Are We Having Fun Yet?

Well, 2022 is rapidly coming to a close. So … are we having fun yet?

In the business world we are notorious for putting fun last on our list of priorities as a New Year kicks off, and as a result, never getting to it. We’re so darn busy throughout the year trying to meet our annual objectives and “putting out fires” that we don’t set aside time to have fun.

With what we’ve suffered through these past few years that needs to change.

The negative trends in business as a result of the pandemic, downsizing, restructuring and economic uncertainty have collectively taken a huge toll on the workplace. And a huge toll on the workforce tasked with doing more with less.

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How’s Your Heart Today?

It’s a question I posed to a dear friend recently, for a different reason, who has been going through a difficult time. However, it’s a great question and one we should ask ourselves to start each day.

Why?

Because we’re headed in a direction that will ultimately lead to dark consequences for America and for mankind. Unless we change our thinking, make major societal changes, and fix our heart problem.

Today our country suffers from a heart problem. At an early age we learned to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, and love from hate. We were taught to love one another, despite our differences. But is this how we operate in our daily lives?

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Innovation Is Not That Hard

Innovation is something that is sorely needed – in our businesses, in our communities and in our country. Yet despite its benefits, innovation is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve.

In the business world, innovation is often described as “The process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value or for which customers will pay. Think of the GE slogan, “We Bring Good Things to Life.” However, I tend to favor Scott Berkun’s definition, “Innovation is significant positive change.”

What does significant mean?

In this broader context, significant is a 30% or more improvement in something. So, you could argue that any time changes are made to anything that results in a 30% or more improvement, you’re innovating. To simplify further, innovation is not invention.

Think of the BASF slogan … “We don’t make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.”

This makes innovation a little bit easier to tackle now, doesn’t it?

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We Are Not Lost

Oilman Eddie Chiles had a campaign in the early 1980s with the slogan “I’m Mad, Too, Eddie!” His classic trademark sign-on, “I’m Eddie Chiles, and I’m mad as hell,” created an incredible demand for bumper stickers that read “I’m mad too, Eddie!”

Well guess what? It may be time to bring those bumper stickers back. Because there are a lot of folks around these days who can relate. We are not lost. We are just on the wrong path. And we are mad as hell about it.

Mad at our government and politicians, mad at the news media, mad at the police, mad at the COVID-19 pandemic, mad at the economy, mad at the bar closings, etc. Oh, and let’s not forget the special interests group attempting to rewrite history. We are mad as hell at them too! The list goes on and on.


“A season of darkness will not change until you choose to become the light.” – Jim Gardner

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Life Lessons From Holiday Cooking

Ten years ago, my son Daniel and I decided we’d take on the task of doing most of the Christmas holiday cooking. It was our way of giving my wife Laura and daughter Melanie a break to just relax and enjoy the holidays. My wild, crazy idea!

NOTE: The photo above includes some of the sweets and “treats” made as part of the holiday cooking marathon.

We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into when we started. But after eleven recipes and 12+ hours of meal prep, cooking and clean-up, let’s just say we learned a lot from the experience.

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What Have We Learned?

If you believe Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her Green Deal supporters, the world will end in (8 years) if we don’t start right now to address climate change aggressively.

Ironically, it was 50+ years ago that U Thant, then the Secretary-General of the United Nations, made a similar declaration about the future of mankind. He stated that the “Members of the United Nations have perhaps ten years left to solve the challenges ahead of us, or they will be beyond our control”.

U Thant’s more detailed comments can be found in the Introduction to the book, The Limits to Growth. It was the first edition of this book back in 1972 that began to reshape my thinking about the world around us, and the fate of mankind. In 2012, 40 years later, I released my first book, GLOBALIZATION: America’s Leadership Challenge Ahead that addressed many of these and other global concerns.

Back in April, I discussed one of the major issues from Chapter 5 of my book, Education Revitalized, in a blog article. Now, I want to broaden the conversation. So let’s go back a little farther to see what has changed during the past 51 years since the initial release of The Limits to Growth. Continue reading…

Just One Month Until Lift-Off!!!

M3 POWER NETWORK BREAKFAST

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20th at 8:15 am.

Don’t Miss It! Register TODAY and Invite a Friend!!

Do you want to grow your business and make great new personal connections? If you want to GROW you have to GO. Please join us at the next M3 Power Network event on Saturday, October 20th.

M3 Power Network is DFW’s Premier faith-based Networking Group, engaging business professionals like YOU to focus on Missions, Marketplace, and Motivation.

Take a moment to learn what past attendees are saying about the M3 Power Network: https://www.youtube.com/user/buildinternational/videos

This is a networking event like no others, where you will meet 100+ business owners and high quality professionals who are going to enrich your life. You’ll also hear inspirational speakers who will lift you up and help you to be the BEST YOU. And the relationships you develop will help you to continue to grow both personally and professionally.

Our Purpose is to Encourage, Educate, and Empower You! Our Goal is to Get YOU Connected.

Our Brand: Building People. Spreading Hope!

Breakfast and Networking starts at 8:15 AM. Come early and bring lots of business cards!!

M3 Power Network is sponsored by Build International Ministries. Our goal is to reach 1.5 million lives in 2018! http://www.buildinternational.org/

Building People. Spreading Hope.

Please join us, invite a friend or two, and come prepared to be inspired!!

October 20th is just one short month away, so don’t delay! REGISTER NOW and reserve your seat!!!

Meetup Link

Facebook Link

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, October 20th!!

John

Please Join Us on January 13th!

Put your Big PHAT Goals into action and make 2018 your best year so far!

Do you want to grow your business and personal connections? If you want to GROW you have to GO. Come and meet new people at M3 Power Network!

M3 Power Network is DFW’s Premier faith-based Networking Group, engaging business professionals like YOU to focus on Missions, Marketplace, and Motivation.

Breakfast and Networking starts at 8:15 AM.

Our Purpose: Encourage, Educate, and Empower You!

Our Brand: Building People. Spreading Hope!

Our Goal is to Get YOU Connected.

Our Values: Business Networking | Building Relationships | Fun | Inspiration | Love | Respect | Honor | Excellence | Encountering God and more.

Our great friend and ‘Sales and Networking Guru’, Dean Lindsay, will be the Keynote Speaker for our January 13th event. So you don’t want to miss it! Dean is the author of the highly acclaimed book, How to Achieve Big PHAT Goals, in addition to being a Thought Leader on Building Priceless Business Relationships, sought-after Speaker and award-winning Christian songwriter.

Please join us, invite a friend, bring lots of business cards and prepare to be inspired!!

JANUARY 13TH will be here before you know it, so REGISTER NOW on EVENT BRITE  to reserve your seat!!!

EVENT BRITE

FACEBOOK

We look forward to seeing you (and your guest) on Saturday, January 13th to help kick-off the New Year!!!

John
 

8 Ways to Rise Above the Noise

I don’t know about you, but I have grown weary and resentful of all the negative news I read and hear these days. The steady drone of articles about the Clinton’s, President Trump and his campaign advisers, the Russian dossier, Uranium One scandal, the NFL player protests, and so forth. It’s exhausting!

What’s the solution? We can turn-off the TV, cancel our subscription to the newspaper, or our social media accounts, boycott the NFL, etc. However, being an isolationist is not a solution, its creative avoidance. The very real challenges we must overcome to ‘Make America Great Again’ are still present and unabated.

How can we rise above the noise and turn our attention to solving real-world problems? Continue reading…

#1 Question That Gets Overlooked

What is the #1 question that most often gets overlooked?

You will have to wait a bit for the answer. However, I will give you a hint. The answer is shown in the image below.

As we begin to wind down the 2022 fiscal year, most business owners are thinking about or already beginning their planning cycle for the new calendar year ahead. They’re going through the early stages of the goal-setting process, reviewing the quarterly performance, and putting together annual budgets, forecasts, staffing plans and financial projections for the coming year.

It’s an exciting time of the year and right now, looking through those rose colored lenses, the future looks exceedingly bright. But what is missing? What’s missing is a reality check. Have we done our due diligence? Have we asked the most basic, fundamental question that should be answered before we charge ahead? Probably not. Continue reading…