Madison

Aug 05 2013

What To Do When the Unexpected Happens

A young lady who was close to my wife, Sarah, was murdered in a domestic dispute a couple of weeks ago.

I don’t recall ever seeing Sarah so emotionally shaken by a life event. For several days, she quietly processed the events that led to the tragedy.

During that time our 8-year-old daughter, Madison, noticed something was different and began to ask what was going on. So I took her to breakfast one morning and spent some time talking to her about what her mom was experiencing.

After gently explaining the situation, I asked Madison if she understood. She quickly replied, “But mom’s a counselor. Why doesn’t she just tell herself what she tells her clients?”

Jul 03 2013

A Letter to My Son

Dear son,

You’re a year old today. It’s been a great year. Quite possibly the best year of my life.

Now that you’re growing up, it’s time to lay a few ground rules.

First, I can already see that you are not going to be content to stay in one place for very long. You like to get around. And I’m cool with that. In fact, I like following you around – it gives me a glimpse into how your young mind works. It reminds me what it’s like to be constantly seeking adventure. To imagine and crave the new. To dream and to be always learning. You’ll teach me a thing or two about creativity and innovation.

Next, your mom is queen – of everything. So prepare now to shower her with flowers and thoughtful gifts. You’ll plan your fair share of royal dates. You’ll never have to wonder if she will accept your invitation – she’ll say yes. Because she adores you. You won’t need a reason for these special occasions – the honor of spending fleeting moments with her royal highness will be enough. She’s already given you a lifetime of love, gifts, and attention so you will spend your entire life trying to make it up to her. You never will.

BONUS: I’ve created a NEW Guide that will walk you step-by-step through writing your own Personal Life Plan. You can find out how to get a copy of this life-changing tool at the end of this post.

Jun 19 2013

The adventure that is leading

Thirty years ago, when I accepted my first leadership role, I knew virtually nothing about leadership.

Perhaps your story is similar. Maybe you were handed a leadership position out of the blue – maybe you didn’t even want it. Suddenly, there you were – standing there. Everyone looking to you for direction, and you were still trying to figure out what just happened. Or maybe your journey was more traditional – you worked hard. Studied hard.

A mentor patiently guided you. You first learned to follow. Then to lead with passion, vision, and conviction. Read More

Jun 10 2013

5 Tips for Effectively Leading Your Team

Why is it such a challenge to get everybody headed and leading in the same direction? Why do team members get frustrated? How do you get them excited about what you are doing?

A few weeks ago, I was driving Madison and her friend to school. To avoid busy school traffic, I turned down a narrow back road.

As we talked about her morning and her after school plans, the passenger side tires left the pavement for a few moments spinning up grass and gravel. I laughed and told Madison to keep her side on the road – the same thing you say to your kids, right?

Then Madison asked, “Dad, why does mom always complain about your driving?” (For the record, Sarah doesn’t ALWAYS complain about my driving. And she complains less today than she used to.)

Jun 05 2013

5 Essential Tools For Managing Your Finances

When you have the right tools, the job is ALWAYS easier. And it’s no different with your finances – the right tools make all the difference.

In the past few weeks, I’ve received a number of questions from readers about the specific tools that we use to manage our finances. Many of the questions are the result of my previous posts about money. You may want to review them – they’ll add value to this post:

How We Saved More Than $50,000 in 4 Months. This is the story of our journey early in our marriage from debt to financial freedom. It’s not a get-rich-quick post – not by any stretch.
Our 8-year-old buys her own clothes, has saved thousands for college, & has ½ of her first car paid for. In this post I explain how we are actively teaching our children how to manage money.

Now, here are the 5 essential tools for managing money: