Raving Fans

Ken Blanchard was famous for his concept of creating raving fans. He used to say that satisfying customers wasn’t the goal. Creating situations where they’re absolutely blown away is.  

Creating those experiences isn’t as difficult as you think. It takes going that extra inch to make every encounter with you and your business remarkable. It’s being different in a way that improves how your customer feels about working with you. 

You want people to walk away not only satisfied but raving about you. You want them obsessed and telling everyone about it. 

Put others first. Be interested in the lives of others. Be present everywhere you are, not distracted by your phone or what’s going on around you. Look people in the eye. Smile. Care enough to listen. Say “please,” and “thank you.” 

These are simple things. We can all do better at creating raving fans. Whether they’re fans of our business or fans of us personally. 

Aim to leave a great impression on everyone you meet. 

Do this and you’ll have a stellar reputation. Not only that, but you’ll have a life full of more love and kindness than you thought possible. 

Attitude Over Circumstances

The quality of your life and character isn’t determined by circumstances external to you—the things that happen to you. Both are determined by the internal choices and decisions you make in light of them. 

Which is good news because you can actually do something about them. 

“It is not as important to change our circumstances,” Tim Keller says, “as it is to change our heart’s attitude and stance toward them.” 

Your attitude is the key to turning even the worst situation around. How you think drives everything else. 

It’s easy to have a positive attitude when things are going well. But it’s a different story when they’re not. Those are the moments you need encouragement from a good friend. I want to be that good friend for you today, and remind you of a few things. 

Every situation (good or bad) has the potential to shape and impact you for the better. It might be hard and nearly impossible to get through, but it can make you tougher, stronger, and better if you’ll let it. The mental game is always the hardest part of any battle. Staying positive and upbeat when the waves are crashing about you is perhaps the most difficult thing you face on a regular basis. 

When things aren’t going well, I want you to remember what good things it could mean for you. Opportunities to grow and learn. Opportunities to be a better version of yourself today than you were yesterday. Opportunities that remind you why you’re here in the first place.

Check your thoughts the next time you find yourself in the damp dark pit of self-pity. Remind yourself that you’ve still got gas in the tank and some fight left in you. You’re not that easy to beat. You will never quit. You’re tough enough to hang in there and find the silver lining to even the darkest cloud. A silver lining that keeps you pushing forward and driving on when things are at their lowest. 

21 Remarkable Podcasts You'll Be Glad You Learned About

Podcasts are the best ways to learn new and interesting things while on the go. I listen to them while walking the dogs, getting work done or while driving to and from meetings. Radio has become a distant sound that rarely comes through my speakers. Instead of listening to guys argue or the same songs over and over, I choose to learn something new.

A recent episode of The Portfolio Life inspired me to create a PDF copy of my 30-day writing challenge. If you haven’t downloaded a copy, you can find one here.

The same episode also introduced me to Art 2 Self and the concept of a motivational cartoonist. Who knew such a thing existed? I wouldn’t have either, if not for Jeff Goins and The Portfolio Life. Steph Halligan’s story reminded me to approach my work as a fellow traveler rather than an expert.

Podcasts are a great way to hear new voices and interact with the entertaining and insightful tales of others. I’m always on the lookout for something new to add to my cue and stumbling into new favorites all the time. Here are a few of my most recent finds.

Watermark's Church Leadership Podcast

Jocko Podcast

The Cheerful Visit

#STRask with Greg Koukl

The Portfolio Life with Jeff Goins

Copyblogger FM

The Writer Files

Signposts with Russell Moore

Reading Writers

Louder with Crowder

Home Row: A  Podcast with Writers on Writing

The Cold-Case Christianity Podcast

The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe

I’m usually late to the party. If you’ve already heard of these and want some further ideas, here are some of my long standing favs:

The Briefing with Albert Mohler

The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast

The Glenn Beck Program

Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast

The Tim Ferriss Show  

Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History

Let My People Think

Just Thinking

I currently use an app called Overcast to stream podcasts. If you’d like to check it out, you may do so here. All the podcasts above and many more are only a search away. Enjoy!

Whether you’re new to the podcast world or simply looking for something new, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

What do you enjoy listening to? Is there any particular podcast you’ve found helpful and fun?

Where does your mind go?

“Wherever your mind goes most naturally and freely when there is nothing else to distract it—that is what you really live for. That is your religion. Your life is shaped by whatever preoccupies your mind. The overcoming of sin in our lives begins in our minds; and victory over sin is only ever the result of having minds set on the Spirit.”

— Tim Keller

I don’t know about you, but the words above hit me square in the face as my eyes rolled over each new word. I looked back over the last several days to consider exactly where my mind goes in moments of solitude. What I found made me my shudder. My mind doesn't drift to bad or inappropriate places, it just seldom drifts to thoughts of Christ.  

The path of discipline, health, working hard and getting better can preoccupy my mind. These things are important, worth contemplating and the primary focus of this blog. Today, I want to pause and think about exactly where my mind does and doesn’t go in moments of silence.  

What you focus your mind on shapes your life and character. Whatever preoccupies your thoughts has control over you. That’s called an idol in Christian circles. It’s such a big deal it’s the first commandment given to Moses and the one Jesus cites as the most important. 

That’s a big deal and why daily time in God’s Word is so vitally important. It transforms your mind and helps orient it around the person and work of Christ. 

I don’t know about you, but I want to be controlled by those thoughts. Thoughts of Christ, not lesser things. No matter how good or important they may seem.  

Capturing The Power In Small Moments

While in college I took part in an aptitude assessment. For two days they put problem after problem before me to see how I responded. It felt more like a game than series of tests until I reached one involving spacial awareness. The test was simple. They showed me a square block composed of several different pieces, like a puzzle. They would then have me turn around as they dissembled the block. After turning around they asked me to put it back together as they timed me. I couldn’t do it the way they wanted me to.

I kept “failing” the test because when faced with a complex problem, I broke it up into smaller ones. I made two different blocks out of the pieces and then put those two together. I couldn’t do it the other way, the “right” way, no matter how many chances they gave me.

This is how I solve complex problems, I break them up into smaller more manageable ones. I don’t try to eat a steak all in one bite, and I don’t attempt to tackle large goals or issues in one bite either. I chop them up into many smaller pieces, solve them and get to work putting them back together.

My wife and I do this as a team on a daily basis. Most divide most projects between the two of us. We split a wedding day evenly for instance. While she is capturing the bride getting ready, I’ll do the same for the guys. While she is shooting from the aisle, I am getting a different angle. While she is taking family pictures, I'm calling out names and lining up the next photo. At every moment and in every way we divide big things, like weddings, into small bite size chunks.

Chunking like this not only helps us do big projects at work, it also aids us in reaching large personal goals. No area is this more evident in my life than my reading habits. I determined to continue learning and growing the rest of my life many years ago. I read a lot as a result. I don't read with the prolific nature of Tim Challies—who reads over 100 books a year—or the determined spirit of Stephen King— who prescribes reading four to six hours a day—but, I still read more than a lot of people.

I read in the neighborhood of thirty books covering the span of the literary world each year. Some books stretch my mind, some inform my heart, and others show how stories get told. Regardless of the genre or style each page I turn helps me become whoever it is I’ll grow up to be.

The same could true for you. You don’t have to set aside hours for reading or take a speed reading course do the same feat. All you have to do is carve out small moments of focused effort.

Read in small bits here and there. I break it up into three small bite size bits. I read three pages when I wake up, three more over my lunch break, followed by three more before bed. That’s almost ten pages without breaking a sweat.

Why three pages? It’s a number so small, it’s not worth not doing. Why would I skimp on reading such a small number of pages? We look at the stack of books we want to read and chicken out before trying because it all seems too big. Three pages is a number so small in comparison, that it’s laughable not to take them on.   

The funny thing is I rarely stop at three pages per sitting. Once I’m deep in a book, there is little knowing how many pages I’ll end up turning. It varies day to day, but it’s far more than I’d read otherwise.