumen – The barbecue ministry of 4Rivers Smokehouse.
48
Unable To Be Contained – Angie Payne strives to maintain a legacy.
54
The Brink Of Faith – Senator Brian Birdwell maintains a servant-leader mindset in spite of tragedy.
58
Engineered For Giving – The Chapman family’s story of using God’s bounty to further His kingdom.
Columns & Departments 62
Ask Dave On Business – Dave Ramsey answers questions about your business.
66
Transformational Tips – Victory: The Power of a Word.
68
3 Business Skills Every Leader Needs – Chris Hogan on leadership.
70
Working Women – Diane Paddison on the unique challenges women face in the business world.
74
TwoTen Tech – The top 5 tools that boost business communications.
78
Quarterly Review – Recommended leadership books.
TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
5
Rich, Lisa, Tristan, Mitchell and Chandler Hayes
Thank You!
W
ow! The past several months have been an incredible blessing. Thank you to our readers, strategic partners, staff, family and friends who have encouraged and trusted us to assemble this publication.
Ever since John Faulkner (Co-Founder & Editor in Chief) first shared his vision for TwoTen with me, we have been humbled and amazed at God’s graciousness, provision and protection. The precious relationships that He has created have enabled us to deliver this multi-platform (distributed via print, web and iPad editions) Christian resource that inspires, encourages, and equips business leaders to use their influence to make an eternal impact for God’s Kingdom. The TwoTen brand was inspired by the New Testament Bible verse Ephesians 2:10, which says; “For we
6
|
1st Quarter
are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” In this issue, we are excited to share great stories and testimonies of how God has used ordinary people to execute His extraordinary purpose. Many of the articles featured in this second edition of TwoTen Magazine are legacy-themed. Specifically, we learned about how to apply love-based leadership by interviewing Phil Hodges, co-founder of Lead Like Jesus and Joel Manby, CEO of Herschend Family Entertainment. Heisman Trophy winning NFL quarterbacks Tim Tebow and Danny Wuerffel accept their unique ministry platforms and lay solid, vibrant foundations for others to follow. Trusting God completely, John Rivers, CEO of 4Rivers Smokehouse, shares his true purpose and motivation.
Thank You!
“
We have been
humbled and amazed by God’s graciousness, provision and protection.” Paul Abbott, CEO of Covington Aircraft, propels his vision, values and succession strategy into the next generation. Angie Payne, CEO of A AAmerican Container and Texas State Senator Brian Birdwell, transform their personal suffering and pain into opportunities to help others know Jesus. Craig and April Chapman present their formula for strategically and intentionally investing themselves in the Lord’s work. Brad Lomenick of GiANT Impact encourages all of us to seek the wisdom, experience and best practices of America’s brightest and most inf luential leaders through conferences. Diane Paddison, the dynamic author of “Work, Love, Pray” encourages Christian women to seize entrepreneurial and leadership positions for God’s glory.
Printed in the U.S.A. A publication of TwoTen Magazine, Inc. 16057 Tampa Palms Blvd. West #398 • Tampa, FL 33647
Office: (855) 4 TwoTen | team@twotenmag.com | @twotenmag John Faulkner Founder & Editor in Chief
Richard W. Hayes Founder & Publisher
Mark Whitaker Executive Editor Chris Whitten Creative Director Julie Faulkner Features Editor Luke Haydel Project Manager Justin Floyd Associate Editor Paul Tejera Technology Director Brian Butler Associate Editor Mike Crisp Social Media Manager George Cline Associate Editor Mike Glesenkamp Web Manager Chandler Hayes Copy Editor Robin Stafstrom Production Manager Miranda Faulkner-Smith Operations Manager John H. Rains, III General Counsel Laura Raigoza Advertising Sales Manager
Contributors Phil Hodges Sheila Dolinger
Diane Paddison Jessica Burchfield
Lisa Heutteman Sharon Tubbs
Founding Contributors Ken Blanchard Jordan Raynor
Dave Ramsey Edward L. Flom
Buck Jacobs Chris Hogan
About TwoTen Magazine The TwoTen brand was inspired by the New Testament Bible verse Ephesians 2:10, which says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Our Mission is to inspire, encourage and equip business leaders with Christian principles to make an eternal, positive impact on everyone that God has entrusted them to serve.
TwoTen Magazine Network of Strategic Partners
We are again joined by renowned financial expert Dave Ramsey, leadership author Chris Hogan and digital strategist Jordan Raynor.
TM
Thank you for participating with us in this journey and please join the conversation through our website and social media community. Press on! A S
P U R E
A S
G O L F
G E T S
Enquiry Addresses Editorial editorial@twotenmag.com Distribution & Subscription subscribe@twotenmag.com Advertising sales@twotenmag.com
Richard W. Hayes
Like us on Facebook facebook.com/twotenmag
Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/twotenmag
Founder & Publisher © 2013 Two Ten Magazine, Inc. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. The articles appearing within this publication reflect the opinion of their respective authors and not necessarily those of the publisher and/or TwoTen Magazine. The contents of advertisements and advertorials are entirely the responsibility of advertisers. No responsibility is taken for unsolicited submissions and manuscripts.
TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
7
Living Your Leadership
Legacy By: Phil Hodges
There is nothing like becoming a grandpa to focus your attention on the word legacy. When our first of seven grandchildren arrived on the scene ten and a half years ago, two of the Lead Like Jesus concepts that we had been writing about came into sharp focus. One was seeing leadership as seasons of influence. Second was the fact that leading like Jesus is by definition love-based leadership. It is the nature of a season to come for awhile with a special purpose and opportunity, only to pass with the coming of a new one. In Ecclesiastes the writer notes, “There is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven� (Ecclesiastes 3:1). When I applied this wisdom to my relationship with my grandchildren, it gave me a new sense of purpose by offering up my time and touch to help their parents fill their early years with unconditional love and care, before they come under the influence of the world.
8
|
1st Quarter
Living Your Leadership Legacy
Applying the love-based leadership of Jesus to this season of influence has been a daily experience in learning to exercise all the dimensions of love as patience, kindness, generosity, humility, courtesy, good temper, guilelessness and sincerity. My greatest hope for what I leave behind in the lives of these beloved children is a pathway to knowing God and enjoying Him forever.
Important if True:
“
The life you lead
is the legacy you leave.”
Compared to focusing on producing results in the here and now, giving thought to your future leadership legacy is not a high priority use of your time. But in reality, if your leadership legacy is not part of your here and now thinking, there will be little you can do to change it. The reality of your leadership legacy is that in the end, it will be defined by others when your season of influence is over. The only way to impact the future is through the consistency of your day-to-day choices.
A Point to Ponder: Jesus is the same
yesterday, today, and forever. - Hebrews 13:8
He came with love. He stayed in love. He left love behind. Up to Now Why did you come? Why do you stay? What do you hope to leave behind? When I ask participants in our Lead Like Jesus Encounter programs to share their answers
TwoTenMagazine.com
about their current leadership roles, I am always impressed by the wide variety of answers to the first two questions about past and present motivations. They remind me of an old story about a man who visited a rock quarry. When he asked the first worker what he was doing and why he was doing it, the worker replied, “I am making big rocks into little rocks, because the judge told me if I didn’t find a steady job, he would send me back to jail. I am here to survive.” When the same question was posed to a second worker, He responded, “I am making big rocks into little rocks to provide for my family.” When the man approached a third worker with the same question, he replied, ”I am a member of a team. My job is to fashion these rocks into the right size and shape and pass them along to the next member of the team so he can add his work and together with others, we can build a cathedral to the glory of God.” All three reasons for coming and staying on the job were legitimate. The first was self-directed, the second included the well being of others of specific importance, and the third extended to the transcendent realm of glorifying God.
Pause and Reflect: Which reflects motives in your
response most closely your past and current for accepting and staying current leadership role?
?
To Survive ................................. To Provide ................................ To Glorify God ......................... Looking Forward
When it comes to the third question (What do you hope to leave behind?), the answers seem to flow in the same direction. The central theme of what people hope to leave behind when their seasons of leadership are over has to do with making the world a better place for those that come after them, and with building loving relationships. Although the
TwoTen Magazine
|
9
final question seems most directly associated with the word legacy, the answers to the first two play a major part in what will actually be left behind.
Key Leadership Legacy Elements One of the aspects of a job well done as a servant leader is how well we have prepared others to carry on after our season of leadership influence is completed. Our leadership legacy is not limited to what we accomplished, but includes what we leave behind in the hearts and minds of those we have had an opportunity to work with and teach. During His earthly ministry, Jesus modeled sacrificial passion for ensuring that His followers were equipped to carry on the movement. He lived His legacy in intimate
relationship with those He empowered by His words and example. In his book Transforming Leadership, Leighton Ford notes, “Long before modern managers, Jesus was busy preparing people for the future. He wasn’t aiming to pick a crown prince, but to create a successor generation. When the time came for Him to leave, He did not put in a crash program of leadership development – the curriculum had been taught for three years in a living classroom.” Jesus modeled the heart of a true servant leader by investing most of His ministry time training and equipping the disciples for leadership. A key insight into how important preparing His disciples to live out His leadership legacy was to Jesus is contained in His prayer in John 17.
It is worthwhile to reflect on the following leadership legacy principles contained in this wonderful prayer of accountability prayed by the ultimate servant leader:
Jesus stayed personally focused on what He was sent to accomplish in His season of leadership. H e t o l d H i s F a t h e r, ‘ I b r o u g h t g l o r y t o y o u h e r e o n e a r t h by doing everything you told me to do.” (John 17:4) One of the greatest services a leader can provide as a part of his or her leadership legacy is constancy of purpose. When the going gets rough or temptations and distractions arise from short-term successes
or setbacks, the way a leader responds will be a key component in defining the integrity of his or her leadership legacy – does he or she stay on course or reveal underlying flaws in motives or resolve?
Jesus took accountability for equipping His followers with a full understanding of what they needed to know to carry out their mission. In John 17:7-8, Jesus declared, “Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, for I passed on to them the words you gave me: and they accepted them…….” Investing the time to test for understanding and being willing to reinforce their vision and values with repetition will bear lasting fruit
10
|
1st Quarter
for the future in the ability of a leadership legacy to be passed on to future generations.
Living Your Leadership Legacy
A good way to determine what kind of leadership legacy you are going to leave is to ask yourself the following 3 questions: 1
How well am I doing in preparing others to take my place when the time comes?
2
D o I c o n sider them a threat or an i n v e s t m e nt in the future?
3
Do I actively share what I kno w a b o u t l eadership and provide oppo r t u n i t i e s t o learn and grow for those w h o w i l l come after me? If not, why n o t ?
The “Why not’s” here may have something to do with issues that go beyond just being too busy and under the gun to produce bottom-line results. They may involve the ego issues of either or both pride and fear.
position. Instead of saying, as Jesus said, “It is good that I go,” ego-driven leaders will avoid fully developing their potential successors, and in extreme cases will seek to have them discredited and removed as a threat.
When leaders associate their self worth and identity with their titles and positions, it is not uncommon that they will view possible successors as a threat rather than an opportunity. This can result in tendencies to hoard information, authority and access to key relationships, as safeguards against their fear of losing their relevancy and
The biblical story of an ego-driven leader and a successor is that of King Saul and David. Despite David’s faithful and loyal service, Saul became so jealous and threatened by David’s success and popularity that he sought to eliminate him.
TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
11
STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS
12
|
1st Quarter
Tim Tebow Foundation
Pause and Reflect: List three things you actively do, at home and work, to prepare others to follow your lead when your leadership season is over:
1. 2. 3. Up to now, how has your view of the importance of potential successors and future leaders impacted your daily, weekly, quarterly, or yearly priorities? As a true priority As an occasional activity As a “someday when there is time” item As a “rarely appears on my radar screen” thought
“
Realizing that there is more to your leadership legacy than the score card of successes and failures of what you tried to accomplish in your season of influence will, in some small way, allow it to remain alive and in play when your season in this life is done.
I expect
to pass through this world but once. Any good thing, therefore,that I can do or any kindness I can show to any creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
A Final Thought: Embracing the idea that you are in the process of creating a leadership legacy in the hearts and minds of those who are impacted by your daily choice can bring great meaning to even an ordinary day. VICTORY
- Stephen Grellet
Phil Hodges, co-founder of Lead Like Jesus, served as a human resource and industrial relations manager in corporate America for 36 years with Xerox Corporation and U.S. Steel. In 1997, he served as a Consulting Partner with
TwoTenMagazine.com
The
Ken
Blanchard
Companies
where
he
had
responsibilities
in
leadership
and
customer
service
programs.
TwoTen Magazine
|
13
“
...I have learned
that, though God is in control of the big picture, I am responsible for how I use my platform.�
14
|
1st Quarter
Living a
Legacy By: Mark Whitaker
J
eff and Jan Armstrong were in the midst of a parent’s worst nightmare; their son Harris was stricken with a terminal disease, and no one knew which day would be his last. The doctors said it would be soon. Harris was a sports fanatic and excelled at them all, especially golf.
On Thanksgiving Day in 2007, Jan’s cell phone rang with an unfamiliar Florida phone number appearing on the caller ID. Hesitant but curious, Jan answered and heard the following words:
“Hello, my name is Tim Tebow from the University of Florida, and I heard that you have a son who is very ill, and I am calling to talk to him if he is available.”
TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
15
Jan didn’t believe it at first, but the genuineness in his voice immediately overwhelmed her as they began to talk about the struggles she and her family were enduring with their son. When his mother called for him and told him who was on the line, Harris could hardly contain himself. He made a beeline for the phone and, just to make sure, asked, “Is this really Tim Tebow?”, Tim happened to be one of his biggest heroes. His excitement bubbled over as he and Tim talked for fifteen minutes about their shared love of golf and the upcoming Florida State game. The smile on Harris’s face, one they hadn’t seen since his diagnosis, lifted all of their hearts and spirits. Jeff said, “Tim reaching out to Harris most definitely made for a brighter day in the darkest time of need.” Not long after that phone call, Harris left this world to get a glorious new body in heaven. He was just shy of thirteen years old. As Jeff, Jan and Alison, their daughter, tried to put the pieces of their lives back together, they received another phone call from an unfamiliar number. This time it was Bob Tebow, Tim’s dad, calling to talk with Jeff, father to father. Bob is a pastor and foreign missionary who offered compassion and affirmation of the peace that God promises to provide, even in
the wake of such a devastating tragedy. It was clearly evident to Jeff that Tim had grown up in a household that had trained him to embody the love of Jesus Christ and put it into action.
A Passion for Serving If this were an isolated incident, it would stand on its own as a poignant and touching gesture. But there are hundreds of similar accounts of families and children that have been impacted by the giant heart of Tim Tebow. As his platform has grown from the realm of college football to the NFL and Time Magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People, he has steadfastly maintained dedication to his mission of reaching those in need. It is his calling.
“
...I tell you the truth,
whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” - Matthew 25:40
Although Tim’s passion for serving and helping people started back in his Pop Warner (youth football league) days as a youngster and then led to summer mission trips to the Philippines during his high school years. His vision for the Tim Tebow Foundation formed while he was an undergraduate at The University of Florida. While most prodigious athletes his age would be planning how to exploit the worldly bounty of the NFL, he was focused on how he could use the gifts and talents that God has given him to benefit people in need. His plans for starting an organization to facilitate his vision were limited due to NCAA regulations for athletes. Undaunted by the apparent setback, and in between winning national championships and flying to New York City to accept a Heisman Trophy, Tim collaborated with several other UF students and garnered approval from the NCAA to launch First and 15. Through the First and 15 organization, Tim recruited the help of hundreds of fellow students with a shared passion to help. They raised money to help fund several charitable organizations, including Uncle Dick’s Orphanage in the Philippines, the Pediatric Cancer Center at Shands Hospital and other outreach programs.
16
|
1st Quarter
Living A Legacy
The Tim Tebow Foundation After graduating from The University of Florida in 2010, Tim officially launched the Tim Tebow Foundation as the hub of his outreach initiatives. The Foundation has five primary initiatives that they actively manage:
01
The Tim Tebow Foundation’s W15H (Wish 15) Program...
...provides children with life-threatening illnesses one-on-one time with Tim at one of his NFL games. He does this for each of the twenty preseason and regular season games, as well as for five additional off-season events. Special care is taken to accommodate the special and unique needs of each child, knowing that meeting Tim is the one thing in the world that they want to do. All travel and accommodation expenses for the children and their families are covered by the Foundation and include pre and post-game time with Tim and other activities. Each child is given a Bible, and Tim takes the opportunity to pray with each child.
02
The Tebow CURE Hospital...
...is a partnership with CURE International for the purpose of building the “Tebow CURE Hospital” to serve the desperate need of critically ill children of the Philippines. The hospital provides physical and spiritual healing to children who could not otherwise afford care. It is especially challenging to manage the construction of a hospital on the other side of the globe, but it is scheduled to be completed in February of 2014. It will be a five story, orthopedic facility with thirty beds to treat children with physical disabilities and provide life-changing treatment for thousands of children.
03
Timmy’s Playrooms...
...are special rooms being built in children’s hospitals around the world to bring Faith, Hope and Love to patients and their families. These rooms provide an atmosphere that allows the children to take their minds off their medical treatment and just be kids. They include creative and entertaining elements such as football field floors; custom-built lockers for seating; football-shaped chairs; flat-screen televisions; as well as a host of toys, games and activities. The walls are painted with scriptures that reflect the assurance of God's grace and mercy. Each playroom has, at a minimum, Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" painted on the wall. The goal is to create a Timmy's Playroom in each NFL city so that Tim can visit with the children of each hospital on the weekends in which he is playing in that city. They are also building Timmy's Playrooms in eleven other countries around the world.
04
Orphan Care...
...holds a special place in Tim's heart. The Tim Tebow Foundation serves hundreds of children who have been left homeless or abandoned. It began in the Philippines where Tim was born while his parents served as missionaries. They currently support the care of more than 650 orphans throughout East Asia, providing for their physical needs through housing, food, clothing, schooling and medical care; providing for their emotional needs by loving them unconditionally; and providing for their spiritual needs by teaching them how they can live a life of hope and victory through Jesus Christ. There are many obstacles to overcome, but they are making a difference, one child at a time.
05
Team Tebow...
...is the newest and most exciting initiative that was created to give people around the world the opportunity to come together as a team to make a difference in their local communities and beyond. It connects people with the passion and ability to serve with people who have a specific need in their local communities. In just over eight months, it has grown to over sixteen thousand members strong. They are making an immediate impact in their communities through service to others in need and spreading a message of faith, hope and love in being the hands and feet of Jesus.
TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
17
PURPOSE We are all given a PURPOSE. As a leader, God will guide you and your organization if you earnestly seek him. “I say this because I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
18
|
1st Quarter
...meditate on these things.
Danny Weurffel
“
What’s important
to me is to be able to help whoever I want, whenever I want, as often as I want, and never have that fall outside of the scope of our mission statement.” Each of the Foundation’s initiatives has been defined by the vision of Tim. He is actively and consistently involved with each one, and is in daily contact with the Foundation to hear of the impacts that each of the initiatives is having. He is adamant about personally funding all of the administrative and operating expenses of the Foundation so that every dollar that is collected goes directly to their outreach initiatives. The Foundation has also received invaluable counsel and assistance from the National Christian Foundation to help establish their organization and to make sure all of their nonprofit legal paperwork was properly filed, as well as how to manage donations and outreach efforts.
that he now receives, he accepts it as a way to bring glory to God. He is genuine about his faith and about the mission that God has given him through the Tim Tebow Foundation. He is firmly anchored by his faith in Christ, but he is aware of the traps of trying to do things on his own. He reads God’s word daily and has the covering of a handful of wise counselors that help him to stay grounded, pray with him and help him to stay focused on the purpose that God has for him and to maintain an eternal perspective. That’s crucial for a young man who is one of the most popular people on the planet and who is trying to live up to enormous, if not unfair, expectations.
When the Foundation was first being developed, the topic of their mission statement, “To bring faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need,” was the source of some discussion. Some members of the board questioned whether they should place a limitation on the scope of the mission statement, fearing that it was too broad and that they would be overwhelmed with requests from all over the world seeking assistance. Without skipping a beat – and demonstrating the size of his heart, Tim said, “I don’t want to do that. What’s important to me is to be able to help whoever I want, whenever I want, as often as I want, and never have that fall outside of the scope of our mission statement.” It was a defining moment for the board and has inspired them to realize that no goal is beyond the capabilities of God. The evidence of that is the fact that over sixteen thousand Team Tebow members have been mobilized to meet needs around the world, and it’s just getting started.
Wise Beyond His Years
“...He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” - 1 John 4:4 One of the most surprising things that people discover when they meet Tim Tebow is how genuine he is. His persona is not an exaggeration. Being under scrutiny, however, has been a way of life for him since childhood. Rather than retreating from the intense pressure from the fans and worldwide media attention TwoTenMagazine.com
Tim Tebow is undeniably a gifted athlete, the epitome of a winner and at the age of 25 is wise beyond his years. He understands that right now, football is providing him with a platform to spread the good news of the gospel. In his book Through My Eyes, he says, “…I have learned that, though God is in control of the big picture, I am responsible for how I use my platform, whatever its size at this moment in time – to influence others.” Through the Tim Tebow Foundation, he is maximizing the impact that his current platform is providing, and he is continuing the legacy that was started by his parents. He is impacting the lives of children around the world and mobilizing thousands of volunteers to benefit those in need. The Foundation appreciates financial and volunteer support to help them with their mission, but most of all they appreciate prayer. VICTORY
Mark
Whitaker
is
the
Executive editor of TwoTen Magazine.
TwoTen Magazine
|
19
20
|
1st Quarter
Danny Weurffel
where messages grow mighty
lovell/fairchild Public Relations and MaRketing lovell-faiRchild.coM
TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
21
Joel Manby:
Leading With Love
By: Mark Whitaker
U nde r c o v e r.
It conjures images of cold war spies and agent 007. For Joel Manby, it wasn’t as much a covert mission as it was a confirmation of his company’s culture.
T
o understand his reasoning for going ‘Undercover,’ we need to start at the beginning of this journey. Not every boss has the humility to find out from his or her employees how they really feel about the company and how it is being managed. Not every boss will take on the difficult, day-to-day, hands-on operations that the frontline workers endure to experience what a typical day is like for them, but for Joel Manby it was a necessity. He wanted to make sure the values and principles that HFE was built on many decades ago are still being implemented today. Herschend Family Entertainment is not a typical company.
22
|
1st Quarter
Founded in 1950 by Hugo and Mary Herschend, HFE was started in a cave - literally. The cave was located near Branson, Missouri and was leased by the Herschends who began to charge people admission to enter the unique attraction. As word spread, the attraction drew more and more people. As years passed, the Herschends found themselves entertaining the crowds who were waiting to enter the cave and eventually built a small, 1880’s-themed village on the grounds surrounding the cave opening. They developed a clever name for the attraction, “Silver Dollar City.”
Silver Dollar City was a huge success and developed into a full-scale amusement park, eventually growing to include 26 Leading With Joel Love Manby
other parks in ten different states. The HFE parks include a variety of attractions such as Dollywood, aquariums, site seeing tours and dinner theaters, making it the largest family-owned theme park corporation in the United States, employing over 10,000 people. In the mid 1960’s Jack Herschend assumed the position of CEO, and along with his brother and co-founder Peter, solidified their company culture to the point that they were effectively able to replicate it when other parks were acquired and added to the HFE family. They focused on providing a clean, wholesome and memorable experience for their park guests and treated their employees like family. Both men relied on their faith in God to help them carry out the vision that He’d given them.
Turning Over Leadership After sixty years of leading the company his parents started, Jack knew that he would have to turn the reins over to a successor. After eliminating a few candidates, Jack considered a man who was on the HFE Board, Joel Manby. Joel was a bright executive who is a Harvard Business School graduate and rose through the ranks at GM and then at SAAB International. Joel ultimately led its North American, South American, and Asian Divisions. He was determined and driven to reach the pinnacle of success at SAAB, and if their profits were any indication, he was a hero. From SAAB headquarters in Switzerland Joel ran operations in Asia and North America, spanning time zones on opposite sides of the globe, which meant grueling hours coupled with 250 days of traveling per year. The cost of being a corporate hero was taking a toll on his marriage. His wife Marki was being forced to raise their four daughters on her own, and Joel was feeling the pull away from his family as he poured his heart and soul into his career. Something had to give. Thinking that leaving SAAB for a start up technology company would allow him to spend more time with his family, he leaped at the opportunity. Unfortunately he found that he was away from his family the same amount of time and the company was in a downward spiral. In one of the darkest times in Joel’s life, he prayed and relied on God to help restore his family and himself. It was during this time that he received a phone call from Jack Herschend from HFE. Joel had always considered Jack to be a mentor and began to pour out the despair in his heart and how he needed to do something or he feared he would lose his family. Jack told him that God’s timing is always perfect and went on to tell him of his plans to step down from HFE and how it would be the perfect position for Joel. Jack explained that Joel had the character, integrity and caring leadership qualities that he was looking for as TwoTenMagazine.com
his successor at HFE. For Joel, it was an undeniable answer to his prayers and was the lifeline he needed to reengage with his family. Jack established a clear, methodical strategy for turning over control of the company. The transition took ten years to implement. He and his brother Peter stepped down from their positions on the Board in 2006, and they formally turned control of the company over to Joel.
“
Joel was
feeling the pull away from his family as he poured his heart
and soul into his career.
“Something
had to give.” There was a tremendous amount that Joel needed to learn, and he found outstanding counsel and support from the senior management team at HFE. Although he knew that such a drastic change in careers would mean a steep learning curve, he was amazed at the complexity of their operations; learning that each of their twenty six parks functions like a small city. They offer multiple types of food options, from buffet style to sit down restaurants; produce live entertainment; provide security; manage utilities; produce and sell merchandise; provide hotel accommodations, etc., and he had to be versed in each of these aspects. There is an enormous amount of effort that goes into creating a memorable experience for park guests. The people at HFE are some of the best in the business. The numerous industry awards are evidence of that, in addition to the fact that 75% of their visitors are repeat guests. Wanting to dig deeper and know how the employees viewed the company they worked for, Joel signed up to appear in the hit CBS series, Undercover Boss.
Going Undercover On March 28th of 2010, CBS aired the latest installment of its hit series Undercover Boss featuring Joel. Each week, Undercover Boss follows a different senior executive as they exchange the comforts of their corporate lifestyle for an TwoTen Magazine
|
23
“
If you care about
your employees, especially if you are a Christian business man or woman,
you must lead with love.” undercover mission to examine the inner workings of their companies. While working alongside their employees, they see the effects that their decisions have on others and where the problems lie within their organizations. They get an up-close look at both the good and the bad, while discovering the unsung heroes who make their companies succeed. . The episode showed Joel (disguised as John Briggs, an unemployed auto worker) interacting with several front-line employees at a few of the company’s amusement parks while they helped to train him for a job at HFE. The viewers got to see, firsthand, the effects of working for a company that genuinely cares about them. During their exchanges, Joel heard of hardships that employees were enduring with finances, families and their futures. At the end of the show, each of the employees is invited to the corporate headquarters to meet with company executives to discuss their assessments of ‘John Briggs’. Each employee is astonished when they meet Joel, the CEO. They discuss the struggles that each of the employees is facing, and Joel offers them assistance in the form of a raise, a grant to repair a flood damaged home and other assistance, much of which comes from HFE’s Share-It-Forward program. Share-It-Forward is a program that the company implemented to establish a fund to match employee donations, and it provides assistance to workers who are facing hardships. In the first two years that Share-It-Forward was implemented, 50 families were helped. The year following Undercover Boss, Share-It-Forward helped over 800 families as the compassion spread throughout the organization. To give an idea of the impact of that episode, more than eighteen million viewers tuned in to watch Undercover Boss that night. It was the second highest rated program on CBS that week. Not bad, considering American Idol was number one. The HFE corporate website, which typically logs about 50 hits per day, exploded with over 60,000 hits; the reaction was immediate
24
|
1st Quarter
Leading With Love
Herschend Family Entertainment:
Numbers at a Glance
26 1950 10,000 16,000,000
To t a l # o f
Facilities:
Y e a r
Established:
To t a l # o f
Employees:
To t a l # o f
Visitors:
O
V
E
R
14 %
Annual Return
O
V
E
R
50%
Operating
Profit
O
V
E
R
75%
What was it about that episode that impacted so many people? They were able to witness the results of working for a company that had heart, a company that led with love.
Love Works Diving into the culture of HFE, Joel began to understand the reason why they were so successful. It is that same culture that resonated with so many people who saw it in action on Undercover Boss. It was through that experience, coupled with what he learned in working at HFE, that led him to write Love Works (reviewed in 2012 Q4 issue). The basis of applying the concept of love in the workplace is taken from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, where Paul talks about the selfless principles of love that Christ modeled.
Repeat
Visitors
Don’t forget to check out
Joel Manby’s Book:
Scan the QR code below to order it now.
TwoTenMagazine.com
and humbling. Joel’s phone began ringing off the hook, and emails began pouring in from people touched by what they saw.
To some, leading with love seems like a sacrifice to the bottom line. That’s simply not true. Joel says, “If you care about your employees, especially if you are a Christian business man or woman, you must lead with love. To sustain a lasting, profitable company, you must invest in the overall well-being of your employees.” Your organizational health will be better, you will have fewer turnovers, and you will have a happier work force. All of this equates to higher productivity and a better bottom line. Joel states that the sad fact is that most leaders and organizations don’t recognize this. Through the exposure on Undercover Boss and now with his book Love Works, Joel and HFE feel blessed and honored to have a platform on which to promote Christian principles in the work environment. It has allowed them to reach people who they may never have reached otherwise. When a family visits an HFE park, they can count on it to be a clean, wholesome experience and to be served by employees who genuinely love their jobs and the organization for which they work. And it shows! VICTORY
TwoTen Magazine
|
25
Maximizing the
iMPACT By: Mark Whitaker
Francis Chan speaking at one of GiANT Impact’s national events.
26
|
1st Quarter
Maximizing GiAnt The Impact
I
n his book Tortured for Christ, Richard Wurmbrand says “In Africa, where the chief of the tribe has been won, the tribe follows. We set up missions to rank-and-file men who may become very fine Christians, but who have little influence and cannot change the state of things….So great is the impact of leaders.” For Brad Lomenick and the people at GiANT Impact, they understand that principle very well. They are impacting hundreds of thousands of leaders every year through their annual events of Catalyst and the Chick-fil-A Leadercast. “Never before have leaders had such vast access to information and tools to help them reach their potential,” says Brad, the director of GiANT Impact. “The young leaders of today can almost instantly set up a blog, a Facebook page, a Twitter account and a web page, and gain a following. Those are all powerful tools to reach people, but we need to be careful not to bypass the processes that develop sound leadership skills and to not neglect the wisdom of previous generations. The younger generation of leaders, the twenty-somethings, have grown up with a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips and often have a sense of entitlement. To be an effective leader, they need to resist that sense of entitlement and realize that knowledge and wisdom aren’t synonymous. Wisdom is a process, and there is value in the journey.” That process is what GiANT Impact is all about, providing the tools to lead well. The Chick-fil-A Leadercast is their largest, single-day event that is geared towards leaders of all levels and backgrounds to provide a voice to make a positive change locally and globally. It is simulcast around the world to over 800 sites and is viewed by over 150,000 people. In addition, the live site hosts over 4,500 people. Rather than a multi-day conference that is difficult to attend, Leadercast is one day, and, with local host sites located within easy driving distance, doesn’t require air travel and hotel stays. But it doesn’t just stop after the event is over. There are on-line tools, video segments and other instructional aids to help develop leadership skills for all levels of leaders. Leadercast features some of the most authentic and influential leaders of today, including Andy Stanley, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, John Maxwell, Dr. Ben Carson, Tony Blair and many more. It was started in 2000 by a vision that John Maxwell had for developing an affordable and accessible leadership conference for leaders of all backgrounds. Brad says that our nation, culture and business communities are all hungry for authentic leaders. There is an unprecedented level of accountability for leaders. With so many forms of instant communication, today’s business leaders must be transparent with board members, other managers, employees and investors. Today’s business leaders are challenged with a great responsibility to lead by example and to lead with excellence. TwoTenMagazine.com
Catalyst is the other large event series that GiANT Impact hosts. It started twelve years ago as a means of providing a unique leadership environment for young leaders, with the average age of attendees being about 33 years old. It is geared primarily towards church leadership of all levels. The annual event is hosted in Atlanta and draws over 13,000 attendees. In addition, smaller Catalyst events are held in Orange County, California and Dallas, Texas and other venues across the country. The Catalyst events feature the most influential church leaders, worship leaders, authors and speakers from around the world, including Francis Chan, Craig Groeschel, Patrick Lencioni, John Acuff, Beth Moore and Andy Stanley. Catalyst provides leadership blogs, podcasts, community forums and a monthly magazine to keep leaders plugged in.
President of GiANT Impact, Brad Lomenick While the obvious signs of success are in the number of people that attend their events, Brad says that the lasting impact that the events make is the real measure of success. He says, “We are the biggest fans and critics of our events. If we come away with a renewed sense of purpose and direction that we can then apply to our lives and positively affect our organization, it is a success. The bottom line is if we don’t like it, how do we expect anyone else to like it? We have been blessed to increase in attendees each year for both Leadercast and Catalyst.” They also actively track feedback from attendees and collect stories of impacts that are made. This is crucial to helping them provide a relevant experience for their attendees for future events and to disseminate information in the most efficient means possible. Leadercast 2013 is scheduled for May 10th and will feature Condoleezza Rice, Mike Krzyzewski, Jack Welch and others. You can find out more information about attending the live event or locate the host site nearest to you by visiting the Leadercast web site at www.chick-fil-aleadercast.com. VICTORY TwoTen Magazine
|
27
28
|
1st Quarter
Living Faith
Danny Wuerffel:
Living Faith By: Jessica Burchfield
We recently sat down to talk with former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner, Danny Wuerffel, about his perspective on leadership and faith.
F
or fans of the Florida Gators, Danny was a hero on all fronts. He was the most decorated player in UF history, winning more awards and setting more records than any quarterback in Florida, SEC, or NCAA history. He led them to their first national title in 1996 and won the Heisman Trophy and the Walter Camp Award. He was named the SEC National Offensive Player of the Year. In addition, he was named the GTE Academic All-American of the Year.
TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
29
While his accomplishments on the field and in the classroom are easily acknowledged, it is his role as a faithful servant of Jesus Christ that has made the most enduring impact. He was a mentor to other athletes and is famous for his community outreach. The Wuerffel Trophy, named in his honor, is given to the college player who best combines athletics, academics, and community service. One of Danny’s young protégés, Tim Tebow, was a recipient of the trophy during his junior year. Drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 1997, Danny was in town when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. Through the tragedy, Danny joined the cleanup efforts of Desire Street Ministries(DSM), located in the Upper Ninth Ward of New
Orleans. His volunteer efforts instilled a personal interest in the mission of the urban ministry. After retiring from the NFL, Danny became the director of DSM. Although he would agree that he has been blessed, he has faced his share of trials. In 2011, Danny was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre´ Syndrome, a disorder that turns the body’s immune system against the nervous system and can cause extreme pain and bouts of paralysis. While the disease has no known cause or cure, he is slowly regaining his strength and mobility, while learning to cope with the disease. Despite all of this, his passion and faith have never been more engaged.
TwoTen: With the remarkable career and success that you’ve had on the field, you could have pursued more “worldly” interests, but you’ve chosen Desire Street Ministries. Why did you make this choice? Danny: As you get older, you realize that you only have one life to live; as a Christian, you realize that you only have one life to give back to God. In the beginning, my hopes and dreams were to be the first quarterback to help lead New Orleans to the Super Bowl. I wanted to help heal and rejuvenate the city through football, but the Lord had a different plan. The first day I visited DSM, I didn’t want to quit the NFL; seven years of investment in the kids and families of the Ninth Ward made the difference. There came a point where the decision to turn left at the intersection leading to DSM became more appealing than the right turn to the practice field. Each morning, it got harder to choose. Once I made the decision to “turn left,” I retired from football and started working full time at DSM. I’ve never looked back on that decision.
TwoTen: Can you tell us about Desire Street Ministries? Danny: We are a ministry focused on ministering to other ministries. An intermediary or capacity-building ministry, our primary focus is to identify inner-city ministry leaders dreaming of change within their impoverished neighborhoods. DSM is developing a system of support that helps develop thriving and sustainable ministries through long-term partnerships. Over a five-year period, our vision is to develop twelve ministries in the Southeast and then, Lord willing, see how we can grow from there.
TwoTen: Neighborhood revitalization is not for the weak at heart. What does a typical day on the job look like for you? Danny: Living in a distressed or impoverished neighborhood leads to all sorts of crises: knocks on the door late at night; kids being abused and needing an advocate; people needing help getting jobs
30
|
1st Quarter
and places to stay. On the contrary, the often overlooked beauty of the challenge is the tightly knit families that look out for each other in the midst of these neighborhoods. In addition to the real-world problems of DSM, we run an organization that needs financial support. We have to deal with incredible losses of resources while wondering if we’re going to survive next week and knowing that we can’t quit, because so many people are depending on us. There are a lot of challenges in our ministry.
TwoTen: In football, success is clearly defined by the score board. How do you define success? Danny: That’s a great question! The 30,000 foot answer is that I keep going back to the thought that God cares more about faithfulness than being successful. I grasped this concept while playing football. I realized that I had to take the snap, throw the pass, get knocked down, pull grass out of my helmet, and look up not knowing if it was a touchdown or an interception. I couldn’t control it, but I had to be faithful each step of the way. Ironically, when I retired and got into ministry, I struggled harder with the concept, because I felt that if I failed, the consequences would be felt in the lives of the people to whom I ministered. On a 30,000 foot level, I need to be faithful each day and leave the results to the Lord. He will determine my success. Living Faith
TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
31
32
|
1st Quarter
“
I realized
that I had to take the snap, throw the pass, get knocked down, pull grass out of my helmet, and look up not knowing if it was a touchdown or an interception.
TwoTen: Your impact on the lives of the people of New Orleans will be felt for generations. Is there a person that has had a significant impact on the direction of your life?
I couldn’t control it, but I had to be faithful each step of the way. ”
Danny: There have been several. I realize that I am who I am by God’s grace and by the pouring in of other people in my life. The Lord blessed me with a drive and a work ethic, but even those were cultivated by other people. Some days it seems that all I have contributed to my life was an attempt to mess things up! Two people have made a significant impact upon my life: Jimmy Ray Stephens, my high school football coach, and Pete Robertson, a college mentor. Coach Stephens helped me to become a man of character and hard work, to push beyond comfort, and to think of long term goals. Through one-on-one Bible studies with my college mentor, I became aware of the depth of my sin and my need for grace. He helped me realize that a vocation was an opportunity to be a part of the Kingdom, whether it was a lawyer, an athlete, or a minister.
TwoTen: You were recently diagnosed with GuillainBarre´ syndrome. How have you been able to stay positive through this difficult diagnosis? Are you still undergoing treatments?
Story of Impact Bill Gunter, a former University of Florida player, is a living testament to Danny Wuerffel’s investment in eternity.
Danny: No, I am no longer undergoing treatments. Other than a lingering fatigue that continues to improve, I’m fairly recovered. During these last fifteen months, I have been through some of the worst moments of my life, but also some of the best. Strangely, the actual physical struggle of pain, discomfort, and a hyper-limited ability wasn’t the hardest part—learning to live a limited life has been most challenging. It’s like trying to drive at 85mph, cranking it to 100mph when I need it, but realizing that even maintaining 30mph threatens to blow up the car!
As a UF athlete, Bill felt the calling of God into a ministry-driven role, but had no idea how he could afford seminary after years of undergraduate education. “On May 20, 1997, I finally wrote in my journal that I was finished,” said Bill Gunter. “I was so tired of praying for an answer and asked God to take away the desire if it was beyond my reach. I knew that He could provide the finances for seminary, but I was so tired of waiting.” That same day, Danny appeared with a life-changing announcement. “He was driving to Gainsville and asked to stop by,” said Bill. “He said I could
Early on in the recovery process, I committed myself to not waste time. I purposefully chose to not distract myself with menial things, but rather to deal with the difficult emotions and pain as they arose. The Lord revealed such depths of pride and pretense in my heart! I found that many of the wonderful things I do for other people are deeply motivated by my own selfish needs. There is a lot to say for digging deep into motives and facing the shadowy part of yourself. My life, faith, and ministry have drastically changed this year. I have learned that it takes more faith to trust God when life is falling apart. By developing an authentic relationship with God, I have been abundantly blessed. VICTORY TwoTenMagazine.com
stop praying for seminary finances. He said he would take care of everything. And, he did.” Soon after, Bill enrolled at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando and completed his ministerial training. Today, Bill Gunter is the pastor of Redeemer Community Church in New Port Richey, Florida, a direct result of the selfless sacrifice of Danny Wuerffel.
Jessica
Burchfield
is
the
Communications
Coordinator for Clearwater Christian College, a freelance writer, and a professional photographer based out of Clearwater, Florida.
TwoTen Magazine
|
33
A New
Ki n d of Business Acumen By: Sharon Tubbs
When a CEO puts his trust in God, something surprising, and in this case, delicious, happens!
34
|
1st Quarter
“
It takes so little
to make a difference i n s o m e b o d y ’s d a y. ”
TwoTen Magazine
|
35
Lifework Leadership strives to glorify God through our Christian leadership development program by equipping leaders with Biblical principles in the following areas:
36
|
Worldview
Integrity
Compassion
Legacy
Generosity
Relationship
Clarity
Humility
1st Quarter
@LifeworkLeader www.LifeworkLeadership.org
“
God gave me this
b u s i n e s s a s a p l a t f orm.”
John Rivers was the consummate planner, to the point that when entering a meeting, his discussion points were already outlined and contemplated. He hadn’t become the president of a pharmaceutical company by working off-the-cuff. His focus was direct, and results were consistently predictable, just the way he planned. Then everything changed: his career, his business philosophy and his relationship with God.
Courage to Pursue Passion He’s wearing black shorts, a polo shirt and soft-soled shoes as he tells his story. “I dressed up today,” he says with a smile that reflects a man who is living his passion. The setting is a refinished picnic table at one of his 4Rivers Smokehouse restaurants, a wildly popular chain in Central Florida on track to make just under $18-million this year. In the past four years, John has appeared on TV morning shows and in magazines such as Cooking Light and Cooking with Paula Deen. These days, John has no rigid, long-term agenda for the future. The 47-year-old isn’t afraid to shrug his shoulders and say, “I don’t know.” When contemplating this endeavor, he never even developed a detailed business plan, saying that they are “too restrictive.” It’s evident when you look around and sense that there’s more to this success than the signature barbecue brisket, baked beans, desserts and homemade ice cream, or even the flavorful collard greens John munches throughout the interview. It’s before noon, on a weekday, and the line is already 40-people deep, snaking TwoTenMagazine.com
- John Rivers
out the front door along the side of the brick-façade building. “God gave me this business as a platform,” John explains. With his new platform, he tells the story of a businessman who once trusted his own instincts but now simply trusts God. First, you should know that John Rivers really likes barbecue. Even as a corporate executive, he’d seek out local barbecue restaurants when traveling for business. On a quick trip to Memphis once, he went to three places in one day to “research” the local favorites. “Overindulgence led to indigestion,” he admits, laughing.
A “Barbecue Ministry” Brisket, in particular, became his meat of choice two decades ago. After college he moved from Florida to Texas for a job. There, he met his wife Monica and quickly learned that barbecue brisket has a certain pedigree among Texans. He fell in love with the cut of beef and spent weekends perfecting his smoked brisket skills, creating the right rubs and sauces to set off its natural flavors. Then, in 2004, a subtle transformation began. John got a phone call at his office. “I’m so sorry about your daughter,” said the woman on the other end. “What about her?” was his immediate response (Cameron, now 15, was just a little girl back then; her brother, Jared, three years older.) The woman said she had a tumor. John, alarmed and confused, immediately contacted his wife, and, as he suspected and hoped, the call had been a mistake. Cameron was just fine. TwoTen Magazine
|
37
But the change inside of him was already in motion. For the first time, cancer became personal to John, who just happened to be head of the oncology department for his pharmaceutical company at the time. Who was that call really meant for? After some research, he tracked down the 6-year-old girl’s family. John and his wife, Monica, met them at a church. He was walking toward them in the sanctuary when Monica asked, “What are you going to say?” For the first time since John could remember, he had no prepared talking points, no introductory statement. “I don’t know,” he told her. She looked at him surprised, but John kept moving forward. He hugged the father in a highly emotional moment. That, John says, “was the first step of giving up control.” Wanting to help the family somehow, he offered financial assistance to them but they refused. Still feeling God’s calling to help, John decided to host a fundraiser to offset the hefty expenses incurred by the family for their daughter’s cancer treatment. By this time, John had been smoking brisket and fixing up side dishes in his garage for family and friends for years. He’d do this on the weekends, perfecting various recipes that he cataloged on Excel spreadsheets. For the fundraiser, he agreed to do the cooking and organizing. He wasn’t prepared, however, for the 450 people who showed up. Somehow he pulled it off and, equally important, he realized the joys of serving others. From then on, John spent his weekends cooking for schools, churches, and other fundraising organizations. He called it his “barbecue ministry.” A few years later, John began to sense a greater stirring in his spirit. He’d always wanted to be a CEO, and he had risen to the top of the $1.4-billion company where he worked. The problem was that he wasn’t content.
up renovating a 1,300-square-foot building that had been a Just Brakes auto service center. He would use it mostly for catering and also keep a section open during the week in case people wanted to buy food left over from the events. Eventually, the vision would expand into a full-fledged restaurant. Then the economy tanked. Renovations ran hundreds of thousands of dollars over budget and months behind schedule. Critics gave John all kinds of reasons to give up—he’d chosen the wrong location, and barbecue brisket wouldn’t sell in this region anyway.
Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” The situation looked bleak when, out of the blue, he was asked if he would consider a CEO position with a healthcare company. In light of his struggles, the idea was tempting. Prayer, however, gave John and his wife a different answer. They agreed to pursue the barbecue venture because that’s what was in their hearts. Even if they failed, they would have taught their children to follow their hearts, rather than take the easy way out. He had never been “on his knees” more than in those crucial months, John said. Monica’s faith and support was key. If she had wavered, he likely wouldn’t be where he is today.
“Trust me,” he felt the Lord telling him. He decided to retire, and his wife asked a familiar question: “What are you going to do?” He gave a now-familiar answer: “I don’t know.” Not one for just sitting around, he started working parttime in healthcare counseling, but spending more and more time in the garage with his smoker. By 2008, he was looking for a place to house the booming culinary ministry. He wound
38
|
1st Quarter
With help from others, the stalemate in renovations finally ended. In October 2009, 4Rivers, named for the four-member Rivers family, opened with 12 employees (including husband and wife). There had been no marketing, John said, yet the line was out the door. They were happily overwhelmed. Today, John remembers when he got a surprise call from the Atlanta area. The first restaurant building was still under construction when he heard the voice of Chick-fil-A’s Dan Cathy on the other end of the phone line. As it turned out, mutual A New Kind Of Business Acumen
friends who had visited John took his brisket back home and shared it with Dan. Now, Dan was calling to compliment him. He would go on to offer his support and knowledge to the fledgling restaurateur. For instance, Dan told John that a 1,300-square-foot restaurant would do very well to have $2,500 in sales per day. Currently, each of the three Central Florida 4Rivers locations averages well over $10,000 per day in sales. When the numbers exceed expectations by that much, John says, it has to be the work of God. Early on, John knew he could no longer rely on his own business acumen. He had to lean totally on God’s direction. When he worked for publicly-traded companies, the focus was the bottom line and meeting shareholders’ expectations. With 4Rivers, employees, customers, and the people in the community come first. The 4Rivers staff works with a team mentality where everyone pitches in, no matter the task. John, himself, may sweep floors during his daily visits to the locations. Team meetings begin with prayer. They listen to requests from employees going through difficult times. John emphasizes treating others with respect and says, “It takes so little to make a difference in somebody’s day.” The company has given hundreds of thousands of dollars back to the community in food donations, discounts, as well as food to the homeless and foster kids. On this day, John rises from the picnic table, smiling and shaking hands on his way to another appointment. The lunch hour is coming to a close, but the line remains long with customers hungry for his mouth-watering fare, some of which will be revealed in a cookbook next summer. Two more Florida locations, in Jacksonville and Gainesville, are planned for 2013, as well. Before heading out the door, he notices a new employee in the Sweet Shop (where desserts are sold). Without a second thought, he joyfully seizes the opportunity to show the employee his method of topping a cupcake. In time, John hopes to have 24 locations nationwide. The trick will be ensuring that each store maintains the 4Rivers quality and culture. He’s not certain how he’ll manage that, but he’s not particularly worried about it now. In time, John believes, the answers will come. VICTORY
Sharon Tubbs is a freelance writer and author of Living in the Pink and Milk & Honey: 10 Principles to Embracing Your Promised Land.
TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
39
Actually we’re easy to find. Just look on all the “Best of” golf lists.
In the heartland of America, you’ll find The Prairie Club just 17 miles from Valentine, Nebraska set in the spectacular Sandhills along the cusp of the Snake River. This quietly-spectacular golf destination features two 18-hole courses, a 10-hole par-3 course, plus all the comforts of Midwestern hospitality. Experience why The Prairie Club has become one of the great golf destinations of the world. Call 1-888-349-5250 or visit theprairieclub.com to get started.
“Top 100 Best Courses in The U.S.” links golf magazine, 2012
•
“Best New Courses You Can Play” golf magazine 2011 # 2 the dunes course and # 8 the pines course
•
“Best Overnight Golf Destination” golf digest 2010
40
|
1st Quarter
#18 GREEN
The Pines Course
Member and Guest Lodge
Overnight Packages Available
A S
P U R E
A S
G O L F
Guided Hunting and Fishing
G E T S
WWW.THEPRAIRIECLUB.COM TwoTenMagazine.com
1-888-349-5250
TwoTen Magazine
|
Š2012 The Prairie Club
41
Flying Strong Standing on God’s Promise by doing things His way
By: Lisa Huetteman
L
ast summer, Mother Nature was not kind to Oklahoma. Temperature records were broken throughout the state, and most of Oklahoma experienced exceptional to severe drought. The scorching heat left wheat fields brown and reservoirs dry. Sitting in the midst of the dusty landscape, about 100 miles east of Oklahoma City in the little town of Okmulgee, is Covington Aircraft— an oasis where God is working through His Christian business.
The obvious question: “Why Okmulgee?” Paul Abbott of Covington Aircraft answered with a smile. “It used to be a running joke that we ended up in Okmulgee when we ran out of gas money coming home from college.” 42
|
1st Quarter
Flying Strong
“
We knew that God
would provide as long as w e d i d t h i n g s H i s w a y. �
TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
43
Taking a Leap of Faith
T
hat was 1968. Paul Abbott graduated from LeTourneau College with a degree in aviation technology and a heart for the missions. He took a job running the maintenance operations for a small mission organization at the airport in Okmulgee. It was a leap of faith, because the organization wasn’t paying anything. To support his young family, wife Betty and infant son Luke, Paul worked part time refueling aircraft, sweeping the hanger and mowing the grass, making about $45 a week with no benefits. In 1975, when Bob Covington, founder of Covington Aircraft, left the company and moved to Alabama to teach in a Bible school, Paul Abbott took another leap of faith, by becoming part owner and taking over as the leader of the company. It was a time when the country was in the middle of a nationwide gas shortage. In addition to long lines of cars waiting to fuel up at gas stations, aviation was adversely affected by the fuel shortage. Recalling those early years, Paul Abbott said, “When Betty and I purchased the business, there weren’t any engine orders, but there were a lot of bills to pay. This taught us to really depend on God, because we knew we could not do it on our own. The lessons we learned during that time helped us in future years whenever lean times came. We knew that God would provide as long as we did things His way.”
Standing on God’s Promise While Covington Aircraft has certainly prospered over the years, their character has been shaped by the lean times of those early years. They have survived by standing on the promise of Matthew 6:33, “But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Paul Abbott said that when you recognize that God owns it all, you are challenged to become a better manager. “When times are tough or obstacles are great, I rely on Him and ask for wisdom to manage in a way that brings Him honor and glory.” Paul and Betty Abbott have been rewarded for their stewardship. Today, Covington Aircraft is a world-leading aircraft engine maintenance, repair and overhaul facility specializing in Pratt & Whitney radial (vintage, war birdtype) and turbine (contemporary jet) engines. The company also installs and tests engines in addition to providing parts to customers all over the world. Much of the company’s business falls into three categories: corporate aircraft, agricultural and missionary/humanitarian.
44
|
1st Quarter
With 60 people in two locations, Covington Aircraft exports nearly one half of its engines out of the country. It is an industry leader and enjoys a reputation for quality, service and customer relations. “When Betty and I took over Covington Aircraft Engines many years ago, we followed in the previous owner’s footsteps by dedicating this business and the influences it would have to the Lord.” Paul said, and without hesitation he added, “The success of the company is the result of the foundational commitment that still guides the family today.”
Leaving a Lasting Legacy The Abbott’s sons, Luke and Aaron, are now in charge of the day-to-day operations at Covington. Luke, the oldest, is in charge of the technical operations, while his younger brother Aaron is in charge of production operations. Aaron Abbott affirmed, “My brother and sister and I strive to live up to the godly example that our parents laid out for us. We are committed to making sure our core values – Integrity, Dependability, Affordability and Quality – never change.” Flying Strong
“
We View
our core values as a stake in the
ground that helps us stay focused.”
THE CORE VALUES Aaron added, “We view our core values as a stake in the ground that helps us stay focused. Our family knows that these values are what the company was founded upon and that which God has blessed.” Their continued commitment to the Lord is evidenced by the company’s culture. From the administration and sales office to the shop floor, employees are engaged and enjoy what they do. The strength of that culture is due, in large part, to a clearly cast vision. “Everyone knows what the Abbott family stands for,” said Aaron. You won’t find any pictures of scantily clad women on the toolboxes, just pictures of family members. “Our rule of thumb is this: if it’s something that we wouldn’t want our mother or our daughter to see, it doesn’t belong here.”
A Heart for Missions As a young man, Paul Abbott thought he might want to be a missionary, but through prayer and wise counsel, he and his wife discerned God’s calling was to help those on the mission field instead of working in the field themselves. Achieving a perfect combination of their life passions, the Abbotts dedicated their love of aircraft and their commitment to Christ to furthering TwoTenMagazine.com
I N T E G R I T Y It is the most important element in our business model, & the principle on which Covington Aircraft was founded. We pride ourselves in earning our customers’ trust & commit our efforts to keeping it.
D E P E N D A B I L I T Y Valuable business dollars & the hard-earned livelihoods of our clients demand reliability. Every engine that comes into our shop receives our highest level of attention & service, which ensures the quality & timeliness our customers come to expect.
QUALITY SERVICE Our unparalleled ability to provide personal attention to every customer has earned us distinct honors & the honor of serving many lifelong customers. We believe that if you value customers, you’ll serve them well – & that’s what we do.
A F F O R D A B I L I T Y We know what larger overhaul facilities charge, & we know we have lower prices. In fact, we offer some of the lowest prices in the business – because, in the end, it all comes down to your bottom line.
TwoTen Magazine
|
45
46
|
1st Quarter
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all.” Mark 16:15
the work of the Lord by partnering with many individuals and missions organizations, providing them the maintenance, repair and parts support necessary when utilizing aircraft to spread the gospel. Just as God answered the prayer of Jabez, He multiplied the impact Paul and his wife would have had, had they gone into the missions directly. The more they gave, the more they grew.
“Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.” - 1 Chronicles 4:10
They now serve the needs of Mission Aviation by providing warranty support, customer support programs, rental engines, AOG (Aircraft on Ground) support and many other services. They are continually looking for new partnerships with missions organizations to serve others in their commitment to spreading the gospel. The Abbotts’ passion for missions has also been handed down to their sons. “In 2011, God allowed me to fulfill a lifelong dream,” Luke Abbott shared. “I have wanted to be a missionary pilot for as long as I can remember but have never had a chance to do so. Mission Aviation Fellowship allowed me the opportunity to work with them as a pilot mechanic in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. I flew a variety of flights from Kinshasa out to the surrounding villages carrying missionaries, pastors, doctors, and an assortment of cargo, including bicycles, chickens and even a live crocodile. Many of the flights were to help try to stop a cholera epidemic that was working its way down the Congo River.”
The Abbott’s missionary work does not just take place half way around the world. Just as important, the Abbotts have recognized their ministry in the marketplace. They have a strong statement of faith on their website, they retained a corporate chaplain, and they offer a weekly devotional attended by many employees on company time.
Recognized Leaders in the Industry The results are recognized in the marketplace. Pratt & Whitney Canada named Covington their exclusive Agricultural Service Center, making them part of the select group of P&W Canada Distributors and Designated Overhaul Facility network. But success at Covington isn’t just measured numerically. It is also measured by influence. Aaron shared, “The ultimate measure is whether or not we have held up our Christian business testimony in a way that influences other businesses to do likewise.” Aaron recognizes that the responsibility of taking Covington into the future is a daunting one. He said, “God has blessed the company and the faithfulness of my parents and the faithfulness of the workers. Now that my brother and I have taken over as leaders of the company, there is a huge sense of responsibility to continue the commitments my parents made back in the seventies. If things go downhill, it’s pretty easy to figure out what happened when you are the only thing that changed.” Nevertheless after celebrating 40 years as a company, they believe the best is ahead for the aviation industry and Covington Aircraft. VICTORY
Lisa
Huetteman
is
Co-Founder
of
Black
Diamond
Associates, Executive Coach, Speaker and Author of the book: The Value of Core Values: Five Keys to Success through Values-Centered Leadership.
“
Now that my brother and I
have taken over as leaders of the company, there is a huge sense of responsibility to c o n t i n u e t h e c o m m i t m e n t s m y p a re n t s made back in the seventies.”
“While in the DRC, my family spent their time homeschooling and working with a local orphanage. It was amazing to see my wife and kids working with the Congolese orphans. This opportunity gave me an even greater respect for the men and women that dedicate their lives to serving God in other countries.” TwoTenMagazine.com
47
Unable be
to
Angie Payne:
Contained By: Lisa Huetteman
Dale and Angie Payne were ideally suited to one another, not only as husband and wife, but as business partners and friends.
H
e was a creative and outgoing environmental engineer (PE). She was a steady and supportive comptroller. Together with $25,000 each to invest, they founded A AAmerican Containers in 1999. Working side-by-side, they grew the business into a respected provider of containers for secure, on-site storage. The early years were lean and the family survived on peanut butter and jelly and tacos while the couple poured the company’s profits back into the business. Then, in 2004 when four hurricanes ravaged the Tampa Bay region, their container business boomed. That year, A AAmerican doubled in size. By 2006, they had made it! Angie recalls Dale saying, “We did it! As far as I can see, we’ve accomplished what we started out to do.” Not being one to settle, he used his talents as an engineer to guide the company’s expansion from container rental and sales, to modifications and accessories
48
|
1st Quarter
that serve a wide variety of industries and customer needs. Under his leadership, A AAmerican was at the forefront of “Mom and Pop” container businesses. Dale’s impact didn’t stop there. Serving as chair of the National Portable Storage Association, he brought an attitude of abundance and encouraged members to collaborate on solving problems that affected the industry. If one member was having a problem, it was likely all members were having that same problem. Dale’s leadership transformed the industry association and brought value to everyone.
Helpmates As a husband and wife team, Dale and Angie had to learn to balance the demands of their business and their young family. At work, Dale was the driving force, and Angie managed the books. At home, Dale was responsible for breakfast and taking their son Jordan and daughter Mackayla to school while Angie took
Unable To Be Contained Joel Manby
TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
49
Help Us Say Thank You. Supporting our Military Heroes & their families starts by simply saying “Thank You.”
Take a moment right now to send your message of thanks. www.FreedomAlliance.org/ThankYou 50
|
1st Quarter
Covington Aircraft
charge of the afternoon shift. They came back together to tuck the kids into bed each night. It was a crazy life, but they loved it. Looking toward the future, yet wary of the poor economic climate, they had plans to expand. They began saving their money to invest in additional property that would allow the business to grow and take advantage of the expansion of the Panama Canal and the resulting growth in traffic at the Port of Tampa. All of this changed, suddenly, on a warm Monday evening in late September, 2009. Although he resembled a geeky engineer, Dale was actually an active outdoorsman, skydiver, scuba diver, and martial arts practitioner who enjoyed competition. As such, Dale had a regularly scheduled Monday night karate “roll with the boys.” On his way to the gym that night, he and Angie talked on the phone about the details for the upcoming NPSA conference, the kids’ day at school and what time she could expect him to be home that evening.
The Lord gives and He takes away Fifteen minutes later, Angie received a call from the karate studio. “Dale is having a seizure,” the caller said. “Dale doesn’t have seizures!” Angie frantically replied. He was rushed to the hospital but it was too late. Ten days after his 45th birthday, Dale had a heart attack that took his life. As Angie met the ER team she pleaded that he be kept on life support so his organs could be donated. His legacy had just begun. In shock, Angie stumbled through the first week without Dale by her side. The company ran itself while Angie attended to her children and burying her husband. But after a week, she
TwoTenMagazine.com
“
The Lord
gave and the Lord has taken away…” - Job 1:21
was needed back at work to make decisions and sign checks. “The hardest part, besides surviving his death, was taking Dale’s place as the leader of our company. I had to prove to the employees I could do the job.” Angie said. “You see for me, my husband was bigger than life. Dale was so intelligent, confident, and humble. I jokingly would call myself his cheerleader and was quite content to let him be in the spotlight while I cheered him on. Deep down, I truly am an accountant and I’m most content being in the background. I didn’t know how I could even begin to fill those shoes.” Whether he knew it or not, Dale had prepared for his passing and for Angie to take over leading the company.
“He was preparing me…” “The day to day work wasn’t as difficult as I had imagined. Dale had trained all the employees, so they were well skilled and knew their jobs. Also our desks touched, so I heard everything he did and it seemed we were always discussing business. It’s
TwoTen Magazine
|
51
funny to look back on it now…he was preparing me to step into his shoes and sit in his seat.” Three weeks after his death, at her father’s encouragement (“They need to know you are still in business,” he said.) Angie attended the NPSA conference with her children by her side. Presiding over that conference was supposed to be Dale’s last responsibility as chairman of the board of the association. When she returned from the conference, Angie went into Dale’s routine. With help from her eleven year old son, Jordan, who made breakfast, Angie packed their lunch and then took them to school. She hired a nanny to fill in for her jobs at home. Every night, she made sure she was home in time to tuck the kids in bed. At the office, Angie poured herself into the business, trying to figure out what Dale did at work for 70 hours a week. To replace the technical talent Dale brought to the company, she called one of his good friends, another PE, who came and agreed to work with Angie in the business for a year and help her adapt to her new role of leading the company.
Wise Christian Counsel When he left, Angie took over. She figured out how to do Dale’s job. She took on the bid and project management work in addition to her role as accountant. Having worked three feet away from Dale for 10 years, she was able to figure it out. She also joined the C12 Group—a CEO roundtable of Christian business leaders—which provided her with a sounding board and the support she needed. “At the time I met the C12 chair at a grief sharing group at church, I was still pretty mad at God and not really on speaking terms with Him,” Angie said. “But he invited me to one of the C12 meetings anyway. I knew instantly that was what I needed. I had lost my sounding board and the knowledge base I had with my husband.” C12 has helped her tremendously and kept her on track. Angie said, “We are all on a journey in our walk with Christ. My C12 group has helped me shift my life both spiritually and in business.” The best counsel Angie received, however, was from Dale himself. While searching for some documents one day, Angie discovered Dale’s hand-written notes that were filled with guiding principles that keep her grounded to this day.
52
|
1st Quarter
“
It’s funny
to look back on it now...he was preparing me to step into his shoes and sit in his seat.”
“
You can’t
put someone else in as a substitute mom. They lost their dad. They didn’t need to lose their mom too.”
Treasures from Dale “Dale didn’t know he was going to die, and yet he left me all these wonderful notes. I just love reading them, especially when I’m at my breaking point. Through his notes I feel his strength and wisdom. They help keep me going. I thank God for these treasures.” Things at home, however, did not go as smoothly. She went through three nannies. Although she had cameras installed so she could supervise them and be “there” for her kids, it wasn’t the same as being there. “I didn’t like how my kids were turning out,” Angie said. “You can’t put someone else in as a substitute mom. They lost their dad. They didn’t need to lose their mom too.” After two years of working both Dale’s job and her job, she made changes at the office so she could leave at 3:00 PM and return to being a mom to her kids. “It took about six months for the company and the kids to figure out how to deal with that change. I cut back the vision for the company. It is okay for us to be a small company. I’m back on track to where I need to be. My priority is with my children. My priority is also at A AAmerican Container. I have employees, and they have families. They have to have a job.”
Honoring God in Living Day to Day Angie knows that planning is necessary, but also knows plans can change at a moment’s notice. She’s willing to be flexible and never say “never.” For now, she is keeping her focus on her priorities, keeping her life in balance by setting boundaries and honoring God in living day to day. “You have to believe in God. When it becomes too much, you just say ‘Here God, this is yours today.’ You have two choices in life. You can live in the past, or you can look to the future and believe it will be good. If you believe enough and put your trust in God, you can ask Him ‘Will you please carry me today?’” Three years after Dale’s passing, Angie attributes her ability to manage it all to perseverance. “You have more inside of you than you ever believed. I never thought I would be here. If you asked me, I wouldn’t have told you I could do it. But I did, and I do, one day at a time. I guess as Jesus said in Matthew 19:26, ‘With God all things are possible.’” VICTORY TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
53
By: Sharon Tubbs
Brian Birdwell loved being a soldier. He served in the military for 20 years, being deployed in Operation Desert Storm, providing humanitarian relief after Hurricane Mitch killed thousands in 1998, and rising through the ranks to become a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army, stationed at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. On September 11, 2001 the terrorist attacks that claimed so many innocent lives thrust him into a battle for his own life. You can call him a servant leader, and through God’s grace and mercy you can call him a survivor. One thing he prefers not to be called is a victim. “I don’t consider myself a victim,” he says. “Those who were killed
54
|
1st Quarter
by this act of war and are no longer with us are the real victims…”
Brian doesn’t act much like a victim either. For the past decade, his life has been a mix of fighting for his own recovery, while continuing to serve and lead people. These days, he works from a different kind of battleground: as a Texas state senator. Asked recently what he would change, Brian says simply, “I wouldn’t change anything.”
“Jesus, I’m coming to see you!” The morning of September. 11, 2001, Brian left a men’s restroom in the Pentagon and was heading back to his office The Brink Of Faith
“
These have come
so that the proven genuineness of your faith of greater worth than gold which perishes even though refined by fire may result in praise glory and honor
when Jesus Christ is revealed.” - 1 Peter 1:7 at 9:37 a.m. when American Airlines Flight 77, hijacked by terrorists, crashed into the building’s western façade. The blast threw Brian to the floor, and flames swelled through the connecting hallways, instantly scorching everything in their path.
she was watching the events unfold on live TV, breaking news reported another plane had hit the Pentagon. She was terrified to see flames engulfing a newly renovated part of the Pentagon where her husband’s office had moved weeks earlier.
Smothered by the smell of jet fuel and engulfed in flames, Brian had no idea what had happened. Even in those first few seconds of the blast, God’s protection was with Brian. He had fallen directly under a fire sprinkler that extinguished the flames that would surely have killed him. It wasn’t quick enough, however, to prevent damage to 60 percent of Brian’s body, which suffered third and fourth degree burns. His uniform had literally melted to his body. His lungs were damaged by the searing heat he inhaled, making it nearly impossible to breathe. He struggled to orient himself in the pitch black inferno, trying to escape, but fearing the worst. He didn’t know if he would live to see his wife, Mel, or son, Matt, again.
“I’ve never prayed so hard in my life”, she wrote in the book.
“Finally, the pain was too much to bear. I tried to stand one last time and fell sideways. “In my anguish I screamed, ‘Jesus! I’m coming to see you!’” he wrote in Refined by Fire: A Family’s Triumph of Love and Faith, a book he co-authored with his wife and contributor Ginger Kolbaba. Brian drug himself down the dark corridor away from the blast site for what seemed like an eternity. His eyes were swelling shut when he saw a fire door open ahead of him, and a military officer came running to his aid. The officer reached out to grab Brian’s arm, not realizing the extent of his injuries in the darkness of the corridor. To his horror pieces of Brian’s skin fell off into his hands, and he realized that Brian needed medical treatment immediately. Meanwhile, Mel and Matt were at their Virginia home, excited about working on a homeschool science experiment. A friend called and told her to turn on the TV. Mel watched the planes fly into the World Trade Center towers, although the reality of a terrorist attack didn’t dawn on her at the time. As TwoTenMagazine.com
Clinging to life After struggling to get answers about the fate of her husband in the chaotic aftermath of the explosion, she rejoiced when she finally heard that Brian was alive and had been taken to Georgetown Hospital in Washington, D.C. A neighbor drove her two hours through snarls of traffic toward the hospital only to realize that police had blocked roads into the nation’s capital. She got out of the car and took turns walking and running in a frantic attempt to reach her husband. Finally, after near exhaustion and hyperventilation, she got the attention of police officers who drove her for the final stretch. As she entered the emergency center a nurse prepared her emotionally for what she was about to see: a man who looked much different than the husband who had left their home that morning. She was told that he’d suffered burns but didn’t realize the extent of his injuries or how closely he was clinging to life. When she was finally allowed to see him in the Intensive Care Unit, nothing could have prepared her for what she saw. Brian’s face, arms and legs were severely burned and swollen, beyond the point of recognition. The gravity of his situation overwhelmed her, and for the first time, she realized that she might lose her husband. Mel drew upon her faith to strengthen her and to pray for God’s mercy on Brian’s life. In the months and years to come, Brian endured skin grafts and scores of excruciating surgeries and intense, unyielding pain. Mel would constantly tear off the “DNR” (Do Not Resuscitate) signs that she would find affixed to her husband’s medical charts, refusing to entertain anything but TwoTen Magazine
|
55
faith that her husband would overcome his injuries. She would comfort him by rubbing his feet, the only part of his body that wasn’t burned, read scripture to him and pray. During recovery, Brian says he clung to I Peter 5:10: “After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” “That promise is not only a spiritual one,” Brian says, “but it can be for any type of suffering we endure, be it physical, as it was for me, or financial, professional or any other type.” Brian knew God was strengthening him for the next phase of his life. The severity of his injuries meant he would have to retire from the military. After being on leave, then on light duty status, he officially retired in 2004.
“God doesn’t waste our pain” Brian, now 51, had been a servant leader most of his life. Even the tragedy of 9/11 wasn’t going to stop that. By the time he retired, he had already started Face the Fire Ministries, an organization that offers financial support for the families of burn victims. The seeds for ministry were planted when his physical therapist asked him to visit with someone who’d been badly burned. Brian talked to the young man and his family like a true soldier would, encouraging him to keep fighting, never give up on his new mission – to recover. Afterward, Brian remembered the words of his pastor: “God doesn’t waste our pain.” He realized that his years in the military combined with his faith in Christ had prepared him to launch Face the Fire in 2003. The Birdwells began visiting burn units and military hospitals across the country to offer comfort and inspiration. (Donations and proceeds from the Birdwells’ book have gone to Face the Fire.) They moved back to his native home of Texas, where he became involved in supporting political candidates and speaking out at political events. Then, in 2010, he won a special election to the Texas State Senate, after the senator at the time resigned for health reasons. Senator Birdwell was re-elected to a full term five months later. And recently, in November, he was elected yet again to serve residents of his state.
56
|
1st Quarter
“I may be retired from the US Army, but not from serving,” Brian says, adding that he enjoys working with Mel beside him. The proud parents were privileged to watch their son Matt graduate from Texas Tech University in December. As Brian reflects on his journey, he says, “I wear the scars, but wear them proudly.” Though some have asked if he’ll eventually try for Congressional office, he currently has no such plans. For now, he’s content serving Texans within his district. Principles he learned in the military and in church guide the way he oversees his senate staff. For instance, he says, in the military you learn to never give an order you can’t do yourself. The same is true in his workplace. When he hires a staff member, he makes sure they know the essence of Romans 12:3: “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment.” (NASB) “Sometimes, dealing with politicians and their staff, you get an air of haughtiness,” Brian says. “That’s not how I want my staff conducting business.” The way he sees it, the people of Texas elected him to a position where he gets to serve them, to operate on their behalf. Jesus Christ, he says, is his example. “The servant leader is the one that takes on the burdens of leadership and making a decision and is prepared to endure the hardships along with those he leads.” Surprisingly, Brian says he wouldn’t change anything that has happened in his life since September 11, 2001. Of course, he wishes that those who lost their lives, including friends and coworkers, were still with us. “They’re heroes”, he says. Yet, Brian wouldn’t trade the pain he endured—God has blessed him and strengthened him because of it. VICTORY
“I wear the scars,” he says, “but I wear them proudly.”
www.facethefire.org. The Brink Of Faith
PERSPECTIVE We have been called to work diligently, to the best of our abilities, so that He can be glorified. Our PERSPECTIVE should be based on eternity. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Colossians 3:23-24
TwoTenMagazine.com
...meditate on these things. | 57 TwoTen Magazine
The Chapman Family:
Engineered
for Giving By: Sheila Dolinger
58
|
1st Quarter
Engineered LaTorneau For Giving College
W
hat do you do when you are facing a f inancial opportunity that could change your life? Do you walk by faith or fear? Learn how the National Christian Foundation (NCF) helped two software engineers leverage a major liquidity event to have greater giving impact than they ever imagined possible.
Craig Chapman sat in his study, trying to find a few moments of quiet time. He read the words of Philippians 4:6-7 over and over again, ”Do not be anxious about anything,” as he considered the call to leave the company he had co-founded, and the opportunity to sell some of his holdings. It was a big risk, and he wanted it to count – not for himself, but for the Kingdom. Craig was deeply hoping that this event would give him enough resources to pursue full-time ministry while continuing to support his young family. But he also wanted to keep his promise to give half of any gains from the company to God’s work.
This leap of faith was a big step on a journey of generosity that began when Craig and April were newly married. It was a second marriage for both of them, and they had significant debt. Both of them had been raised to seek worldly success and “Look out for number one,” and thus had no role models of generosity. But as they began their new life together, the Lord clearly led them to take the risk of tithing regularly, despite their difficult financial circumstances. April says, “We had been married about five years, and we were both working at Microsoft. God was growing our ability to be generous through increased stock grants and multiple stock splits. We found that the more resources God gave us
to steward, the more fun it was to give.” As time went by, their debt was paid off, their spirit of generosity grew, and so did their capacity to give. Eventually, they both left Microsoft and began to live out a life of significance, investing in a number of local ministries based on the L.I.F.E. principle – Labor, Influence, Finances, and Expertise – that they had learned from Campus Crusade for Christ. It was then that the Lord led Craig to co-found a technology company with a fellow believer and friend from Microsoft. After seven long years of work, their company became quite successful, and they began to prepare for a possible public offering. Craig knew that he would need to choose whether to continue working there for three or four more years, or leave ahead of the IPO.
“
We found
that the more resources God gave us to steward, the more fun it was to give.” - April Chapman
TwoTen Magazine
|
59
Turning Church Vision into Reality... Cornerstone has earned a reputation for maintaining quality workmanship, completing projects on time and staying within budget. Our many repeat customers are a testimony to the quality of service you can expect from Cornerstone. Call Cornerstone today at (866) 617-2235. www.CornerstoneSolutionsGroup.com
Design Build • Preconstruction Services • Construction Management General Contracting Services • Construction Consultant Services
“
We ’ v e l e a rned
that gifting non-cash assets before the sale is simply
a smarter way to leverage our giving.” - Craig Chapman
Here at the crossroads, he made a significant decision. He would gift half of the stock a new group of investors was offering to buy, and sell the rest. He knew about the National Christian Foundation Seattle, and he called them to see if they could help him give the stock before the sale in order to turn the massive capital gain into more giving capacity. But there were several challenges. First, his company wasn’t public yet, so giving stock ahead of the sale to sophisticated private investors was tricky, if it could be done at all. Secondly, this unusual opportunity to sell some of his shares was all tied up in the acquisition his company was attempting. So his desire to give and sell needed to be handled in such a way that it would give all the various stakeholders confidence that the acquisition would not be put at risk.
“We want to use all God has given us to multiply our impact for His Kingdom,” Craig says. “We’ve learned that gifting non-cash assets before the sale is simply a smarter way to leverage our giving, and do more for those in great need.” Craig adds, “We now have more capacity to give of our L.I.F.E. than we ever imagined possible. It’s an exciting time for us, and we feel so privileged and humbled that God is using us in this way.” VICTORY
Based in Atlanta, GA, Sheila Dolinger is a communications consultant and contributing writer for the National Christian Foundation (NCF),
the
world’s
givers.
For
more
largest
grant-making
information,
visit
ministry
for
Christian
www.nationalchristian.com.
Here is how NCF helped Craig and April engineer their gift for m a x i m u m K i n gd o m i m pac t :
01
02
03 GIVE
RECEIVE
To g i v e t h e
Then, they gifted the LLC interest
By giving the
They also
PLAN
stockholders
confidence that the
gift would not
impact the deal, 50% of the shares
they were planning to sell were transferred to an LLC with Craig and April as the
m a n a g e r s .
TwoTenMagazine.com
SELL
to NCF. Later, all the shares were sold to the new investors in conjunction with the
acquisition.
shares before
the sale, Craig and
April were able to convert the capital gain tax to
additional
charitable g i v i n g .
04
r e c e i v e d
a fair market value deduction for their gift, which further offset their gains on the shares they
s o l d d i r e c t l y.
TwoTen Magazine
|
61
Ask Dave On Business -
62
|
1st Quarter
w i t h
D a v e
R a m s e y
-
Ask Dave On Business
Help Wanted
Planning intentionally
Dear Dave,
Dear Dave,
I’m running my own business as a sole proprietor, but the place is growing beyond my capacity to handle it alone. I’d like to find someone to work with my clients and further generate sales. Do you have any advice on how to hire my first employee?
I own a company, and I make a good living and love what I do. It seems as if most of the time, though, I feel worn out and stressed. Plus, I know I’m not spending as much time with my family as I should. How do you handle this kind of situation?
— Mike
— Jim
Dear Mike,
Dear Jim,
I would put any first, new team member on a small base salary, plus a percentage of what the clients they work with generate. I mean, you’ve got to make sure they don’t starve. But at this point it’s not so much about what’s “fair” as what works mathematically and seems reasonable to you.
To be perfectly honest, sometimes I don’t handle those situations well. I’m a lot better about it than I used to be, but after a point I had to accept the fact that putting things on a calendar— even things that should never have to be put on a calendar—is a pretty good idea.
I’d be willing to give them a bigger percentage in the early stages. Then, as the business grows and your rep becomes more successful, you could shift it to a smaller percentage, and it would still mean more money. In other words, they’d probably rather have 10 percent of $1 million than 25 percent of $20. Cut them in early at a bigger rate, but reserve the right to adjust your compensation agreement as their sales and productivity increase down the road.
My wife and I have to be very intentional about time for each other, as well as time for rest, recreation and the kids. We even plan our vacations and other time off several months or more in advance. I’m the kind of guy who likes goals, no matter if they’re in my personal or professional life. If I’m not intentional when I’m away from the office, chances are I’ll find something work related to fill the time. So, a lot of the planning we do is my wife’s efforts to protect me from myself and to protect the family from me.
It sounds like you’re still in the early stages of being a small business owner. At this point, both you and your newbie have to realize things could still go south. Bringing another person on board means you’re either going to win together or lose together. So, your compensation structure has to be something that will allow a new hire an existence with room for financial advancement, while still giving the company opportunity to grow!
But there’s a good side to this type of personality too. I love tasks and thrive off them. So, if it’s work, I’m working my tail off and making sure things are done right. By the same token, if it’s a personal thing, like a dinner party or a date night with my wife, I’m totally into those too. Let’s relax and have some fun!
— Dave
Just be deliberate and intentional in every aspect of your life, Jim. Sometimes you have to work at it to make time for things, but I’ve found that this makes you more focused when you need to be and appreciate everything a whole lot more. —Dave
TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
63
Take Part-Time Job While Trying To Launch Business?
Wants to Open A Franchise But...
Dear Dave,
Dear Dave,
My husband was laid off a few months ago. He has a degree in graphic design and has been doing that ever since to make money. He made $6,000 during his best month, but only $300 during his worst. I’m working with him on marketing now to get more clients, but in the meantime we’re not sure if we should also get part-time jobs, or push extra hard to make this business a success.
I’ve always been intrigued by the restaurant business and wanted to open one of my own. Recently, the opportunity presented itself to open a fast food franchise. I really want to do this, but it would take years for me to save up the money. Is it okay to borrow money to start a business? — Jim
— Sharon Dear Jim, Dear Sharon, From what you’ve told me, I think your best bet is to get out there and work yourselves silly to find more accounts and generate revenue. If this guy can turn the page from a full-time job to something he was doing on the side, and make $6,000 in a month, there’s definitely potential there. I’d also suggest getting a book called Guerilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson. It lists inexpensive, grass-roots ideas for marketing. You need to read that book tonight. If your husband has professional-quality graphic design skills, he can create all kinds of marketing pieces. I’m excited about this for you! Read the book immediately— together—then set a goal of talking to about 30 good, new prospects the very next day. Just cold call them with examples of your husband’s work in hand, and tell them you’re running a special. Offer 25 percent off any graphics work done on orders placed before week’s end. Walk in with enthusiasm, great samples and make sure you talk to the decision maker. If you’ll do this, I bet you guys will begin landing some accounts that very day!
|
If you’re into restaurants, try starting small with a catering business out of your home. This will give you a taste of managing your own food service business, and let you know if you really like that kind of work. It will also give you the opportunity to make and save some money. That way, when your restaurant dream becomes a reality, you can honestly say that you own the business instead of it owning you! —Dave
Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He’s authored four New York Times best-selling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover and EntreLeadership. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 5 million listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com.
— Dave
64
You’re right. It will take longer to save up the money and open the business debt-free, but that’s exactly what you should do. Most small businesses fail within the first five years. One of the main reasons for failure is the struggle to repay debt.
1st Quarter
Ask Dave On Business
Claim your future with Saint Leo University
n n n n
Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Programs Classroom and Online Approved for VA Benefits/GI Bill Ranked among the Best Colleges by US News and World Report
Saint Leo students attend classes at our University Campus, just north of Tampa, Florida; at our education centers, located in seven states; or through our Center for Online Learning.
(800) 334-5532 TwoTenMagazine.com
saintleo.edu Founded 1889
TwoTen Magazine
|
65
V i c t o r y The Power of a Word by: Justin Floyd
M
ost business leaders devote a portion of their day or week to trying to improve their business, their people or their bottom line. This usually is an extensive process that is derived from reading business books, attending seminars or maybe even peer counseling. The changes, processes or procedures that are developed may take months or even years to implement and there is no guarantee that you will get the results you desire. A few years ago I learned that something as simple as a single word could have a huge impact on our most important asset, our people.
T h a t w o r d i s “ V i c t o r y ”. This one-word-wonder was brought to my attention by my company president. He came into my office, in full United States Marine Corps fashion, looking around to make sure no one was within hearing distance, and excitedly whispered, “Have I got a covert operation for you!” This wasn’t the first time that he cornered me with a “great idea”, but he was especially excited about this one and he had my full attention. He wanted to see if we could change the language of our business in just ninety days
66
|
1st Quarter
and, if we could, would this change actually affect our business, our culture and our people. He went on to explain that from that point forward, instead of saying “good job” or “congratulations”, I was to use the word “Victory”. My first response was “How did you come up with that word to use?” That’s when he started to tell me the life testimony of an employee, Bill Hunziker. Bill is a virtual billboard of positivity. Every time something good happens, he wholeheartedly exclaims, “Victory!” It can be
Transformational Tips
anything from successfully installing a fence post or finishing a project ahead of schedule to a difficult spiritual battle won; positivity literally radiates from Bill. He went on to explain, “Every time I hear Bill replying with ‘Victory’, it makes me pause to appreciate the victory, large or small.” A short time later, he pulled me and five other employees into a side office, closed the door behind him, drew the blinds and told us he was enlisting us in a covert team with a special operative. He explained his mission to all of us; we were to start using the word “Victory” when good things happened. As we departed, we were admittedly a bit skeptical, but willing to give it a try. To my amazement, within the first hour after implementing the plan, I saw the first example. The title of an email that popped into my inbox simply said “Victory”. I opened the email to read about a large job that we had just been awarded and the email ended with the term “Victory”. A few hours later, the second “Victory” email popped up. One of our crew leaders just had a beautiful baby boy. For the first week or so, only members of the covert team sent the “Victory” emails but by the second week, others started responding with “Victory!” That one, simple word was starting to change the vocabulary of our business. By the end of the ninety-day trial, everyone was using “Victory” in most of his or her emails or daily dialogue. We enacted a “Victories” page on our company web site and we started receiving inquiries from clients and other businesses as to its meaning. When we received our first email from a client that said “Victory”, we knew we were well on our way to changing our company to a culture of “Victory”. Basically, we took a simple word that has so many different meanings and built so much excitement around it that everyone wanted to be able to use it. People who had previously thought their jobs were mundane became excited in finding ways to be quicker and more efficient so they could claim a “Victory”. The company became more of a family because employees could not wait to share the “Victory” of a child graduating high school or becoming an Eagle Scout. You have to remember, “What’s rewarded is repeated.” This one, simple word changed the culture of a business from the inside out and from the corporate office to the living rooms of our people. Today, if you search my email inbox for the word “Victory”, a couple hundred emails would pop up regarding families, jobs, customers and faith. What would happen if you searched for “Victory” in your email box? Would anything appear? What are the victories in your business and are you letting them slip TwoTenMagazine.com
by without acknowledgement? Would making a simple change like this effect your business in a positive way? Just remember, sometimes you may have to help manufacture the first one so that everyone can see what a “Victory” looks like, both personally and professionally. VICTORY
“
Our Readers
may have noticed the VICTORY end
of
tag
at
every
the
article.
We feature stories about people who embody the term
victory
and
are
an inspiration for us all.
Transformational
T IPS
Justin
Floyd
is
the
CEO
from
of
Cornerstone
Solutions Group and an Associate Editor of TwoTen Magazine.
TwoTen Magazine
|
67
Chris Hogan on Leadership
3 Business Skills Every Leader Needs 68
|
1st Quarter
Chris Hogan On Leadership
“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Every time I hear this phrase, it makes me think. If you read this just on a semantic level, it sounds like an oxymoron. How can something change and stay the same? That makes no sense.
And the best way for entrepreneurs to avoid history repeating itself is to be proactive. You can do that by putting three important skills—direction, connection and reflection—into practice. Let’s take a look at each one.
But if you think about that phrase in the context of the business environment, it actually fits like a custom-tailored suit.
So What Skills Does Every Leader Need? 1. Direction.
3. Reflection.
I’ve talked with many business owners who act as if their business has a mind all its own. They’ve forgotten that they are supposed to be in the driver’s seat, guiding the business down the right road.
Reflection is the ability to look back and know why you experienced success or failure in the past. It’s understanding how timing affected each step you took toward success—and how some steps in the process were too late or better left alone.
That’s what direction is all about. It’s the leader’s job to provide the direction—and even change it—when needed. The business will only go where its leader takes it. Period.
It’s impossible to lead when you aren’t connected to the organization you are leading. Whether it’s the business, the team or the customers, leaders have to know what’s going on and how healthy or unhealthy the business is at any given time.
To do this, you need to know the trends in your business. Take some time to look at the P&L statement from last year. Were you on pace, behind or ahead? After that, ask the question: What do you need to do now to impact production next month?
You’re shooting yourself in the foot when you have this information and don’t use it. It’s crucial to your success as a leader.
Team connection is essential, because you must be clued in on the mindset and morale of your team. Leaders who are connected know when to push the team harder and when to ease off the gas. When it comes to customers, it’s all about understanding their needs and being able to meet those needs with your service or product.
The Bottom Line:
2. Connection.
The survival of your business depends on your direction, connection and reflection. When you have all three, you’re sure to have an advantage in the marketplace.
Connect. Connect. Connect. You don’t have to be everyone’s best friend, but you need to know what makes the people in your organization—and the organization itself—tick.
Chris Hogan speaks all over the country at businesses, associations and colleges on money and leadership. He also conducts on-site training sessions for organizations of all sizes . As a former All-American college football player and business owner, Chris understands that leadership is essential for the success of any team. You can follow Chris Hogan on twitter at @ChrisHogan360 or check him out here: daveramsey.com/speakers/Chris-Hogan
TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
69
Working
Women with Diane Paddison
O
ver the course of the past year, we heard a lot about the things that working women, and especially mothers, “can’t” do. We can’t “have it all,” according to Professor Ann Marie Slaughter and the Atlantic. Many other publications (including the Economist and the New York Times) confirmed that we can’t advance at work or earn salaries on par with our male peers. And political candidates courting votes shouted about the plight of women workers, touching on everything from healthcare to daycare. Yet for all the hand-wringing over how women can’t get ahead, it seems that many women are quietly doing just that. In April of last year, Facebook COO and mother of two Sheryl Sandberg announced that for years she has been leaving work every day at 5:30 for dinner with her family. In July, Marissa Mayer made headlines when, seven months pregnant with her first child, she stepped in as CEO of Yahoo! In 1997 I was a single mom of two in the male-dominated commercial real estate industry. I wasn’t out to change the world; I just wanted to try to find a way to gracefully balance my faith, family and career. Since then, I’ve remarried, raised four kids, risen to executive suites in three Fortune 500 Companies, started a ministry group for Christian women professionals, and written a book for them. That’s not to say it was easy or painless. During those years, I also experienced the anguish of parenting a rebellious teenage son, struggled with feelings of isolation at church, and lost my job when I refused to relocate for work. Yes, work and family are a tough balance. And there are plenty of statistics and advocates calling attention to where women still lag behind men in the workplace. But though it’s hard, and though women may struggle, the reality is that we’re doing it.
70
|
1st Quarter
Working Women With Diane Paddison
It’s easy to focus on high profile cases like Marissa Mayer and Sheryl Sandberg, but you don’t have to be a pregnant CEO to “have it all.” In fact, the prospects for women in the workplace depend very little on the fate of Mayer or Sandberg individually. Far more important are the 70 percent of mothers with children under 18 who—according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics—go to work daily. Hundreds of thousands of store clerks, teachers, doctors, lawyers, and accountants are finding ways to care for their families, and for themselves, while using their God-given gifts in the workplace. These women are breaking barriers, defying stereotypes and, slowly but surely, effecting change. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that women today are more likely than men to gain college and advanced degrees. According to the book The End of Men, by Hanna Rosin, women dominate 13 of the 15 job categories projected to grow the most over the next decade, and women hold 51.4 percent of managerial and professional jobs. They make up 54 percent of all accountants and hold about half of all banking and insurance jobs. About a third of America’s physicians are women, as are 45 percent of associates in law firms—and both percentages are rising fast. Female CEOs, still relatively rare, nevertheless out-earned their male counterparts in 2009 by an average 43 percent, and received bigger raises.
it’s time to stop approaching these issues with our heads down and start seeing ourselves as champions of progress, rather than victims. These things that “women want” in the workplace, they’re good things. We’re not looking for favors or handouts. Increased worker flexibility and autonomy, better family leave and equal access to mentoring and sponsorship networks all benefit men, women and the companies they work for. According to a 2011 study by Catalyst Research Center, companies with three or more women directors (sustained over at least four of five years) significantly outperform those with no female board representation. The more diverse companies boasted an 84 percent higher return on sales, 60 percent higher returns on invested capital, and 46 percent higher returns on equity. Indiscriminately adding females to a corporate board is no magic ticket; but the Catalyst study shows that the kinds of companies equalizing men and women’s potential to advance are the kinds of companies best suited to succeed in our changing marketplace. I won’t sugarcoat the challenges for women in the U.S. workforce, but while debate rages, most women I know have no time to agonize over the working world’s gender inequities.
Women certainly still face challenges in the work place. But
We’re too busy changing them.
Companies with
3 OR MORE WOMEN on their board of directors outperformed those with 2 or less.
50% 51%
Women
54%
45%
Dominate
Women make up 45% of law associate jobs.
13 of 15 Job categories pr o j e c t e d t o grow the most.
Women make up 50% of all banking jobs.
Women make up 51% of all managerial jobs.
Women make up 54% of all accounting jobs.
85%
46%
Higher return on sales
Higher return on equity
60% Higher return on capital
Diane Paddison is the author of “Work, Love, Pray,” and the founder of 4word, a ministry for professional Christian women (www.4wordwomen.org). She has served in the executive suite of three Fortune 500 companies. She is married to Chris and mother to four, and is passionate about leading, connecting, and supporting professional Christian women as they balance work, relationships, and faith.
TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
71
72
|
1st Quarter
PERSEVERANCE Following the path that God laid for you isn’t a guarantee that you will avoid trials and difficulties. On the contrary, you may find that there are more trials and distractions that will entice you to take the easy way out. It’s in those times that you need PERSEVERENCE to stay on course and not lose faith. “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:6-9
TwoTenMagazine.com
...meditate on these things. | 73 TwoTen Magazine
5
The To p
1
Business
Communication Tools
Conferences and internal meetings can get pretty tired and stale. Here are 5 technology tools that will help you make your next event or meeting a huge hit.
Prezi prezi.com
If you are still using PowerPoint or Keynote for your public presentations, it’s time to wake up and smell the Prezi revolution! With more than 15 million users and a new Prezi presentation created every second, the “zooming presentation” creator has earned a permanent spot in the business person’s toolkit. What’s so different about Prezi? When you create a Prezi, you are literally given a blank canvass on which to map out the ideas you are trying to communicate. Unlike PowerPoint or Keynote which, through design, force you to think in straight horizontal lines, Prezi encourages you to think differently about how you present information. While Prezi makes presentations look amazing, my favorite thing about the platform is how it makes me think critically and creatively about the information I am trying to convey. Though surging in users and usership, many people have yet to see a presentation built with Prezi. It’s easy to find these people. The next time you give a Prezi presentation, simply look for the person in the audience who looks like they just saw a UFO. It’s that amazing.
74
|
1st Quarter
TwoTen Tech
2
#TwitterHashtags twitter.com
Did you notice something different about the logo of the presidential nominee at this year’s Republican National Convention? Instead of “Romney Ryan” being accompanied by a slogan, it was accompanied by a Twitter hashtag: #RomneyRyan2012. It was this moment that, to me, solidified Twitter’s dominance as a communication medium for offline events. If you are organizing a conference, panel or public speaking engagement that you want to promote before and after the doors are closed, a Twitter hashtag is the way to go! For those unfamiliar, hashtags on Twitter are incredibly simple to create. All you have to do is include the hashtag symbol (#) before a relevant keyword or phrase in a tweet and this will categorize those tweets and help them show more easily in Twitter search. Clicking on a hashtagged word in any tweet shows you all other tweets marked with that keyword. Here are a few tips for using Twitter hashtags effectively at your next event:
1 2 3
Choose something unique. If your panel is on social media’s impact on real estate, don’t promote the hashtag #socialmedia. Choose something more unique such as #smrealestate. Make your audience aware of your chosen hashtag before the event begins. You can be sure that the active Twitter users in the audience will be looking for this early on. Be sure to engage with the Twitter users using your hashtag during and after the event. I always take questions via a Twitter hashtag in real-time at my events.
3
Eventbrite eventbrite.com
For any public event or conference you are planning, I would highly recommend using Eventbrite to take care of registration, ticketing and check-ins at the door. Eventbrite is an online service that makes it incredibly simple for anyone to create, share and join any event imaginable. I’ve used Eventbrite for a number of events - both as an organizer and an attendee. As an organizer, I love how easy Eventbrite makes it to register my guests on a platform that is fully customizable to my organization’s brand. Eventbrite pages look incredible and give even the smallest organizations’ events a top-notch professional look and feel. As an attendee, Eventbrite allows me to attend events without printing out tickets – perfect for me as I do not own a printer. With Eventbrite’s mobile phone and tablet applications, it’s easy for me to get into the events I want and incredibly easy for event organizers to sync registration and attendance data in real-time.
TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
75
4
Google Hangouts google.com/+/learnmore/hangouts/
Perhaps the greatest thing to come out of Google Plus (Google’s most recent foray into social media) is Google Hangouts: the video-calling solution that allows teams in almost any business to collaborate face-to-face in real-time, regardless of where in the world they are. I use Google Hangouts constantly for collaborating with my teams that can sometimes be halfway around the world. Google Hangouts is the perfect complement if you use other Google products like Docs, Gmail, etc. You are able to use many of these products in conjunction with the video functionality of Hangouts. You can even join a Hangout from your iPhone or Android device, meaning there is rarely an excuse to miss a meeting again.
5
Audio Recording Solutions gingerlabs.com / campfirenow.com
In my experience, one of the biggest challenges in a business is having an objective record of decisions and next actions that come out of a meeting. It’s not uncommon for members of a team to dispute over who was made responsible for what in a given meeting. Recording the audio for internal meetings or conference calls helps solve this problem. For in-person meetings, Notability for iPad provides an impressive audio capture tool that will allow you to record audio while simultaneously taking notes. For conference calls, I would highly recommend Campfire from 37Signals (makers of Basecamp). When you are ready for your conference call, Campfire will generate unique dial-in information and record your conference call for you, storing a record of the entire conversation for easy reference and access in the future. As always, use these tools with tact and be sure to let your team know that the call is being recorded, and more importantly, why it’s being recorded.
Jordan career
solving
technology. Technologies,
76
|
1st Quarter
Jordan a
Raynor
real
is
problems is
currently
Co-founder
of
a in
digital
strategist
government,
the
Director
Citizinvestor
of
and
who
politics Product a
and
has
Strategy
Co-founder
spent
business of
at
Digital
his
through LifeSync Doulos.
TwoTen Tech
TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
77
We review a few noteworthy books and offer up our own opinion.
The Value of Core Values by: Lisa Huetteman In her new book, The Value of Core Values: Five Keys to Success through Values-Centered Leadership, Lisa Huetteman challenges business leaders to resurrect the morals and values that have been the foundation of sound business management for generations. Greed, corporate corruption and employee back-stabbing have all tarnished the principle of the Golden Rule. Lisa draws upon her background in corporate America working for Fortune 500 companies and in managing her own company in addition to providing in-depth accounts from several business owners in various industries to demonstrate how the implementation of core values into your company culture will affect every area of your business. Real-world examples are recounted by business owners who have not only defined core values for their companies but embraced and “owned� these values and made them part of their company culture. Lisa explains how adopting core values will give you a basis for the decision making processes as well as assist you in the implementation of the vision for your business. Decisions based on firmly established core values and strong company culture may not always be popular and may not always be profitable in the short term, but they will always be the best decision for your business in the long term. If you are looking for ways to bolster the culture in your business or to implement core values for the first time, this book will be a great resource.
78
|
1st Quarter
Quarterly Review
Practicing The Presence of Jesus by: Wally Armstrong Practicing the Presence of Jesus is former golf pro Wally Armstrong’s latest book and the most intimate account of his personal relationship with Jesus Christ yet. He explains how tirelessly he worked to be the best in all that he did. Not only did this apply to his golf game but also to his relationship with Jesus. He thought that the more effort he put into trying to “earn” God’s approval, the “better” he would be in God’s eyes. One day, during a ProAm golf tournament, Wally’s perspective of Jesus would change forever when he actually saw Jesus on the golf course. You’ll have to read the book to get his full account, but the end result is that Wally began to see Jesus as a close personal friend rather than someone too far away to reach. When this revelation occurred in Wally’s life, his relationship with Jesus became something that was tangible and alive. More than ever, his desire was reignited to dive into God’s word and pray early in the mornings, not because he had to, but because he desired to talk with his new best friend, just like he would with any best friend. Wally shows how the great power and irony in living the Christian faith has nothing to do with what we do, but what Christ has done for us on the cross. Jesus wants to be an integral part of our everyday lives; the good and the bad, the large things and the small things. This book will help you to walk with Jesus and relate to him in a way that you may have never thought possible. It is filled with anecdotes from Wally’s life and shows how he made Jesus a real presence in his life. Believers who are struggling to experience an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ will find this book a source of inspiration and guidance, while a nonbeliever will see how the invitation from Christ is open to everyone, at any time. He will accept you right where you are.
TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
79
The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth by: John C. Maxwell There are few leaders that have had as much of an impact on other leaders as John Maxwell. With over sixty books to his credit, John has been inspiring and equipping readers to maximize their potential for decades. His latest book, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth is his third “Laws” book and may be one of his best. John goes to great lengths to explain the process of personal growth and defines the steps necessary to reach your potential. Many people are under the false impression that growth just happens. On the contrary, growth and development must be intentional.
The 15 Laws are: n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n
The Law of Intentionality The Law of Awareness The Law of the Mirror The Law of Reflection The Law of Consistency The Law of Environment The Law of Design The Law of Pain The Law of the Ladder The Law of the Rubber Band The Law of Trade-Offs The Law of Curiosity The Law of Modeling The Law of Expansion The Law of Contribution
Each law is defined and reinforced by anecdotes from John’s own development as a leader, as well as inspirational stories from other leaders past and present. Regardless of your background or your current status in life, applying these Laws will inspire and instruct you on how to believe in yourself, to add value to yourself and to reach your God-given potential.
80
|
1st Quarter
Quarterly Review
Fruit At Work by: Chris Evans Fruit at Work is the first book from successful entrepreneur Chris Evans. It is a fast read, with chapters just the right size to read in 10 minutes. At the end of each chapter, there are “Key Ideas” and “Putting it to Work” summaries that show you how to apply the concepts to your business. Its premise is based on the Apostle Paul’s powerful message in Galatians 5:22-23, “ But the fruits of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.” The fruit of the Spirit is evidence of Spirit working through us no matter where we are. It’s easy to fall into the trap of compartmentalizing our Christian walk, acting differently in church on Sundays than we do at work during the week. Chris explains the biblical meaning of each aspect of the Fruit (singular not plural) and explains how they are all interconnected and can be practically applied to the workplace, which is probably the best place to be a witness for Christ. He is not afraid to throw in examples of mistakes that he had to learn the hard way, in hope of saving the reader from making similar mistakes. Business owners and leaders are in unique positions to embrace these principles and incorporate them into the culture of their companies and ultimately into the service provided to clients. Drawing upon personal experiences and those of other business leaders, as well as adding pertinent scriptural references, Fruit at Work will challenge you with the goal of not being a better Christian, but rather to be more like Christ himself. The results will be eternal.
TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
81
82
|
1st Quarter
TwoTenMagazine.com
TwoTen Magazine
|
83
Now is the time to develop and execute your organization’s strategic plan!
Digital Lightbridge is a strategic marketing firm that delivers dynamic advertising and communications solutions for organizations that require an integrated branding approach to the execution of their marketing, sales and client fulfillment strategies. Contact us today to start the conversation: (800) 772-0698 | digitallightbridge.com
8 4 Relations | 1st Quarter Public Business Process Development n
Content Management Systems
n
n Social Media Marketing n App Development n Mobile Marketing n eCommerce & Website Solutions Search Engine Optimization n Corporate Branding n Advertising Campaigns n Corporate Communications