TwoTen - Issue 7 by TwoTen Magazine, Inc.

Broken Roads & Straight Paths Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts

John Bandimere, Jr. President of Bandimere Speedway

Alan Barnhart CEO of Barnhart Crane

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Contents

18 Cover Story

Features

Broken Roads And Straight Paths

A Rumble On The Mountain

Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts reflects on how faith has guided the best-selling country vocal group of the past decade.

John Bandimere, Jr. works hard to make “God’s Racetrack” a vibrant testimony to the grace of Christ.

Making A Life By What He Gives

Opportunity Abounds

2nd Quarter

For Barnhart Crane and Rigging, heeding warnings about wealth has paid off handsomely.

As stewards of opportunity, provided by God, Walker Manufacturing learns to inspire excellence in their people. Table of Contents

52 74

VOLUME 2

ISSUE 7 Q2 2014

Columns & Departments Welcome 06

Simply, Ambassadors For Christ – TwoTen’s founders provide an overview of issue seven.

What’s Love Got To Do With It? – Our leadership model changes radically when love is our core value.

Articles 38

Delivering Results Through People – What can coming out of the “Christian closet” do for your business?

Turning Good Intentions Into Real Behavior – Four habits that are the building blocks of human interaction.

The Perfect Time Is Right Now – New media technology redefines what it means to be a missionary.

Columns & Departments 52

Ask Dave On Business – Dave Ramsey answers real-life questions from business owners.

4 Ways To Stop Putting Things Off – How to finally overcome your procrastination.

Receiving Your Inheritance In Your Marketplace Call – What you’re receiving is coming from God.

Building A Legacy – Alan Robertson explains how to invest in the future by discipling your leaders.

Helping Your Staff Cope With Personal Life Challenges – Rescuing employees with personal problems.

3 Ways To Optimize Through Experimentation – Improving business performance with tangible actions.

Perseverance Isn’t Enough – Perseverance is great, but is there a point when enough is enough?

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OUR MISSION STATEMENT

TO INSPIRE ENCOURAGE & EQUIP

BUSINESS LEADERS

WITH CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES TO MAKE AN ETERNAL

POSITIVE IMPACT ON EVERYONE THAT GOD HAS

ENTRUSTED THEM

TO SERVE Founders of TwoTen Magazine, Richard W. Hayes and John Faulkner.

SIMPLY, AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST We think Paul said it best when he told the Ephesians that we are God’s workmanship created in Christ to do good works for the purpose that He has prepared for us (Ephesians 2:10). It’s why we are who we are; it’s why we do what we do; and it’s all because of Him.

ssue seven of TwoTen Magazine is full of leaders who feel the breadth of Paul’s message as well. We hope that by sharing their stories, you might be inspired in the midst of your own story in knowing that all hope, success and strength comes from Him alone. Gary LeVox, lead singer of country music sensation Rascal Flatts, has been living by faith since childhood and continues to lead his family and his band in a way that honors Christ through love and leadership. LeVox admits that his desire is to pray first, discuss later and give the Holy Spirit control even when doing so is neither easy nor encouraged in the world in which we live today.

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The Bandimere family of Bandimere Speedway in Colorado gives God all the credit for the success of their business. John Bandimere, Jr. even says that it is God’s track after all, and He is simply giving them stewardship over the endeavor. Similarly, Barnhart Crane and Rigging relies on a fifty-person charitable program within the company to manage ministry investment opportunities that God provides, and the Walker family of Walker Manufacturing recognizes a personal relationship with the Lord as the foundation of all personal and professional success. In addition, The Human Capital Group’s senior partner and founder, Steve Hayes, expresses the company’s motivation and Simply, Ambassadors For Christ

determination to produce work in a positive way because it ultimately reflects Christ. Phyllis Hendry, president and CEO of Lead Like Jesus, affirms that by God’s love we are free from the burden of pleasing everyone and can instead focus on an audience of one – Him. Dr. Paul White introduces an idea contrary to culture at large in which certain situations mark perseverance as a hindrance instead of a help. Bob Buford offers examples and applications for turning good intentions into real behavior, and you will learn about how RightNow Ministries wanders beyond church walls to reach millions for Christ. We also hear from Dr. Mark Cress on the top four challenges staff members struggle with at work, and Os Hillman scripturally analyzes the concept that God is the source of our success. Alan Rober tson of Duck Commander’s Robertson family joins us once more regarding the importance of a corporate succession plan. Legacy and discipleship, he says, cannot exist without one another. As always, we are grateful for our quarterly contributing columnists as they return in this issue to provide Christ-centered wisdom to peers in the marketplace, including Dave Ramsey, Chris Hogan and Jordan Raynor. In the stories ahead, leaders identify their purpose in His will and recognize His glory by giving it all back to Him.

Printed in the U.S.A. A publication of TwoTen Magazine, Inc. 33838 Americana Ave. • Dade City, FL 33525

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 George Cline Associate Editor Paul Tejera Technology Director Chandler Hayes Copy Editor Mike Crisp Social Media Manager Jennifer Soults Copy Editor Mike Glesenkamp Web Manager Emily Moschner Copywriter Robin Stafstrom Production Manager Nicole Armas Distribution Manager John H. Rains, III General Counsel Miranda Faulkner-Smith Operations Manager

Contributors Os Hillman Phyllis Hendry Dr. Paul White Chris Hogan

Bob Buford Tricia Despres Mark Cress Sue Brage

Jessica Burchfield Lisa Huetteman Alan Robertson

Founding Contributors

Ken Blanchard Jordan Raynor

Buck Jacobs Mark Whitaker

Dave Ramsey Edward L. Flom

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.

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We’d love to hear from you. Please send us your feedback, suggestions and recommendations to advance TwoTen Magazine.

Inquiry Addresses Editorial editorial@twotenmag.com Distribution & Subscription subscribe@twotenmag.com Advertising sales@twotenmag.com Like us on Facebook

John Faulkner

Founder & Editor In Chief

Richard W. Hayes

facebook.com/twotenmag

Founder & Publisher

© 2014 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.

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WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? BY PHYLLIS HENDRY

2nd Quarter

What’s Love Got To Do With It?

A radio interviewer said, “I know you teach leadership, but you talk a lot about love. What’s love got to do with it?” My answer was simple. “Everything.” Love, as a core value, has everything to do with everything. We continued for the next hour talking about leaders who have chosen love as their core value and the difference they make in the lives of their followers.

t seems there are two challenges as we unfold the connection between love and leadership. One challenge is the word “love,” which has been minimized, abused and misused. The love I am talking about brings words into our lives we could have never fully understood before – words like trust, grace, forgiveness, faithfulness, commitment, accountability and service. I am convinced when people choose love as a core value, they are a different leader, spouse, parent, friend, neighbor and more. Love changes us. It is the greatest change agent of all time. When we look at Jesus, our leadership model, we see that He experienced great love from His Father while He was on earth. In Mark 1:11, when God’s Spirit descended like a dove, along with the Spirit, a voice said: “’You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life’” (The Message). Jesus knew the

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Father loved Him; He knew whose He was and who He was. Jesus received the Father’s love, and He lived His life on earth through it. We are to do the same. The second challenge is that the word “leader” is often misunderstood. I recently heard from a seminary president that many of their younger students do not want to study leadership or even be identified as a leader. Their experiences with “leaders” have tainted their view of what leaders look like and do; they want no part of it. At Lead Like Jesus, we believe leadership happens any time you influence the thinking, behavior or development of another person. Leadership is about influence, and it happens in every area of our lives - in our homes, organizations, churches and communities.

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How would our leadership change if, like Jesus, we received God’s love and adopted that love as our core value? I believe accepting and abiding in God’s love and choosing love as our core value does at least four things in our lives:

We know whose we are. Our self-worth is no longer up for grabs; our security and self-worth come from Him, not from our performance or from the opinion of others. The pride that could come from accomplishment is diminished as we recognize that everything we have - every gift, every talent, every experience does not come from us, but passes through us as a gift from God. We realize that it isn’t about us. The security and confidence of knowing whose we are allows us to become fully what God has called us to be in our leadership and in our life. We become fearless. “There is no fear in love; perfect love casts out fear” (I John 4:18). When we receive God’s love, we are no longer held captive by trying to please everyone. We only have one audience. We are willing to listen to feedback. Ken Blanchard says, “Feedback is the breakfast of champions!” Fearful leaders are dangerous leaders; they are always protecting themselves instead of protecting their mission and their teams. Fearful leaders are most afraid when they feel their leadership might be rejected or compared to others. When we accept the gift of God’s unconditional love, the fear goes away and allows us to lead with confidence in the One who loves us most. We can offer that same love to others. Scripture tells us in John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” The new command was to love as Jesus did; He loved sacrificially and unconditionally. We can’t give this kind of love to anyone if we have not received it ourselves. The only way you can love unconditionally is through Jesus. Those whom we influence need our love–a love that is strong enough to see mistakes as opportunities to learn, a love that gives grace and yet upholds the accountability to help others reach their highest potential in all God has planned for their lives. We have a new perspective. Life has many challenges and losses. Knowing we are secure in God’s love allows us to view every situation through a different lens and gives us a new perspective. Our perspective is the frame in which we view life; receiving and abiding in God’s love allows us to have an eternal perspective. As a leader, focusing on the long view instead of seeing the crisis of the moment is critical for those we lead.

“

When we receive G od ’s love, we ar e n o longer held captive by

trying to please everyone. We only have one audience. Him.” – Phyllis Hendry

I am convinced that we find in I Corinthians 13:4-8a, a description of the love we are intended to be. In the passage below, insert your name every time you see the word love and see if the words describe you. “Love is patient, Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a We can choose love as our core value, and when we do, we have the opportunity to build incredible relationships and have results beyond what we have imagined. In addition, we have the blessing of having an eternal impact on the lives of those we lead and introducing them to the One who loves them most. I continue to believe it is only by love that love is awakened, and it is the calling of a lifetime for every leader. Are there relationships in your life where you need to ask the question, “What is the most loving thing to do?” How will you respond? Father, thank you for loving us. Help us to love others like You do–without condition and sacrificially. VICTORY

Phyllis Hendry serves as the inaugural President and CEO of Lead Like Jesus. Under her capable leadership, Lead Like Jesus has had a global impact. Phyllis has traveled across the United States and various parts of the world to speak and teach the message of Lead Like Jesus. She is a dynamic communicator who gets to the heart of her audiences with messages that come straight from hers. Her messages of truth are clear, personal, filled with stories, and life-changing. She often serves as a keynote and plenary speaker and delights in each opportunity to share the impact of the Lead Like Jesus message in the home, church, and marketplace. For More Information about Lead Like Jesus or to bring Phyllis Hendry to your organization as a speaker, visit www.LeadLikeJesus.com or call 800.383.6890.

2nd Quarter

What’s Love Got To Do With It?

“

Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.”

– Ezra 10:4

PURPOSE “We aren’t just thrown on this earth like dice tossed across a table. We are lovingly placed here for a purpose.” - Charles Swindoll -

...meditate on these things.

PHOTO BY: MARK HUMPHREY // ASSOCIATED PRESS

2nd Quarter

Broken Roads & Straight Paths

GARY LEVOX:

BROKEN ROADS

& ST R AIGH T PATHS BY TRICIA DESPRES

She was a mom and a wife and a sister and a friend who knew every word to every Rascal Flatts song, and on this particular night, she knew she was going backstage to meet her musical hero–Rascal Flatts lead singer Gary LeVox.

She also knew she was dying of cancer.

A “

s soon as Gary (LeVox) walked in, he went up to her, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and told her that he would be praying for her tonight,” recalls police officer Brian Michels of the meeting he witnessed at “ a recent Chicago concert between LeVox and Brian’s wife Jodie, who would ultimately lose her life to the dreaded disease just a few short months later. “Up until that point, she had been very weak. But that night, she smiled.” Jodie Michels was just one of the millions of fans who, through the years, have laid witness to

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the musical testimony of Gary LeVox. Because alongside the talents of his Rascal Flatts brothers Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney, LeVox has used the stage to not only sing from, but also as a platform where he has proudly proclaimed his love for music… and his God. “I feel like God graced us with a platform where we can not only touch people’s lives through music, but by being men of God offstage too,” explains LeVox during an exclusive interview with TwoTen Magazine. “At those times when we are with fans that are going

TwoTen Magazine

“

Gary’s graciousness

with the fans is always inspiring, and to witness him sing a song like “Bless the Broken Road” is one of the most spiritually moving moments I have ever seen. So many people from all over the world have been moved by that song. And I feel blessed to get to see it and hear it every single night on stage.” - Joe Don Rooney

through something like cancer, it is so wonderful to not only sing for them but to hold their hand and pray with them. I want them to know that they have a friend in me. I’m not just some guy on the stage. I feel like Christ has put me in this position because He knew I could handle the obligation, which often means taking the time to lift someone up in prayer.” So with an ever present cross around his neck and faith filled words coming effortlessly from his lips, LeVox has gone and shown us all how the power of celebrity can be used in his music, straddling the country and gospel genres alongside his Rascal Flatts band mates with inspiring hits such as “Bless The Broken Road,” “Every Day” and “Changed.” “[Gary’s] graciousness with the fans is always inspiring, and to witness him sing a song like “Bless the Broken Road” is one of the most spiritually moving moments I have ever seen,” says Joe Don Rooney. “So many people from all over the world have been moved by that song. And I feel blessed to get to see it and hear it every single night on stage.” “God has truly been the biggest thing in our lives since we were children, so there is no way we can remove that from our music,” adds LeVox. “I’m thankful our music has touched people.

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But yeah…I just can’t believe this whole career was planned out for me long before my conception. It’s mind blowing.”

Living On Faith...At the Beginning As a kid, LeVox says he was already a true believer of God. “We are all blessed to have had such a wonderful Christian foundation as kids,” explains the 43-year-old, father of two. “Jay [DeMarcus] and I are cousins, and being old Pentecostal boys from Ohio, our first memories of life were not about music, but church every Wednesday and twice on Sunday. [Laughs.] My grandmother had a strong influence on my faith life. She was the absolute center of making sure we got to church three times a week…every week. Throw us a piece of Juicy Fruit, and off we would go.” Growing up, there were moments when LeVox felt a professional soccer career might have been where his life was headed. His job at the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation had more than fulfilled him after graduation from high school. Yet, LeVox says he always felt another life tugging on his conscience, but never as much as the day he found himself sitting in his mom’s kitchen, contemplating a life altering move to Nashville.

Broken Roads & Straight Paths

PHOTO PROVIDED BY: BIG MACHINE LABEL GROUP

Rascal Flatts proudly point out their official plaque on the Grand Ole Opry member wall.

“I’ve always had faith,” he says. “Faith is believing in the things you can’t see, and I always had that. But when I started thinking about moving to Nashville, I truly felt the presence of God standing in that kitchen right next to me. I said, ‘Lord I am so sorry, because I think I sound as good as the guys on the radio, or at least I could try to sound as good as them. I think you have given me a certain gift, and I’m just so sorry for not using it. I know You wouldn’t have given it to me if you didn’t want me to use it.’” And Gary LeVox was ready to use it. “I decided right then and there that I would quit the job I had for ten years and sell everything, and on a true leap of faith, I loaded my truck and headed to Nashville,” he recalls. “Two minutes after I drove into town, I was in a studio singing backgrounds on Michael English’s gospel record that Jay [DeMarcus] was producing. That’s how good God works and how great He is.”

Living On Faith...Rascal Flatts Style Since that fateful truck ride to Nashville and a chance meeting on stage between LeVox, DeMarcus and Rooney (“From

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the very first night we sang together, we knew we had something ordained. God had his hand upon what we were doing from the very beginning”), Rascal Flatts has gone on to achieve the often unreachable. Known today as the best-selling country vocal group of the past decade, Rascal Flatts has sold over 22.5 million albums and over 28 million digital downloads since their musical debut in 2000. Currently basking in a career resurgence of sorts via their new hit single “Rewind” and the May 2014 release of their new album, also named Rewind, the most-awarded Country group of the past decade has persevered through an ever changing industry in which often, only the smart and talented survive. “I pray first, and we discuss later,” LeVox says of the decision process often put in place within the band. “I let the Holy Spirit take control. He is my best friend. I always have to go back to what I feel like God is calling me to do. It’s the most important thing.” “I think Gary gives careful consideration to his faith with each decision he makes as a man and as a business partner,” adds DeMarcus. “Gary is smart enough to realize that every decision he makes personally and professionally affects him and everyone

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Rascal Flatts performs on the 45th Annual CMA Awards in Nashville, Tennessee.

else around him. What I admire is that it’s not just about Gary– it’s about his family, Joe Don and I, as well as all our fans. That’s something he takes very seriously.” Of course, within the music industry, there lies a constant chance of pitfalls and pressures which LeVox admits has, at times, been challenging to muddle through. “I may not always do it perfectly, but I always try to give God all the glory and credit in the professional world,” remarks LeVox, who also prides himself as an avid hunter. “There is never a time that I am ashamed or embarrassed to say that whatever stress and worry we might be going through as a band, God is still in control. He is not going to set us up for failure.” “Gary has a calming effect on me when I am stressed out or worried about something that is out of my hands,” adds DeMarcus. “I have learned through him that it’s not necessary to beat yourself up all of the time, and it’s ok to be human. Grace

2nd Quarter

PHOTO BY: FRANK MICELOTTA // INVISION // ASSOCIATED PRESS

is a gift that none of us deserve. What right do we have to put limitations on it? It’s a wonderful thing to watch someone in their pursuit of living Christ-like, and it is evident that it’s of the utmost importance to Gary.” And while fourteen number one singles and 7 million concert tickets sold continues to keep the Grand Ole Opry members on the forefront of country music, the members of Rascal Flatts have admitted hitting their share of personal challenges through the years. “In my opinion, sometimes faith was the ONLY thing that kept this band together,” explains DeMarcus. “Miles and days get long, everyone is human, and everyone gets tired. I know that the good Lord has had His hand on us and has sustained us from day one. Of that I am absolutely certain.” “There have been many moments when faith had to come in, and we just had to trust,” adds LeVox. “No decision has ever been made by just the three of us. Every decision is made by the four

Broken Roads & Straight Paths

“

When you are on the road

all the time, you have to rule the road…

you can’t let the road rule you.

It’s all about getting into a routine.”

of us. Christ comes first. Our job is to simply hold on. God said ‘Trust in me and I will show you things unbeknownst to you.’ He has done that…a lot.”

Living By Faith...On the Road Getting ready to hit the road yet again this spring for the “REWIND Tour 2014,” LeVox boards his tour bus with a bible by his side, church services on his iPad and his accountability partners never far away. “I have learned how special it is that we each help to inspire & re-inspire each other at times throughout this journey together,” explains Rooney. “Your convictions have to be strong on the road, and Gary is a great reminder of the path and mission that us Rascal Flatts boys are on. It’s inspiring to walk on Gary’s bus and see him reading his Bible or making notes with his favorite Bible verses.” “When you are on the road all the time, you have to rule the road…you can’t let the road rule you,” adds LeVox. “It’s all about getting into a routine. You must stay in The Word, show some discipline, and surround yourself with good people.” Good people…including good buddy Tim Tebow. “Tim Tebow and I are best friends, so Timmy and I are really strong accountability people to one another,” LeVox says. “He keeps me in check. Plus, my wife and my mom are both strong women of faith, and I am blessed to have them around me.”

Living By Faith...Now and Into the Future

- Gary LeVox

Memphis, and yep, Jesus is mentioned,” LeVox chuckles just before singing some of the song’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics. “God always has a way of getting into our songs in one way or another. But one of the greatest things is we can tell other people’s stories too. So yes, there is also a song on there called ‘Liquor Talking.’ [Laughter ensues.]” So, as a man of God who seems to have let go of the reins and let God take the wheel thus far, what is next in the life of Gary LeVox? Is there life after Rascal Flatts? “I don’t know what God has in store for me,” he admits, a bit quieter than before. “He is in control, so it’s going to be fantastic whatever it is. I never know what the next chapter is going to be. My oldest daughter took her first mission trip to Guatemala last summer, and so I suppose we are going to have to keep up with those trips. I’m a hunter, so something in the outdoor world would be cool. All I care about is staying humble. When I pray or talk to Christ, I always say how I cannot believe He had all of this in store for me. He never ceases to amaze me. I have been blessed beyond measure with way more than I deserve. He is simply amazing, and it’s been an amazing career so far. I can’t wait to see what is next.” VICTORY

Tricia Despres is a Ch ica g o -b a sed enterta inment writer whose

work

publications Sun-Times,

has

such

appeared the

Advertising

Age

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and

Country Weekly magazine. From making story deadlines to making dinner for husband Paul and

2014 marks the release of Rascal Flatts’ ninth album and seems to signal where Rascal Flatts is headed. “It might not have a completely spiritual tone, but there is a song about a girl from

Chicago

girls

Taylor and Amanda, Tricia leads a busy life....but is never too busy to listen to the whispers of God.

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PHOTO BY: MO LUKENS

AERIAL PHOTO BY: SCOTT ARNOLD

A RUMBLE ON

THE MOUNTAIN The Story Of Bandimere Speedway and John Bandimere, Jr. Written By: Jessica Burchfield

2nd Quarter

A Rumble On The Mountain

Within an industry that measures victory by the millisecond, John Bandimere, Jr. measures his success not by splitsecond finishes, but by his multi-generational family legacy of service to God. Bandimere Speedway not only draws thousands of racing fans each year to its cutting-edge facilities, but also introduces racers to the redemptive power of the Lord Jesus Christ.

stablished in 1958, Bandimere Speedway has become a standard in drag racing venues and hosts over 125 events a year, including the Mopar Mile-High National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Nationals. NHRA Driver Antron Brown holds the track record of a 3.862-second quarter mile run with a speed reaching over 300 mph. Owner of the world famous Bandimere Speedway, John Bandimere, Jr., assumed the role of president from his father, John Bandimere, Sr., the founder and builder of the drag strip. Aptly nicknamed “Thunder Mountain,” the Speedway is perched atop a Colorado peak, 5800 feet above sea level, and is famous for its quarter-mile drag strip and seating capacity of 23,500 spectators. As the only NHRA sanctioned track with a downhill staging area and an uphill shut down strip, the Speedway is unique in the world of drag racing. It is one of only three all-concrete event strips in the NHRA and is known as the best-lit track in the country. But according to John Bandimere, Jr., that’s not what makes Bandimere Speedway a success. “When the world looks at us, they see our brand. They see Bandimere Speedway, Thunder Mountain, and the Mopar MileHigh Nationals,” said John. “We have always been on the cutting edge of the racing world. We were the first track to implement a computerized timing system, and we are known for many innovations in track preparation. But above all that, our success first and foremost is that we have honored the Lord in everything we have done. In our eyes, true and real success is that others would come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior. That is most TwoTenMagazine.com

important. How could success be anything else to a believer? It’s what we live by.” God has blessed the Bandimere family for their dedication to Biblical success.

For Such a Time as This In 1958, John Bandimere, Sr. purchased land outside of Denver and began building the Speedway. He did not set out to build one of the most famous drag strips in the United States, nor did he dream of becoming a leader in cutting edge racing technology. He simply followed the Lord each step of the way. Initially facing community uproar over the noise of a drag strip, John Bandimere, Sr. did not give up on his dream. In 1956, he pleaded with the county commissioners to approve his proposal to develop a drag strip; he was granted his plea and began searching for the perfect location. A parcel of land was acquired, and construction began in 1958. As with many ventures, the Speedway was wrought with financial pressures, environmental hazards, and community criticism, but today, Bandimere Speedway stands as one of the most successful tracks in the country. In the fall of 1987, a devastating windstorm swept through, and the Speedway sustained millions of dollars in damage. “It took the grandstands and blew them right into the track,” said John. “It was a weather phenomenon. When the insurance company informed us that they would take care of the damage and haul away the scrap, I asked if I could save him the trouble by keeping the grandstands. We took every stick apart and reused them. They’re still standing today as a testament to God’s miraculous grace to our family.” TwoTen Magazine

“

My dad’s dream

to build a safe place for kids to get off the streets

became a reality,

but not without

hard work and struggle.” – John Bandimere, Jr. John Bandimere, Jr. and his family. Second-generation President John Bandimere Jr. and his wife Lorraine during pre-race introductions at the 2008 Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway. PHOTO BY: RUPERT BERRINGTON © 2006

In 2013, Bandimere Speedway celebrated 55 years of drag racing success. John Bandimere, Sr. began with the dream God placed upon his heart, taking each step in obedience to Biblical principles, and created a unique place of retreat in the Colorado Mountains. “The verse in Esther that states, ‘…for such a time as this…’ truly became a banner for Bandimere Speedway,” said John. “My Dad’s dream to build a safe place for kids to get off the streets became a reality, but not without hard work and struggle. It’s been a long road, but we just finished our 25th year with Mopar as our corporate sponsor. Bandimere Speedway has the longest running sponsorship in all of motor sports. Try to tell me that we don’t serve an awesome God!”

A Well-Oiled Machine Bandimere Speedway was named as one of the favorite tracks in the business. “Despite the numerous challenges that the track presents and the different tune-up strategies that must be applied to be successful [due to the altitude, Bandimere Speedway] remains one of the most popular stops for NHRA Mello Yellow Drag Racing Series competitors.” Eddie Krawiec, NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Pro Stock Motorcycle racer and three-peat world champion, described the Speedway in an interview with NHRA. “Racing at Bandimere puts a premium on rider skill,” he said. “Precision always counts in NHRA Drag Racing, but it’s really key to winning in Denver.” Because the racing world respects the Speedway for its unique challenges and difficulties, the Bandimere’s see action on the track year-round, not only during the peak racing season of

2nd Quarter

A Rumble On The Mountain

Brothers-in law and present day General Manager John Bandimere III and Facility Manager Larry Crispe on the Bandimere Speedway starting line in the early ‘80s.

John and Lorraine Bandimere assemble east side grandstands prior to the race season in the mid-80’s.

Billy Meyer and Raymond Beadle face each other in the NHRA Funny Car category at the Mile-High Nationals in the early ‘80s at Bandimere Speedway. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY: THE BANDIMERE ARCHIVES

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“

For a long time,

I said that it’s my racetrack. I never say that now. It’s God’s track and He’s allowing us to play here.” - John Bandimere, Jr.

Matt Hagan on the starting line in his Mopar-sponsored Funny Car at the 2013 Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway.

April-October. Operating under a fiscally responsible business plan, the large events only comprise 50% of the yearly budget, while other smaller events, including corporate retreats, make up the remaining revenue needed. “It’s been a process of grace,” said John. “We had to sit down and figure out what would happen if inclement weather rained out a three-day national race. It’s unlikely, but it could happen. All these things had to be thought of; God gave us this track, we need to be responsible with it. My dad instilled in us a solid work ethic. We understand that we do what we have to do to get the job done.” Not only focused on the entertainment industry, Bandimere

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PHOTO BY:TRACTION TWINS PHOTOGRAPHY.

Speedway is also involved in promoting literacy to elementary-age students at Rooney Ranch Elementary School in nearby Lakewood, Colorado. The Race to Read program is a six-week reading program, designed to encourage reading by providing an exciting race-themed incentive for students. National racers and local businesses have supported innovative ways to help inspire a love for reading for the past 17 years through the Race to Read program.

A Legacy of Success At its etymological root, success is not defined as the amount of money a person makes; rather, success is the accomplishment of a goal or purpose. To view success in a monetary light is to A Rumble On The Mountain

cheapen the very essence of the term. Success is achievement, the completion of a task, the end of the race; success is legacy. The Bandimere family takes the Great Commission seriously and holds regular Bible studies at the facility, including Sunday services at the track with the Speedway chaplain, Ken Webb. John has personally had the opportunity to lead many racers to the Lord. “God has laid on my heart a desire to share His word,” he said. “It’s a unique dichotomy: when you share Christ with someone, you think you’re selling Christ, but the Holy Spirit really does all the work! The Holy Spirit just grasps hold of their hearts. It has been so exciting to see these racers come to know Christ. It’s unbelievable. The Lord has placed us here to be ministers to the racing community. We are racers for Christ.”

Bandimere Speedway VIP Timing Tower.

Following the Old Testament admonition to train the next generation, John Bandimere, Sr. spent the time necessary with his son to ensure the continuation of an upright, God-honoring business within the racing world. By setting out to glorify God in every aspect of the Speedway, the Bandimere family has created a unique venue in which spectators and racers alike are exposed to the redemptive power of God’s grace. “Here at the Speedway, we believe in grace—God’s preeminent grace,” said John. “Grace gives us the ability to live without condemnation within this wicked world. Most people don’t realize how free we are in Christ. When we ask Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior, He saves us and says He puts us in his hand and no one can pluck us out. Nobody. That’s love. That’s grace. That’s what we want to tell the world. That’s what we live for. That’s what Bandimere Speedway is all about.” Not afraid to align themselves with Christianity, the Bandimere family is a vibrant testimony of God’s grace within a culture that desperately seeks long-term fulfillment through split-second finishes. More concerned with the state of a man’s eternity than a 3-second quarter mile, John makes it his mission to proclaim the love of Christ. “My dad wanted this facility to be a place that would honor the Lord Jesus Christ in all that we did,” said John. “I wish now that I’m the age I am that I could go back and have a conversation with him about certain things that he learned. I attempt to run the facility today in honor of his memory and with the most important thing in mind: that God would be glorified in all that we do. We never have an event that we don’t start with prayer. Whether it is Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, we pray. Maybe that TwoTenMagazine.com

PHOTO PROVIDED BY: THE BANDIMERE ARCHIVES

day will come when we are told we cannot pray, but until they put me in jail, we’re going to pray.” Prayer, faith, and family are the foundation stones of their success. “My kids are all involved in the track; it’s a family business. They run concessions and do whatever needs to be done. We have the chance to love on a whole lot of people here. Some people just don’t see it that way, but we make it our mission to shine the light of Christ into the drag racing world.” According to John, the foundational legacy of the Bandimere Speedway is that it belongs to God. “For a long time, I said that it’s my racetrack,” said John. “I never say that now. It’s God’s track, and He’s allowing us to play here. How long will He let us play here? I don’t know, but the Lord positioned us in this property for a reason. When we understand that, we are not surprised when the business goes well. We’re also not surprised if it doesn’t do well. God is in control. We just continue to do our job.” VICTORY

Jessica

Burchfield

the contract Communications Coordinator for Clearwater Christian College, a freelance writer, and a professional photographer b a s e d o u t o f Ta m p a , F l o r i d a .

TwoTen Magazine

MAKING A LIFE By What He Gives ALAN BARNHART, CEO OF BARNHART CRANE AND RIGGING BY MARK WHITAKER

2nd Quarter

Making A Life By What He Gives

Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” “Which ones?” the man inquired. Jesus replied, “ ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.’“ “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. - Matthew 19:16-22

n this parable of the young rich man, Jesus boldly speaks directly to the core of the young man’s heart. He knew that the young man was not only secure in his wealth but it was his life. Jesus’ challenge to the young man to sell all of his possessions and give to the poor is a dilemma that perplexes many business owners. God knew the struggles that we would have with money and has provided over 2300 scriptures in the Bible to provide wisdom for anyone who seeks it. For Alan Barnhart, CEO of Barnhart Crane and Rigging, the lessons he learned about wealth and stewardship in the bible have kept him and his family grounded and focused on God’s direction for their lives.

Humble Beginnings Barnhart Crane and Rigging was founded by Alan’s parents as a steel erecting company headquartered from their home in Memphis, Tennessee. They worked hard and ran an honest, local business with ten employees. At that time, his parents weren’t believers. It wasn’t until Alan was in high school that he was introduced to the joy and fulfillment that followers of Jesus Christ experience. Alan became involved with the Young Life organization and came to know Christ. This changed the trajectory of his life and the life of his family. TwoTenMagazine.com

Growing up around gears and pulleys to lift and move large pieces of machinery gave Alan a terrific background to pursue engineering as a career. After high school he attended the University of Tennessee with his newfound faith and befriended several other believers on campus. At a time when most young people have their first taste of independence and stray from their faith, for Alan, it was a time of solidification of his faith. During his senior year of college, friends urged him to pursue full-time ministry work and attend seminary school. He had a deep desire to serve the Lord full-time and prayed for God’s purpose for his life. Alan came to a realization that gave him a great sense of peace; all followers of Christ are in full-time ministry, regardless of their occupation. Working full-time for a charitable organization or church wasn’t the only way of serving God full-time. This freed Alan to pursue a career for which God had equipped him in the engineering/construction industry.

God’s Warnings About Wealth After graduating with an engineering degree, he went to work at the modest family business. Even though he had just started his career, he felt led to study what the bible had to say TwoTen Magazine

about business, money, wealth and giving to the poor. He spent the next two years reading completely through the bible to glean as much information as possible and was amazed at how God had gone to such great lengths to teach and warn us about the dangers of money. There are more references to money and wealth in the bible than prayer, faith, heaven and hell - combined! In Alan’s intensive studies, there were two truths that emerged to him:

The Barnhart family in Turkey. Pictured from left to right: Kepler, Alan with Noah, Marah, Katherine, Nathan, Janie, and Nicholas.

Everything that he had, and everything that he was came from God and belongs to God.

Because there were so many dire warnings in the bible regarding wealth and money, he feared business success and wealth.

There were several scriptures that spoke to his heart concerning wealth, including: Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. – 1 Timothy 6:9-10 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. – 1 Timothy 6:19 The greatest warning came from the parable that Jesus told his disciples of the Sower of Seeds in Matthew 13: 3-8: Then he told them many things in parables, saying: ““A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Jesus then explained the meaning of the parable in verses 18-23. Alan, like most believers, felt that his faith was solid and fell into the “fertile soil” category. What he feared most was written in verse 22:

Alan Barnhart in Africa with the Ministry Opportunity International.

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“The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.” Making A Life By What He Gives

“

In this way

they will lay up treasure for themselves as a

firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may

take hold of the life that is truly life.” - 1 Timothy 6:19

Pictured (left to right):C12 Memphis Area Chair John Logan, C12 Founder Buck Jacobs, Barnhart Crane & Rigging CEO Alan Barnhart, and C12 President & CEO, Don Barefoot, at the C12 2013 Leaders Conference in Nashville, TN.

He worried that the seeds sown in his soil would be in danger of being choked by the thorns of the deceitfulness of wealth and worries of this life. We live in a culture that honors and idolizes those men and women who have amassed great personal wealth. With that wealth comes power, prestige and the unhindered pursuit of any earthly desire. Even within the body of believers, successful business men and women are revered and applauded for their trophies of cars, houses, jewelry and boats. Unlike other lifestyles of sin where it’s easy to see the path to one’s destruction, it’s difficult to convince a brother in Christ that his lifestyle is causing him to stumble (or causing others to stumble by breeding envy at the flaunting of his wealth) while his business continues to grow and prosper.

Establishing Safeguards Also during those first few years out of school, he met and married his wife Katherine who shared his passion for serving the Lord. He and Katherine decided to become tent-maker TwoTenMagazine.com

Alan Barnhart shared his personal story of faith and philanthropy at the C12 2013 Leaders Conference, Living & Leading it Forward, in Nashville Tennessee this past November. Barnhart, who recently became a C12 Member in Memphis, gave the keynote address as his life testifies to the mission of C12; to change the world by bringing forth the Kingdom of God in the marketplace.

missionairies in a closed country. About that same time, Alan’s parents approached him with the news that they were ready to get out of the business and wanted to take a few years to enjoy life and sail around the world. They gave him and his brother Eric the option to take over the business. If their sons weren’t interested, they were prepared to sell it. After praying and discussing it with his brother, they decided to forego the mission field and take over the business, but Alan wanted to establish some safeguards with the goal of avoiding some of the pitfalls about wealth that had made such an impact on his heart. First and foremost, they agreed to perpetually abide by the fact that God owned the company, not them. They also agreed to intentionally avoid getting caught up in the lure that wealth holds and to hold one another accountable. They committed to what he refers to as a “lifestyle finish line.” He and his wife determined that, regardless of the level of success that the company may attain, they would maintain a TwoTen Magazine

A vintage locomotive is transported to a museum using one of Barnhart’s computerized platform trailers.

modest, middle income lifestyle and distribute any excess money to fund ministry efforts. Alan’s brother and his wife agreed to a similar commitment. With their lifestyle finish lines in place, Barnhart Crane and Rigging began to make a name for itself. Alan managed the business aspects of the company, and Eric focused on the engineering aspects.

company culture solidified in the unifying purpose of doing excellent work, treating people fairly and investing a substantial portion of the profits to make an eternal impact. They began to expand to other locations across the country, spreading their culture along the way. They currently serve over twenty five locations in the United States.

Attempting to Out-give God

Since Alan and Eric took over the family business in 1986, Barnhart Crane and Rigging has grown to become one of the largest heavy rigging and transport companies in the USA. They frequently lift and transport nuclear reactor equipment, large machinery, petro-chemical assemblies and large wind turbine equipment. The specialized and complex rigging structures that they developed positioned them as a leader in their industry. In the early 2000’s, they were able to give away one million dollars for the first time, and by 2005 they gave away a million dollars a month and have been able to maintain that average of giving since then.

As the business began to grow, the amount of money available to distribute to ministries grew as well. A group of six employees were appointed to an advisory board to determine the ministries to receive contributions (primarily to international ministries where resources are the scarcest). Making these decisions as a group also helped to avoid the possibility of pride entering into the act of giving. The money that was contributed to ministries across the globe isn’t referred to by Alan as gifts, but as investments; investments produce a yield, an eternal yield in their case. The more money that was invested into worldwide ministry efforts, the more prosperous the company became. It grew an incredible twenty five percent every year for over two decades. Alan’s lifestyle remained the same as his company grew. His family grew as well to include six children whom he and his wife enjoy. Another way that God blessed the business was by bringing great people into their organization at the right times. The

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The board of six employees that was formed to guide their charitable giving grew into a “profit with a purpose” program called GROVE: God’s Resources Operating Very Effectively. The GROVE program now has over fifty team members and spouses that are involved in the giving process. They are able to discern ministry investment opportunities and determine which to pursue. Only God can grow a company to the point that it takes over fifty people to manage all of its charitable investments! Making A Life By What He Gives

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

The more money

that was invested into worldwide ministry efforts, the more prosperous the company became. It grew at an incredible twenty five percent

every year for over two decades.â&#x20AC;? - Alan Barnhart

An electrostatic precipitator (ESP) is moved inside of a California refinery. Barnhart used computerized trailers to move the 4 million pound transport through sharp turns in order to avoid existing plant structures.

“

We make a living

by what we get, but we make

a life by what we give.”

A large vessel is lifted by Barnhart at a petroleum refinery using its custom designed Modular Lift Tower.

Giving Away a Business Even as vast sums of money were being given away, the value of the company soared to over $250 million. With a company that large, supporting a thousand employees, Alan and his management team felt that they needed to develop a strategy to put in place in the event that something were to happen to Alan or any of the management team. From the beginning, Alan realized that the company belonged to God, and he didn’t feel that it was his right to automatically hand over a huge company to one of his children. They decided that they would try to give the entire company away. Not surprisingly, business advisors didn’t share

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- Winston Churchill

Barnhart sets a turbine at a wind power farm.

the same philosophy and advised against it. Who gives away such a large and successful business? Still convinced that giving away the company was what he should do, Alan had a discussion with an advisor from the National Christian Foundation who not only shared their vision but within a thirty minute conversation was able to lay out a plan that would accomplish his goals. Alan and his brother took 99% of the company and put it into a charitable trust. They retained 1% with 100% voting rights. NCF was instrumental in establishing the trust and coordinating with the IRS to navigate the tax implications. Just recently, the remaining 1% of the company was Making A Life By What He Gives

Barnhart transported, lifted, and lowered one of the world’s largest tunnel boring machines (TBM) last year for a civil construction project in Seattle, WA.

transferred to a voting trust, but the Barnharts still retain 100% of the voting rights, and Alan remains the steward of the company. That stewardship can be freely transferred at his discretion. To most people, the idea of giving away your company is outrageous, but to Alan, it was never his to begin with, and the decision came very peacefully and naturally without a hint of doubt.

Those same rewards have been realized by employees as well. Although the company has a diverse team with many different religious beliefs, many believers have come to work there just because of the ministry efforts of the company. Others have become believers in Christ after seeing the joy in the lives of co-workers and desiring the same joy for their own lives.

The motivation for Alan to work hard in the business was never about attaining personal wealth, but impacting God’s Kingdom. That motivation remained the same after the transfer of the company. The company purpose statement remains the same as well.

Alan concedes that if it had been difficult to surrender the company and live a modest lifestyle, he most likely wouldn’t have gone through with it. On the contrary, he and his family have been blessed with a full and abundant life, filled with the rewards of sowing seeds for God’s glory. They’ve been to remote corners of the world, working alongside other brothers and sisters in Christ and finding that their lives were enriched far more than those they were there to help.

Barnhart Crane And Rigging Purpose Statement

TO GLORIFY GOD BY: 1

Doing excellent, constructive work.

For Alan Barnhart and Barnhart Crane and Rigging, the rewards of being obedient to God’s wisdom and guidance for their lives is summed up eloquently by a quote from Winston Churchill:

Letting others know what Christ has done by being a personal witness in the marketplace.

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” VICTORY

Making a lot of money to invest in ministry tools.

A Life of Rewards Rather than Sacrifice For Alan and his family, it hasn’t been a sacrificial life but a rewarding life. They live comfortably, not excessively, and have learned to be Kingdom investors, not consumers. They have been able to reap the rewards of investing in God’s Kingdom without the negative aspects of wealth. TwoTenMagazine.com

Mark Whitaker is the Executive Editor of TwoTen Magazine. He is inspired daily by his God, his wife Kim and his three daughters Hannah, Sarah, and Rhea.

All photos were provided by: Barnhart Crane And Rigging TwoTen Magazine

OPPORTUNITY

ABOUNDS WALKER MANUFACTURING

A STORY OF FAMILY, FAITH AND SUCCESS BY: SUE BRAGE

2nd Quarter

Opportunity Abounds: Walker Manufacturing

O p po r tu n i t y is of ten d isg u ised a s ha rd wo rk, and in Bob Walker’s case, it also rides a lawn mower. As President of Walker Manufacturing, the company founded by his father, Max, Bob’s not one to shy away from hard work; in fact, he is more likely to walk up, shake its hand and call it by name.

hat’s the way Max Walker did things for nearly 30 years. He founded Walker Manufacturing on hard work, biblical principles, and family values. Bob, and his brother Dean, now lead the family business based on their father’s down-to-earth, family-first philosophy.

turn mower that was fast, easy to operate and would deliver a superior cut. The Walker out-front design is one-of-a-kind, because the deck is truly independent of the tractor making the mower more agile, versatile, and reliable for both professional landscape and personal residential use.

The seeds for this international business were planted on a farm in Kansas back in 1953 when Max Walker built a miniature model Caterpillar as a Christmas present for Bob. His passion—and gift—for equipment innovation and design was apparent in that first machine.

For the next 25 years, the Walkers’ hard work continued to pay off. Opportunities abounded for distribution across the US and abroad, while a strong network of dealers and distributors were put in place. This channel network has become an extension of Walker Manufacturing, building relationships that have remained solid through the years. Mowers built at the Colorado plant are reaching into 28 international markets.

During the next decade, Max continued to tinker, innovate, and design, eventually inventing the first gas-powered golf car and his signature model, the Power Truck. In 1974, after a series of start-ups and failures, the opportunity to set up shop in Fort Collins, Colorado presented itself, and Walker Manufacturing was born. In 1975, Bob and Dean came on board, and just two years later lawn mower development began. The first Walker Mower was manufactured in 1980, and that year the company built 25 mowers. The seeds planted 30 years earlier were finally taking root.

Why a Walker Mower? After buying two rear-engine riding mowers to mow their personal residences and finding them cumbersome and slow, the Walkers went to work to design and build a zero-

TwoTenMagazine.com

Unassuming. Humble. Genuine. These words describe the Walker plant. Situated in the middle of farmland in Fort Collins, Colorado, the factory is nothing special from the outside. In fact, you wouldn’t believe it’s actually a quarter mile long with a production floor of more than 200,000 square feet. The plant has produced upwards of 150,000 Walker Mowers and is home to 155 year-round employees. These same words describe the Walker brothers who have led the company since Max went to be with the Lord in 2011. They strive to foster a culture that puts God first and treat their employees as an extension of their own family.

TwoTen Magazine

Intentional Culture After their father passed away, Dean and Bob were given the opportunity to lead Walker Manufacturing into the future. It was up to them to continue the legacy and the culture left by their father. Bob recalls, “We knew we had the choice to create the culture we wanted for Walker Manufacturing, so Dean and I sat down and talked about this. What are the great principles Dad left us? What principles do we want to carry on as part of his legacy? We ended up putting down on paper what we believe as a family and as a company. This is how Opportunity Abounds, our company core values, came to be.” They truly believe the first tenet of their core values: Operate by principles that are optimum for employees and their families. Over the years they have made the commitment to produce mowers year round out of consideration for their employees. The company also hosts “Walker Family Reunions,” inviting employees to celebrate company milestones, such as the day they built their 50,000th mower.

“

Believing relationships are at the core of productivity and retention, and because he truly cares about his employees, Bob shakes hands with every employee when delivering paychecks each Monday. He believes God has given him a great opportunity to invest in his employees, and it’s not something he takes for granted. Employees look forward to his visits, and all 155 of them call him by name. Another vital core value states: “Our Lord God, our Senior Partner, has given us this opportunity, we are stewards of the business, the opportunity and the culture; we will operate by principles and ways to honor His name.” The Walker family believes a personal relationship with the Lord is the foundation of all personal and professional success. It is with great emotion Bob shares how he gave his life to the Lord as a young man: “I gave my life to the Lord; when I did that He took control. I had no idea some of the paths the Lord would lead me down, but they’ve been good paths. I can see how the Lord took what I gave Him and multiplied it. The most important thing is to make sure you walk with the Lord. Get your life right with Him. Give Him your little lunch and see what He does to multiply it.”

Excellence honors God.

Jesus as a young man worked with his father in the carpentry business. Imagine the quality and value Joseph and Jesus must have created. Do you think Jesus would have built shoddy things? No, they would have been among the best available. Remembering this

helps inspire us to excellence.”

- Bob Walker

2nd Quarter

Opportunity Abounds: Walker Manufacturing

WHAT WE BELIEVE Opportunity Abounds

These core values serve as an integral part of the legacy and culture at WalkerABOUNDS Manufacturing. OPPORTUNITY

O P

Operate by principles that are optimum for employees and their families.

Pursue excellence in all work without excuse–the results of this pursuit are easily seen in every part of the business and in all relationships both inside and outside of the company.

Opportunity to lead depends on serving–our suppliers, employees, and customers all voluntarily associate themselves with the company based on how well we serve them.

R T U N I

Remember where our help and blessings come from–live and work with gratitude for all the Lord has done for us.

T Y

The Lord’s Sabbath day will be honored by resting from our work.

A B O

Always love people, use money.

Unrelenting loyalty to customers builds long term relationships–a strong product opens the door while good service keeps it open.

Never ignore a request; all requests or inquiries deserve the dignity of a reply–do not screen or selectively not respond–you may miss the one opportunity you need to have if you screen.

D S

Dignity and honor exist in all work performed by diligent workers–as much as each person should be working at their best opportunity, take pride in their work, enjoy what they are doing.

Promises are to be kept; keep your word, tell the truth, be honest in all things (dishonesty cannot be tolerated within the company or in outside relationships, as it is ultimately destructive).

Trial and error is powerful in finding the right way–keep your experiments on a small scale, so in error, the damage is small scale. Understand that a primary objective of the business is to produce multiplied opportunities; multiplying money is further down the list and is more of a means to the primary objective. Never allow growth to be the main goal–it is an outcome from doing everything else right. In all relationships show mercy and forgiveness since the Lord has been merciful and forgiving to us.

Your most equitable path is to honor, consider and protect the investments of others as if they were your own (consider employees, suppliers, marketers, customers).

By working together as a company of people, we can accomplish a better livelihood for ourselves than available by working individually; helping others succeed builds your own success. Our Lord God, our Senior Partner, has given us this opportunity, we are stewards of the business, the opportunity and the culture; we will operate by principles and ways to honor His name.

Stay independent–use internally generated finance, product development, and in-house production to keep control and build continuing opportunity.

TwoTenMagazine.com

TwoTen Magazine

Dean Walker sitting on a D-Series Walker Tractor.

The Walker leadership team celebrating the production of the 150,000th tractor deck.

The Walker Manufacturing assembly line factory floor.

2nd Quarter

Opportunity Abounds: Walker Manufacturing

“

I’m not against multiplying money.

Profit’s not a dirty word. It’s a good word.

It’s a useful word.

It’s a powerful tool to help create opportunity.” - Bob Walker Bob Walker, President of Walker Manufacturing.

Fish, Loaves, and Lawn Mowers In John 6, Jesus performs a great miracle often called “The feeding of 5000”; it’s a miracle of multiplication which perfectly illustrates the success of Walker Manufacturing. Bob likes to imagine the scene: a young boy walks up to Jesus and hands him everything he has—a loaf of bread and a few fish. Jesus takes the small lunch, multiplies it, and feeds more than 5000 people. It’s what Bob calls “Multiplication of Opportunity.” He explains, “If you believe in multiplication of opportunity, [you see that] not only have I created an opportunity for myself, but there are many other people who have an opportunity, because this business exists, and because we all have poured our lives into it. With the Lord’s help, we’ve created something here that goes way beyond what you can see with your eyes. Five thousand people were fed as a result of one boy’s little lunch. Look at the people who have jobs, created by what we’ve done. This little lunch is feeding thousands of people. God’s Kingdom works by multiplication. That’s how God has chosen to meet the needs of people. We’re one small cog in that wheel of God’s Kingdom work providing opportunity [for others].” God has used Walker Manufacturing to provide opportunity not only for the Walker family (including the next generation; Dean’s two sons work alongside their dad and uncle), but also for

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155 employees, hundreds of dealers and distributors throughout the US and internationally. Ultimately, thousands of people are positively impacted by the company’s faith and culture and their connection with the Walker family, both professionally and personally. Bob challenges business owners to ask themselves why they are in business. To the Walker family, making money is not a satisfying answer. There is a bigger purpose to their success, a purpose that is changing lives and building God’s Kingdom. “I’m not against multiplying money. Profit’s not a dirty word. It’s a good word. It’s a useful word. It’s a powerful tool to help create opportunity; without it you can’t create the opportunities. Give Him your little lunch and see what God will do to multiply it. Is that a good reason to get up and go to work? Absolutely! Much better than just making money.” VICTORY

Sue

Brage helps business

owners, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations build

better

communications

and

increase

their online influence. Her blog shares tips for greater success in social media, web outreach, and communications strategy. Visit BigShoesCommunications.com

for

information or connect with Sue on LinkedIn.

TwoTen Magazine

DELIVERING RESULTS THROUGH PEOPLE THE STORY OF STEVE HAYES & THE HUMAN CAPITAL GROUP BY: LISA HUETTEMAN

2nd Quarter

Thirteen years ago, Steve Hayes, senior partner and founder of The Human Capital Group, had an epiphany. Through the mouth of his 11-year-old son, God opened his eyes to the pride-driven journey he was on. The goal was to be the Chief HR Officer for a Fortune 100 company, and he was well on his way. Motivated by a focus on work first, he moved his family 9 times in the first 14 years of his marriage. Then one night when tucking his son into bed, his boy asked, “Dad, will you move us back to Tennessee and commute to Atlanta for work?”

teve felt like he was hit with a ton of bricks. His family was living a gypsy lifestyle, and he was justifying working so hard by telling himself he was taking care of his family, and that honored God. Through the voice of his son, he realized he had it backward and needed to put God first. Without God, he wasn’t going to take care of his wife and children the way he needed to. Work needed to be subordinate to them. So he took a leap of faith and began the process of rightfully aligning his priorities. He resigned from his very lucrative $200,000+ per year job, with twice that in bonus and other perks, moved his family back to Tennessee and, eventually, started The Human Capital Group, a retained executive search and leadership consulting firm. Steve recalled those early days. “I started in my basement with my previous employer as my first client. This allowed me to create a model that I wished I had when I was the customer.” That model includes speed, quality and value, the three differentiators that characterize The Human Capital Group’s value proposition. Speed means that the client is guaranteed 4 to 5 thoroughly vetted finalists within 20 business days. Quality is not sacrificed for speed as the company guarantees each new hire for one year. Value is essential to a sustained relationship with their clients, so The Human Capital Group prices its services at 25% of total compensation versus the typical 33 1/3% fee charged in the retained search industry. This paradigm-breaking model of delivering quality candidates on a timely basis and at a fair price proved to be sustainably successful. “When I started this business, I was very clear about who was in charge and who I served. My title is not CEO. That title is TwoTenMagazine.com

intentionally reserved for Christ. He is my boss. But for 4 1/2 years I was covert about it.”

Then a former colleague approached Steve about joining his team. “When it was no longer just me, I knew we needed to have principles to guide us. We had to formalize how we were going to conduct our business, so we followed the roadmap of the best leader of all times, with over 2 billion followers. Clinging to His roadmap, we try (Steve emphasized try) to apply His principles foundationally so they guide anything and everything we think and say and do.” It was at this time that Steve boldly went public with his Christian values and principles. Many of their clients are secular companies–not faith-based clients–and they have lost customers because of their guiding principles. “When we came out of the Christian closet, my marketing firm, at the time, threatened to fire me if I did it. They were scared of how it would hurt their reputation. I prayed long and hard about that. Christ told us we would be called fools for following Him. He also told us not to be ashamed. Job 1:21 says, ‘The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.’” That gave Steve the courage to accept the fact that any customer they are blessed with is through God’s hand; and if they lose any customers, that is His protection. He isn’t ashamed of putting out there who they are trying to follow and how they are trying to deal with their customers and their candidates. The main reason is not to preach but to equip people to hold them accountable. Steve continued, “If you take the scripture off our guiding principles, you can’t argue with the message. If ever we are not living according to these values, I know who I have to answer to.” TwoTen Magazine

The Human Capital Group’s MISSION To Glorify God In All That We Do By Following His Example To “Serve One Another Through Love.” - Galatians 5:13

THE HUMAN CAPITAL GROUP’S GUIDING PRINCIPLES

FOCUS

“My only purpose in life is to please Him!” – 2 Timothy 1:3

SERVICE

INTEGRITY

“Never tire of doing what is right.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:13

RESPECT

“Use the gifts you’ve received to serve others.”

“Treat all people as you want to be treated!”

– 1 Peter 4:10

– Luke 6:31

2nd Quarter

LEADERSHIP

“Serve one another through love.”

– Galatians 5:13

GRATITUDE

“In everything, give thanks!”

– 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Delivering Results Through People

“

We are very

specific about how we do our work, because, ultimately,

it reflects on Him, and we have to keep that in mind.” Steve Hayes and his family.

– Steve Hayes These core values are reflected in The Human Capital Group logo. Their purpose is to Deliver Results Through People™. With this purpose as the backdrop, Steve explained the picture that signifies his company’s brand. “The arms of the large and small figures reach in an upward direction pointing to positive results. This reflects our clients’ need to deliver positive sales, profits and growth results from a business perspective. The figures also portray reaching for and celebrating a goal once achieved. “The gender-neutral smaller figure grows into a larger figure illustrating the importance of investing in people so they can grow, which then produces business growth. “The heart of the logo captures the mission of The Human Capital Group in the image of a crucified Christ and, more importantly, a risen Christ. The figures reflect the three points of the Trinity who are foundational to who we are and where our guiding principles come from. “Lastly, the overarching figure reflects God the Father, protecting and looking over His flock, or in The Human Capital Group’s case, guarding me when I started the business from scratch. I needed that visual of God watching over me, shadowing me and protecting me, and, therefore, my family.” The Human Capital Group delivers on the brand promise because at their core are guiding principles that define who they hire into the firm and how they work. Steve explains, “A lot goes into this logo, and that is why we work so hard to protect the brand. We are very specific about how we do our work, because, ultimately, it reflects on Him, and we have to keep that in mind.” As the company grew from one person in a basement in Nashville, TN, to 14 people in 4 offices, and is still growing, Steve needed to make sure that each person who came into the business shared their principles. TwoTenMagazine.com

“We are actively seeking new and talented people to join our team. When someone approaches us, we give them an assignment to write why they want to come to work for us. If they don’t mention those guiding principles, then I know they are not right for us. Without discriminating, it is my way of getting to know the heart of the person. We don’t focus on the denomination but on the denominator–Christ!” Steve is an active member of the C12 Group, an organization for Christian business leaders, where he is able to connect with other business owners with the same passion for integrating their faith into their businesses. The mentorship and accountability that the group provides are invaluable tools in helping him to run his business in a biblically responsible manner. “When I did come out of the Christian closet all those years ago, my marketing firm did fire me, and I did lose a few clients who felt it was not appropriate. But God has blessed us with so many others for not being ashamed of who we are and whose we are! It has been an amazing journey, and I am so blessed to get to walk it.” VICTORY

To learn more about The Human Capital Group, visit www.HumanCapitalGroupInc.com If you are interested in learning more about how the Human Capital Group can help you find values-based leaders for your company, or if you are interested in joining a faith-based retained executive search firm, you can reach Steve at Steve@HumanCapitalGroupInc.com.

Lisa

Huetteman

Co-founder

Black Diamond Associates, Executive Coach, Speaker and Author of the book: The Value of Core Values: Five Keys to Success through Values-Centered Leadership.

TwoTen Magazine

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TURNING GOOD INTENTIONS INTO

REAL BEHAVIOR OFFICE PHOTO BY: PCRUCIATTI / SHUTTERSTOCK.

BY: BOB BUFORD

I wish, oh, how I wish the world regarded me solely by my noble intentions. Yet just as I tend to judge other people by their actions, particularly as their actions affect me, I stand against a similar yardstick. And so I thank God for habits . . . for ingrained routines that can help a person turn good intentions into real behavior.

2nd Quarter

Turning Good Intentions Into Real Behavior

With that in mind, what if we all adopted habits that produce good behavior, in particular the four “Referability Habits” advised by my friend, Dan Sullivan? Dan guides entrepreneurs in his Strategic Coach program, and though his advice comes in business language, it can improve any relationship in life. The world’s best marketing strategy, Dan tells his entrepreneurs, is to be referable, and all “referability” rests on four habits. Whatever your business, your customer, your skills and resources, if you’re in the marketplace, you get referred for the same reasons. And those reasons, in all places and at all times, run on four crucial habits:

Show up on time

“

Brains, talent,

charm, and e x p e ri e n c e –

t hey c o u n t f o r l i t t l e

unles s c lie nts

and customers

pass the w o r d .” A FEW EXAMPLES: Conscience Partners. I work to keep up with those few people that “speak the truth in love” to me, starting with my ever-present wife, Linda.

Do what you say

Finish what you start

Spiritual Disciplines. Because we do best to enter the day “soul first,” to borrow from Henri Nouwen, I have certain morning time set apart for prayer so my mental awakening begins with the Bible.

Health Disciplines. Weight around 175. Walk 40 to 60 minutes three to four times a week; sleep eight hours; check in with an annual Cooper Clinic physical.

Philanthropy Disciplines. On a single page I have the principles, mission and powerful mechanisms my team and I consistently use to evaluate opportunities and to focus limited energy from good intentions to results and performance. I call these my T3 Cliff Notes (Time, Talent and Treasure), and this onesheet chart serves like the laminated checklists NFL coaches use for quick reference in calling plays. The current version is on my home page under “Bob Buford’s T3 Cliff Notes.”

Say please and thank you

Common sense, you say. And you’re right, of course; but too many otherwise skilled people overlook the basics, and, as a result, their phones aren’t ringing. Brains, talent, charm, and experience– they count for little until and unless clients and customers pass the word. And meanwhile, in contrast, practitioners of the four habits can expect their names to pass into bigger and better work. So there we are. As modest as they sound, four “simple” habits are the building blocks of human interaction. If you think about it, even your friendship network turns on referrals, as a friend comments to someone else, “You ought to meet so-and-so.” So I do think about it: about how habits shape lives. And as my journal list of disciplines and habits scroll out in my mind, I’m aware of how many routines I’ve incorporated precisely to help me stay in sync with my best intentions. (I need a lot of little aids.) TwoTenMagazine.com

TwoTen Magazine

Positive People. I seek long relationships with smart, competent, positive people-people who energize and do not deplete me. On my team and in my life, I surround myself with Learner/Activator types.

Intellectual Disciplines. Every three weeks, Dr. Larry Allums assigns me a work from literature or history. I read it and make copious notes, after which Larry and I meet in my office, and for a couple of hours we discuss the work’s application to my life and habits. It’s as if I’ve joined a small group of the greatest minds of all time.

Along those lines, I tear out pages from art books and post three pictures every day on corkboard in my closet/dressing room because the best way to study art is to “just look.” Forgiveness Disciplines. I accept forgiveness for myself, and I forgive others. I do my best to reject a sense of entitlement or to suffer slights. On this my guiding text is the parable of the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13: 24-30. The good seeds and the weeds grow up together until the harvest. (Amazing. Look it up–a biblical rationale that explains my cluttered life and mind.)

“

We are what

we repeatedly do.

Excellence, then, is not an act,

but a habit.”

- Aristotle

Yours, too?) If this list of mine comes across as a bit obsessive/compulsive, it probably is. But most of the time, it does the job. When it doesn’t, thank God for grace, amazing grace. I have my share of faux pas, and my temptations are the same devils that have haunted humankind across the millennia: desire for power, things and recognition. You’ll find them in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 4, described as “the temptations of Jesus.” And while Jesus was perfect, I am not. Where does that leave us? In 1900, Leo Tolstoy wrote, “Everybody thinks of changing humanity, and nobody thinks of changing himself.” With God’s help, we can all push back a little on that notion.

What about you? Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” If not Dan Sullivan’s four “referability” habits, what change can you begin and repeat–in body, mind, and/or spirit–to convert a good intentions into better behavior? VICTORY

Bob Buford was the successful head of a cable television company in his native Texas. He is the author of Halftime: Moving from Success to Significance, and other books. His latest, Drucker & Me is available now at druckerandme.com. Bob is also the founder of Leadership Network (leadnet.org) and Halftime (Halftime.org).

2nd Quarter

Turning Good Intentions Into Real Behavior

“

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

– Matthew 6:34

PERSPECTIVE “We

can complain because rose bu shes have thorns , or rejoic e because thorn bushes have roses.” - Abraham Lincoln -

...meditate on these things.

Brian Mosley, President of RightNow Ministries, speaks at the RightNow Conference.

THE PERFECT TIME IS

RIGHT NOW How RightNow Ministries is Reaching Millions for Christ Jenny works as a therapist. She sat at home one evening, already in her pajamas, looking through her email, and saw a message from a client. A severely depressed woman confided in Jenny that she planned to kill herself that night. Thankfully, Jenny contacted her in time and convinced the woman to meet because she had something important to show her. When they met, Jenny had a Bible study video readily available, which spoke directly to the woman’s need. Hearing the truth of God’s Word and His love for her offered her hope she hadn’t felt in a long time.

lsewhere across the country, Brandon and Melissa have attended the same church for years. They love their faith community, but they miss a lot of Sundays, because their two young children have an autoimmune disorder that sometimes makes travel and large groups of people dangerous. On those days when the kids can’t attend church, a few other families will come to Brandon and Melissa’s home and have TwoTenMagazine.com

church together in their living room. The adults watch videos of the same teaching series the rest of the church is studying, and the children watch their own biblically based programs. Access to these videos has allowed Brandon’s family to stay involved with their church and still prioritize the safety of their kids.

Beyond Church Walls Their names have been changed, but Jenny and Brandon’s and Melissa’s stories are true. They and thousands more like them can TwoTen Magazine

The online streaming format allows a participating church’s members to access RightNow Media through computers, tablets, smart phones, Apple TV and Roku devices.

access great biblical teaching whenever they like, because they use a service called RightNow Media. It is a web-based resource that streams biblical videos and study material useful for small group Bible studies, youth groups, children’s entertainment and even counselors. More than 8,000 churches in the U.S. provide free access to every member of their congregations. RightNow Media, sometimes described as “the Christian Netflix,” contains thousands of video resources divided into four libraries. The Bible Study Library has studies from a wide variety of Christian publishers. The Customizable Training Library features pastors and Christian leaders teaching everything from how to disciple and share your faith to tips for setting up the room for a youth group. The Leadership Events Library features messages and lectures from major Christian conferences. The newest component, a kid’s library, has hundreds of biblically based cartoons and children’s shows. All of these videos are available to hundreds of thousands of churchgoers, but when RightNow formed they had no idea what it could become.

Divine Inspiration Brian Mosley, President of RightNow, developed a passion for his generation on a flight back from a mission trip to Tanzania in 1998.

“Growing up I was exposed to a lot of missions work in other countries because of the work my parents did through Bluefish TV, and I wanted to see my generation using their passions and skills— graphic design, business, teaching—to serve around the world for the sake of the gospel. At that time I saw mission opportunities as the best way to engage people to live out their faith.” It wasn’t long after Tanzania that Brian went back out to film Our Journey, a video Bible study featuring a group of young adults traveling around the world. Justin Forman, a Baylor University student, traveled with that team. As a business major, Justin had planned to start a career in business and focus on ministry in his spare time, but he says that trip “ruined me, in a good way.” God revealed to him that his work itself could become an act of worship, and when the trip ended he joined Brian at RightNow and eventually became the Executive Vice President.

Reaching the Masses “I came back with an appreciation that every Christian has an opportunity to use their skills and passions to impact this world for Christ. The chance to help people see their work as an act of worship is what led me here soon after graduating.”

Jen Hatmaker looks over her notes at a shoot for a new Bible Study series releasing Spring 2014.

2nd Quarter

In the early years, RightNow helped young adults find mission agencies that fit their passions and skills. At the same time, Brian found a way to use his television and film degree by helping the creative team at Bluefish TV develop DVD-driven Bible studies. He still felt passionate about helping believers work for God’s mission in the world, but God slowly revealed to him how video resources could strategically fulfill that calling. The Perfect Time Is Right Now

Inspiring Content Brian says “At RightNow we found ourselves talking more and more with pastors about how to mobilize people to live out their faith. We realized that not everyone wakes up thinking ‘How can I get to Africa today?’ but we all wake up wondering, if God can use us for something significant. Our team believed it would be most strategic for us to create content that churches could use to inspire and equip their people to live out their faith wherever God has them—here in the U.S. or overseas.”

RightNow Ministries is Born

“

It’s not where

you live, but the mission you are

on that makes you

a mi s s i onar y. ”

– Brian Mosley

As God shifted the focus of RightNow, Bluefish TV could see the direction of both ministries intersecting, and the board chose to combine the two organizations as RightNow Ministries. The now singular ministry focused its creativity on supporting the local church by making dynamic teaching videos that could mobilize people to put their faith into action in every walk of life. Then in 2011, the company experienced a significant change. Understanding the tide of technology and culture, they decided to stop distributing video content on DVD and offer it through an online streaming format, and RightNow Media was born. At the launch of the service, about a hundred churches used it in a beta format. The numbers were small, but Brian and Justin immediately received positive feedback about the good things God was doing with all of those teaching resources in the hands of church leaders and lay people.

Committing to All Digital Content Brian says, “It was very risky for us, but we chose to kill our golden goose of DVD sales in order to focus all our energy on building this new subscription model. I believe we made it through that transition because of the leadership team God brought together. Though we are a young team, we’ve been together for a long time, and we have enormous trust with each other. My brother Scott had the initial vision for building a platform that could deliver our content online, and he now leads our software team. Phil Warner has been instrumental in every major video project and now oversees our team of producers. After spending 14 years at Disney, Paul Lanum now oversees all our writers as our Senior Publisher. Every year we host a conference for 3,000 pastors because of Marc McCartney’s passion to equip leaders. And Justin and I are a good balance for each other. He focuses on partnerships and licensing, and I get to focus on the area I love—content.” The streaming format for delivering content is allowing RightNow to serve churches at a much deeper level. Currently, TwoTenMagazine.com

The RightNow team, including Brian Mosley on the laptop, shooting in the Colorado Rockies with Margaret Feinberg.

RightNow Media delivers its four libraries of content to 400,000 users, and given current projections, they expect to have one million account holders by the end of 2014.

New Millennium Missionaries Why does all of this matter? Brian believes that RightNow’s mission is to serve the church so that millions can be equipped and unleashed for Christ. “It’s not where you live, but the mission you are on that makes you a missionary. Every Christian has an opportunity to use his or her skills and passions to impact this world for Christ. We are particularly passionate about helping businesspeople to see their work as an act of worship.” The mission of the 80 plus people on staff is to create and deliver engaging, biblical content that would challenge and encourage believers to become what RightNow calls traders— people who trade in the pursuit of the American Dream for a world that desperately needs Christ. VICTORY TwoTen Magazine

Ask Dave ON BUSINESS W I T H

2nd Quarter

D A V E

R A M S E Y

Ask Dave On Business

WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN Dear Dave, I’m in middle management, and I was wondering what you can do when an employee is worth more than you’re allowed to pay them. — Brian Dear Brian, That’s a tough situation when you don’t have control over financial compensation. At my company, the human resources handbook comes with one mandate: treat people the way you would want to be treated. So, I’ll ask you. If you were the employee who deserved more money, how would you want to be treated? Here’s the hard truth. If a member of your team can make significantly more money elsewhere, there’s a good chance they’ll eventually leave. However, if I knew that my leader was fighting and trying to convince the decision makers that I deserved more money, plus doing other things to offset the financial issues, it would mean something to me. There are always other gestures you can make to show someone they’re valued and appreciated. You might let them off a little early when their kid has a ballgame. You could even make a special award presentation to this person, or strongly recommend them for a promotion. Still, at the end of the day, you either give people what the marketplace will pay, or you run the risk of losing them. And without control over the purse strings, there’s only so much you can do in those kinds of situations. — Dave

GIVE YOURSELF TIME Dear Dave, I’m thinking about starting an auto detailing business. Do you have any advice on how to start something like this, and what to consider first? — Justin Dear Justin, When you’re running your own business, you’ll find out quickly that your boss is a jerk who works you like an animal. Working for yourself is one of the toughest things you can do for a career, and you better make sure you’re doing something you love, because it’ll take years of blood, sweat and tears to be successful. If you don’t absolutely love auto detailing, and if you’re thinking about it simply because it’s plausible or you think you can make money doing it, I’d advise giving up on the idea. If that’s your stance, it’s really more of a side job than a business. Think about something you’d want to be doing every day five years from now, and have anywhere from 20 to 200 people doing it with you. You’ll always do a better job and have more fun when you’re involved with something you love. And when it comes to running the business, pay cash, have a written game plan, and don’t be afraid to grow slowly. Lay out a smart business plan ahead of time, and know everything from your marketing strategies and cost of start-up equipment and supplies to what your projected revenues are and the per unit charges for all your little widgets. Lay this all out like you had to prepare a report for a college class, and that’s what a business plan looks like. I’m excited for you, Justin, because you have lots of entrepreneurial spirit. You might not make $100,000 your first year, but who does? Just take your time. Be patient, be smart, and give people a quality product and professional service. If you’ll do those things, chances are you’ll be a success! — Dave

TwoTenMagazine.com

TwoTen Magazine

CONTROL THE OVERHEAD

TEAM READING Dear Dave, I own a small business, and I’d like for my team to begin reading certain books. What are the logistics behind a program like that? — Scott

Dear Dave, I own a small business, and I’m having trouble scaling up while keeping expenses down. Do you have any advice for me?

Dear Scott,

— Josh

I believe in reading. In fact, I believe in it so much that I’ll sometimes go out and buy everyone on my team a copy of a book if I find one that really lights my fire. It could be just a cool little thing I hope they’ll read, but once in a while I’ll find something I feel is really important, and it will become required reading for everyone in the company. We have seven books that all new team members must read within their first 90 days on the job. They’re short, quick reads, but they all have values and messages I want my people to understand and take to heart. The company buys these books, and they’re all in your new-hire package on the first day. Our leadership team reads books together and discusses them on a regular basis too. I wouldn’t recommend a common library, Scott. I’d just buy the books for everyone. That way, they can highlight things that are important to them, dog ear the pages and fun stuff like that—the kind of stuff that makes a book your own, you know? It’s a good way for them to be on top of things, and they can go back and use it as a reference guide in the future.

Dear Josh, There are two types of expenses: fixed and variable. Variable expenses rise as the volume and size of your business grows. A good example of this would be shipping. The more stuff you move, the higher your shipping bill. Fixed expenses are there regardless of your income. Rent is a fixed expense. The amount doesn’t change, and you have to pay it whether you’re making money or not. The best advice I can give you in a scenario like this is to take a deep breath, and accept the fact that you need to slow down and grow slowly and steadily. If you let expenses get out of hand you’ll be chasing them and playing catch up for the life of your business. Overhead kills businesses, Josh. It’s the death knell. — Dave

— 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 6 million listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com.

2nd Quarter

Ask Dave On Business

THANK YOU TO OUR

NETWORK OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS TM

Without you, TwoTen Magazine wouldn’t be possible. We are grateful for your contributions, your support, and your prayers. We can’t thank you enough, and we look forward to many more years of providing purpose, perspective, and perseverance to our readers. Learn more about joining our Network of Strategic Partnerships by visiting: www.TwoTenMag.com/Partnerships

CHRIS HOGAN ON LEADERSHIP

5 WAYS TO

STOP PUTTING

THINGS OFF

AS A LEADER, YOU ALWAYS NEED TO BE AT THE TOP OF YOUR GAME. You’re the person who the whole team looks toward for inspiration. You’re the one they’re going to emulate. But let’s be honest. Even though you’re in charge, you’re still human. So like everyone else, there are going to be tasks throughout your day you want to avoid. They’re simply not fun. If you’re like me, you would love to be able to blink them away from your list of things to do. Unfortunately, none of us have that magic power. So instead, we rationalize why we just can’t get these projects done. But success requires that certain things are taken care of in a timely fashion. I found out the hard way that putting things off did not necessarily make them go away. In fact, if I did not give them proper attention, I was actually putting my business at a disadvantage.

SO HOW DO I AVOID PROCRASTINATION?

ALWAYS KEEP THESE FIVE THINGS IN MIND

Understand what’s at stake.

What are the benefits of doing or not doing those I-totally-wantto-avoid-them tasks? If you’re still waffling on completing those chores, get the good and bad points down on paper. Believe me, seeing them in black and white makes them real, and that will get you moving.

Set clear priorities.

We all love the idea of being the hero, but not adequately focusing on what is necessary will cause us to be the goat. Who or what are the areas that are most important to you right now?

Realize growing comes from doing.

Everyone wants to succeed and be the one others will follow. You must attack the necessary to arrive at the desired.

Chris

Hogan

Identify what is holding you back.

Get a mentor.

Often, fear or nervousness about the outcome prevents certain tasks. Think about that difficult conversation you need to have with a team member or that tough decision you have to make. Both are very necessary for success—and almost every single one of us wants to avoid doing either one of them. Left unattended, they can cause unnecessary setbacks.

Find someone who will call you out and up to your goals. Think of them as a guide to help identify obstacles and plan to deal with them. You can collaborate with this person and share your heart.

THE TAKEAWAY:

As you make your to-do list, attack a few of the less desirable tasks early in the day. You will feel better and more accomplished, because those want-to-avoid chores are completed and now in your rear view. There are benefits to getting things done. Remember, procrastination extends the travel time to the desired destination.

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

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TwoTen Magazine

RECEIVING

YOUR INHERITANCE

IN YOUR MARKETPLACE CALL B Y: O S H I L L M A N

The Bible says in Colossians 3:23-24, that you and I will receive an inheritance from the Lord. “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” 58

2nd Quarter

Receiving Your Inheritance In Your Marketplace Call

hat does that really mean? I began to investigate this and found that the word “inheritance” is mentioned 237 times in the Bible. Webster’s defines the term inheritance as “something to which one is entitled as an heir.” Whenever a word is mentioned that many times in the scripture, it has real significance in the eyes of God. It is evidently important to God, which means it should be important to us. In the context of Colossians 3, I believe it speaks of our faithfulness in fulfilling the work God has given each person to do on earth. Your inheritance is tied to your fulfillment of that work. In the Psalms, we read about God encouraging us to have a focus on not just our small world, but the nations, “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession (Psalm 2:8).” God is saying to us to focus on the nations in addition to our personal work-life call. The Bible reveals that after our life on earth, we are judged based on our stewardship of what God has given us on the earth. We find this in the parable of the minas. The servant who was given 1 mina and returned 10 will manage 10 cities in heaven. The servant who got 1 mina and turned it into 5 will manage 5 cities. The one who simply returned the minas he was given had it taken away and given to the one who returned 10. “Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.” And the second came, saying, “Master, your mina has earned five minas.” Likewise he said to him, “You also be over five cities”. - Luke 19:17-19 This story reveals something about our inheritance in heaven. It is tied to stewardship on earth.

There are 5 Truths about Receiving Our Inheritance: 1. Every believer receives an inheritance based on our work on earth. 2. We can lose our inheritance by receiving the wrong way.

“

If we choose

to operate from our own sweat and toil... we are susceptible to losing our reward.” – Os Hillman

and receiving from God out of our obedience. Zechariah tells us that our success is “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,” sayeth the Lord (Zechariah 4:6). There is always a tension between these two concepts for the person in business. Adam and Eve is the first example of someone receiving inappropriately. Eve thought God was holding out on her. She wanted something that God said was off limits. When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. - Genesis 3:6 Psalm 127:1-2 is a Psalm that speaks of sweat and toiling to achieve an outcome. Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep. - Psalm 127:1-2

We Can Lose Rewards

If we choose to operate from our own sweat and toil, instead of working with the Holy Spirit in guiding us in our business life, we are susceptible to losing our reward.

3. We can identify our inheritance by understanding our purpose. 4. We receive our inheritance from our obedience. 5. Satan attacks us in the place of our inheritance.

First Violation of Receiving Inappropriately One of the problems many of us in the marketplace struggle with is the difference between making things happen TwoTenMagazine.com

If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. - 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 TwoTen Magazine

We Were Created to Know God and to Do Good Works The Bible is clear that God’s desire for us is to know Him (Jeremiah 9:23) and do good works as fruit of our relationship with God. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).

We Can Lose Our Inheritance by Receiving the Wrong Way. There are several other examples in scripture where people manipulated outcomes to receive something they wanted: Moses - “Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank” (Numbers 20:11). But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them” (Numbers 20:12). David received inappropriately when he took another man’s wife, Bathsheba and even committed murder. Gehazi manipulated the general to get payment for healing by Elisha. Ishmael was born because Abraham and Sarah could not wait for the promised son, Isaac. The people of Israel could not wait on God. So, they pressured God to give them what they wanted before God wanted to give it to them. The result was disastrous. They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel, but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert. And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul. Psalm 106: 13-15

Understanding Our Work Life Purpose is Key to Receiving Our Inheritance    I tell you the truth, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. - Matthew 11:11-12 John the Baptist understood his purpose to be a forerunner to announce the coming of Jesus. Interestingly, Jesus said he was

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“

It’s not possible

f or a pe rs on t o

succeed,

I’m talking abou t

eternal

success, without

Heaven’s help.”

– John 3:27 (The Message)

the greatest among the prophets, yet he did not do any miracles. John said, “A man can receive only what God gives him” (John 3:27). He understood his purpose and his assignment.

Jesus Understood His Purpose Jesus knew why He was sent to earth. It was to be Savior and to destroy the works of darkness. “Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself” (John 6:15). Many people wanted Jesus to be something He was not. They wanted Him to fulfill a purpose that was contrary to the Father’s purpose for His life, but He understood His purpose. . . .”I do exactly what my Father has commanded me” (John 14:3).

David Understood His Purpose Early in his career, King David understood that God had blessed him for the sake of Israel, not for his own benefit. And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel (1 Chronicles 14:2). David came to understand where all the blessings he had received came from. Receiving Your Inheritance In Your Marketplace Call

Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand (1 Chronicles 29:14). David understood stewardship of resources, position and power.

A Lesson on Receiving Early in my writing career I learned an important lesson about letting God open doors. I had written and published about five books by the time of this story. I wanted a more long-term relationship with a major publisher. I had one publisher that I was about to sign a multi-book deal with, but the deal fell through. It was a death of a vision. Then, one day I received a book from a publisher by a leader that I personally knew. I said to myself, “Now that is the publisher I need to be with.” The next day I got up to write a proposal to the publisher, from whom I received the letter from the previous day. As I began writing, I had a check in my spirit. I seemed to be hearing, “Do not write this letter.” I got up the next day to do the same thing. Again, I got the same check in my spirit. This happened every day. I concluded I was not to write the letter of proposal. Two months later I had to be in the city of the author of the book I had received. He invited me to lunch. There was another man at the table with

“

us. He was the president of that publishing company that I was going to write. The first words out of his mouth were, “Os, I have been watching you for several years. We would love to publish anything you would like to write.” I was flabbergasted. I knew then why God had put a check in my spirit about writing a proposal to him. We all know in business that your relationship is stronger if someone seeks you out rather than having been sought by you. This company published three books I wrote.

We Receive Our Inheritance  Out of Obedience The Promised Land was received out of obedience versus sweat and toil. This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible that explains the difference between sweat and toil versus obedience. “So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.” - Joshua 24:12-13 Provision always follows obedience. Israel won their battles out of obedience, not because of their skill and ability.

The Bible is clear

that God’s desire for us is to know Him and do good works as fruit of our relationship with God. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Taken from Jeremiah 9:23 and Ephesians 2:10

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“

God is the source

of our success. Let Him guide you in the process of fulfilling

your calling for success in the marketplace.”

– Os Hillman

Satan Attacks Us in the  Place of Our Inheritance

God Gave Strategy to His People in Order to Receive From Him: David received plans for the temple – 1 Chronicles 28:12

Abraham’s inheritance was in the land. So, Israel is always attacked over their land, their inheritance.

Peter was told by Jesus to cast his line on the other side of the boat – he caught 157 fish – Luke 5

Jesus came to provide salvation, so Satan tempted Him to prevent Jesus from becoming a savior. “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1-2). Satan tempted Him to fulfill His purpose contrary to God’s prescribed way.

Jacob received a dream to allow him to fund his family business and leave the employment of Laban – Genesis 31:11-13 David was given specific instructions to attack the Philistines only after he heard the marching in the balsam trees – 2 Samuel 5:22

Jesus was tempted in three specific areas:

Joseph received a dream and the interpretation, which allowed him to become the ruler of Egypt under Pharaoh – Genesis 41

HIS IDENTITY – “If you are the Son of God…” HIS AUTHORITY - Using His power inappropriately & at the wrong times.

Moses was told the way to get water for the people was to speak to the rock – Exodus 17:6

HIS STRATEGY - to accomplish His assigned mission. “All this I will give you…if you will bow down and worship me.”

Noah was given specific dimensions of the ark to build – Genesis 6:14-17

Entrepreneurs are attacked in their ability to create good versus God things. They are gifted to see opportunity, but they fail to be led by the Spirit in selecting the right projects to be involved with. If you are an entrepreneur, ask God to guide you to the projects you are to be involved with.

Joshua was told to walk around the wall at Jericho for seven times to gain victory – Hebrews 11:30 In closing, God is the source of our success. Let Him guide you in the process of fulfilling your calling for success in the marketplace. “I am the Lord your God who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your well-being would have been like a river. And your righteousness like the waves of the sea” (Isaiah 48:17-18).

Hillman is Founder and President of Marketplace Leaders Ministries. He is also an internationally

recognized speaker, author, and consultant on the subject of faith at work. Hillman has written 12 books on faith and work

s ub j ects

a nd

daily

w o r k p l a ce

em a i l

d ev o ti o na l

enti tl ed

T GIF–Today

God

Fir s t.

For more information on Os and his ministry work, visit: www.MarketplaceLeaders.org

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Receiving Your Inheritance In Your Marketplace Call

Stories of the Generous Life Ordinary people

Extraordinary generosity

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO

LIVE A TRULY

GENEROUS LIFE? After all, generosity is much more than writing checks...it is about ordinary people seeking to live well with what God has entrusted them.

Learn the secrets of the giver’s journey through 21 short stories of those who are examples of:

Author William F. High William High is the Chief Executive Officer of National Christian Foundation Heartland. He works with families, individual givers, and financial advisors, sharing

FAMILY • LOVE

CHECKBOOK • LIFE

LAND • CAREER

AND MUCH MORE...

the Foundation’s message regarding biblical generosity and charitable giving. He is also a sought-after leader and speaker on generosity and family legacy. Prior to joining NCF, William was a partner with a national and international law firm, Blackwell Sanders LLP. He remains Of Counsel with the law firm Sanders Warren & Russell LLP. He is also the founder of iDonate.com, Generous Life, BeFamily, and

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Christian Foundation Grants.

Learn More By Visiting: www.StoriesOfTheGenerousLife.com

“

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body .”

– 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

PERSEVERANCE “Go back?” he thought. “No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!” - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit -

...meditate on these things.

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BUILDING A

LEGACY THE NEED FOR A CORPORATE SUCCESSION PLAN BY ALAN ROBERTSON

To build a legacy is to leave something worthwhile behind for future generations; building a company is no different. At Duck Commander, we are investing in the future by instilling a solid work ethic and a godly heritage into the hearts and minds of our children and employees. This was not by chance; rather, it was a purposeful decision by my father to create a lasting product that not only revolutionized the hunting community, but also affected spiritual change upon the American culture.

he foundation of American business has always been hard work, ingenuity, and an open mind. The bedrock of our society demanded that hard-working men and women leave a foundation upon which their successors would build the future. Our country was built upon the blood, sweat, and tears of our forefathersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as was Duck Commander. TwoTenMagazine.com

A Fishy Kind of Business We all know that several of the early followers of Jesus were fisherman. Here at Duck Commander, we relate to the disciples. In the early days of the company, Dad was a commercial fisherman. For ten years, we were part of the original faith-based businessâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; TwoTen Magazine

“

Jase, Willie, Al, and Jep Robertson.

Duck Commander duck calls being assembled.

Dad had grand plans

from the start. We thought he was crazy, but in essence, he was discipling us.

He was showing us by example how to sustain a profitable business.” – Alan Robertson

fishing was our bread and butter backbone. We spent a lot of time on our knees praying that God would bring the fish into our nets so that Mom could go to the bank and pay the bills. It was literally that simple.

fishing. I can remember a couple of times that we weren’t ready when he returned from the lake. Being kids, I’m sure we were messing around, being irresponsible, but Dad had a job to do and after fishing for hours, he finished the work alone.

Luke 5 is one of my favorite disciple stories. I like to imagine that Peter had a hard time casting his net on the other side of the boat when Jesus said, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Can’t you hear him say, “It’s ok, Master. Leave the fishing to the professionals.” But as faith prevailed and Peter cast his nets one last time, the miracle happened. I would have loved to watch a seasoned fishermen struggle with the haul of fish that Jesus brought that day! Isn’t that just like God?

Later, when we finally realized what had happened, Dad sat us down and walked us through the process. He reminded us that fishing was how we paid for things; we didn’t have much, but fishing was how we got it. He told us that he couldn’t build the company by himself; sustaining our business would take all of us, diligently working together to accomplish daily goals.

As commercial fisherman, when you see fish flopping around in the bottom of your boat, you’re seeing dancing dollar bills. We were just like Peter. When we had a large run of catfish, we were excited, because it meant we could pay our notes, buy a new drill, and finish a project. Duck Commander was built on faith, and we were all a part of the process. Normally, my brothers and I were the ones to help Dad unload the fish from the boat after he had put in a long day of

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Dad had grand plans from the start. We thought he was crazy, but in essence, he was discipling us. He was showing us by example how to sustain a profitable business: work hard, pay your bills, buy supplies, sell the product. We learned by watching. We saw his diligence, we learned how to work, we set our hands to the proverbial plow, and we finished the job. At the time, our daily responsibilities were grimy, stinky fish work, but down the road it meant a sleek, clean business with the ability to buy houses and raise our families. To sustain a company culture, it takes everyone involved, committed to the vision to accomplish the task.

Building A Legacy: The Need For A Corporate Succession Plan

“

The future

of our companies

lies in the training

of our successors.

Corporate succession is necessary.”

The Duck Commander duck call room.

– Alan Robertson Legacy and Discipleship: You Can’t Have One Without the Other

Why shouldn’t we focus on training up the next generation of corporate American leaders?

Like any discipleship, we didn’t realize that Dad was teaching us business principles while we were hauling fish. His discipleship created a legacy. To effectively sustain a business into multiple generations, people need to be involved in the early stages, at the bottom line. They have to catch the vision. It’s not enough to simply pass the torch and expect a culture to be maintained; onthe-job discipleship must be a part of the equation.

These questions can only be answered with the biblical principle found at the end of Deuteronomy 6. “When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And He brought us out from there, that He might preserve us….’”

Generational consistency is the goal of every business owner: that which is created at the genesis of the company is meant to sustain the product into the future. Times and methods may change, but at the core of every successful business is a foundational legacy meant to be instilled into future generations of corporate leadership. The bedrock of American society is built upon the concept of legacy and succession. Discipleship and mentorship are crucial.

The future of our companies lies in the training of our successors. Corporate succession is necessary. Whether that means teaching our children how to fish or showing employees how to sustain a company culture, the responsibility of creating a legacy falls upon us. It’s going to take people boldly living biblical principles day-to-day to truly impact the future of corporate America. While there is still life left in me, I want to impact the next generation. Will you join me?

Just as my father taught us that hard work built Duck Commander, business owners must instill within their culture the need to preserve the foundational elements of the company. In Deuteronomy 6, Moses reminded the children of Israel to love the Lord, to remember the commandments, and to teach future generations how to serve. As business men and women, isn’t that what we all desire for our companies? Longevity, integrity, and prosperity? Aren’t these simply biblical truths put into practice?

Alan Robertson is the oldest son of Phil and Kay Robertson. He helped build the foundation of the family business, Duck Commander. Recently, Alan has returned to the family business after serving in full-time ministry for more than 25 years. Alan plays a vital role in the family’s commitment to spreading the gospel of Christ through their love of hunting and the great outdoors. Alan and his wife, Lisa, are parents of two grown daughters and proud grandparents to two granddaughters and a grandson on the way.

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HELPING YOUR STAFF COPE WITH

PERSONAL

LIFE CHALLENGES

B Y: D R . M A R K C R E S S

For quite a long time, the top four problems staff members face and struggle with at work have not changed. They are financial pressures, domestic issues, medical problems, and substance abuse. 70

2nd Quarter

Helping Your Staff Cope With Personal Life Challenges

LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT EACH ONE:

Financial Pressures

Domestic Issues

3 4

A recent report estimates that 30 million workers in America… that’s one in four…are seriously financially distressed.

Studies have shown that employees lose more than 160 hours of work time in the year following a divorce. Findings of the Life Innovations Study, “Marriage and Family Wellness: Corporate America’s Business?” concluded that relationshiprelated stress costs employers about $300 billion annually.

Medical Problems According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, productivity losses related to personal and family health problems cost U.S. employers $1,685 per employee per year, or $225.8 billion annually.

Substance Abuse

really matters. Throughout the New Testament, we see our hero, Jesus, taking time to make a difference in the lives of working people. We find Him dealing with all of the above challenges as well as many more. For Him, it all came down to love and compassion. Jesus demonstrated His love for people all the time, plus, He had a genuine passion for exhibiting compassion. So, what are the top five things we can do to compassionately impact the lives of our team members struggling with the plethora of life issues? 1. We can start by getting on our knees and asking God to help us help them. Ask Him to give you a heart of compassion for your people. When we begin an assignment in communion with the God of the Universe, our possibilities for success improve exponentially. 2. Develop a Caring Plan for your company and encourage other team members to join in a Caring Committee to target needs of your team. 3. Establish an Employee Benevolence Program that employees can contribute time or money (which may be matched by the company) to help employees in need.

A fact from the National Council on Drug and Alcohol Dependency states that 70% of the estimated 14.8 million Americans who use illegal drugs are employed.

4. Investigate programs like Financial Peace University, Divorce Care, Celebrate Recovery, and many others that offer Christian based solutions to the personal and yet productivity zapping challenges your team members face.

What might surprise you at first, but not at all upon reflection, is a new entry in the top five. It represents a huge problem for employers and employees alike and is brought on by the swelling number of baby boomers (people born between 1946 and 1964) in the workforce. This issue has clearly moved into the top five problems people wrestle with at work, and some say it is quickly moving up the scale. It is the challenge our team members face in caring for their aging parents.

5. Consider a chaplaincy program for your company to offer regular proactive employee assistance. There are a number of resources in this area from various Christian providers, many of whom are making tremendous strides with employees in crisis and, as a result, seeing many lives transformed.

A recent USA TODAY/ABC News/Gallup poll estimates that 34 million Americans serve as unpaid caregivers for elderly relatives and that they spend on average 21 hours a week helping out. To validate the growing trend here, this same survey suggests that of all baby boomers who are not caring for an elderly relative, 37% expect to do so in the future. Knowing all these facts is one thing, but as caring Christian workplace leaders, it’s what we try to do about these issues that

When we work to imitate and develop the attitude of Christ relative to the needs of our team members, our lives are transformed as well. We actually reap the greatest benefit. Not simply in greater productivity and earthly rewards…but in the eternal dividends that await on the other side. We work hard to build net worth here on Earth, yet the Bible teaches us in Matthew chapter six, not to lay up treasures here on Earth where moths and rust destroy them, but to lay up treasures in Heaven where they will live on forever. Our people are the true treasures of our earthly work. Let’s cherish them and take as many to Heaven with us as possible. In doing so, when we get to Heaven ourselves, we can truly hope to hear our great God say, ”Well done my good and faithful servant.”

Dr. Mark Cress is the Founder of Corporate Chaplains of America. CCA (www.chaplain.org) is the nation’s leading provider of full time workplace chaplains to more than 800 public and private business locations across the US and internationally. He holds business and seminary degrees including a doctorate in Business Ethics and Leadership.

He has authored seven books through Lanphier Press. Mark has a passion for Christian leadership matters

within the emerging workplace ministry arena. He and his wife Linda have two grown daughters and reside in North Carolina.

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3 TOOLS TO OPTIMIZE YOUR BUSINESS THROUGH

EXPERIMENTATION

By: Jordan Raynor

In the parable of the shrewd manager, Jesus asks, “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? (Luke 16:11)” The Lord has entrusted each of us with wealth. Our job as business leaders is to be good stewards of the resources he has entrusted to us in our companies. 74

2nd Quarter

3 Tools To Optimize Your Business Through Experimentation

hen you’re sitting in the C-suite, it’s tempting to rely on your experience and your gut to make business decisions. But as we all know, we don’t have all the answers, and many times our assumptions can lead to foolish squandering of resources. Over the past few years, a number of products have been introduced to the market that make it easy for any business leader to test assumptions and business hypotheses through experimentation. I have chosen 3 to share with you which have helped me optimize my businesses through experimentation. I hope these tools will help you be the best steward of the resources you shepherd.

OPTIMIZELY

Optimizely makes A/B testing your website super-simple (and affordable). What’s A/B testing? A/B testing is a simple way to test changes to your website against the current design and determine which variations produce the most positive results. It is a method to validate that any new design or change to an element on your webpage is improving your conversion rate before you make that change to your site permanent. Small changes can yield major results, as Vitals (a leading website committed to helping patients find and connect with

quality doctors) found by changing one word on their homepage. Here’s the story from Irving Weiss, Vitals’ Vice President of Web Marketing:

“One of our employees suggested we run an Optimizely test to rename the “Full report” tab to “Full profile.” The theory behind this test was that people are more apt to associate the word “profile” with a person and the word “report” with an object, making it less obvious that the “Full report” is about a doctor. Most people on our team found it hard to believe that a single word could really have a meaningful impact on user behavior, so this experiment was definitely met with resistance. Prior to Optimizely, testing usually meant more people needed to be involved, which made for a longer process, and didn’t typically allow for a quick and easy test. Once the experiment got the approval, it didn’t take more than a day to discover that the naysayers were totally wrong; the new treatment brought about a 65% increase to the CTR!”

Vitals utlized Optimizely to run A/B Tests on their website homepage. Test A used the word ‘Report’.

TEST

Test B used the word ‘Profile’.

TEST

The new word treatment brought about a

65% INCREASE to the Click-Through Rate.

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“

The Lean Startup

centers around the concept of the

“minimum viable product”

which encourages business leaders

to strip their ideas down to

their very core.” – Jordan Raynor

MAILCHIMP

If email marketing has a significant impact on your business’ bottom line, you should check out MailChimp’s powerful experimentation tools. Have you ever wondered what’s the best day to send your marketing emails? Weekdays? Weekends? What time of day? Early morning, or late afternoon? What kind of subject line works best for your audience? Something with a hard sell? Or something more subtle and informative? Will people open your email if you include “FREE” in the subject line? The best way to answer these and other questions you have is to experiment with your email marketing campaigns and MailChimp makes this easier than any other email marketing software provider I have come across. MailChimp’s email optimizer allows you to run A/B tests on subject lines, from names and send dates and send times.

THE LEAN STARTUP

Before you write this one off because your company is not a startup, you should know that the principles laid out in this book were pioneered by Toyota during their heyday. The Lean Startup is not a piece of software, but rather a book that has spawned a movement of companies thinking differently about how to build, measure and learn about their products. Written by entrepreneur Eric Ries, the lean startup methodology favors experimentation over elaborate planning, feedback from customers over gut intuition, and iterative development over traditional “big up front” investment in a particular product. The Lean Startup centers around the concept of the “minimum viable product” which encourages business leaders to strip their ideas down to their very core, build the most minimum version of the product possible in order to test your hypotheses, and then get it into customers’ hands as quickly as possible to learn, repeat, and improve. Again, this isn’t just for startups. Some of the largest companies in the world from GE to Intuit have begun implementing these lessons, using technology to experiment and optimize their businesses.

What do you use to optimize your business? What technology tools do you use in your business to experiment and optimize? Please share them with me at jordan@twotenmag.com. LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE 3 TOOLS: optimizely.com

mailchimp.com

theleanstartup.com

Jordan Raynor is a digital strategist who has spent his career solving real problems in government, politics and business through technology. Jordan is a Co-founder of Citizinvestor and a Co-founder of Digital Doulos.

2nd Quarter

3 Tools To Optimize Your Business Through Experimentation

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PERSEVERANCE

ISN’T ENOUGH

BY: PA UL WHITE, PHD

One of the privileges I have in consulting with family-owned businesses is to interview the founders of the business and hear their personal and business histories. One of the questions I ask is: “To what do you attribute your financial and business success?” The most common response across all respondents is: perseverance (In fact, I cannot remember one single interview where this wasn’t part of the answer given.) Although each person may describe the process somewhat differently, the theme is the same: “not giving up,” “sticking to it over the long haul,” “continuing to do what we knew was right”.

2nd Quarter

Perseverance Isn’t Enough

s I have continued to work with businesses and leaders over the past 15+ years, often walking along side of them for several years, I have been able to observe this “perseverance” displayed in various ways – some healthy, and some not so healthy. This has led me to ask questions to understand when and why perseverance is beneficial and when it is not.

Perseverance Defined One definition of perseverance is, “the quality that allows someone to continue trying to do something even though it is difficult”; this essentially describes perseverance as a character quality. A more concise, practical description I like is: “to continue despite difficulties, opposition, or discouragement.” I prefer this definition, because it describes perseverance as a process, an action, rather than a quality we may or may not possess. Generally speaking, perseverance is viewed as a positive character quality, and, in fact, is cited by numerous leaders as foundational to success: “I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature.” • John D. Rockefeller “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan, ‘press on’ has solved, and always will solve, the problems of the human race.” • Calvin Coolidge Additionally, followers of Christ are praised in Scripture when describing continued commitment to Christ in the midst of opposition and difficulties: “Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.” • II Thessalonians 1:4 “I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.” • Revelation 2:19 Conversely, there are numerous negative terms for those who don’t persevere. They are described as “giving up,” “quitting,” “admitting defeat,” and ultimately, “failing.” But I am not sure these are fair (or accurate) terms for all situations in which a person decides to discontinue the pursuit of a goal. TwoTenMagazine.com

“

I do not think

there is any othe r q ua l i ty so essential to suc c e ss

of an y kind as th e

qu a l i ty of perse v e rance .

It overcomes almost

ev er y thing, ev e n nature .” – John D. Rockefeller The character qualities of faithfulness, honoring one’s word, hard work, and perseverance are clearly desirable. But sometimes, especially in the Protestant subculture, these characteristics are intertwined to the point that they become indistinguishable. And this can create problems in decision-making. Can you be faithful and honor your commitment, but, at the same time give up? (In some situations, yes you can.) I do believe, and have observed, that there are situations in which it is best to not persevere (That almost sounds like heresy to my Midwestern Protestant work ethic mind!). There are times to decide that “enough is enough” and to turn aside from one’s dream and to pursue a different pathway. For example, was it more honorable for some pioneers to continue in their journey across the Wild West and die in the process, or to choose to only go part of the way and make a life where they were, even though it wasn’t their ultimate destination? Or in today’s society, is it better to pursue a career or business goal that consumes virtually all of one’s time, emotional energy and finances (to the detriment of one’s marriage and family members’ lives) or to say, “It’s not working. I give up.” and pursue a different path?

When to Persevere? For many (myself included), in many business ventures and career paths, the question becomes: How long should I continue to pursue this goal, and when would it be wiser to stop? What is interesting to me is that the character quality of perseverance can be described as a positive trait or a weakness, based on the perspective of the observer (or possibly, depending on the outcome of the continued effort). Phrases with a positive viewpoint include: “hang in there,” “don’t give up,” “gut it out” or “stay committed.” On the other hand, continuing on one’s course of action can also be described as: “bull-headed”, “not willing to learn”, “foolishness”, and “idealistic”. TwoTen Magazine

“

Successful individuals combine the tenacity of “sticking with it” with wisdom and discernment.

They seek wise counsel and listen to those

who have broader life experience.”

– Dr. Paul White

Generally, there has been a cultural bias toward viewing perseverance positively – and maybe justifiably so. The natural inclination for most of us, it seems, is to give up easily (think of most children and adolescents); and we need to be trained to “hang in there” and not give up. And clearly in the business world, there has been an honorable connotation to those who “stick with it.” This is changing, culturally, however.

The Idolizing of Instant Success The overall culture in the Western world idolizes quick successes and really doesn’t think much of the boring, “steady as she goes,” day in, day out plodding that characterizes much of life. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the mainstream media and our culture generally undermines the development of perseverance. We are enticed and become enamored with the latest instant millionaire (or billionaire) who hit it big—either through a high tech start-up, a 16-year old megastar in music, or possibly a 22-year old athlete who signs a multi-year, multimillion dollar contract. Their instant financial success is waved in front of us like the light of a bug zapper in front of a moth. We are drawn and mesmerized by the light, temporarily forgetting everything else we were doing prior to seeing it. While some may try to pursue that pathway, many of us continue on our current paths–but

become discouraged and discontent when “success” seems like a distant goal for us, while others seem to reach it quickly and easily.

The Conclusion: Perseverance + Wisdom is Needed So where does this lead us? It would be easy to conclude, “Well, you won’t be successful if you give up before you reach your goal.” While that is often true, it is also a false dichotomy. Some people fail because they continue to pursue a goal beyond which it is wise, and they expend all of their life’s resources to do so. Alternatively, many individuals have actually become successful because they quit pursuing their initial goal and pursued a different opportunity that crossed their path. Perseverance, in and of itself, does not guarantee positive results. Successful individuals combine the tenacity of “sticking with it” with wisdom and discernment. They seek wise counsel and listen to those who have broader life experience. They listen to the feedback from the marketplace. They learn how to assess and manage risk. Fortunately, and most importantly, God has promised to give us wisdom when we ask for it (James 1:5), and to lead and guide us in the ways we should go (Proverbs 3:5,6). So, the conclusion I reach is: Perseverance is a key character quality that is beneficial in life and which often leads to positive results. However, other characteristics are needed in addition to perseverance to know when it is wise to keep going and when to quit.

Dr. Paul White is a psychologist, speaker, and consultant who makes work relationships work. Co-author of the 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace (with Dr. Gary Chapman), Dr. White provides practical advice in improving workplace relationships and successfully transferring family businesses across generations.

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Perseverance Isn’t Enough

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