Visionaries sometimes identify opportunities when everyone else only sees a crisis. For instance, according to a Harvard Business Review article, the SARS outbreak of 2003 is often credited with the adoption of online shopping among Chinese consumers, accelerating Alibaba’s online store. School closings due to the coronavirus could become a catalyst for accelerating online education. New opportunities will emerge from […]

Kathy and I began this ministry in 2001. Since then, we watched the United States change when two planes crashed into the World Trade Center. While the stock market was crashing in 2008, we hosted an event in Dallas. Fear overwhelmed many leaders attending that day. This year, the coronavirus has engulfed the world with fear. The stock market collapsed […]

One day when I was visiting a pastor in the urban core of Kansas City, a person entered the church. He requested that the pastor give him money for food. The pastor handed this man a broom and simply said, “We need some work done. If you clean up our lobby, I’ll buy you lunch.” Leviticus 23:22 says, “When you […]

When Jeff Bramstedt was in high school, he desperately wanted to play football. But as his parents prayed, they felt strongly that he was not to play football. Instead, Jeff’s parents told him that he could do competitive swimming and track and field. Jeff was frustrated but chose to make the best of his options. He threw his energy and […]

A 2017 Monster.com poll found that of the over 3,000 participants, 61% say they have been snubbed for a promotion or an award at work. That means that over half of the working population believes they did not get something that they believe was well-deserved. But is being “snubbed” always a bad thing? Being skipped over for a promotion does […]

While former Navy Seal, Jeff Bramstedt, stared at our Unconventional Business Network banner, he asked if I knew what Unconventional Forces were. Jeff explained that conventional forces are uniformed soldiers who do battle in conventional ways. He noted that since the Vietnam war, our military has only encountered unconventional forces, forcing us to begin using more special unconventional forces. By doing so, […]

The American Psychological Association recently surveyed workers to determine what causes them the most work stress. The third highest stressor for employees is heavy workload. 42% of workers surveyed, claim they are stressed due to a perceived heavy workload. In Exodus 18, Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, was a wise leader who helped Moses overcome Moses’ heavy workload. In Exodus 18:17 we […]

The American Psychological Association recently surveyed workers to determine what causes them the most work stress. The second highest stressor was lack of opportunity for advancement. 46% of people surveyed perceive they have little opportunity to advance, and this causes them stress. Part of developing your business and your people is to be mindful of ways to better engage your […]

The American Psychological Association recently surveyed workers to determine what causes the most work stress. 49% of these interviewees said that low salaries were their highest stress factor. The perception of low wages can be due to employees living beyond their means. Their stress may need to be relieved with financial training. Some employers, however, may be guilty of enhancing profits […]

A recent article from Multichannel Merchant suggests four steps to foster effective teamwork during difficult times. First, establish safety and credibility for all team members. Second, put everything on the table. Third, align around the goals and processes. And fourth, evaluate the results of the team and make changes as needed. It’s important to recognize during challenging times, everyone on […]