Search results for "leadership"

Whether dealing with employees, partners or contractors, I often took my team for granted.  Showing courtesy, gratitude, and care for others might happen in the first couple of months of knowing the person, but that wore off for me. The same person whom, once upon a time, I wanted to do work with and was excited to have on my team, now likely feels unappreciated by me for all that they do for me everyday. Why is it that today if a new client comes knocking at the door with business, we jump to thank them even before the job is done, and yet, we show little or no gratitude to the people on our team that make it happen? What we fail to realize is that expressing gratitude benefits both parties in the relationship—the recipient and the giver. When we give appreciation to those that work for us, we often receive even more in return! Research shows that employees that felt more gratitude feel more attached to the business and are more pleased to come into work even the following day. Satisfaction goes up! Gratitude is a boost to get people on your vision and riding the rocket with you.  It will also help employee retention, so people stay with you longer. The bible says “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” God is asking us to be grateful because it takes our focus off of the NEGATIVE (which is our tendency) and places it in the POSITIVE (which is where God wants us). Every day we have the awesome opportunity to show appreciation to the people that help run your entrepreneurial machine. Here are some simple ways to show employees, contractors, vendors, partners, joint venture partners, and clients well-deserved appreciation everyday: Thank your employee because they care, not because it’s their job. When your employee is doing their job, don’t just think “well, that’s what I pay them for”. You may be taking their work for granted just because you’re also doing your job. Appreciate the fact that they are a component of the machine you’re building and without them the thing doesn’t run as well. Tell them why you appreciate them. So it’s one thing for your employee to hear “Man, I’m really grateful to have you on my team”. It’s a whole different story to follow it up with “I sleep better at night knowing I have you on my team”. Be creative in expressing recognition. Saying the same thing over and over becomes bland.  People become numb to it. Try more personalized phrases: “I’m grateful when…”, “I’m blessed to…”. Simply pick a different way of showing the same appreciation. The English language allows for millions of combinations. Appreciate the time and mindset, not only the results. Even when your employees goof up and are unable to deliver up to your expectations, thank them for their effort and time. If your contractor forgets to do a task from a long list of tasks, or if he or she burns the cookies, don’t make them feel all their work was wasted. “It’s not a big deal. Thank you for your effort.”  (personally, I would also follow it up with how it could have been done differently) Look for positives to appreciate even in negative circumstances. My mom is great at seeing the good in everyone, everything, every situation.  How many times have you gotten the “I’m running late,” or “I can’t come in today,” or “I’m backed up.”  Instead of moaning and groaning, thank the fact that they are even telling you this in advance.  This will make them want to “make up” for it. Surprise “Thank You” notes. I’ve written thank you cards, sent text messages, wrote emails, posted on employee’s Facebook walls, and left sticky notes on their desk.  You don’t have to do this daily.  With the 5 examples I just gave, you have one for every week of the month.  Then figure out other ways and come back to repeat any later on.  These can make their day. Let them know how important they are to your success. As an entrepreneur, we are only as strong as the people working in our machine. Even if you’re a solo-preneur, you still count on vendors, affiliates or contractors to help you succeed. Count your blessings and accomplishments in business, and inform your team about the impact they have in your success. Appreciate how your people contribute to the achievement of your personal goals. Praise in private and public. It’s nice to be praised at your desk, but it’s even better to be recognized publicly. You can send an email blast, post on the company Facebook page and bring it up at the next meeting. Find ways to appreciate publicly. Go out of your way when they need help. The best way to show gratitude is showing up with they need help. Praying for someone who is down, buying their tires and having them pay you back slowly, or just listening when they need to talk. Sometimes you can offer to do their job for them so they can take a break if you see them down. Give a Gift. Nothing says thank you like a gift. For some employees this will be the best thing ever, but for others it won’t be as impactful.  You won’t know until you try it. The more thought that went into the gift, the bigger the impact. Your Entrepreneur Compass, Alex Miranda. COMMENT BELOW:  What are some ways you show your team gratitude?. Sound off below. #ShareYourTestimony #DifferentiatingMyself #AgencyOwners

I used to think I had to do everything myself.  After all, I started the company!  I’m in charge of finances, sales, marketing and operations.  And within each, I have hats within hats to wear.  It’s all my responsibility and I need to make sure I can do it all in the 18 hours I’m awake in the day. But 18 hours isn’t enough, so I put things off for the next day….and the next…and the next.  When I come to realize it, my email box is full of 3,000 unread emails and my to-do list has stretched to page 3 on a legal pad. Sometimes I dream of taking a trip to a cabin in North Carolina for 1 month, locking myself in a room, and doing everything I can to catch up. 24 hours just isn’t enough in a day to do it all.  Yup, that’s the truth. So how do we accomplish everything we need to do to run a successful business?!  How will we bring our dreams of growth and expansion to life if all we have is 24 hours in a day? One thing I’ve learned in growing in my relationship with God is that He will accomplish through you what he needs to accomplish in the time available.  Imagine checking in with your CEO (God) in the morning and asking for the critical tasks of the day.  He would know exactly what you need to do, after all, he came up with the 24-hour day! In the book of Job, God challenges Job’s frustrations and says something that I always remember when I’m frustrated at God’s design of the world. Job 38:4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand." And in Job 38:12 “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place," Whenever you catch yourself complaining that there aren’t enough hours in the day, remember the power of the two verses above.  It should give you the right perspective on how to see the day of work laid out before you:  God’s perspective. If we were very honest with ourselves, the reality is that God’s 24-hour design is perfect, but we are the ones that get distracted, do unnecessary work, and are inefficient. As Godpreneurs, God’s our CEO and he knows what he’s doing. We can wish for more time, but we’re not going to get it. We can’t make our days longer. What you can do is see your work from God’s perspective and leave the rest in His hands. If everything in our businesses depended on us, no amount of hours would ever, ever be enough. #SharpenLeadership #TimeManagement

One of my greatest struggles as an entrepreneur was creating the habit of getting up early every morning to spend time in meditation and prayer.  Even though every success seminar and autobiography of the rich and famous Business gurus said that I must create this habit, I struggled. Could be that I went to sleep too late.  Could be that I’m not a morning person.  Could be that I worked so much into the early morning hours that I couldn’t get up.  Could be that I would wake up, check my emails and see there was a fire I needed to put out.  Could be that there was so much to do that day that I didn’t have time. Could be that I was just too darn busy. And if I could be honest with you, I feel very guilty about being so busy.  My marriage has suffered greatly from it. We entrepreneurs have a lot going on in our minds and lives.  Responsibility to pay bills, spend time with family, eat right, exercise, make sales, do marketing, bake cookies, hold the baby, watch CNBC, go on date nights, etc. etc. The problem isn’t the fact that I have a lot going on.  Heck, that’s awesome!  We should celebrate the fact that life is shaking and baking!  Don’t be ashamed that you’re a work of art when it comes to efficiency and productivity. God has shown us what the real problem is. Remember the story of Martha and Mary when pays a visit.  Martha is busy cleaning.  Mary is eager to learn from Jesus. Martha’s an amazing worker.  But Mary made Jesus a priority.  The cleaning up could wait. Jesus says in Luke 10:42 "But few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” The truth is that hard work is one of your God-given functions and gifts in being a Godpreneur. You use the intellect and circumstances God has provided you with to lead your business. A bunch of Bible verses praise having a strong work ethic. Work or ambition in and of itself isn’t the problem.  In Part 1 I reveal that the first way to solve Busyness is finding purpose, aligning your heart and motivation. Today we encounter that another major issue are our priorities. If our purpose is to serve God with our businesses but also make time with him our #1 priority, we’re on the right track.  Imagine if we all developed the habit of waking up early and being still in God’s presence. Our CEO wants to meet with us daily.  Let’s make showing up to this meeting our priority. #TimeManagement #SharpenLeadership

Every Wednesday I meet with my accounting and finance department to go over numbers. They hold me accountable to my goals. Every week there is a number to meet, a quota in sales to hit, so that we can keep track with our goals. I’m given two numbers:  a minimum number we need to hit to pay bills and a number that helps us accomplish our goals. The problem is that sometimes I look at that minimum number and say “God, if you’ll just help me hit my minimums so I can pay everyone off.  Even if I don’t get paid, Lord, pay everyone else.” I used to ask God to just help me pay the bills this month, and nothing more. We all have this survival mentality in us. “Lord, if you’ll just let me survive this month…..this season…this trial….” But here is what I know:  our God wants us to ASK BIG! When we pray and release our faith — when we ask God to work in our lives — our asking opens the door for His great work in our lives. But, we have to ask. If we can take the limits off of what God can do in our businesses, we can experience the abundance he has promised us! In the bible, Jabez prayed a bold prayer to God in 1 Chronicles 4:10. Despite his upbringing and surroundings, he dared to ask God for His blessing. “Oh, that You would bless me indeed.” After I learned this, I went to my daily prayer sheet and I started a new section call ASK BIG.  In this section I’ve written things like My whole family will follow the Lord God make me famous in my field, use my influence to help those that can’t afford it, so I can make a big difference in this world, not for my glory, but for yours Every person in this world to hear your message of identity Are you asking big prayers in your business, or are you letting your market circumstances, situations in the past, or how impossible it looks to meet that quota keep you from big prayers? Godpreneurs, don’t let a lack of asking keep you from God’s best in your life any longer. If we all would let this message inspire us to ask big,  we can walk in the fullness that God has for us and become everything God has created us to be! Listen to Joel Osteen’s full message:  Ask Big – http://pca.st/A3dz #WhatBusinessIShouldStart #IncreaseEnergy

I’m a big planner.  Heck, I planned my wedding!  My wife would disagree, but I pretty much planned the whole thing out 🙂 When it comes to my business, I’m big on planning as well.  Because of my education at Cornell University and the skills I learned in creating a business plan, I’ve always been one to write out where I want my businesses to go. Creating a plan (not the perfect plan) was essential to my business growth.  The plan didn’t need to be perfect, and things always changed, but there needed to be a vision of the strategic plan. But if we’ll admit it, it’s not our natural inclination to plan.  No, we want to charge forth right ahead into the battle. You and I both know it’s not the right thing to do, but we do it anyway. Some of us have ZERO plans written down for business growth.  We either are too lazy to make a plan, we don’t know how to make a plan because we all didn’t go to Cornell (that’s no excuse), or we have “faith” that God will make a way and we just need to follow it. Some of us have a plan, but we’re the only ones that know it!  The plan can’t come fully from you (the leader) and it can’t be only in your head. Others of us have too many plans!  Or the plans aren’t “perfect” so we never go forward. But God shows us that preparation is key to entering your strategic growth plan that he has for you. Today I’m going to show you 3 reasons why we should be planning our business’s strategic growth. At the beginning of Joshua 2, we find Joshua sending out spies into the land. "Then Joshua the son of Nun sent two men as spies secretly from Shittim, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” (Joshua 2:1) Us entrepreneurs might wonder, why Joshua sent out the spies. If he was really trusting God, was this necessary?  Didn’t God promise success?  Why didn’t he just go in step-by-step slowly and cautiously following God?  After all, God would fight this battle, right? I think we can learn 3 things for Godpreneurs needing to plan. Faith Doesn’t Mean Presumption Faith that God will provide doesn’t mean you don’t plan.  We can’t fully trust our intuitive feelings and wants and desires. Faith in the Lord’s provision should never lead to presuming on God’s decrees or sovereign actions, our intuitive feelings, or on our wants and desires.  Faith wants to look for principles and applications and facts to back up that faith so we can make wise decisions as business owners.  You don’t just have faith.  You get faith, then you seek to back up that faith with fact.  If God wants to intervene in the future and help you grow, awesome!  But you don’t presume, you plan. Believing is Seeing (and Hearing) It’s wise for you to plan because others can read the plans and see things for themselves.  Even having your team do a little research on the market will help encourage them. Evaluate Where You Are Going Where are we? Where are we going?  What are we doing?  Planning makes you like inside and out to discover the calling of our lives, our gifts and talents, our weaknesses, hindrances, and the circumstances of the forces that we’re going after when growing our businesses. Once you and your team have spied out the market you want to conquer, then, based on this information, establish growth plan, goals and objectives along with priorities and attack the market accordingly, all the while resting in God’s intervention and direction.  Start with the things that are the most important and work on them one by one. This just isn’t for business.  If we do this for our personal life (spiritual needs, physical needs, educational needs), our family life (relationships, spiritual needs, etc. as a family), our church life and personal calling and so on, we would all receive God’s blessings and favors more because we put in the time to not go in blindly. #BusinessBibleStudy #WhatBusinessIShouldStart

Today I want to talk to you about clients confirming your plans. All entrepreneurs have these grand visions of seeing our products and services succeed.  We would buy our own services, and we’re 100% sure everyone in the market will buy it too! If you were in corporate America, you’d have to go through months, sometimes years of product development and testing to come out with a new service offering. But if we just do a little listening to our clients and some basic planning, God will use our clients to confirm our plans. In 2015 I made some major shifts in the direction of my business.  Towards the end of that year, I started to let God control more and more of my business.  I was so focused on doing everything myself, I wasn’t letting God into the entire process, even service development and prospecting. One day I woke up and said, God, I want to serve the people you want me to serve. I want to bring identity to those entrepreneurs that YOU’RE trying to save, that you’re trying to be a part of their business more. You see, God evangelizes wherever we’ll let him.  He’ll use you, the entrepreneur, to get to other entrepreneurs who he wants to be involved with. That very same day, after declaring that morning that I wanted to be used by God, 3 POTENTIAL clients called me back-to-back-to-back.  I spoke with each one, and each one was in the same place:  they each wanted a higher meaning and purpose for their entrepreneurial lives. I hung up the phone so happy after the 3rd person, I just thanked God for using me to reach entrepreneurs. What am I saying? If you align yourself with the plans that God has for you, God will use your clients to confirm the service offering that you should be focusing in on fully. When the children of Isreal were at the point before crossing the River Jordan into the promised land, they sent out two spies to check out the city of Jericho.  While they were there, they came across an inn keeper by the name of Rahab.  She was an entrepreneur, a hotel owner.  She wasn’t Israeli, she was actually the enemy. But she was different than the rest of the people of that city, and God was going to use her in a major way. Rahab spilled the beans to the two Israeli spies.  She said to them in Joshua 2:8-14 “I know that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you.” Imagine you’re on the phone with a client and they tell you “I just know that you were placed here to help me, I felt it.” This surprising outburst of faith shows how God had a plan in bringing Rahab and the spies together. And see, it is the same kind of thing we see when God supernaturally brings us to clients who are open to our products and services.  God will use seemingly unimportant clients at the right time to confirm your business growth plans, your products and your services. But how do we know that the next 3 phone calls are going to be the ones?  How can we tell if it’s from God? That day I spoke with the 3 clients that confirmed my direction, all 3 of them dropped clues of their faith in a higher power.  This is when I knew God was at work. Rahab continues in Joshua 2 to confess to the spies “And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.” Rahab’s declaration “He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath” is proof of her faith. It is not strong faith and it is not perfect faith, but her faith is there.  In the same way, we’re not looking for clients to know their bible cover to cover, but just for a glimmer of faith.  We may not like the business that client is currently in, or we may have an impression of them as too small or even too big of a client,  but the fact is that God doesn’t see clients (and everyone for that matter) for their works, he sees them for their faith. Like Rahab, my clients knew who God was, knew who they were in themselves, and trusted God. You may be an accountant or a physical therapist.  You may feel strongly about a certain philosophy in your business style or your practice.  The clients that are for you are clients that will also show signs that they agree with your train of thought. For me, it’s important that my clients understand and know God, because, I do identity branding for their businesses from God’s perspective. #WhatBusinessIShouldStart

Hiring new employees in 2016 was a big deal for me and my company. I honestly didn’t have faith in myself to lead a group of people in growing an agency. I had been burnt in the passed, mistakes I made as a young entrepreneur. But I felt God saying “now is the time”. The problem was this: there was no money. “How can you hire people when there is no money?”, my accountant would ask. Let me clarify: there was money, but it was in accounts receivable (in other words, we still had to do work to collect it). Since I had been reading my bible every morning and drawing closer to God, I just felt an overwhelming petition from God to round up new team members and take the step of faith, regardless of what my past fears were or what my bank account said. We entrepreneurs will always run into moments like this. Moments that we need to have tremendous faith. This is EXACTLY where God wants to meet us. He wants us, as leaders, to know Him so well that we would trust that He delights in our winning! And that’s where we find Joshua and the children of Israel right before crossing the river. In part 1 of my series Overcoming Anxiety in Business, we learned that we need to let God lead the way in our business lives. He goes before us to overcome big battles. But now it’s time for the rubber to meet the road. It’s time to pull the trigger. God lead the way, but now Israel must cross the river. In Joshua (14-15) we read about the faith of the priests and of Joshua. "So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan." Wow, how incredible of a feeling it must have been for the priests and for Joshua. How were they supposed to know that God was going to, once again, part the waters for their crossing?! First, God’s done it before in the past. See, faith is about remembering the past and trusting on God’s word. I bet Joshua had that faith because he kept remember what was done when Moses crossed that impossible body of water. Second, Joshua is remembering the promises of Joshua 1:8 where Joshua learns that he needs to stay in God’s word, and God will make his ways prosperous and he will have success. If you want to experience God’s blessings in overcoming obstacles, you have to have faith that God has already brought you through obstacles and he’ll do it again, and you have to be obedient to God when he instructs you to be in His word “day and night”. That doesn’t mean you need to literally read the bible all day. But as Godpreneurs, it means that we carry ourselves throughout the day in God’s presence. Imagine if all Godpreneurs had faith like Joshua in all of the decisions we made. Where would our businesses be? Would we have made some decisions differently? #GodpreneurAcademy #BusinessBibleStudy Overcoming Anxiety in Business A 3-Day Business Bible Study to Throw Off the Shackles of Anxiety and Live in Freedom Heard of the Godpreneur Academy? Grow Your Business, God’s Way! Bible-Based Video Courses for Entrepreneurs Putting God First In their Businesses Click here to create a Free Account

In my company Creative Complex, we’re united to help entrepreneurs find their God-given identity…what they were born to do!  We do this by, first, making it very clear that to have a calling on your life, there must be a ‘caller’.  We’re not ashamed to talk about Jesus and share our testimonies of how the way our business USED TO BE, to how it is now.  In fact, for us to do the best possible work for our clients, we MUST tap into the spirit of our clients. We’re not crazy….OK, maybe we are!  We’re nuts about our clients understanding that in order to create a great brand, we must get to the core of why the company and entrepreneur exist!  Every person on my team, from my executive assistant to my graphic designer overseas, knows the plans we have as a company to reach over 10,000 entrepreneurs with our message. THIS IS NOT A PLUG FOR MY COMPANY. I tell you this to say that we are all united under one message and one cause: spread our message. When we entrepreneurs can find a message and a cause, we have the opportunity to unite people in our cause and create a movement. Some of us think that people are motivated by money.  We think that people are moved by bonuses, perks, or cool products to sell. And if we are motivated by these things ourselves, our workforce will be too. But God left a blueprint for uniting a workforce and creating a movement. In the second chapter of the book of Acts, God sends down the holy spirit into all the believers, uniting them under ONE CAUSE: Jesus, and spreading that love. The uniting work of the Spirit of God through the preaching of the gospel to the nations, in turn, brought about the knitting together of a new community of believers. Those who believed the gospel were all together and had everything in common. These new converts sat at the feet of those who had been taught by Jesus (Acts 2:40-47). The secret to a united workforce is that everyone must be preaching the same message.  What’s your company’s message?  Usually this is called your mission, vision or purpose statements.  All together, these form the key message you’re putting out. In my business, we’ve been able to tie our message into the same message of the gospel!  Heck, I feel like I’m killing two birds with one stone: I’m giving them a brand AND spreading the gospel!  When people do business with me, I want them to feel like they are doing business with Jesus, with a company that brings light and love.  I want my clients to have purpose! There is only ONE SPIRIT.  The closer we can tie our company mission to this one spirit, the closer we come to the one-ness we Godpreneurs are seeking in our lives. Godpreneur Rule #37: we seek for our businesses to be one spirit with God, and go out and spread that message to the world. #BusinessBibleStudy #SharpenLeadership #FindMyCalling

I’ve always told my clients that you don’t need marketing. As the owner of a branding and marketing agency, let me explain myself. When I tell my clients that they don’t NEED marketing, it’s because I’m trying to drive home the point that if you figure out what you were born to do, what your calling as an Entrepreneur is, what your purpose is in business, then God will magnetically attract business to you. You’ll be so “in the zone” that marketing or advertising wouldn’t even be necessary because people would talk about you so much that referrals and word of mouth would take over. But…you have to be willing to trust in your calling and drop everything else to focus on that ONE THING you were called to do. This is really a lesson on trust, and how much are we willing to trust in God and not our marketing or advertising campaigns. See, we entrepreneurs can start to rely to much on the things of this world as the provider of our happiness, success, or identity. We put so much trust in our employees, vendors and contractors as the thing that will make our business succeed. And when we start succeeding, guess what, we give credit to those things for our success. And if we fail, we ask God “why did you let me fail?” As entrepreneurs, we have trust issues. Our entrepreneurial self wants to take things in our own hands and control everything around us. But what happens when we’re in a waiting period and there’s nothing there except for God? Or what happens when we’re putting all of our eggs into this one Facebook advertising campaign as “the thing” that will really bring the business in. Or what if someone comes alongside and tells you that your business stinks and you should do something else, but you know you’ve been called to be where you are at. The good news is that God already saw this coming and made a way for us to fully trust in Him. We can’t afford to rely on the things of this world in our business. The Bible says: "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God". Psalms 20:7 NIV Here is the commander of the army telling us that he doesn’t rely on chariots and horses. Back then, the strength of your army was determined by the number of chariots and horses you have. Put it to you this way. It’s like the general of the army saying we don’t rely on tanks and airplanes, we rely on God. It’s not that we need to get rid of the chariots and horses, it’s that our mind needs to understand that those are vehicles God can use, but our entire existence is not dependent on those (very important) things. It’s not only important for you to understand why trust is important in your business, but why specifically is trust important to God. Trusting God in our business is an indicator of our heart’s condition, showing where our commitment and loyalty lies. Trusting God during a waiting period, during a major setback, or during a storm of bad public relations shows Him that we count on Him, not the world. It’s trusting that when you have a choice to make things work in your business by the world’s standards or by God’s, you choose God 10 out of 10 times. We Godpreneurs sometimes to struggle so much bm for this very reason: so that we learn to trust God more. When I faced my own struggles in business, upon reflection, I can’t help but think if it was all a lesson for me to trust God more in leading my business. Was the waiting period a time for me to remove me from me, so I could be filled with God and trust Him more? Thankfully you’re reading this and getting godly counsel to encourage you to trust in God and move forward with your calling! We must hold firm to what He has called us to in our businesses. Otherwise, we would be bending to the world instead of remaining steady to the course He has marked out before us in the marketplace. Our hearts need to reflect a commitment to God. That’s our testimony to employees, vendors and contractors. Lets all choose today to be Godpreneurs committed to the calling, purpose, and God-ordained direction on our business. Like my clients who hear my explanation of why they don’t need marketing if they trust in their calling, few will choose this path. But to those that do, God will pour down blessings on your business for those Godpreneurs who are faithful, loyal, and fully committed to Him. Godpreneur Rule: A Godpreneur’s heart reflects His commitment to God. Questions Are you facing a business battle that calls out your trust? Are you in a waiting period that has you holding on to God more now than ever? Perhaps a competitor or employee is coming against you as well? Is there is a situation at the office that confronts you to operate out of trust or fear? #BusinessBibleStudy #FindMyCalling #StrengthenIntegrity

I have the privilege of meeting with entrepreneurs either before they start their business or at a big turning point in their current business.  When someone needs a logo and a website, it’s a big deal in that person’s life. We always start with a strategy session.  One of the main things I want to understand is what is the vision?  What’s the big picture here? Most will start with the END in mind.  That’s a good place to start.  We’ll work through all the products and services they see, all the markets they could serve, and where they could grow the company to. After they are done, it’s my job to K.I.S.S. them.  Keep it simple stupid.  I don’t call then stupid!  I just simplify it down to what we can do TODAY.  Not tomorrow, not 1 year from now…TODAY, right here, right now. We entrepreneurs are visionary.  We see the big picture, but some of us struggle to know the NEXT STEP.  We’re so focused looking ahead that, if we don’t take the next careful step, we could trip or fall into a ditch. How do we stay focused on what we can do TODAY? I’ve studied the missionary journeys of Paul in the book of Acts.  Here’s a man with a BIG MISSION and VISION: let all the Jews and gentiles know about Jesus.  How he did it?  Well, He let God take the lead.  He followed what the Spirit led him to do.  I’m sure he had desires to go to certain cities in the future, but the most important day was today, the current moment he was in, and being totally present to hear and provide the service he set out on a mission to do: tell people about Jesus. If you’re feeling stuck, confused, frustrated at your business, and overwhelmed by opportunity you see in the future, you need to pause and become aware of TODAY. Here’s a bible verse that, when you feel overwhelmed and don’t know what to do next, you keep it in your memory bank: "Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them." (James 4:13‭-‬17 NIV) We Godpreneurs have a responsibility to balance the vision tomorrow with the mission today.  Shooting for the stars is amazing, but along the way, God has things meant to help you grow stronger in your gifts and talents. Godpreneur Rule #173: Godpreneurs see the vision of the future while having the balance to focus on the current mission, today’s goals. #EnhanceFocus #BusinessBibleStudy

In my business it’s very easy to get into the rhythm of doing project after project. People always need logos and websites.  The projects take anywhere between 2-4 days, and if you are busy like me, you could be doing work for weeks before getting a break. I also have other endeavors that are more in the space of speaking, coaching and consulting.  This side of my business also brings me tons of joy.  It’s a huge field with so much reward because I get to help many people at once, as opposed to one-on-one branding work. There’s a huge difference between doing a project for a client and creating an online course that will help hundreds and thousands. I’ve struggled for years in this constant tug of war between client work vs. the personal development space.  It’s not a matter of either or, I like doing both.  The problem is that I’m so busy with the client work that I can’t get to developing the other work that will bless so many others. Where do you think God would want us Godpreneurs? If we could admit to ourselves, some of us are stuck playing in the little league of trading time for money, and meanwhile there’s a major league of opportunity waiting for our true gifts and talents to be stirred. I have other dreams and goals that I want to accomplish.  I want to create more online courses, host more live events, speak at more conferences and write more books and blog posts. But I also get stuck in the project work. What do we do when we feel like we’re stuck in the rat race of doing work, yet there’s this other burning desire to do so much more and serve so many other people? Maybe you’re not at my point, where you’re eager to get out and teach and show others what you’ve learned. Maybe you’re still in the ‘project based’ mindset, but you too feel trapped because there’s so much more to do. Listen, God didn’t sow gifts inside of us so we could use it for a few people, he sowed seeds of greatness in us so that through us, God could do more for others. I know many people (like me) who are playing the small business client game yet they feel discontent where they are at.  They know there’s a bigger play to make, a pivot to a bigger growth opportunity, but they’re afraid: Afraid they wouldn’t have great content to contribute Afraid they’d bring on too much work, so it would all come crumbling down Afraid of failure Afraid of rejection or being made fun of by industry colleagues But what if God’s been waiting on us to trust him and take that leap of faith into this new dimension of business? Reminds me of the closing statements Paul wrote to The Ephesians, this great pep talk exit: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us," Ephesians 3:20 NIV In today’s bible reading, Paul was reminding them in the end that they had a great power now, and to use that to their advantage and growth. God wants to turn you and I lose to use us for much greater things.  If you haven’t gotten this bug yet, then you will.  God’s still tweaking a few things in you, then he’ll reveal. But for those of us that have been called to this, it’s time to stand up and answer the calling of taking our gifts and talents to all new levels. Are you trading time for money when you know you have a calling to go BIG LEAGUES with something? What keeps you from using those gifts? #BusinessBibleStudy

Purpose is one of those words that people have tossed around so much, especially in the business world.  It’s hard to know exactly what it means. Is it this one foundational meaning of existence for the business that will drive sales and profit through the stratosphere? Is it what my company is passionate about or what we’re really good at?  Is it doing work that makes me happy as an entrepreneur?  Does it mean I have to help others? Let’s peel back the onion of purpose. The purpose of a hammer is to stick this nail into that piece of wood.  But this means nothing to the poor, beaten hammer unless he knows that he’s part of a bigger architectural plans to create this amazing home that a family will live in and create great memories. If I focus on my business purpose (the service I offer), I miss my business identity (the reason my idea was born). My business identity is what is given to me by my creator.  I don’t come up with my identity.  When I went to the DMV to pick up my identification card to give me permission to drive, this was issued to me by the state agency and the right was bestowed upon me to drive. In the same way, identity is handed to me by authority.  The best part is that there are no exams to find out if I can perform a 3-point turn (precisely why I failed my first driver’s test).  My identity is free and God wants nothing more than for me to uncover, discover and recover it to be used in my business. I am bigger than my business purpose.  Therefore I must focus on my identity in Christ, and living in that space of rest knowing that as I align to the workmanship that God created me for, He will magnetically attract the exact clients that I’m destined to serve. The bible says “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5) Identity is about me doing not just meaningless or average things in my business, but good works, wonderful things that make a difference in the marketplace. This means that my business is important and significant. I matter.  What more could I dream of? When my business life gets tough, when deals fall apart, when employees upset me, when I can’t beat the work addiction, when my competitors talk behind my back, when I feel stuck in a boring routine, its important for me to come back to God’s love for me and the amazing purpose I have through my identity in Him. I know what my purpose is: I help people find and bring to life their identity. I know what my identity is: I’m grounded in God and I trust him to reveal to me the bigger picture and guide me to living out the wonderful masterpiece I was born to do. What’s your born to do identity? #FindingMyBrand #BuildMyPersonalBrand

I heard about a bus driver that was far from being your typical bus driver. He would pick up people in Manhattan and take them over to Queens.  Same route everyday for years. Before getting off the bus, his passengers would hear him say “Now before you get off the bus I want you to leave all of your problems from the day right here so you can go home whole and complete to your families.” He did this day after day, year after year. Here is a man whose identity is NOT in being a bus driver.  Instead, he has discovered the ultimate secret in finding your calling.  He has realized that his calling is really in being the salt and light to the world.  The bus was simply the vehicle (no pun  intended)) for enacting that calling. My clients want advice on how to hear God’s call for their business lives. I’ve heard people tell me that God may not have called them to the business they are doing every day. I’ve had friends worry that they have missed their entrepreneurial calling. I long for the same sense of purpose in my day-to-day business life. I have to be conscience of choosing to find my purpose and fulfillment in something more important than my role in my organization. I’ve chosen to make the distinction between calling and business. Our business has meaning, yes. God cares about our businesses. Our products and services can benefit the community around us. Owning a business certainly functions as a tool to refine us in God’s image. Through our entrepreneurship, we use specific skills and talents to serve others. But my company is first of all an opportunity to follow Jesus—to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love my neighbors as myself. That’s your calling as a Godpreneur: to love. The bible says "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17 NIV God invites us to serve in the ordinary businesses we lead.  What makes a business extraordinary is when we’re able to love our clients like God loves us.  This is when we get to live our the gospel and hopefully share it with partners, vendors, contractors, employees and clients. Let God guide you to be the salt and the light in your niche. #BibleStudy #FindingMyCalling

When I first started my entrepreneurial career, I didn’t get rich quickly. In fact, I suffered for over a decade (yes, 10 years). I struggled to pay bills, keep up with school loans, and hire and keep good talent. I changed business models almost every year trying to get out of debt, enjoying life and feeling like I’ve succeeded. Maybe I could finally pay for my parent’s dinner instead of them paying for mine. Although I struggled, I refused to accept that a 9-5 job was what I needed to do. I refused to give into the comfort of a steady paycheck. As a maturing entrepreneur and growing born-again Christian, I learned to trust God, and his promises, one of which says, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). And there are more promises where that came from. I meditate frequently on God’s promises. Why? Because nothing is for certain, and nothing in business lasts forever. What has been and always will be is God’s promises. During my entire entrepreneurial life, I spent much time looking for certainty and fulfillment in and through my business when in reality God is asking me to find that certainty and fulfillment in Him. He’s given me promises that say so! Praise the Lord, He brought me (and continues to bring me) through times of uncertainty and feeling purposeless. The Bible says "But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world." 1 John 4:4 NLT There are times when God gets you out of debt and flourishes your business and times when He allows suffering for His glory. But no matter what, you need to trust in His promises for rest, peace, and victory in Jesus’ name. Because it’s in His promises that you can find hope no matter what you go through. Our minds need to be set on God’s promises for our lives and business, in order for us to continue living in purpose and passion, even through the storm. I pray the Lord to give entrepreneurs full hope in His promises for rest, peace, and ultimate victory through Jesus Christ today. #EnhanceFocus #FindingMyPurpose VIDEO COURSE AVAILABLE! Instead of reading the blog posts, take the video course!  I personally teach you the method.  You get: Workbook 5-Video Teachings Access to dozens of courses in the Godpreneur Academy! TAKE COURSE TODAY

I’ve noticed a crazy phenomenon in my entrepreneurial career. When I get an idea to come up with something great (a marketing campaign, a new product release, a new business venture), the success of that new thing depends 100% on whether I’m 100% in or not. Let me explain. At one point I wanted to turn my business into a shared workspace. I approached it half-heartedly because I really didn’t want random strangers at my office. But I needed the money, and it sounded like I could make it work if the conditions were right, so I set out to launch it. Guess what. It started, and then it stopped. Although I went through the entire process of doing a logo, a website, emails, and even paid for advertising….my half-hearted approach yielded halfway results, and I pulled the plug. In contrast, when I started my venture Launch in 2 Days, I was 100% committed. I thought it was the best revolution in branding in our generation. And guess what? It’s been wildly successful! The difference was in my FAITH. I wasn’t “all in” for the shared workspace idea, and the results showed it. But with Launch in 2 Days, I was totally sold out to the cause. Through thick and thin, I kept on digging deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole. And guess what happened the deeper I dug? THE MOUNTAIN MOVED! Time and time again, I’ve witnessed firsthand how God can use an entrepreneurs faith in big ways in my business. In the Bible, Jesus said “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20 NIV Your business idea, when starting, is a small mustard seed. You have faith that, with water and God’s nature shining on it, it will grow. The key we need to have is that we need to believe 100% that this tree will grow. Any doubt at all will prevent the tree from growing big enough to move mountains. God will use the little you have to do great and extraordinary things in and through your business. Godpreneurs ask God to give us the confidence to be bold with faith. #FindingMyPurpose #GainConfidence VIDEO COURSE AVAILABLE! Instead of reading the blog posts, take the video course!  I personally teach you the method.  You get: Workbook 5-Video Teachings Access to dozens of courses in the Godpreneur Academy! TAKE COURSE TODAY