Lost and Found

Shortly after our sale of our company, I suffered post-business LOST syndrome: Lack of Stressful Transactions. After the first five consecutive stay-at-home weekends of my life, I began to feel like a failure. I thought there was something wrong with me. I realized that these feelings were the result of the absence of deal-making in […]


GATE

When it comes to your career, you want to make sure that your GATE is unlocked and open for ministry right where you are. You can categorize four key components of your life using the acronym GATE: G: Gifts A: Abilities T: Talent E: Experiences Gifts include your spiritual gifts. Abilities are your learned skills. […]


The Restorative Change Equation

Are you contemplating a job or career change? Restorative change places the value of the process over the results. When I was discerning what I had believed was God’s prompting to become a direct carrier of His message of restoration, I became aware of the following change equation: Dissatisfaction with the present state (DPS) plus […]


Community

eBay’s publicly traded stock had skyrocketed onto the market. Their unprecedented escalation stemmed from their 95 percent share in the Internet auction business. In my first meeting with them to discuss their acquisition of our company, I asked, “What keeps a company like Microsoft from flicking you off the map?” I made a gesture at […]


“God, Open or Close the Door”

After years of being in the auction business and never being approached by a prospective buyer for our company, suddenly suitors pursued us when “auction” became the biggest buzzword on the Internet. I began the due diligence process with an investment banker who was enthusiastic about the prospect of taking our high-profile company public. He […]


The Master ABC Encourager

Sonny and Cathy Gandee were friends who bought and sold hundreds of muscle cars at our auctions over the years. I had invited them to fly with us to an auction in the southern United States. Just before takeoff from Auburn, I asked Sonny where he got his name. “My dad. He played for the […]


ABC Encourager: Comforter

Chris Schenkel, the ABC Sportscaster and Encourager, not only was aware of those he encountered whom he built up; he was also a comforter. Comfort literally means “to call alongside.” It comes from the Latin, com meaning “together” and fortis which is translated “strong.” Consequently, comfort means that we come alongside someone in order to […]


ABC Encourager: Builder

Chris Schenkel, the ABC Encourager, was a builder. I remember many times when he built me up. However, one occasion stands out above all the others. Many years ago, I shared with Chris that I had been thinking about moving away from the business. He stopped me in mid-sentence, something he had rarely done. “No […]


ABC Encourager: Aware

Can you think of a person who has encouraged you? Now think of someone who discouraged you. Which one most resembles you? Encouragement is a catalyst for each of us to journey forward on Restoration Road. Cor is Latin for “heart.” Therefore, “encouragement” means “to restore another’s heart.” Encouragement breathes life into the heart; whereas, […]