Adversity in Business Points Us to God (Interview w/ Brian Slipka)

On this episode, investor and CEO Brian Slipka explains how adverse conditions in business can make it easier for us to recognize God’s presence and power. 

Brian Slipka is the founder and leader of True North. Throughout his career as a senior executive, Brian began investing in numerous independent operating companies, eventually forming today’s True North Equity Partners, where he serves as chairman and CEO. Today, the combined family of nearly 30 independently owned small businesses has revenues in excess of a quarter billion dollars. Brian’s experience includes building startups, buying existing businesses, selling/exiting businesses, and angel investments in numerous companies.  

He has a new book, Win Some: 5 Proven Life Strategies to Win in Relationships. It’s a fun and educational baseball-based fable about relationships. 

He’s a die-hard University of Minnesota Golden Gophers fan, a UMN-themed tailgating vehicle that brings people together and serves the True North Family Foundation’s great cause. 

• https://www.amazon.com/Win-Some-proven-strategies-relationships/

• https://www.tnfamilyfoundation.org/  

Theology of Business is the show for marketplace Christians seeking to explore and apply God’s will for business. If you want to learn more about how to do business for the glory of God and shape culture through discipling the business world, this show is for you.

Full Episode Transcript

Heads up: This transcript was created with AI, so you might notice a few typos or small mistakes. We recommend listening to the episode for the best experience!  

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Welcome to the Theology of Business Podcast, where marketplace Christians explore God’s will and ways for business. This show features conversations with today’s Christ-centered business leaders who are representing Christ faithfully in the business world. I’m your host, Darren Scheer, and if you want to make your work, leadership, and company’s culture more Christ-centered, you’ve come to the right place. On this episode, we’re joined by Brian Slipka. Brian is the founder and leader of True North. Throughout his career as a senior executive, he began investing in numerous independent operating companies, eventually forming today’s True North Equity Partners, where he serves as chairman and CEO. Today, the combined family of nearly 30 independently owned small businesses has revenues in excess of a quarter billion dollars. Brian’s experience includes building startups, buying existing businesses, selling and exiting businesses, and angel investments in numerous companies. And he has a new book, Win Some: Five Proven Life Strategies to Win in Relationships. It’s a fun and educational baseball fable about relationships. And fun fact, he’s a diehard University of Minnesota Golden Gophers fan, and actually has a um what do you call it? The what is the fan wagon called?SPEAKER_01 1:31

Oh, we we have a fan van, which is actually version what we like to call version 2.0. It’s our second fan van. And so yeah, it’s been a lot of fun uh tailgating with and building in relationship through the shared experience of tailgating has been uh has been a pretty good pretty good thing. It’s been great.SPEAKER_00 1:48

Awesome, awesome. Well, and you guys still have a great wrestling program up there.SPEAKER_01 1:53

We do, we do. In fact, Brendan, the head coach, uh he’s he’s uh you know, he’s been to our uh True North office before. We’ve uh a couple of times, and and we actually um there’s a there’s a it’s a great program. Uh frankly, a lot of a lot of uh Christ-centered foundational elements exist with with Brendan’s uh program. And um, this is really cool to see. And and and the coaching staff is just are wonderful human beings. And so yeah, that and they’re still very strong program. Although with NIL, it’s it’s created a whole different dynamic. And so um they’re they’re they’re they’re fighting that fight, as you can imagine, in the new world, brave new world of college sports. Um, and certainly GoFor Wrestling is one of them that’s that’s trying to stay, stay relevant, stay competitive, and stay stay a top 20 program.SPEAKER_00 2:38

Yeah, yeah, yeah. A lot of those um college athletes nowadays with the NIL need to get a hold of some of these biblical business principles with all the the money and advertising, and you know, they’re really kind of building per amazing personal brands and uh and businesses, even in college. Um it’s awesome. Brian, I’m really excited to have you on the Theology of Business podcast today. When did you first realize God wanted to be involved in your work and business?SPEAKER_01 3:09

Well, you know, I feel like throughout throughout my entire life and career, you know, I grew up in a Christian household. My my mom was a Christian education director, my dad ran a small business, was a retired army colonel in the in the in the in the US Army. Um by the time I was born, he was still in the National Guard, but um he was out of the day today. But um he ran a small uh small light manufacturing business, um, not very not very big at the time, uh at least not early in his early in uh my life, but it ended up growing. But the both of them were very steady, uh, Christ-centered influences in my life. And um, and yet I went off to a public college, University of Minnesota. Um very secular. Um, you know, I had my ups and downs, um, but I always had a Christ-centered foundation. And um, you know, as I’m sure a lot of us can relate as business leaders, as well as just uh humanity itself, all of us, um, you know, there’s a difference between um knowing what Christ did um for us and kind of knowing who who he is and actually being in relationship with him. And so for me, my my college years were were the were the manifestation of that, of actually building a relationship. Um but then but then you get into the work professional uh realm of work, right? And um you start chasing things that that are good and and and and to serve to serve and glorify God in many respects, but but there’s selfish ambition involved. And um and again, not all that’s bad, but if harnessed improperly can lead to some some severe dysfunction um both and from both a temporal and eternal perspective. And so to really kind of come to answer your question, for me, um I had some success uh in my 20s in the world of business um and and in my into my 30s, and my dad died of cancer back in 2013. And really the story begins there, you know. Um, you know, I had I’d give my life to Christ um, you know, and surrender that. Um, but but admittedly there was a dimmer switch going on in life because I was pursuing temporal earthly treasures and earthly pursuits that, again, were for the right reasons to provide for my family, to to be able to give gen and give generously, all of those things. But, you know, when my dad was on his deathbed and I was visiting him one one day over lunch, and he was, you know, uh in in at-home hospice, and his eyes were becoming jaundiced, and he was starting to, you know, getting prepared to move into eternity in an eternal realm. And by the way, he was very comfortable with that, and that’s a whole nother story, um, just his degree of comfort around it. But I got to his house over lunch and I was complaining about what was going on at work that day. And I was leading a big a business unit, um, a sales team, and you know, traveling a lot and all that. And um, I was complaining though. And and he uh he expressed to me, he stopped me about face uh darren. He said, he’s like, Brian, what on earth are you chasing? I mean, seriously, what on earth are you chasing? Now again, he was about to leave the the earthly realm, um, but he was challenging me um, you know, to to to really focus on on what really mattered uh most. And specifically, I was complaining about work, right? And so specifically, he’s like, Brian, you got a great life, you got a great wife, you got a great kids, you know, you you you love the Lord. That’s all great, but like what are you pursuing? What are you chasing? Like, what on earth are you chasing? Because I can tell you right now, like, you know, you got a lot, you got a lot going on for you, and you have a great witness, but use it. And so, so that was a really a big bit of a two by four. And that’s what really began the journey of what became the true north family of companies. And it was it wasn’t but a year later um that I that I really felt called to to start uh buying small businesses. Um, and then a few years later I was able to quit the day job. Um, and uh, as the businesses grew in number and size and scope and required more leadership and dedicated leadership, and um, and then that’s what be has become the true north family of businesses, which um, as you stated earlier, you know, um a lot of lot of lot of employees, a lot of people, a lot of a lot of businesses, different PNLs, um, and a lot of different locations, um, and a lot of revenue. But but it’s but it’s it’s it’s all with a a unique per perspective and focus that’s different than than most uh business leaders in this world.SPEAKER_00 7:31

Wow. You know, my dad also passed away just a couple years uh from COVID complications. Uh, but you and I were both so fortunate to have a godly father that understood what life was really all about. I mean, what a what an incredible legacy. And and it sounds like it it really impacted the trajectory of of your life, those words that he spoke to you. Um what’s what’s one of your favorite stories that illustrates the impact being made by your company uh from that point forward when you really begin to dial in? What is it that I’m pursuing in life?SPEAKER_01 8:11

Well, there’s a couple of uh examples. Some are some are more tactical or more just just being able to help folks in an earthly realm, but and then also more really focused on having impact and influence as a business leader, but as a family of companies from a kingdom perspective, and really being an example that work is a form of worship, right? And uh and and that I really take that seriously. So the first story is just you know, a business owner, um, you know, one of the businesses we bought, um, the the it was it was two widows. Um, they were uh their their sister-in-laws, their uh their husbands were both uh were brothers and were tragically killed in a car accident together. Um, and and what it what happened is their partners in this business, the businesses was were left to the widows, and they were trying to run the businesses as best they could. And so be being able to come alongside them and be a steward of what their husbands had created and and like really shepherding the the husband’s legacy and what they desired to carry forward into the future was extremely impactful and profoundly really created an environment of like you know the fulfillment for our whole family of companies and our culture, right? But so that like that’s one just very practical story. Um, how we come alongside business owners, we um we try to steward uh the American small business, right? You know, uh I I tell people all the time this isn’t this isn’t really a faith, a faith thing, this is uh just a brutal American thing. The American small business um is is somewhat under attack and it’s it’s somewhat under neglect, right? It it drives over 40% of the GDP. Some say as high as 48% of the GDP here in this country. And yet, you know, uh everything from government to to a lot of a lot of focus areas to the media um typically don’t spend a lot of time in the American small business. And if they do, it’s like some retail shop that it’s in some like tourist town, right? I mean, like like, well, that’s not the American small business. The American small business is the the Joe Joe lunch pail manufacturer that has 25 employees and they they grind every day, right? And and it’s so important for us to be a steward of that. So part of what True North’s um uh mission is, is to be a steward of the American small business. But the other thing that’s so important about that is that we can be a witness to uh from a leadership standpoint on how we conduct ourselves and what what what what you know, as my dad asked me, what I’m what are we chasing? And that’s to have impact and influence to glorify God. And so in the world of small business, it’s still it’s still a very fertile ground to be able to have that impact and influence and come alongside folks. So the one of my other stories is um an example where one of the leaders of a business we acquired, um, uh, and he was a leader of, you know, sometimes it flexed up and down, but it was um oftentimes it was over 100 people. And uh to be able to come alongside by the business, put him in a role of leadership to actually run the company before he was more of a lieutenant. Now he we we empowered him to run a company and then to teach him biblical principles of how to lead and to see how that’s flourished not only in the form of business success, but in life success for him and his family. Like to me, like that is that fills my cup. Yeah, I mean, that makes me want to get to work every morning, it makes me race for Monday morning and kind of be bummed when Friday afternoon arrives. And and I don’t know if a lot of folks in in America can say that right now. And so I just firmly believe that you know, our our witness um uh through through our work is is the ultimate form of worship. And um, that’s what that’s what gets me going every day.SPEAKER_00 11:44

Awesome. Brian, what’s one of the business practices that helps you and the culture of your company reflect the character and ways of God?SPEAKER_01 11:52

Well, there’s a lot of different ways to do it. And and I want to first disclaim that I fall short every day too. Like, I mean, I’d be um I’d be lying to to your your listeners and to the audience if if um if if I was saying I bat a thousand, because I don’t. Like I’m I’m fallible. Um, you know, our sin nature persists no matter how sanctified we uh we are and how close we grow to him um uh every day through our prayer life, through our through our you know, through all the different folks we associate ourselves that help us grow closer to him, we still we still fall short. And so I think part of that is part of the answer, right, is is is this this vulnerability. Uh our leadership is one uh that comes from um an acceptance of that we’re vulnerable and that we are we are sinners and we’re fallible. And to um and and coming at it from that purview and that narrative as a as opposed to a leadership style where like thou shalt, thou shalt, thou shalt, thou shalt. It’s more like, hey, you know, um I’m fallible, you’re fallible, we’re you know, how how how now shall we live, right? As Chuck Colson in one of his books was was titled. And so I think that’s probably one of the big the biggest things is is starting from that point. And then and then it’s it’s it’s a little bit of a C.S. Lewis. It’s not it’s not thinking less of yourself, it’s just thinking about yourself less. And that’s this notion of surrendering selfish ambition. So, in a business sense, we really have a we really try to instill a culture of hey, it’s not about me, it’s not about Brian Slipka driving enough as much profit as possible so he can line his pockets or my partner’s pockets or whatever the case may be. It’s about what do we need to do to make the situation better for all, right? And it’s surrendering our selfish ambition, but still being very ambitious. And so that’s a cultural trait that we emphasize in in every in all the different businesses, whether it be my investment bank and mainstream business brokerage, where we we have a higher higher percentage of collaboration than any any of our industry peers. Like that’s a big deal to me. Like I actually measure our success based on our uh uh degree of collaboration amongst our team and with others in the marketplace, as I do with um with the actual PL, right?SPEAKER_00 14:07

How do you measure that?SPEAKER_01 14:08

Well, I mean, in in the world, in that specific world, we we measure it by the by by frankly, the number of folks that are touching the deal and that are getting compensated on it. So it’s not like you know, a lot of investment bankers try to hog deals, right? Like we want to control every element of it because we get the biggest commission that way, or we get the biggest fee, or whatever the structure might be. In our world, it’s like we we measure success by the degree of folks that we we we’ve collaborated with to ultimately uh uh ensure the success of the of the client. And I think that’s a different unit of measurement, but because of that, we’ve grown like crazy. We actually have we’ve done more transactions than our peers. And overall, the revenue also drifts in the form of success and and higher higher revenues as well. But we’re we’re basing it off of the pursuit of collaboration and the pursuit of uh working as a team as opposed to the pursuit of just pure revenue and profit.SPEAKER_00 15:00

Yeah. So what does that decision, that point of decision, look like when you’re having to decide, are we going to be collaborative or are we going to just, you know, try to patter wallets?SPEAKER_01 15:14

Well, I think I think it comes down to being again, surrendering selfish ambition and being servant, servant, being a true servant leader. So you look at the the parables of Jesus and the teachings of Jesus, you know, and you look at how he was so winsome and how he would come alongside, you know, uh his different examples, you know, um, and and parables that he would speak of, right? In all those situations, it was it was it was somebody who surrendered maybe selfish ambition, but but was ambitious in the form of helping the the person that they were involved with. So in a business sense, you know, you you take a deal or a transaction or um um something where we’re trying to win win the deal, right? And if we take it hard of how can we, what’s our highest and best use to serve the customer and to have a have a have success for them? And what we don’t look at our success, we look at how do we make sure that they’re successful? And and I’m I know that might sound a little cliche for the listener and in the you know, if you’re a business owner listening to this, but I’m just saying, like we all have examples of this where we are met with, okay, I can make a lot more money if I just do it this way. We we eliminate displaced energy, we um reduce risk, and we create actually maximum efficiency. In a business sense, that’s like check, check, check, check. Let’s do that, right? But are we surrendering, but are we truly surrendering selfish ambition there? And are we truly creating an environment where our culture can thrive and grow and we can be a witness to other business leaders? Because sometimes that may actually be more disruptive. It may be a little bit more harder work, it may have a little bit uh less efficiency, but and less revenue and profit, but it sets us up for success with with the folks that we’re serving. And over time, that actually manifests itself into more transactions, more business. Yeah, and it actually comes back right right back around. But you you do it for the for the benefit of the other person, not yourself.SPEAKER_00 17:11

Yeah. What’s an example of a time where you really could have chosen a different path that might have been better for you, but it wasn’t better for uh the group, it wasn’t better for the the collaborative um relationships.SPEAKER_01 17:27

Well, I I mean I think of a very personal uh scenario with some businesses that I um one business in particular that it that I own. And at the time I owned 100% of it, and that was by far the the most preferred route, right? I mean, and now I’m getting into equity conversation, right? But but in that case, I I owned I own the business fully. But I also realized that for us to grow um and for us to serve the client in the in the maximum way, I was gonna have to surrender some of that in order to um in order to not only grow the business for for our for for my benefit, but more importantly to like really meet a competitive um uh headwind that we were uh faced up against and really bring others into the fold to to uh to for the for the greater good. And so what that meant now now if you’re an equ, if if you’re a business owner, a lot of times you might be like, okay, well, Brian, well, okay, so you sell some equity in order to grow it. How is that surrender and selfish ambition? Well, in that case, what I did is I literally gave equity to others and uh without any you know strings attached in order for us all to be successful. Um, and and I think you know, some may say that isn’t being a good steward of of business ownership or equity, but in that particular instance, that was absolutely the right you know surrender that I needed to make, right? So every situation is a little bit different, um, but that’s the one that comes top of mind because that was such a sacrifice for me. Um and and and then since that time the business has flourished, and um, and and uh there’s there’s moments where my selfish ambition gets the best of me where I’m like, God man, if I would have just kept that, would I yeah, but then but god the way God works, it’s God’s timing, not our own. And and and there wouldn’t have been what it would exist today if if there hadn’t been that sacrifice that I had made.SPEAKER_00 19:18

Is there another story you could tell of a time when you really saw God’s hand at work in your company?SPEAKER_01 19:25

Well, um, I’m gonna this is gonna be a little bit different than what most listeners um are probably used to, but I I uh I believe God’s hand is is is in things the most when I’m struggling. Um, and I mean that because I see how God’s tempering me through the adverse conditions or the adversity or toil. Specifically, I’ll give you an example. Like right now, um one of our industry sectors that we’re heavily invested in is really under a lot of duress and stress. And and uh, you know, prof you know, industry-wide profits are down like 75, 80 percent, revenues are down, you know, 40, 50 percent, expenses are up, um, you know, that there’s there’s headwinds that are beyond any of the business owners’ control in the industry. And it’s it’s been it’s been really, really tough. But I’m telling you, like God’s hand is in that because I look at how he’s tempered myself as well as my other leaders to decision a little bit differently, to seek him first, not not our own understanding, right? To seek him in all circumstances and not let our circumstances affect our desire to seek him, right? And and our willingness to seek him and our surrender to him every day. And so I I do consider it pure joy when I think about the stress that that that has been placed on some of our businesses and others examples previously, where there’s been some stresses where that is actually God’s favor more than more than more than the favor of like ex you know, exultant business success or profit. And I’m just telling you, that’s a little bit different way of looking at things from a from an earthly perspective. But I’m but boy, I can see the fruit of it, the measurement of fruit, the the people that we’ve been able to impact and influence, because they see how we’re handling the adverse conditions and the toil with integrity, with character, with with um you know, recognition of of grinding through it and and stepping up and uh forcing ourselves to become better, better stewards of our resources. I mean, wow. I mean, how powerful is that? Like, thank you, Lord, like for giving me this. And I think I think that’s a little bit of an inverted uh uh knee-jerk way of thinking about it, but but boy, oh boy, that what a what a powerful example of of God’s of God’s uh um you know love of us to to temper us through all circumstances. I I could have told you some stories about some meteoric success we’ve had with some of the other businesses, but I’m telling you, Darren, I I haven’t learned and I don’t learn as much through those situations because all that does is is perpetuate this.SPEAKER_00 22:00

notion of hey thank you lord look what i did you know you can you can’t help but have the human condition allow you to to to to go go there and and so and and and so anyway i’m just telling you like the the the tempering the stress the stress adverse conditions are the ones where you learn grow and grow and seek him and cling to him uh um uh more and and and and that’s that’s intentional by by by by our lord so um that’s just a few examples i could i i i got the whole gamut yeah that’s really good and that you know the the the moments of lack the moments of struggle and distress that’s what in sp part of the the context inspired paul to say i can do all things through christ who strengthens me so it wasn’t just i can go get a gold medal um you know through christ who strengthens me or i can make um you know make this deal or happen or whatever it was i can endure through suffering i can endure through hard times through christ who who strengthens me and that’s i mean and that’s that’s the points where your team members they see okay something’s different um that because it’s in those moments where we really kind of default to self right and just our own strength uh and what can i do to get myself out of this jam right yeah well i mean i i have examples for myself where under adverse conditions you know and with let’s face it to your point when when we’re all backed into a corner um no matter the what the situation might be it might be um you know uh you know with a colleague where you know you guys disagree on a topic and you feel like you’re backed into a corner how do you respond do you do you come out fighting and swinging and defensive and you know um because because I I’ll be honest I mean the book that I just wrote Winsome uh I’m a mild version of the protagonist and that’s what and that’s what he would do and that’s what I still do it to this day and so when I when I say the tempering of of our Lord through the through these uh through our suffering or through these adverse conditions um you know it it is what as Paul wrote in a Roman prison you know um you know that that that it’s a that it’s truly a blessing and that we can do all things through that but it’s only through that like so like I I just there there’s this notion of what’s next you know I’ve gotten a chance to work with alongside Tony Dungey with some ministry efforts that we do up in Minneapolis every year.SPEAKER_01 24:34

And Tony is is is of such profound wisdom and um and you know one of the things you know in in a text chain we had was was around some stuff that we were all going through around you know some stresses and adverse conditions that we were faced up against and and I think Tony made a the comment somewhere along the lines of like you know this is part of the the process and the Beatitudes the Sermon on the mount right I mean like we knew that like this is this is what’s promised to us that we’re gonna have some some pushback or uh adversity or suffering as a result of it. So that so that that we should we should actually celebrate that as as as as weird as that sounds and from a business perspective in the world of business it’s even more more um shall I say strange or or or countercultural uh because we’re measured by you know being in the black by a certain percentage every year or showing year over year growth or the different KPIs but I’m just here to challenge everybody you know what KPIs are you chasing? It’s like my dad asked me like what KPIs are you chasing? Are you chasing the people that you’re uh the number of folks that you can impact and influence to then go forth and and honor and glorify the Lord in a high character, high integrity way in the world of business and have that be the ultimate form of worship and and witnessing or are you just chasing you know black marks on a white sheet of paper oh profit grew revenue grew my W2 grew or my income grew grew and I’m gonna compartmentalize out of my business and then go to church on Sunday like I I challenge the listener to really think about that. Where do you stand in that? Because um because if if if it’s not the key ingredient to the to the piece of pie that we call life and it’s just a it’s just a piece of the pie, you know you you really got to self-reflect.SPEAKER_00 26:18

Yeah that’s right. Yeah and that that selfish ambition it’s really an effort to just kind of clothe ourselves with the fig leaves uh of in the filthy rags of self-righteousness and trying to put ourselves in right standing with some sort of um ideal apart from Christ as opposed to let me just stand in my my state of imputed righteousness in Christ where I don’t have to earn anything I don’t have to add anything to it um and it’s just a it’s just a free gift. But business is uh it can be a a real trap you know for those of us who are achievement you know success oriented.SPEAKER_01 27:04

Yeah oh I mean it’s it’s so true and it’s it’s crazy again I would think a lot of the listeners here for with you um I know exactly what you’re saying and can relate empathetically to what you’re saying. And I would just challenge all of us and by by the way I say us myself included because I will be the first to admit I don’t have it figured out. Like I am so fallible and every day it’s like Lord help me get out of my own way to to to seek your wisdom and counsel and to have truly a Christ centered lens through all of my decision making all of my leading and all of my pursuits and and uh and and it’s it’s a daily prayer it’s it’s a it’s a minute by minute prayer sometimes Darren I mean um and and this notion of surrender and selfish ambition you know I at the prayer break I I gave the keynote a at a prayer breakfast here in in a at a in a city here in in the Twin Cities this past May. And one of the things I talked about is is like the thing about surrendering selfish ambition if you’re having a hard time grasping the concept of surrender and selfish ambition now challenge just look at it logically selfish ambition doesn’t scale I mean it it it just doesn’t scale and and you gotta really acknowledge that it exists you gotta um you you got you got to rewire your brain I mean there’s a lot of things you can do around around um surrendering selfish ambition but if you look at it from a truly like a truly logical um standpoint there’s three there’s three reasons why it doesn’t uh I’ll tell you I’ll tell you just it’s selfish ambition doesn’t scale the first thing is it it impairs your ability to self-reflect I mean because think about it because if you if you’re if you’re all about your own selfish ambition you’re never self-reflecting because you’re always focused on focusing on what what’s in it for me instead of like man did I handle that situation well or did I could I have done that better or how am I with that relationship so like literally you’re you’re so self-centered and selfish ambition creates self-centeredness not necessarily selfishness but self-centeredness to where you aren’t self-reflecting inward it’s always about like what do I want to achieve so so that part doesn’t scale the other thing that I would say it doesn’t scale is you can’t multiply it you know because if it’s self-centeredness you can’t create a disciple who to go make other disciples if Jesus was self-centered you know his 12 disciples when when he when he when he left this world it would have ended with that you know I mean he they would have just been like I mean and Jesus I mean that was who they were honoring and glorifying and worshiping right but just from look at it from a business perspective you know he created a framework for them to go then create more disciples and so I just think that that’s super important um as well and then and then you know like the the third the third thing is is that it just limits your ability to trust if you’re if you’re self if you’re if you’re if you have self um selfish ambition you and you aren’t able to surrender it you’re gonna always ultimately when you go through relationships throughout life you’re gonna have a trust you’re gonna have trust issues that emerge because you’re gonna always be focused on yourself. So that’s right and and I can and I can talk about all those a lot a lot more but but I think it’s important to bring it up to the listener about those those three areas.SPEAKER_00 30:05

I mean it’s just super powerful for me and it’s it’s helped me as I’ve tried to get better as a leader um humbly um and as I’ve tried to just be more effective um and be more Christ like and that’s a lot of what you the lessons that readers are going to walk away with from this baseball parable win some five proven life strategies to win in relationships um what do you want to say to our our listeners about how they can benefit from this book?SPEAKER_01 30:34

Well I I I would encourage you know when you it’s a pair it’s a fable right it’s a relational fable this is about 140 pages it’s something you can knock out in a couple hours um you know our audio version is a is a is a great way to listen to it too um I had uh uh Jeff Gould uh America Storyteller read that um and he did an unbelievable job far better than I would have been able to do as a storyteller but but the the point to to the listener would be that you know if when you think about your relationships with your marriage um with your with your kids with maybe your your uh with your siblings or other relatives or colleagues at work peers at work subordinates lieutenants you know whatever the whatever it may be your colleagues at work or or friends for that matter um no in no matter what walk in life you’re in how are you handling your relational uh connections and how are you building long-term relational success and so the the the winsome the winsome book really calls out for the five the five kind of five tool framework we call it and in a baseball sense and I’ll leave the reader uh I’ll let the reader kind of um you know you know you got to read the book to get into some of the more details but the five tool framework is you first you got to grab your bat so grab your bat of life right you know if you don’t grab your bat you know you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take right you got to grab your bat and be looking out in the field okay it’s uh what’s the score am I mentally prepared to to to step into the batter’s box and then step two is you got to go in the on deck circle. Okay now you’re on the field you’re actually on the field you aren’t still in the game but you’re on the field. Now you got to really be looking like how can I help my team so you’re starting you’re surrendering your your selfish desires and you’re looking at the situation. Oh it’s four to four in the bottom of the eighth inning and there’s a runner on second and you know I’m about to step up to the plate what am I gonna do? And that’s that’s number three at bat. So now you’re at bat. So now it’s you’ve prepared yourself to surrender selfish ambition. Now you actually surrender it. Okay. Now it’s like Lord use me how how you need to in this world right so and then and throughout the book we’re we’re you know we’re we’re providing examples in a in a real life way as well so it’s not just baseball right but but in the world of baseball the the the analogy is is so powerful. I mean you’re at bat well your goal ultimately is to get to do step four which is to drive in runs for your team not yourself for your team so so that maybe if you know as a as a husband or a or a wife is basically you know as how are you how are you treat how are you uh as a spouse right I mean are you focused on the marriage are you focused on yourself? Um are how are you as a as a parent are you focused on on yourself or are you focused on how you are as a family right um as a team as a team member as a leader of a company are you focused on just what’s in it for me as the leader and how can I win in this or how can my entire entire company win in this right and and so it’s really profound as you get through it. But and then number five is just after you’re driving runs getting back in the batter’s box. And that’s the humility element of like we’ve never arrived we never have it all figured out my you know myself included I’m stepping the batter’s box every day in the game of life of like man I could have handled that situation better. Or man my daughter was only home for like five minutes because she’s so busy now as a as a as a young adult and and man I could have handled that better and self-reflect.SPEAKER_00 33:51

So getting back in the batter’s box constant form of self-reflection um I think are all are all elements and of course the book dives into more more more examples through a through a story uh and how to achieve that yes wow well it it sounds like a it’s a para powerful parable uh fable about uh confronting this this enemy of selfish ambition and I love what the apostle paul said um do nothing from selfish ambition or vain conceit but in humility consider others more important than yourselves um I mean we are sabotaging ourselves and our companies by uh just making it all about us and and you you’ve done a great job i’ve i’ve read I haven’t read the entire thing read portions of the book as I said uh sitting at the lake yesterday um but it’s it’s very well written you guys are gonna love this uh tnfamily foundation dot org is the website is in true northfamily foundation dot org and people can get this book win some five proven life strategies to win in relationships at Amazon and probably other places as well um brian this has been fantastic thank you so much for uh sharing uh parts of your journey and uh wisdom with us today uh we’re better for it yeah thank you so much for having me and I just want to say like what you your statement here uh from from Paul is so so true to surrender that selfish ambition and then and then I would even go so farther for any business owner listening you know that vain conceit is also something that that that that daily hits me like how am I surrendering you know that element as well and it’s just so powerful so hopefully hopefully the listener got something out of our time together. I know I did thanks again Brian thanks so much thanks for listening to this episode of the Theology of Business podcast be sure to subscribe leave a review and tune in for the next episode as we continue exploring God’s will and ways for business.

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