Small business owners are notorious for being so busy focusing on their business that they neglect themselves. After all, keeping a business profitable is no small task, and it can often require unlimited time and attention, especially in the beginning stages. But as the business owner, you bring a huge amount of value to the table and play an extremely important role. As your business…
Everyone has a definition of success they strive to achieve. The people you look up to and consider to have achieved success probably don’t have more potential than you do, so what is it that really contributes to becoming successful? Well, the reality is that how you do something is how you do everything; meaning, even the little habits you develop will either pave your…
Many people go to work every day because they have to, not because they want to. They have to pay the bills. They have to earn a living. These people don’t enjoy what they do. Or maybe they like it okay — they don’t hate it — but it doesn’t generate excitement and enthusiasm in them. Maybe it’s the job that’s boring. Maybe they’re not…
Leader may appear as superhumans, but they aren’t. They’re human just like everyone else and they have a lot on their plates. Here is a list of eight reminders to re-center and re-focus on the things that will keep your organization moving in the right direction. 1. Anticipate problems When things seem to be going really well, it’s easy to overlook potential issues that may…
I’ve long been a big believer in giving back to the community. I think it’s a good idea to help others who need help, contributing to the city that has been so good to my family, my business, and me. I make reinvesting in the Kansas City community a priority. Here are just a few of the reasons why I do this. Builds Stronger Relationships…
Myths are a comfortable way to explain the seemingly unexplainable. So it makes sense that we would depend on them to help us in our leadership journeys. But when we depend on myths to interpret a complex concept like leadership, we fall into an easy trap that fails to serve those we lead well. Things like myths, tradition, legends, and folklore can easily become our…
Last year was rough for business owners. No matter whom you ask, regardless of the size of the business, you’ll get the same answer: “We didn’t see that coming.” Similar to what Dave Ramsey teaches individuals about having an emergency fund in place, business owners should also run their businesses in a way that allows them to weather unexpected storms. Many companies are subject to…
Spring is finally here. With flowers and trees budding all around us, I thought maybe it was time to talk a little bit about growing things, specifically, how to grow a business. During my journey over the past five years, I’ve been able to grow my roofing business significantly in spite of what some might think of as major setbacks. Any of you can do…
Having good leaders at the helm of a team is always essential for success. Without strong leaders, businesses, ideas, organizations, and efforts lack direction. More often than not, the worthiness of leaders is assessed according to their skills, training, education, and experience. In reality, however, the attributes and characteristics that lend the most towards effectiveness aren’t always determined by these factors alone. Being highly educated…
I’ve been in sales for a long time. I’ve seen trends come and go and come back again. It’s always interesting to watch old ideas become new again. Since we’re still close to the beginning of this year, I thought I’d recap a few of the top sales trends for 2021. Perhaps you have a special method of getting past gatekeepers to reach the decision…
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…