Archive | Business

5 Things I Learned From Starting a Business With My Son

In August of 2022, my then 11-year-old son, Matthew, came to me and said, “Dad, I want to get into sports cards.”“Like baseball cards?” I replied.“Yeah, I’ve been watching this guy on YouTube who turned a penny into a car and I think I can do it with cards.”“A car?” I’m not sure if my eye roll was audible, but my immediate response wasn’t favorable.Like every kid in the 80s and 90s, I had my fair share of cards. In […]

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Bear Hunting | Your Field Guide to a Successful 2019

In our heyday of real estate sales we had a saying, “I’m going bear hunting.” This was analogous to chasing something really big. Wether it was a big client or a new business idea, “bear hunting” was our catch phrase. Unfortunately, we learned the hard way that sometimes the bear eats the hunter. After the market crashed, I traded in my bear hunting attire for a suit and tie. It was time to grow up and stop living with such […]

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Living From Passion or Living Under Pressure?

Do you live from passion, or do you live under pressure? As a young, hungry salesman I lived and worked from passion. The newness of the career and the open road ahead were exciting. But in time, providing for my family, the demands of the career, and juggling what seemed to be an insurmountable amount of responsibility began to create pressure. Whether it’s navigating your career, caring for your kids, or serving at a church or organization, I’m sure you’ve […]

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Leadership Anemia | The Condition that is Quietly Killing America

During last year’s Presidential primary debates, I remember having the thought, “Is this really the best we can do? Of all the leaders in our country, this is who we have to choose from?” From that point on, I launched a personal expedition to find the leaders in our culture. And not just those in the national spotlight, but those on a local level as well. After eighteen months of searching, I have come to the conclusion that America is suffering […]

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The Xennial Micro-Generation: Bridging The Gap

I recently read an article highlighting a study of people born between 1977 and 1983 (via Dan Woodman, Melbourne University). We are Xennials—a micro-generation wedged between Generation X and Generation Y. As someone born in 1981, I consider the article to be spot on. I’ve never felt like I identified with either generation exclusively. Instead, I possess characteristics of both. I vividly remember when our family got our first VCR, car phone and computer. As a kid, I listened to […]

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Three People You Need in Your Life

Life is hard. There’s no denying that. As a result, we try to control our circumstances to avoid the “hard”— like if we eat right or get on a budget, then it will all be rainbows and unicorns. By sheer willpower and effectiveness we try to push through our struggles with a fix-it-myself attitude. But curiously, that mentality isolates us. Before we know it, we’re alone, buried by our circumstances. Rather than relying on efficient practices and willpower, is there another way? As a […]

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