The Wow Factor

Bob Woodson is Founder and President of the Woodson Center and 1776 Unites. He is an influential leader on issues of poverty alleviation and empowering disadvantaged communities to become agents of their own uplift. Woodson is a frequent advisor to local, state and federal government officials as well as business and philanthropic organizations. His social activism dates back to the 1960s, when as a young civil rights activist he developed and coordinated national and local community revitalization programs. During the 1970's he directed the National Urban League's Administration of Justice division. Later he served as a Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Currently he is the Founder and President of The Woodson Center where he's on a mission to help residents of low-income neighborhoods address the problems of their communities.

Bob joins me today to discuss his approach to dealing with race relations in America and what he believes is a huge problem; the disconnection between work and income, in underserved communities.

"People are inspired to change and improve and cooperate when you can show them examples of victories that are possible, not always reminding them of injuries to be avoided."

- Bob Woodson

This week on The Wow Factor:

• How Bob's upbringing inspired him to work in Civil Rights
• The breakdown of the traditional American Family
• Why you can't define Black America by slavery
• The importance of looking for the solution to every problem
• Why you can't judge people by their past
• When you give freely, don't give with the expectation that you will be thanked
• Why you must stay faithful to what you do and not be so attached to the outcome of what you're doing
• Why America is a country of redemption

Connect with Bob Woodson:

• The Woodson Center
• Bob Woodson's Twitter
• 1776 Unites
• Bob Woodson's Books

Connect with The WOW Factor:

• Words of Wisdom Website
• I Like Giving: The Transforming Power of a Generous Life by Brad Forsma
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

Rodney Cox founded Ministry Insights International in 2001 to bring personality assessment tools and transformational relationship principles to more than 400,000 church leaders, teams, and married couples worldwide. He is the author of Leading From Your Strengths, Love and Money, Different By Design, which aim to support you in identifying and using your unique skills. He also serves in a Principal capacity at Alliance Ministries in Birmingham, Alabama, where they equip, encourage, and engage believers, connecting their passions and abilities to God's call on their lives to transform the world.

Learn today how Rodney began to see God's design for differences, then start to understand how unconscious human behavior can positively or negatively impact critical human relationships. He discusses the idea of conflict and why what we do in the midst of conflict is so vital and his philosophy that it is in the place of mutual submission that you'll find the safest place of rest and the greatest peace when you lean in instead of walling each other off and judging one another. Rodney also shares the three central principles of leading from your strengths and how they can work to empower leaders to discover their God-given strengths.

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"You can have all the leadership acumen in the world, but if you don't have relationships, you don't have anything." - Rodney Cox

This week on The Wow Factor:

• Why Rodney chose not to go to college but get married instead and why that decision led to long term success
• How he got started in business and the journey that saw him go from diesel mechanic to Snap On Tools Top 100 Franchisee
• Why the death of his brother was Rodney's personal Road to Damascus
• Why Rodney started personality profiling after advice from his Sunday School teacher
• The three groups of people Rodney helps with his business Ministry Insights International
• What Rodney does when he encounters relationships in which it proves challenging to find harmony
• The importance of humility in leadership
• How he works with Pastors and church leaders to build close-knit teams
• The key ingredients to a healthy relational transformation
• Why he thinks it's so important to focus on your strengths and work with others to supplement and support your personal strengths

Rodney Cox's Words of Wisdom:

We're all leaders, but we should make sure not to esteem ourselves higher than we should. Remember that although you bring something unique to the table, you need others to bring their strengths too.

Connect with Rodney Cox:

• Leading from Your Strengths: Building Close-Knit Ministry Teams by Rodney Cox
• Different by Design Marriage Curriculum
• Ministry Insights International Website
• Rodney Cox on LinkedIn
• Ministry Insights International on Facebook
• Ministry Insights International on Twitter

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Connect with The WOW Factor:

• I Like Giving: The Transforming Power of a Generous Life by Brad Formsma
• Words of Wisdom Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

Diana Nightingale, widow of Earl Nightingale, continues to spread the personal development message from Earl's recording The Strangest Secret as she feels it is as vital today as it has ever been. She is the author of Holiday on Earth: Your Journey into Meaning, a speaker, and a retreat and seminar leader, who works internationally to help others understand that 'you are what you think about.' Diana loves to share how people can discover and identify their unpolished acres of diamonds and turn them into opportunities by listening to and reading Earl's teachings.

Diana joins me today to share how she met and married her husband and why she took some convincing to even have dinner with him at first. She discusses her career in realty and how a colleague initially introduced her to Earl Nightingale's work on personal development before she had ever met him. Diana also shares why she took the opportunity to work on a project very close to her heart during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine, which will enable her to bring Earl's work on personal development to a wide range of people via the Internet.

"It doesn't matter what you achieve in this world if you're not a good person." - Diana Nightingale

This week on The Wow Factor:

• Diana's early life and why she feels blessed to have been a teenager in the 1950s
• How The Strangest Secret began its life then skyrocketed in popularity
• Why she wrote her books to continue and extend Earl's personal development themes
• Earl's personal story and career path, including being bombed on the USS Arizona, and why he was overjoyed to inspire so many people with his recording
• Why Brad shared Earl's wisdom with his family and what they got from his words
• How we can all pursue the life we want
• Why information on personal development used to be reserved for male professionals
• How she found some of Earl's unpublished notebooks and what she plans to do with them

Diana Nightingale's Words of Wisdom:

Stay with it; don't ever compromise your integrity. You must be tenacious to achieve your goals, and if you're traveling alongside someone else on that journey, ensure that your goals and dreams align.

Connect with Diana Nightingale:

• Holiday on Earth by Diana Nightingale
• Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale
• Diana Nightingale Website
• Earl Nightingale Website
• Diana Nightingale on Twitter

Connect with The WOW Factor:

• Words of Wisdom Website
• I Like Giving: The Transforming Power of a Generous Life by Brad Forsma
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

Third-generation jewelry store owner Tom Fox grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, during the Great Depression and owned and successful jewelry chain Fox Jewelry Company until he retired in 1990. Always a keen supporter of local charities, upon selling his business, Fox took his philanthropy to a new level when he and his wife established the Tom and Mickie Fox Family Fund, the first donor-advised fund at the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. The Fox's donations have enabled Grand Rapids hospitals to update their equipment with the use of robotic technology significantly, and they have also given significant gifts to several Grand Rapids institutions that benefit the entire community.

Today Tom joins me to discuss what he learned from his father as a business leader and teacher and why working in the family jewelry store from the ground up helped him understand some key principles of leadership. He shares the importance of gaining your customer's trust and why should put the work into building a relationship with your clients, and why he felt that the personal touch went a long way when dealing with the rare customer issues and problems the stores faced. Tom also discusses the vital work of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation and how the Fox family became involved in philanthropic giving.

"Make sure you know what the value of advertising is and what medium you should be using to promote your business, if you're not there, right on top of it, you're not going to be successful." - Tom Fox

This week on The Wow Factor:

• Tom's early education and first experience of working in his father's jewelry store
• The store's new business model of 1949 and the problems with being a credit business
• How Tom learned to take over the business when his father was ill
• Why Tom started doing live tv broadcasts himself
• The times' Tom learned from challenges that came his way as a business leader
• Why Tom felt was so important to look after his employees and why he saw the company as a family
• Why it's so critical to have the goods to back up the advertising
• What happened when the business was sold, and the new owner changed the name of the Fox Jewelry stores
• The value of having a good sense of humor and how Tom used it in business
• The difficulties of retail hours and how Tom balanced that with a successful family life
• Why Tom was happy to be proved wrong on a marketing front and why it helps to be willing to try anything
• What is keeping Tom busy these days

Tom Fox's Words of Wisdom:

The customer is right, even when they're wrong. Treat them right, treat them respectfully, and be positive and optimistic in your interactions.

Connect with Tom Fox:

• Grand Rapids Community Foundation Website
• Grand Rapids Community Foundation on Facebook
• Grand Rapids Community Foundation on Instagram
• Grand Rapids Community Foundation on Twitter

Connect with The WOW Factor:

• Words of Wisdom Website
• I Like Giving: The Transforming Power of a Generous Life by Brad Forsma
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

Dick Foth is an author and public speaker who has spent 25 years working with his wife Ruth to encourage and support business leaders to be the best they can be in their personal lives too. Dick loves to teach people how to build relationships in their public and private lives and why it is so critical to building those effective relationships. He holds a master's degree from Wheaton College Graduate School and a doctorate from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. He is on the education teams of four congregations, including the National Community Church in Washington, D. C.

Dick joins me today to highlight the importance of authenticity in a great leader; he explains why leaders shouldn't concentrate on their career at the expense of their personal life and why having good friends is integral to your wellbeing. We discuss his experience in Washington D.C and why it can be hard for professionals at the top of their game in any arena to trust new people and why his gift for making authentic personal connections helped him help them. Dick also shares his wisdom on why you shouldn't be afraid to show your vulnerability and share your lows as well as your successes and why 'leading with a limp' can build deep friendships.

"A leader is somebody who is secure and is both authentic and vulnerable. They're true to themselves and can see the best course to take, but they also realize their own limitations." - Dick Foth

This week on The Wow Factor:

• How childhood health challenges led to inspiring moments for Dick
• The wisdom that a graduate school teacher passed on that has followed him through his whole life
• Dick's experience as a college president and why he left that role to take on a new challenge
• Why Dick is passionate about being a trustworthy friend to people in places of leadership
• Dick's experience of being close to the Pentagon on 9/11
• Why walking alongside the country's leaders taught Dick how to spot a leader with a good heart
• How leaders can build a network of true friends and why it is so important to have a rich personal life
• Dick's approach to his interview with George W. Bush and why he was surprised by their talk

Dick Foth's Words of Wisdom:

It isn't that you have a story; you are a story. It is only by telling someone who you really are and sharing the challenges in your life and not just the highlights that you will truly connect and find real friends.

Connect with Dick Foth:

• Dick Foth Website
• Dick Foth on Facebook
• Dick Foth on Instagram
• Known: Finding Deep Friendships in a Shallow World by Dick and Ruth Foth
• A Trip Around the Sun: Turning Your Everyday Life into the Adventure of a Lifetime by Mark Batterson and Richard Foth

Connect with The WOW Factor:

• Website
• I Like Giving: The Transforming Power of a Generous Life book by Brad Forsma
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

Nona Jones is a pastor, author, international speaker, and head of Faith-Based Partnerships at Facebook, where she facilitates the company's work with faith-based organizations and helps expand the reach of religious organizations through online impact. She is a graduate of the University of Florida where she gained both her Bachelor in Communications and Master of Business Administration degrees and was named by ESSENCE Magazine as an 'Under 40 Woman to Watch' and by Florida Trend Magazine as one of Florida's '30-Something All-Stars.' Nona and her husband, Pastor Timothy Jones, Sr., live in Gainesville, Florida, where they lead Open Door Ministries.

Nona joins me today to discuss her meteoric rise up the career ladder to C-Suite level and why she quit her job when she was at the top of her game. She shares her upbringing and why she was considered a 'problem' child at school until she was mentored by a group of supportive and compassionate educators. Nona also dives into what her role as Head of Faith Partnerships entails and her passion for facilitating and promoting social ministry online to make building a religious community universally accessible to worshippers nationally and internationally.

"As leaders, we have to build curiosity, and we have to build a willingness to do the work and educate ourselves." - Nona Jones

This week on The Wow Factor:

• Why Nona believes in the power of education and how that has touched her own life
• Her experience of studying at the University of Florida and why she made a pivot in her career plans
• Nona's commitment to supporting young people who have suffered trauma
• How Nona got hired into her first executive role and the leadership lessons that she learned
• The value in reading and how it can nurture curiosity
• Nona's role at Pace Centre for Girls why she left its board of trustees
• Why she is so passionate about advocating for girls and young women
• How she connected with Facebook and why she took her current role
• Why she trusts God to guide her along her path

Nona Jones' Words of Wisdom:

In this time of unrest and angst, leaders should realize that they have been placed in a position of privilege to work to support and improve their community for the better. Tension and frustration should drive you to lead to a higher plane of thinking.

Connect with Nona Jones:

• Nona Jones Website
• Nona Jones on Facebook
• Nona Jones on Instagram
• Nona Jones on Twitter
• Nona Jones on LinkedIn

Connect with The WOW Factor:

• Website
• I Like Giving: The Transforming Power of a Generous Life book by Brad Forsma
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

Wendell Christoff is the co-founder of Litehouse Inc, the number one refrigerated salad dressing brand in the combined US and Canada. He grew up outside Grand Rapids, Michigan, and was involved from the outset in his family's salad dressing business, where he worked after school to bottle and deliver their product to local stores. After getting a degree in Food Marketing and Business from Western Michigan University, Wendell joined the U.S. Air Force as a pilot during the Vietnam War before rejoining the family business.

Wendell joins me today to discuss why he decided to change his college major from Pre-Med to Food Marketing and the professor who had a significant impact on his path in life. He shares his experience of expanding his father's small salad dressing business and why he was motivated to grow the business from its humble beginnings and subsequently seek to partner with another company with similar values. Wendell also talks a little about the importance of diversifying in business and what the company learned from seizing unexpected opportunities.

"Anything that you do that's worth doing takes a lot of work and a lot of elbow grease" - Wendell Christoff

This week on The Wow Factor:

• Wendell's experience of balancing growing a business and bringing up his family
• Why it was essential to Wendell to keep growing the business
• How he met his wife Helen and her part in supporting the business
• The expansion of the product range and why they chose to market to the fancy foods industry
• The restaurant chain that gave them their big break
• Wendell's experience in the U.S. Air Force and his love of flying
• Why Wendell was open to a partnership and how he knew that the merger was the right way forward
• How Litehouse moved from 2 to 2000 products and why products got buried along the way
• Changes in the refrigerated salad dressing industry since the 1970s

Wendell Christoff's Words of Wisdom:

Lead with integrity: The keystone to integrity is trust, and it is vital to build trust into your organization by communicating with people honestly, and to remember as a leader that right is right even if no one is doing it and wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it.

Connect with Wendell Christoff:

• Litehouse Foods Website
• Litehouse Foods on Facebook
• Litehouse Foods on Instagram
• Litehouse Foods on Twitter
• Litehouse Foods on YouTube

Connect with The WOW Factor:

• Website
• I Like Giving: The Transforming Power of a Generous Life book by Brad Forsma
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

Sam Covelli is the President and CEO of Covelli Enterprises, a franchisee that employs more than 30,000 people at Panera Bread, O'Charley, and Dairy Queen restaurants across North America. Sam Covelli grew up in Warren, Ohio where his family owned the McDonalds restaurant and remembers rushing through his school day to get to his part-time job back at the restaurant, and says he loved his Dad's company so much that people used to say he had 'ketchup running through his veins.' After graduating from business school at the University of Miami, Sam returned home to take his place alongside his late father, Albert, in the business and has devoted himself to building Covelli Enterprises alongside his family, ever since.

Sam joins me today to share why he adores the restaurant business so much and why and how his company gradually sold the McDonalds restaurants they owned to buy Panera Bread franchises and build them into the successful casual dining restaurants they are today. He shares his views on the fundamental principles of leadership and why he loves to visit his restaurants unannounced to enjoy the great experience his associates provide. Sam also shares his philosophy on giving back to the community financially and emotionally, and his enthusiasm for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

"When you have people who are doing a terrific job, you have to tell them." - Sam Covelli

This week on The Wow Factor:

• How his Dad's Mcdonald's franchise impacted him as a child
• Why he loves the whole restaurant experience from dining in other people's to working in his own
• How he made Youngest Franchisee of the Year at McDonald's and the effect on his associates
• Why he moved from McDonald's to Panera Bread over 22yrs ago
• Sam's attitude to taking risks in business
• What Sam sees as leadership core tenants
• The importance of recognizing and rewarding exceptional performers in your business
• Why he sees his restaurants as one big family
• Herb Kelleher
• Sam's recipe for long term business success
• What he's excited for in the Panera's future
• The leadership lessons he learned from as a young man

Sam Covelli's Words of Wisdom:

Never take shortcuts - work hard, do it right, and keep one eye on the details if you want to be successful long-term.

Connect with Sam Covelli:

• Covelli Enterprises Website
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• YouTube

Connect with The WOW Factor:

• Website
• I Like Giving: The Transforming Power of a Generous Life book by Brad Forsma
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

General Krulak is a former commandant of the U.S. Marines Corps and a deputy director of the White House Military Office, and he has served by presidential appointment as chairman of the U.S. Naval Academy Board of Visitors, overseeing the board responsible for the policies of the U.S. Naval Academy. Following his retirement from military service, General Krulak was made chairman and CEO of MBNA Europe Bank in England, where he oversaw the financial turnaround for the credit card provider. He subsequently joined MBNA America Bank as vice chairman and chief administrative officer, where he was responsible for corporate and personnel development and education. General Krulak served as president of Birmingham-Southern College and continues to be passionate about supporting the development of young people.

General Krulak joins me today to share the experience he gained while working with Presidents Regan and Bush as part of the White House Military Office staff and how his role was pivotal in providing military support. He discusses his move into leading private companies and why it was important to him to be authentic and honest to get the best out of his staff and himself in this new industry. General Krulak also shares the motivation behind his charitable work with the US Israel Education Association and the future objectives of the program.

"Where principle is involved, be deaf to expediency." - General Krulak

This week on The Wow Factor:

• The advantages of growing up a military junior
• Why he decided to join the Marine Corps
• His journey through training school to become an Infantry Officer and subsequently go to Vietnam
• The emotional impact of being in the Marine Corps on his wife and family
• How he progressed through the ranks in his career
• The difference between the public and classified areas of his work at the White House
• The personal importance of embracing Christianity to General Krulak
• His pride in being selected as the Marine Corps Commandant
• The Importance of prayer in significant moments
• The Influence of his father and other mentors such as President Regan
• Why he is passionate about moving forward and helping young people
• How he continued to grow as a leader
• Why he doesn't dwell on regrets

General Krulak's Words of Wisdom:

If you want to be successful in life, be a man or a woman of character, have moral courage, do the right thing, have integrity.

Connect with General Krulak:

• Hope for the Warriors website
• US Israel Education Association website
• Human Rights First website

Connect with The WOW Factor:

• Website
• I Like Giving: The Transforming Power of a Generous Life book by Brad Forsma
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

David Green, the Founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby join us on the podcast today. Hobby Lobby is the worlds largest privately owned Arts and Crafts store. Hobby Lobby is primarily an arts-and-crafts store but also includes hobbies, picture framing, jewelry making, fabrics, floral and wedding supplies, cards and party ware, baskets, wearable art, home accents and holiday merchandise. From starting his company with just $600 in the 1970s, Green has been able to work tirelessly and flourish under God's guidance to grow his company to the retail giant it is today.

In this episode, you'll hear David explain how he built his business squarely on biblical principles, how you can find your life's mission, and how he runs his business.

This week on The Wow Factor:

• David's childhood and first experience with money
• How David found his life's mission during high school
• David's career advice to fellow entrepreneurs
• The importance of inviting God's guidance and looking for your path
• How David faced a bank foreclosure and found the strength to continue
• The perks of being a Private company vs a Public company
• Why David writes everything down, and isn't fond of smartphones and computers
• The importance of giving back

Key Takeaway: When you follow God's word, you are laying the foundation for gratitude, prosperity, and grace, to which your business can flourish in.

The WOW Factor

Website: https://www.bradformsma.com

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David Green

Website: https://www.hobbylobby.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HobbyLobby

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/HobbyLobby/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hobbylobby YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/hobbylobby

Instagram: https://instagram.com/HobbyLobby