As we begin a new and, hopefully, more positive year, ask yourself this question: Are you the person you want to be? If the answer is no, listen up. There are ways to fix that. In his book, Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, Dr. Joe Dispenza, renowned author, speaker, researcher, and chiropractor, explains how to untangle negative ways of thinking and create more positive,…
What a month this has been! My (new) heart is full of gratitude for the many blessings I’ve received in my life, especially in the past couple of weeks. For those who don’t know my story, you’ll find it documented in my blog post entitled, The Beat of Faith. I finally worked my way to the top of the heart transplant list, so I spent…
Thank you Garen Armstrong, your heart and your vision are tremendously appreciated. It’s no wonder your greatest challenge gives us hope. Good Leaders Fight for OthersWhen overwhelmed with uncertainty, most people tend to close themselves off from the world, hiding behind their confusion and frustration. Nothing could be more true when facing a life-threatening medical condition. Garen Armstrong, a Kansas City business leader, was shocked…
Do you remember Aesop’s Fable called The Hare and the Tortoise? The hare thought he was pretty darn smart because he was so fast. He challenged Mr. Tortoise to a race because he was so sure he’d win. But guess what? Mr. Hare was also cocky, so cocky that he actually took a nap while he waited for Mr. Tortoise to catch up. By the…
With Halloween fast approaching and ghouls and goblins popping up everywhere, it seems like a good time to talk about what scares you. If you’re an entrepreneur, there’s a good chance that you have a whole list of items that strike fear at your very core – regardless of how long you’ve been in business. And this year has been an exceptionally scary one for…
As any parent knows, their children depend on them to teach them the skills and lessons they’ll need to succeed in life. In fact, many parents have been called on to go above and beyond this year, filling in as surrogate teachers as their kids finished out the school year at home. Many of us get the basics right. We teach our children to tie…
Garen Armstrong is a successful businessman in Kansas City. On his website, he describes himself as a Christian, entrepreneur, and business developer. Yet Garen Armstrong also describes himself first in his list of monikers as a servant leader. The best description of servant leadership—and best example—was none other than Jesus Christ. He said in Matthew 20:27, “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him…
You have a good job, right? You’re doing what you went to college to study, the company benefits are decent, you get along with your boss, and you like most of your co-workers. Yet you still dread going to work every day. You feel like something is missing. Why is that? Before we go any further, take a minute to celebrate. Not everyone has a…
Some business leaders seem to have the Midas touch. Everything they touch turns to gold. Or diamonds. Is it luck? Or is it hard work and perseverance? Barnett C. Helzberg, Jr., the former CEO of Kansas City-based Helzberg Diamonds, has a few things to say on this topic. In his book What I Learned Before I Sold to Warren Buffett, he covers many of the…
As the saying goes, leaders with integrity do the right thing when no one is looking. Integrity drives you to the right thing because it is the correct thing to do; not always the easiest thing, and based in truth. Be very wary when surrounded by people, who instead of saying the truth, they will say what you want to hear. Scared of the truth?…
When was the last time you showed empathy toward one of your employees? I don’t mean sympathy – feeling sorry for them and their situation. I’m talking about empathy, the ability to see a situation from another’s point of view and feel what they’re feeling. The ability to walk in their shoes, so to speak. Many managers believe that showing empathy is a waste of…
Times are tough right now, aren’t they? This coronavirus situation has given me a chance to reflect on many aspects of my life and reevaluate my priorities. How many of you are doing the same? One of the things I’m thinking about these days as stores, restaurants, and office buildings open back up for business is the way that many businesses are run. I’m talking,…
I was in a meeting the other day and was suddenly struck by a thought: Just because a person is at the top of an organization, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re a good leader. There are lots of people at the top who aren’t. This notion made me pause, and then I thought, “I wonder how I’m doing?” There are all kinds of leaders and…
Anyone who knows me knows I’m a high-energy, fun-loving guy. I’m always on the go, making sales, supervising roofing installations, or giving away another roof to a deserving veteran. I love spending time with family and friends, too. I believe that when you have fun, your whole life is better. Many people are just like me. They love to have fun. But that doesn’t translate…
Let’s talk about a topic that many people don’t give much thought to. I’m talking about the matter of choosing the people you want to work with. It’s an integral part of any business person’s success, but we often get in the habit of taking customers as they walk in the door simply because they walked in the door. And once in a while, we…
There’s been a lot of hype in recent years about The Law of Attraction. Rhonda Byrne really pushed this concept forward with her movie The Secret, which came out in 2006. Presented in a non-traditional style, this movie really dove into the idea of creating the life you want to live by manifesting things, experiences, and relationships simply by focusing on them intently and single-mindedly….
When you were a kid, did you ever have friends your parents didn’t approve of? Most of us did. It never seemed fair because our parents didn’t really know them like we did, right? And we thought they were fun kids to hang out with. So why were Mom and Dad so worked up about us being friends with them? It’s probably because our parents…
Who is that Man in the Mirror? Let’s talk about honesty and integrity. These are two words that people often associate with successful leaders. And they’re two words that are nearly always tied together when talking about leadership traits. Why is that? Perhaps it’s because it’s hard to be honest in all your dealings without treating people fairly and with integrity in the process….